Sony agrees to pay millions to gamers to settle PS3 Linux debacle

After a long time in the courts, the PS3 Linux row has been settled

Photo by CC user Evan-Amos on Wikimedia Commons

Many will remember the days when PlayStation software included the option to install a new Os System on top of the original PlayStation OS. Those days may be a thing of the past, but the remanence of this time still remains. After 6 years of litigation in court, PlayStation finally closed the court case involving Linux OS software, which restricted players from installing other operating systems on their gaming platform.

The deals between lawyers were made which produced the end result of the PS3 Linux court case, as the company agreed to repay those who purchased the system in 2010. This means that any players who bought the system between November 1st, 2006 and April 1st 2010 are entitled to claim $55 from PlayStation. These players have to have a proof of payment for the instillation of the Linux software, or the serial number and PlayStation network sign-in ID. If players were informed of the changes before purchase they will receive a $9 payment. While the court judge has yet to approve these proceedings, the agreement provides much needed progress in the case for PlayStation consumers.

PlayStation has also promised that in the contract there will no limit to the amount of the clients they will pay back under the terms. While it is uncertain exactly how much is owed by PlayStation, it is estimated to cost Sony millions of dollars. This deal impacted over 10 million console owners who have been waiting for retribution for more than 6 years.

Sony claims that these changes were not meant to do harm to consumers, but rather were made due to security concerns. These concerns involved customers ability to steal or copy gaming and software, which posed a threat to the well-being of the company. The same thing also applies to online pokies where some employees steal company information and sell it to their competitors.

While the court continues to finalise the dealings, Sony has finally made a step in the right direction to benefit its consumers. As mentioned before, same thing happens to iGaming business where employees violate their code of conduct. Visit Jackpots Casino if you are a fan of online pokies.