Sony's New Firmware Stops Disabled Gamers from Playing PS3

{sidebar id=1}Not more than a few days ago Sony released its newest firmware patch 3.50 for the PlayStation 3 aimed at increasing security and decreasing piracy.  When the update was published hackers were no longer able to use their pirated games on the PlayStation network, or at all if they updated their firmware.

The problem?  The patch has also blocked some third-party hardware that uses the USB port to access the PlayStation 3. Unfortunately, some Mad Catz circuit boards made prior to 2008 have been compromised, rendering the controllers unusable, the number of effected users market wide is unknown. Mad Catz controllers are a favorite in the disabled community because of the robust circuit board that can stand up to modification better than the OEM controllers, also the wired controllers have a more stable voltage profile than battery operated wireless modules, this lends to greater options for disabled gamers.

Mad Catz, makers of many PS3 modded controllers, supplies the circuit boards to Broadened Horizons for several of its accessible controllers.  These controllers are responsible for allowing severely disabled gamers with no dexterity or hand movement at all to use their PlayStation 3.  Normal OEM controllers require lots of finger movement and hand strength while Broadened Horizons’ controllers allow for little or no movement at all.

Suddenly, and without warning, several of these motor impaired gamers were locked out o f their favorite activity.

Mark Felling, president and founder of Broadened Horizons, contacted AbleGamers with the heartbreaking news.  Luckily, only three to twelve customers have been affected so far, and it's only the wired controls giving users problems.  Felling said it's important to let people know that a small percentage of the controllers manufactured have been and will affected, and more importantly that they are doing everything possible to keep people playing.

There's no way to tell which circuit boards were made before 2008 and which of those would have been affected.

For Felling, it's more concerning to see a shift in policy from Sony than the controllers themselves being locked out. Controllers can be fixed or replaced but if Sony suddenly goes the way of Microsoft and stops allowing third party companies to make modified controllers the consequences could be dire.

“BH is concerned with Sony’s long term policy because we have been recommending them for years because of their open platform, if they are discontinuing that policy and restricting 3rd party peripherals, this may leave many disabled gamers unable to use their adaptive equipment," said Felling.

Although most of the controllers are made to last through any update, but the general concern is that Sony may completely discontinue third-party controller development for the sake of fighting piracy. Not to mention, even if they did that, piracy will still continue with the addition of downgrading firmware and other inevitable ways of getting around their latest fix.

As in most piracy arguments, only the law-abiding console modder is going to pay the price; the pirates will simply find a new way around the latest security measures.

Here's where you can help; write a letter to Sony explaining how important it is that modders continue to be allowed access to the PlayStation 3.  Sony makes getting feedback to then from the user base as hard as they can, using good old-fashioned snail mail, letters pressuring Sony to stand by their original policy of allowing modified controllers may just save some of our favorite accessible controllers. Don’t want to write, leave a comment here and we will see they read it.

Write your letters to:

SCEA - Sony Computer Entertainment America
Attn: Correspondence
PO Box 5888
San Mateo, CA 94402-0888

Help send a message to Sony that our accessible technology is important and we're not going to let them be taken away.

UPDATE: To Be Clear...

The current product line from our friends at Broadened Horizons are not effected by this current issue; the issue at hand is older Mad Catz equipment made prior to 2008. So check your older gear. 

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0 #14 COMMENT_TITLE_R E Sony's New Firmware Stops Disabled Gamers from Playing PS3 — sghedlund 2010-10-19 03:18

Mark, thanks for the information! I might pick one up. I'm still deciding if I want my PS3 not happy with Sony's direction and all my friends are XBL. Watch Sony will come out with 3.60 firmware that will only allow sony controller to ever be used. It's sad I have to pump for money into an already expensive controller.

 

 

0 #13 COMMENT_TITLE_R E Sony's New Firmware Stops Disabled Gamers from Playing PS3 — gimpgear 2010-10-18 14:27

Broadened Horizons has 4 Player PS2 to PS3 converters in stock that are tested compatible with firmware v3.5 and will work with the eDimensional Access controller as well as all other PS2 controllers. Many of the cheaper PS2 to PS3 converters do not work such as those that shipped with the eDimensional controller and many found on eBay that do not have a mode/user button with 4 LED lights to set which user the controller will function as. We also have converters to use your controllers on other consoles such as Wii, Xbox 360, etc. I setup a special webpage to help you all out.

www.BroadenedHorizons.com/game_converters.htm

I had these adapters made for us by the same Asian manufacturer that I believe made the original Pelican converters that were known to work very well with excellent 100% compatibility and also with the new firmware. I have many customers using these PS2 to PS3 4 Player Converters and no one has yet reported any compatibility problems. They are $39.95.

Mark Felling
President, Broadened Horizons Inc.
Quadriplegic Engineer, Patented Inventor, MBA

 

 

0 #12 COMMENT_TITLE_R E Sony's New Firmware Stops Disabled Gamers from Playing PS3 — snakeeyes1991 2010-10-18 06:51

Sad. I'm glad I have an xbox 360...

 

 

0 #11 COMMENT_TITLE_R E Sony's New Firmware Stops Disabled Gamers from Playing PS3 — sghedlund 2010-10-18 06:37

I've given up on Sony. I read if you have the Access Controller designed by Ben Heck made by eDimensional, it's one of controllers effected. I haven't updated to confirm because if I do and it's one that is I can't flash back. I did contact Sony Customer Service Rep. But they were very unhelpful. He said I didn't have to update, I wouldn't have full function of the PS3 or I could update and lose my controller, which is stupid since I play one handed anyways! I pressed the issue about if they were going to fix it, but he said something about some privacy policy and wouldn't say it would get fixed down the line. This make me believe Sony is not going to fix it. I have decided to no longer support Sony and sell my console. Sony has recently made moves that I think will hurt them. They've taken away linux support, so this comes as no surprise. I think they are trying to control the controllers market and get money for licencing. I do hope they decide to go back and enable those controller that have been disabled.

 

 

0 #10 COMMENT_TITLE_R E Sony's New Firmware Stops Disabled Gamers from Playing PS3 — RenderB 2010-09-29 06:16

Actually there is a logic flaw there. Sony is more than happy to let other devices onto the system. Provided you as a dev pay for them to license it.

Besides, as i said before all this is about the hacks. They removed other os out of fear homebrew makers could use the more advanced (gpu) features. Now they are playing catch up to plug the holes. A wasted effort that only annoys customers. Since anyone that cares about homebrew will simply not update their box.

 

 

0 #9 COMMENT_TITLE_R E Sony's New Firmware Stops Disabled Gamers from Playing PS3 — georgli 2010-09-29 02:03

Sony has a very clear interest: money. If they lock outthose who depend on accessible interfaces, they lose a lot of money. Sony should invest a little bit of money in research of what their customer base consists of. Only if they understand that it's not just a few people who are disabled and their customers, they will act. It's not just a few thousand bucks they will miss out but millions. they must understand that the disabled are often the most loyal fans, because there is not very much that they can do in their spare time. Please don't let the money for accessible input devices be wasted in rendering it useless.

 

 

0 #8 COMMENT_TITLE_R E Sony's New Firmware Stops Disabled Gamers from Playing PS3 — Ioshi 2010-09-29 00:04

Sony, like other companies only have lust for money, but in that hunger, they miss a important part, they are forgetting about US, the consumers, they aren't thinking about all the people, that uses peripherals from other brands, also, they are not thinking in the tournaments held with joysticks. how the one handed terror, will play SSF4, without that, i dont know, the only thing that i know, its that a lot of people are going to leave behind Sony products, for those kind of things.

forgive my english.

 

 

0 #7 COMMENT_TITLE_R E Sony's New Firmware Stops Disabled Gamers from Playing PS3 — Thundaeagle 2010-09-28 12:46

It is sad full stop how alot of gaming companies don't care to make their games accessable for us AbleGamers.

 

 

0 #6 COMMENT_TITLE_R E Sony's New Firmware Stops Disabled Gamers from Playing PS3 — gimpgear 2010-09-28 11:52

To update, all of Broadened Horizons adapted controllers still work on the PS3 as well as the PS2, Xbox 360, PC, Wii, even back to the original Nintendo. Our controllers are designed to be flexible and upgradable even to the next generation consoles. Consequently we had a solution available to customers who's controllers were essentially disabled by Sony.

To the best of my knowledge, the firmware update has not affected PS2 to PS3 adapters, only affected certain MadCatz PS3 Wired Controller hardware/chips manufactured pre-2008.

I was looking to get a response from Sony but the tech support manager basically said "I cannot help you, I do not know Sony's official policies, I do not have a way to contact Sony corporate and escalate the problem, I cannot get back to you with an answer, your only option is to write a letter" (to the address given in the article). I very specifically explained I do not expect Sony to support third-party controllers but only wanted to know their policy, if this was a bug in the firmware or intentional, and if they were changing their policy about being an open platform and were going to start breaking support for more third-party controllers?

I found his answer, that he did not know and could not find out and get back to me absolutely appalling. "Jason" would not give me his full name or the company he worked for which obviously subcontracts to Sony to provide support. To have no way to escalate a problem or get a response is ludicrous!

For nearly 2 decades the PSone, PS2, and PS3 have been open platforms. Without a response from Sony I am giving them the benefit of the doubt and my guess is this was unintended, an oversight by Sony as a consequence of lack of regression testing and will be corrected or avoided in the future if they are sufficiently aware of the issues. (Years ago I taught software quality test automation of embedded systems - even worked with Sony.) My fear was that someone thought this would only affect a small number of third-party controllers, and the well was that so bad if some users were forced to use Sony OEM controllers. Not realizing that the OEM controllers do not work for everyone! Not realizing that their action essentially disabled or made unplayable the consoles and many games that some of their most avid and enthusiastic customers had purchased!

Things like this start small and then tend to expand and grow. The proverbial slippery slope. Then those policies are carried through on to future systems and pretty soon assistive technologies will not work, adapted controllers will be even more difficult and expensive if not impossible, and more gamers with abilities that differ from the 'standard' or norm will be prohibited from gaming.

Sony in this particular instance, and through your response their competitors, Nintendo and Microsoft need to understand from all of you who buy their products and play their games the importance to you personally of access to customized or adaptive/access ible controllers.

Sony, we would be happy to work with you since these kind of issues could easily be avoided!

To disabled gamers, I love hearing and reading your ideas and feedback, it was because of your inquiries that I originally started developing adaptive videogame controllers 2 years ago.

Mark Felling
President, Broadened Horizons Inc.
Quadriplegic Engineer, Patented Inventor, MBA

 

 

0 #5 COMMENT_TITLE_R E Sony's New Firmware Stops Disabled Gamers from Playing PS3 — RenderB 2010-09-28 10:14

Another reason to break it open. I love this wonderful loop sony got into. First we remove a feature that we advertised, is popular mainly with tech savy people and those that use a ps3 as cheap research machine.(Like the us air force.) A reason exporting ps3's to certain countries was initially banned.

Those said same people who would never otherwise have put time and effort into breaking the machine back open now do so. As a side effect it opens the console up to piracy. Sony makes new firmware that actually is open to another hack... Oh yes, only to make yet another firmware revision that is still open to a hack, but also blocks non certified perhips. (While a current hack runs from modded sony pads.)

I cannot help but wonder if whoever came up with removing other OS is kicking themselves.

 

 

0 #4 COMMENT_TITLE_R E Sony's New Firmware Stops Disabled Gamers from Playing PS3 — Ronin KX 2010-09-28 07:34

Geez, maybe I should see if my third-party controller still works. It's unbranded and a bit uncomfortable, but it gets around those rapid-tap fests Playstation exclusives seem oh so fond of. That being said, I've got a book of stamps burning a hole in my whatever you want to call it drawer.

 

 

0 #3 COMMENT_TITLE_R E Sony's New Firmware Stops Disabled Gamers from Playing PS3 — Eric Welch 2010-09-28 07:12

Frankly, I'm appalled that a company as large and powerful as Sony doesn't have an in-house team of accessibility analysts and advocates who are watching out for things like this. My son has cerebral palsy and we chose the PS3 specifically for its adaptive controller-frie ndly architecture. I'm not usually one to trash companies' reputations, but if Sony doesn't address this issue with a patch fix soon, I'm sure that a CNN story would get their attention!

 

 

0 #2 COMMENT_TITLE_R E Sony's New Firmware Stops Disabled Gamers from Playing PS3 — One Switch Organisation 2010-09-28 06:51

That is awful news. This might not only affect Mark Felling's controllers, but all those using wired PS2 controllers through a PS3 adapter. If so, that would those using one-handed PS2 controllers, Quasimoto arcade controllers, C-SIDs, and so on. Potentially extremely bad news for accessibility on the PS3.

 

 

0 #1 COMMENT_TITLE_R E Sony's New Firmware Stops Disabled Gamers from Playing PS3 — Karla Berglund Hughes 2010-09-28 03:45

WOW! That Stinks that Sony rescricted access for people of Ability. Shame on them! I will let my Facebook community know that this is unacceptable!

Too bad Sony cannot seem to make their games accessible from the start. They are losing an untapped market. My teen and her friends with disabilities love gaming. She will be sad to hear this news!

 

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