If you purchase a system with a set feature list you should be confident that it is accurate and you receive exactly what you paid for. In the case of the original PS3, customer received a machine that had the Install Other OS feature, access to the PSN etc. etc. However, I couldn't find any guarantee over the longevity of the features. From the looks of it, they could switch off the PSN tomorrow, or perhaps release the PS4 and make your PS3 obsolete, or maybe just stop making compatible games completely.
There seems to be very little appreciation for the fact that they offer a service whereby you have free access to updates to the software, where they continue to offer the free service of the PSN and when new games are continually released for a system that is now several years old.
And if you don't agree to the changes that Sony are offering, you can simply not agree to them. It's well within your right. BUT you will still have exactly what you paid for originally. You can continue to use the Install Other OS feature, you can play all the games you could before and that were stated as being compatible with your system (or more appropriately, the version of system), and you also had access to the PSN for as long as your system was compatible with it - nowhere (that I can see) does it state that you have a right to continued and interrupted access to the PSN for an unlimited amount of time. On the back of every game I own, it clearly states that the PSN is subject to terms and conditions and may not be available.
The reason that these changes are being made is clearly related at least in part to the actions of Geohot. I have no problem with what he has done and he is free to do whatever he pleases. But the issue it raises for Sony and its game developers is whether you want to invest in a multi-million pound/dollar project knowing full well that once your game is released it will be freely available to those that have implemented Geohot's patch or a derivative of that. And the ease to which pirated software can be accessed and the temptation for the customer in terms of money saved (and money lost by them, however true that may be) makes this more of a problem. The removal of the Other OS feature is an attempt to guarantee that future releases will not be affected. And so again we have this element of time and ensuring those that continue to invest in the PS3 are protected, and those that wish to continue to be supported by Sony also do not miss out on future developments.
So, in conclusion, I don't believe Sony is forcing its customers to do anything. Everyone received and has exactly what they paid for originally (all the same games still work, all the features are still there, and Sony continue to offer the PSN to those that accept the agreement), but if you want to be supported by them, use their free services and wish to continue to receive the benefits of future developments and investments in the PS3, then you should do it by the company's terms. Plus, as a few have said above, the linked article's claims do appear completely false as the quoted lines can be found in the original EULA: http://web.archive.org/web/20061210231357/http://www.scei.co.jp/ps3-eula/ps3_eula_en.html
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If you purchase a system with a set feature list you should be confident that it is accurate and you receive exactly what you paid for.
In the case of the original PS3, customer received a machine that had the Install Other OS feature, access to the PSN etc. etc.
However, I couldn't find any guarantee over the longevity of the features. From the looks of it, they could switch off the PSN tomorrow, or perhaps release the PS4 and make your PS3 obsolete, or maybe just stop making compatible games completely.
There seems to be very little appreciation for the fact that they offer a service whereby you have free access to updates to the software, where they continue to offer the free service of the PSN and when new games are continually released for a system that is now several years old.
And if you don't agree to the changes that Sony are offering, you can simply not agree to them. It's well within your right. BUT you will still have exactly what you paid for originally. You can continue to use the Install Other OS feature, you can play all the games you could before and that were stated as being compatible with your system (or more appropriately, the version of system), and you also had access to the PSN for as long as your system was compatible with it - nowhere (that I can see) does it state that you have a right to continued and interrupted access to the PSN for an unlimited amount of time. On the back of every game I own, it clearly states that the PSN is subject to terms and conditions and may not be available.
The reason that these changes are being made is clearly related at least in part to the actions of Geohot. I have no problem with what he has done and he is free to do whatever he pleases. But the issue it raises for Sony and its game developers is whether you want to invest in a multi-million pound/dollar project knowing full well that once your game is released it will be freely available to those that have implemented Geohot's patch or a derivative of that. And the ease to which pirated software can be accessed and the temptation for the customer in terms of money saved (and money lost by them, however true that may be) makes this more of a problem. The removal of the Other OS feature is an attempt to guarantee that future releases will not be affected. And so again we have this element of time and ensuring those that continue to invest in the PS3 are protected, and those that wish to continue to be supported by Sony also do not miss out on future developments.
So, in conclusion, I don't believe Sony is forcing its customers to do anything. Everyone received and has exactly what they paid for originally (all the same games still work, all the features are still there, and Sony continue to offer the PSN to those that accept the agreement), but if you want to be supported by them, use their free services and wish to continue to receive the benefits of future developments and investments in the PS3, then you should do it by the company's terms.
Plus, as a few have said above, the linked article's claims do appear completely false as the quoted lines can be found in the original EULA: http://web.archive.org/web/20061210231357/http://www.scei.co.jp/ps3-eula/ps3_eula_en.html