Sony Unit To Recall Playstation2 DVD Player Software

30-Mar-00

Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. said Wednesday, March 29, 2000 that it will begin recalling the startup software of the 1.25 million PlayStation2 video-game consoles shipped to date in order to fix the bug that unexpectedly allows it to play DVDs sold abroad. Using machines marketed in Japan to play back the content of DVDs sold overseas is forbidden under an international agreement signed by DVD-Video player manufacturers and film companies. The software can be returned to the company by mail from April 1, 2000 and through 8,000 Seven-Eleven convenience stores nationwide soon. Though the maker of the popular home video-game machine has not revealed the cost of the recall, an official said, ""Production of replacement software and its mailing will cost us substantially."" From now on, the subsidiary of Sony Corp. will ship PlayStation2 consoles together with software that does not support the playing of foreign DVDs. Sony Computer Entertainment released PlayStation2 on March 4, 2000, marketing it as a DVD-Video player, not just a video-game console. Some users found that the machine can play back foreign DVDs, and posted instructions for doing so on the Internet. The accord between film companies and manufacturers of DVD-Video players bans devices from playing DVDs sold in other markets because film companies tend to release movies at different times in different countries. Some US film studios may lodge formal complaints with Sony Computer Entertainment, while others are pondering legal action. The Sony subsidiary believes that it needs to act urgently to deal with the problem. Source: Asia Pulse