Endless Paradigm

Quote:Firmware and system updates tend to make this generation of console owners more than a little skittish when they first become available for download. It makes sense: nearly every time an update comes out, news stories spring up across the web about how a number of consoles have been bricked by the new software. History seems to be repeating itself with the PlayStation 3 v3.00 firmware update, which was launched in September. After numerous reports of PS3s suffering hardware failures following the installation of the update, a class action suit has been filed against Sony for the problems caused.

On October 3, John Kennedy of Florida filed a class action suit against Sony Computer Entertainment America in the San Francisco Division of the Northern District Court of California. The suit implicates Sony for several complaints, including breach of implied warranty, negligence, unjust enrichment, and negligent misrepresentation.

According to the complaint, Kennedy purchased a PS3 in January, which operated without any problems until he installed the firmware update in September. The update, when downloaded, caused the Blu-ray drive to malfunction. According to reports that tell of the same problem, the drive would play a game or movie properly for roughly ten minutes and would suddenly freeze up; the affected drives were then unable to recognize or play a disc of any type from there on.

"Thousands of Sony PlayStation 3 ('PS3') video game owners who downloaded a system update required by Sony found that the update caused their PS3 units to malfunction and actually damaged the hardware on many units," the complaint claims. "For owners who sustained hardware damage from the Sony-required update, Sony is charging a $150 repair fee per unit. Sony, responding to the numerous complaints about the unacceptable effects of the defective update, released a further, optional update that it claimed 'improves system stability'—yet performance problems continued, and the new update did nothing to remedy the systems of users who sustained hardware damage."

Whether or not Sony actually "required" users to update is difficult to prove at best. However, it's true that enough complaints were listed on the PlayStation Blog to prompt Sony to create a "Firmware 3.00 Q&A." On top of this, when Sony announced the v3.01 update on September 14, the company claimed the optional would improve, "system stability during use of some PlayStation 3 format software."

Sony has yet to release an official response to the lawsuit, but the complaint seems to be doing an impressive job of convicting the company in the court of popular opinion: that Sony Customer Service was trying to claim the hardware failures were coincidental issues doesn't seem to be sitting well with the general public, particularly because it's apparently costing consumers to cough up $150 to get the problem fixed. Whether or not this class action suit will see the inside of a courtroom is difficult to foresee, but it could prove ugly for Sony if it manages to get there.

Courthouse News has the complete complaint in PDF form.

source: arstechnica[

so there are anyone having problems with their ps3 today?

Wow
I don't have a PS3, but I don't think I'll be getting one after this little episode.
I'll stick to my PC games. At least Windows asks you to install updates.

Nothing wrong with mine, thankfully.

ive noticed sometimes mine freezes randomly during COD4.
But the drive still works. Didn't happen before 3.00 though

this is bullchocolate..when i had my first used 60gb ps3 it froze up in the middle of writing files fro system update at least 50 times and NEVER was it a brick.  Its not like a psp where if it fails writing files it won't boot.  It always booted up the next time.   I even turned it off half way through just to see what would happen cause i was so pissed off at it, and again, even though it says not to, nothing happened to the unit,it just booted right up to the xmb in the previous version of firmware.

Will be interesting to see how this pans out, i bet most of the people who 'sustained damage' probably just had very dusty insides.

lol @ dusty insides

my blueray died -this is the samething that happened to me ^^&&( SONY
A-HOLES!
now im using ps3 to play burnt movies- so so !pirate
thanks sony you made a pirate-instead of a customer-!!

this sounds sketchy, it's the only report I've heard of the drive failing after an update, maybe he doesn't want to pay the repair fees

I think the update caused the Ps3 to run blueray or fan at bad speeds and that burnt out drive -if you look on google you will see same problem and sony pretends they don't know what people are talking about!
mine will read dvd and stuff but does not show blueray-and its been cleaned
blown out files reset formated everything -and it was not over used ect.
ebgames has a policy that they have to see ps3 load blueray before they take for trade becouse they even know about this!
when i was a kid-so so long ago Sony was the name you could trust
good products -high prices but it was worth it !now they use third party
parts and poo poo so the qualitys not there anymore -sony stuff used to last for years no its all 1 year dissposable stuff to compeat in the market /greedy buggers they are now-and it was not piracy made em do it -it was greed!
and other bad stuff!!

I can fix all those things LOL
It's not the update , it's just a system that is built like a vacuum lol. that's all, if you where to open it up you would understand.

The way they built the system is much like a vacuum it sucks up are & dust & smoke =P

everything can be fixed your self,
yellow LED
under your fan there is a thermostat, it is covered with dust & junk. that's why your ps3 won't boot. it thinks your ps3 is hotter then it really is =)

won't read blueray
the lens is has a thin layer of reason on it
just open up the disk drive tell you see the lens & then put a little lens cleaner on a Q-tip & lightly wipe the lens clean.

It really is a simple system to repair =)

& a system error can be fixed by putting a your FW update in a EX drive or zipdrive root/ps3/UPDATE/the_update & booting the system , if there is a system error the ps3 will auto run the update to fix the system =)