When Sony released the Downware 3.21 update a little over a week ago, a bunch of Chicken Little’s stepped up to proclaim that the sky was falling on their PlayStation 3’s. That is, to say, that the Firmware update was causing their consoles to malfunction and be rendered a giant paperweight.
Though most of these claims came from owners of the older PlayStation model, you can rest assured that Sony isn’t behind this scheme of trying to make you lose weight by purchasing a brand new Slim model. Speaking with NowGamer.com, a Sony spokesperson clarified that a Firmware update does not have the ability to break systems whatsoever.
“Firstly, with respect to your assertion regarding the cause of your console’s malfunction, we have seen no evidence to suggest that previous versions of our firmware updates for the PlayStation 3 have caused PlayStation 3 Systems to become permanently damaged,” said a spokesman.
“Potentially millions of consoles are carrying out firmware updates at any time and it may be the case that, coincidentally, a console may happen to develop a fault at that time, which is totally unrelated to the firmware update. Furthermore it it’s important to note that it is simply not possible for a system software update to affect the mechanical operation of PlayStation 3 in any way.”
Thankfully the sky is not falling and we can all go back to our standard playing time (12-16 hours a day, right?).
Every time a firmware is released, there seems to be a small group of people who claim it has screwed up their system.
While I’m sure the Sony rep is absolutely right in that some will fail while updating out of sheer coincidence, I also wonder just how many of these claims are genuine, and how many are fabricated by people looking to bad-mouth Sony at every available opportunity.
I had a 60GB PS3 from UK launch, and bought a slim when it was released last September. Not once, on either machine, have I ever had a single problem with any firmware update Sony have released – and nor has anyone that I personally know who owns a PS3.
It reminds me of when a big game release comes out, there will always be people saying that the game broke their system because their PS3 shut down while playing it. It happened with Final Fantasy XIII just recently and then you never hear anything about it again.
I’m sure this is the same here, especially considering that EVERYONE who has access to online has to update it which is probably a larger portion than the people who bought FFXIII.
Mines is the original 20 gigs and no update affected it, but some games does caused it to freeze often , like Dragon Age and recently MAG.
I have always thought it was coincidence rather than the firmware breaker the consles. Just people looking for a excuss to get a replacement ps3 when there’s is out of warranty. ever had any problems myself and i have had a ps3 since mid 2007 and been through 3 ps3’s but none broke when updating with the update.
Could it be ApocalyPS3 Now Redux?
I Have a launch PS3 60Gb, still no problem going strong. Although i Havent updated my PS3 this time around, I have a feeling that SONY would release one more update soon, so i am holding off. I think people whose PS3’s are bricked, they use wrong update file. (other region)
well its a good thing i didnt update! i bypassed it…just for zerogame’s emulator…lol
and uhh yeah….truly a bad move for sony…
Yes, there is a problem with the firmware update. I have one of the ‘fat’ machines. I was able to use the blu-ray immediately before the update, but not after!!! I can read standard DVD’s and play games (which are NOT blu-ray). I cannot read any blu-ray disks at all. I don’t believe the blu-ray “coincidentally” failed during the update. I suspect something ‘simple’ such as a driver that may have been deleted when the firmware went in place. It’s not unusual for the programmers to slip up like that when it comes to ‘older’ machines. What is unusual is for SONY to deny it.