Disc Read Errors on PS3 Are Your Problem, Not Sony’s

Updating your firmware on day one  is becoming more and more sketchy.  These days Nintendo’s bricking Wiis, Microsoft is E74′ing 360s and Sony’s at it now with their 3.0 and subsequent 3.01 firmware update.

Within hours of the release of the sparkling, glittery explosion that is PS3 3.0, users started reporting crashes while playing Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune. Sony was slow to respond to the news, but subsequently issued update 3.01 which was supposed to, “improve system stability during use of some PlayStation 3 format software.” In other words, fix some of what they broke with 3.0.

Apparently though, this hasn’t fixed the issue for all users. More widespread reports of disc read errors have come out from users who only started to experience the issues following the 3.0 and 3.01 updates.

Here are some choice samples:

From “Heimdal7″ on Playstation.Blog

My PS3 was working fine. A friend of mine told me the new firmware was causing games to crash, but I read many people not having any problem and I needed to play online, so I had no choice. After upgrading the system I got to play and guess what: games freeze, constantly.

I read about this 3.01 solving this issue, so I installed it quickly, but guess what: it got worse. Games wouldn’t even start up. Blu-ray sounded strange, and some games were not even recognized.

This from “Ragionieri” on Playstation.Blog

I am reading alot of posts that people are still saying that this is just a hardware issue. Have you all been reading these 800 posted and the more than 1000 on the other one?

I used my system 2-3 hours a day, more on the weekend. The second I downloaded the FW update, my games / movies froze after 5-10 minutes. I understand that this has not happened to the ‘œmasses’, but I think there are enough people (who are posting and may not post), that have had the same exact problem. What do I think we all want? Just a statement that there may have been a problem with the FW update on certain systems and that Sony will stand behind their product.

Apparently all of these folks are getting the same response from Sony Customer Support. The disc read issues are “not an issue with the firmware.” Their answer to their loyal, paying customers? Send your PS3 in for an out of warranty repair. In the US, this will run you approximately $160.00 and in the UK, £125.00. There’s no guarantee this will be the full extent of the cost you pay. If they determine the repair goes above that cost, you’ll be asked to shell out more cash for the repair.

Recent history has shown the only way these companies will be forced to stop this kind of widespread customer abuse and general bad behavior is by the public and the media shedding light on the issue in as many news sites and sources as possible. Sony won’t be able to undo the damage done to the company’s image, but they may be able to rebuild some good will by fixing the issue for the affected group and offering a free solution. If this turns out to be something that can be fixed by another firmware update, they should notify users of this fact immediately and issue refunds to those consumers who paid to have their hardware repaired. These flat denials and over-priced hardware “solutions” are both insulting and infuriating to an otherwise supportive user-base.

It appears the days of Microsoft being the lone wolf with their RROD and E74 fiascoes are over. I’m sure there is at least one executive in Redmond that’s having a laugh at Sony and Nintendo’s recent public woes.

Via: Destructoid