Sony, RockStar Now Claim 3.61 PS3 Update Not Causing Bricked Units.

Posted at 7:23 am May 20, 2011 by

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Not even 24 hours ago we wrote about a potentially troubling problem with the recent 3.61 PS3 firmware update. Specifically, users were claiming that said update was causing their PS3 to overheat and/or die (receive the dreaded yellow or red light of death). Sony came out and said that it was RockStar’s LA Noir causing the issue. RockStar fired back and said it was Sony’s update to blame. Now, both companies have come forward and said neither entity is at fault and that it is something else causing PS3s to over heat:

“We have received a very small number of customer support questions about PS3’s overheating or shutting down while playing L.A. Noire. At this time, Rockstar Games and Sony can confirm that neither L.A. Noire or firmware update 3.61 are causing the PS3 hardware to overheat. We are both committed to working hard to find solutions to this and any issues that may arise.”

In our previous article from yesterday, the comments kept coming in as the night progressed. Likewise, searching around the web on the same topic will net many more accounts of people supposedly affected by something — either Sony’s update or LA Noir (or possibly a rouge unicorn). Who’s lying?

 
Via: Destructoid, ElectricPig

   
  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=606747430 Mark Hicks

    Same here, I don’t have LA Noire but my 60gb PS3 stopped recognising discs a few days ago.  I thought it was a blu ray drive problem and it’s currently sitting with a console repair firm.  Just got off the phone to them and they told me that a firmware update has knocked out the processor, and that they’re talking to Sony to find out what to do about it.  I won’t be happy if I’ve got a big bill to pay for a PS3 that will just fall over again because of its firmware.

  • Guest

    My PS3 died with this update to… (Norway)
    Red standby light is blinking…

  • luv1138

    My PS3 [60GB Backwards comp.] died a day after the update was installed. I blame the update because I have never had any issues with my PS3 at all until I updated the damn machine. I blame Sony for trying to get rid of the older models. By the way, my fans are not clogged with dust, I clean them frequently. Sony should do the same thing Microsoft is doing, give free PS3s to those whose machines bricked because of the firmware.

  • Saca

    A group was created on Facebook where people report those 3.61 crashes. Join it to make your voices heard by Sony. https://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_155854254480440

  • Chrthomp

    My 60Gb started to act up a couple days ago while watching blu ray movies. It would freeze then not recognize any discs. Games were fine for a bit but now within 5 minutes of play it freezes on me. No issues ever before the latest firmware. I would have to say it is not LA Noire, but the firmware indeed!

    • STAIRWAYTOEVAN92

      No Joke.  Same Thing is happening to my old 60 GB model.  I don’t have LA Noire either, but i was ironically thinking of buying the game the morning I installed the firmware, and then my playstation stopped playing games properly.  I was playing offline for about an hour before I realized the new update was live, and when I emailed Sony, all they said was that they have never heard of software affecting the functionality of Hardware, because we now live in a world without things like Computer Viruses.  At least they are now beginning to take some of our complaints seriously after a week of no playstation at all.

  • Kingjamez007

     So Rockstar replied to my PS3 overheating ticket saying that they’ve “confirmed” LA Noire is not the cause of the problem. Are they not taking our feedback seriously? My console works perfectly fine with EVERY other game. LA Noire is the ONLY game that causes problems with my console and forces it to shutdown, sometimes even within 5 minutes of starting the game. So, I must conclude the LA Noire is the cause. What other explanation could there be? I believe Rockstar’s “confirmation” is in error and plead with them to reinvestigate the issue. From their reply, it sounds like they are abandoning the customers that paid good money for their game…

  • Jeff Moore

    I literally used mine to watch a Blu-Ray earlier (for about two hours tops) and then switched it off like I usually do and didn’t touch it for six or seven hours and now it’s got the yellow light :/

    Oh and mine’s the old 60GB as well.

  • DC_Desperado87

    My PS3 has yellow lighted on me three times… I was told by my console repair expert that I cannot get my system repaired anymore because of the risk of damaging the whole mother board. I do believe that L.A. Noire is not the problem because I don’t have the game and my system is still suffering the same problems. Having removed Noire as a factor to the problem only leaves the firmware update as the only free radical in the problem. Now I can understand Sony not wanting to be bothered with the firmware problem at the moment because of the PSN hacks, but thet should stand up, like adults, and take responsibillity. However my main question is, “Will sony replace my now useless PS3 that they destroyed?” I think they should. I paid my money for the system and the system was broken by them, not me.

  • Fsubones

    It could just be coincidence, but my PS3 got the blinking red light today. I have L.A. Noire but was playing Black Ops at the time the system actually died. I just got it back from Sony four months ago too! I’m not sure what caused it to die, but it is certainly unfortunate.

    • Chris

      that same thing happened too…black ops and all.. 

  • Wickedproxy

     Mine just died. I have not played LA Noire. I have been folding while the outage was going on so it hasn’e collected dust either. This IS something in the update causing this

  • Jswifty99

    Wow, thx for posting. I can’t update the show 11 but its a small price to pay if I can keep my BACKWORDS compatible ps3 from dying. I will update @ a later time. Sony, when will u get in the game & charge for online? No wonder why 360 is the most popular online gaming system in history….NUBS!!!

    Authenic

  • Rs-1989

    the only game that works fine is nfs hot pursuit other games including LA Noire  don’t even show up in the XMB screen … but how ever my friend updated his ps3 to 3.61 like me and nothing seems wrong with his ps3  WTF ??? 

  • Fjjdjdjsjsjsjk

    Mine just died! I don’t have LA Noir and used it regularly during psn outage /:

  • Ps3fan

    Maybe so many Ps3′s have been gathering dust while psn outage causing the fans to clog up, continuous disc access for LA noire data, causing heat build up faster than normal so fans don’t have time too cool down components or lose some if the excess dust? …..just a thought ….

    • http://www.gadgetsteria.com The Gadgeteur

      That’s actually a very good thought. Didn’t think of that.

    • http://www.gadgetsteria.com The Gadgeteur

      That’s actually a very good thought. Didn’t think of that.

  • Ps3fan

    Maybe so many Ps3′s have been gathering dust while psn outage causing the fans to clog up, continuous disc access for LA noire data, causing heat build up faster than normal so fans don’t have time too cool down components or lose some if the excess dust? …..just a thought ….

  • Stoneybuk

    I just played OF Red RIver for 3 mins when I got the flashing red light and then the YLOD. Got the old 60gb model but up until I installed the new update my PS3 had been faultless. It’s obviously the firmware update as looking on the web too many PS3 owners have had the same problem in such a small amount of time. Not happy with Sony one little bit. Off to buy an Xbox if this doesn’t get sorted! 

    • 3.61_Gave_Me_The_YLOD

      same thing happened to me. I was playing in a sniper lobbies on blackops  with no problems in a LAN party of course since psn was down.. then when i heard PSN was back up..i decided to download and install SONY’s 3.61..      hours later my PS3 overheats for the first time….. i let it cooldown and it kept overheating.. 

      I know sony is a greedy company like many so i suspect they coded the firmware update 3.61 to fry the ps3 by making it overheat.. so we can buy new PS3 or send it to their shop…

      I know SONY is fked up like that they would do such a thing..         if you haven’t updated to 3.61 DONT….. i would not take the risk until there’s a new update 3.62 or something that would fix this problem..

      It’s definitely the firmware..   it’s just like BIOS on a computer.. if you modify your computer’s BIOS and mess around with it .. it can alter the hardware.. same with sony’s patch…

      ahhh… im also looking for a good xbox to buy and ill even pay microsoft to play xbox live.. 

      Hope someone reads my comment before they update lol… you are risking a bricked ps3 /Overheating/YLOD etc.. 

      good luck guys…

  • Bradleyblmt

    I have a Mitsubishi 3d tv with the 3da-1 adapter and since the update the adapter will not even turn on. Is anyone else having this problem bc its hard to believe its just coincidence. Thanks!

  • http://twitter.com/downloadfestsux Bobby Bob

    I can echo some of the problems that other people are having. I’m
    also having the same issue with the three beeps, blinking red light when
    it randomly turns itself off. At first I thought it was the YLOD
    because I’ve had that before.  But after doing a bit of ressearch and discovering that it
    could just be down to the firmware, I turned the PS3 back on. It
    booted up fine and was sat happily on the XMB for around 15 minutes,
    before I turned it off. So it can’t have been YLOD.  Every YLOD system I’ve seen shuts back down again after 2-3 Seconds.

    I was playing
    Alien Vs Predator wednesday when it happened. I’ve played this game
    many times before, but yesterday (after the update) I noticed that my
    fans were running much louder than they used to do for this game. The
    PS3 also seemed to be kicking out more heat than normal. Then it
    happened, it froze for about 3 seconds, powered down, beeped three times
    and flashed red.
    Sony really need to get their act together, its
    not right.

    First details stolen, now its killing PS3s with their latest
    update. Something needs sorting

    • http://www.gadgetsteria.com The Gadgeteur

      Thanks for the detailed account.  Sony really needs to do something about their management and employees directly responsible for the events of the last several weeks.  This is ridiculous.   

  • Pena

    My ps3 bricked today. Played LA Noire for an hour, after which the console froze and restarted. Now it doesn’t recognize/read ANY discs anymore.

  • Sneeren2

    i dont have LA Noire and my ps3 60gb died after the update whilst net browsing, i blame the firmware update

  • Sneeren2

    i dont have LA Noire and my ps3 60gb died after the update whilst net browsing, i blame the firmware update

  • Anonymous

    If “very few”customers are affected.Sony and Rockstar should get together and repair the “very few”consoles affected.

    • Mike

      Agreed. Both companies have massive amounts of cash. Sony more-so needs to repair their image.

    • do not upgrade to 3.61

      My ps3 slim 120gb died after downloading 3.61. It started overheating then after several overheats.. it gave me the infamous YLOD. I fixed the YLOD by watching tutorials on youtube but it works and shuts off after 10 mins.. i am waiting for the next update… i won’t tamper with my ps3 until the next update I’m also in the process of getting an xbox and NEVER ever buying anything from “SONY”