Sunday, September 9, 2012

PlayStation Plus' new "free" game download killed PS3 Slim? "Came home to find it dead."

Coffee Beans
A friend called me Friday afternoon and said he was having PS3 issues. His system would cut on, but the television was not displaying any video footage from the system. I asked him a series of questions (did he do a hard-reset, did he check/unplug the cables, did he unplug the television, etc.), seeing what all he had tried. After realizing he had done pretty much everything suggested on the PlayStation 3 forums, he mentioned he had even already taken it to Game Stop, where they tested it and told him they thought it was fried and/or a chip in it had stopped working.

I replied something like, "But your television still works right? And no other electronics are messed up?", trying to make sure it wasn't a lightning strike that hadn't been mentioned yet. I asked if he had the box still, and he said he was actually looking for the PS3 box as we were talking. I told him I would check back with him later that night, to see if he had made any progress.

After I sent a general text of, "Did you fix it?", later that night, he replied with two text messages that shed a little more light on the situation. How did he go about "fixing" his PlayStation 3, and what was the last thing he was doing before his PlayStation 3 stopped working? Brew yourself some coffee, and read the rest below!


The Brew
The image above shows the two text messages my friend sent me about what he had been doing, before his PlayStation 3 stopped working. If you can't see the image the first text said, "I had joined Playstation Plus and was downloading Borderlands when it stopped at 67% saying I had a corrupted file."

His second text reads, "Then I tried it again and left it on over 12 hours to give it a second chance to download the game. Came home to find it dead."

Saturday, after my friend attempted another system reset and unplugging and re-plugging cables, he sent me another text that asked if I thought a local game store could repair it. I replied just this afternoon that the local game store he referenced was now closed, but that he should call Sony and I mentioned the rumors about the new PS3 model, thinking he may have wanted to wait for any new system that might be announced.

How did he reply? He texted back, "I already got a new one. Called Sony. Couldn't help." Game Stop took his old, broken, PS3 Slim model and gave him $90 for it, and after he traded in a few games he had sitting around, he was able to get a new PlayStation 3 Slim for $121.

Caffeinated Thoughts
What is one reason for the post? Well first, this is not the first time I know of somebody either doing an update, or this instance downloading a game, and their PS3 system stops working. Brad from WhoBurnedMyToast had this issue last March with the PS3 update Version 3.60 killing his PS3 system.

What baffles me is how Sony was contacted and denied anything was wrong on their side, and simply told them it was "hardware failure",  in both instances. If you have customers that are doing updates and/or game downloads, and the system gets a fatal error during these downloads/updates, is that not a programming issue on Sony's side that should be addressed? Or, at the very least somehow easily explained to customers that call in to help them prevent it from happening again in the future?

Second reason, if you are a PlayStation Plus member and you attempt to download Borderlands now that it is "free" and get a "corrupted file" message during the download, you might want to contact Sony or find out a solution before attempting it again. I wouldn't want a "free" game download to cost me the price of a new PlayStation 3 console because Sony doesn't acknowledge the issue, and/or doesn't address it to customers that call them for support.

If the only way to "fix" my friend's PlayStation 3 system that got a corrupted file during a download is by buying a new one, that's a pretty steep price for a game that was supposed to be free, especially considering he was paying for PlayStation Plus service.

Questions
If you own a PS3 Slim model, and are a PlayStation Plus member, have you downloaded Borderlands and not had any issues? Or, have you experienced something similar to what my friend did? (if you do have Borderlands now, I own the retail version and you can find my PSN name HERE)

Do any of you know how to fix the "corrupted file" issue my friend experienced, to prevent it from totally killing a PlayStation 3 system?


If you don't own a PS3 system, you can see PS3 related items below:

80 comments:

  1. I'm a PSPlus member with a Slim, and done the PS3 update every time without issue.

    Furthermore I have downloaded Borderlands (earned through PSPlus) with no issue.

    I suspect that both consoles you mention above were indeed simple cases of hardware failure - something every piece of modern electronics faces (a certain percentage of electronics are guaranteed to fail).

    Were they within warranty? Sony would have fixed them.

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  2. "I suspect that both consoles you mention above were indeed simple cases of hardware failure..."
    I just find it really, really, really odd that the first was with a Sony PS3 update, and this one was in the middle of a download with a "corrupt file" message, then a second attempt and it gets bricked?


    Read the comment section on the article I linked in the post above, http://whoburnedmytoast.blogspot.com/2011/03/is-ps3-firmware-360-bricking-consoles.html, and you will see many people saying their systems were bricked after the update last year.
    So, I figured I'd go ahead and give a warning since his PS3 isn't even 2 years old.


    As for the hardware failures, there is a certain percentage that usually have issues, but this generation with the Xbox 360 kicking things off really got off to a bad start, and hardware failure becomes highly suspicious when it is related to an "update" or in this case, a download that was just advertised that week.


    I actually got my PS3 from a friend though, because the disc drive had stopped working in it and he didn't want to send it off to get it fixed, so he just bought a new one. I repaired it at a local store for about $90. So, in that situation it was a hardware failure that I benefited from.


    I don't remember if Brad's was out of warranty, but I think it was and he paid the $160 for the repairs. In this case, it was about even just to trade it in, and get a new one from the store for my friend.


    As for Borderlands though, as I mentioned in the post I do own the retail copy, but never did finish it. Keith and I were playing through it, and he got us stuck somewhere, basically in front of a machine gun and there was little we could do when respawning at the point.

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  3. Like Matt, I'm a PS+ user who nabbed Borderlands on both of my slims and didn't have any trouble with them. Thankfully, I've never had any trouble with any updates. That said, I do have a friend who was running a system update when things locked up on him and when he restarted his system it never worked right again. He took it in to some shop and they said it was a bad hard drive - replacing it or whatever they did fixed it.

    The only thing I've struggled with a few times, is I have had both of my Slims periodically freeze on me and no longer respond to controller presses or the power button on the front of the unit. It forces me to cut the power completely and each time it yells at me about improperly powering down, and how it needs to look at my hard drive for corrupted data. It usually takes about 10 minutes and then it works again just fine. I have had that happen on both of my slims 2 or 3 times each, and it makes me a bit nervous each time, but nothing truly bad has come of it yet.

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  4. what you have hear is a cause and effect. PS3's over heat and die all the time. No matter what you do if you cause it to heat up to a point it will stop working. Its a hardware bug. Almost like xbox RROD.

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  5. I did a post on this a while back, but the system hardware failures are getting worse and worse I think. More moving parts, systems getting hotter, etc. I still have old systems like NES, SNES, N64, Genesis, etc. But I have gone through a PS3, Wii and 360 this generation. My PS2 and Gamecube died last generation. I'm willing to bet none of my current systems will be running 15-20 years down the road. It is a little frustrating given their expense.

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  6. It is not a PS3 Slim! Stop saying its a Slim, Sony doesn't even call it a slim. If you where REAL gamer you would now. Get your facts striaght before you write another article. The actual PS3 Slim is supposed to come out at the end of this year.

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  7. That has nothing to do with it. You get that corrupt message when the service is streigned and the download messes up. I've had it happen so many times with PS Plus games since so many people are downloading them. It is a coincidence at best your friends PS3 just died like many others before it face the facts.

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  8. This is stupid. You left it on for 12 hours, that's why it fucked up. Not because there is a mystery ghost file which destroys PS3's. Great detective work idiot.

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  9. i'm a PS+ subscriber and downloaded Boarderlands to my slim without issues of any kind.

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  10. My ps3 also had the EXACT same as this guy, except my free plus game was darksiders instead of borderlands.

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  11. this is almost as stupid as X game made my 360 RROD.
    it just doesn't work that way. no legit game causes hardware failure on the consoles.

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  12. "That said, I do have a friend who was running a system update when things locked up on him and when he restarted his system it never worked right again. He took it in to some shop and they said it was a bad hard drive - replacing it or whatever they did fixed it."


    Which is why I thought this was odd as well. Last year with Brad's post on the update, and now this time with a download. And apparently from a comment below it happened on another game download as well, Darksiders?


    Have you had a chance to play Borderlands yet?


    Thanks for the feedback!

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  13. Well, his PS3 wasn't enclosed in an entertainment system, it was out on a shelf with all sides with proper ventilation, and if he wasn't running a Blu-ray would make it odd for it to overheat I would think.


    I wonder if it's a heat issue, or an HDD issue with the PS3s? Maybe both?


    Thanks for the comment/feedback!

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  14. So, it's a coincidence that many PS3's die after/during updates and downloads? I don't know how that would be just a coincidence with so many people stating it has happened in various ways of updating/downloading. Perhaps the updates/downloads are messing up part way through because of a WiFi connection, and not direct connection?


    The connection with all of them seems to be a system update and/or download.


    Thanks for the comment. BTW, did you get the Borderlands offer?

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  15. "You left it on for 12 hours, that's why it messed* up."
    Don't skim, if you do, skim at your own risk.

    I didn't leave it own for 12 hours, but if I had left mine own for 12 hours, are you saying that the PS3 can't game/be on for 12 hours without breaking?


    We leave our PS3 on for 12 hours by accident on the weekends quite often, and haven't had an issue with it.


    Thanks for skimming!

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  16. Good! Have you have a chance to play it yet, and are you looking forward to Borderlands 2?


    Thanks for leaving the feedback!

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  17. stupid unprofessional article. this is a system error, not a hardware issue. thats like saying playing online ruined your system. dont put the blame on sony. this is just what happens with electronics. your system probably just overheated with use and died. thats like saying watching a blu ray killed my tv.

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  18. So, your game stopped midway with a "corrupt file" message, then you attempted it again and the PS3 stopped working?


    Also, what model PS3 did it happen with?


    Thanks for the comment!

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  19. Didn't say it was the game, but the game download. It happened during the download apparently, and something similar (or EXACT) happened to the commenter above you.


    Thanks for the comment, hope the "download" part makes it a little more clear.

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  20. LOL, another skimmer alert here. Skim at your own risk.

    It wasn't my PS3. My PS3 is still working. If it was a system error, that could be fixed right? Sony told him it was a hardware issue, then Game Stop confirmed the system wasn't working on their side either. The system stopped working when he was trying to download Borderlands because he is a PS Plus member, he was using a system feature when it stopped working. I didn't say his PS3 died because he was playing on his PS Vita (the equivalent of your tv example?), that is totally different from this.

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  21. In my entirely Unprofessional opinion, It was likely not the actual download of Borderlands per se that killed his PS3 Slim. Instead it was likely an over heat event that took place during the download. While I haven't dl'd Borderlands (I own a retail copy from launch,) I have downloaded WH40k: Space Marine, Red Dead Redemption, Far Cry 2, Just Cause 2, and all of the mini's and other free games from PS Plus, with no issues.
    The largest game I have downloaded would have to be Mass Effect 3, coming in at 14 gigs if I recall, and I remember the PS3 getting particularly warm during that period, so warm so that I ended up putting a fan on it to help cool it.
    I feel for your friend, and hope that his newest PS3 gives him longer years of service than his previous one.

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  22. I download alot of games, huge ones and even this one with all that add ons. Never had anything happen other then running out of space on my hard drive or the file didn't fully load right. I say their was something wrong with it before hand and downloading Borderlands was the last thing it could stay doing. Other then that, bs on downloading killing the PS3. Because if it was that simple, PC's would have that happen alot.

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  23. When is a PS3 going to die, when it is in use. That can be watching movies, playing games, or downloading stuff. Your sample size of 2 does not automatically indicate a correlation between PS3 hardware failure and downloading stuff.


    If you did an actual study (like a proper journalist would do, not some wanna be looking for hits) and surveyed 1000 people (randomly) with broken PS3s and found the a high percentage had theirs break while downloading games, movies, updates, etc. ten an article like this would make sense.

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  24. "Your sample size of 2 does not automatically indicate a correlation between PS3 hardware failure and downloading stuff."


    Read the comments on Brad's post from last year, and the sample size is more than 2. There is a reason I posted the link there as well, to show a history. The comments on this post are under 20 (not counting my responses), and we have two commenters that have either confirmed it happened to their own, or to a friend's console, while updating and/or downloading.


    "If you did an actual study (like a proper journalist would do, not some wanna be looking for hits)...."
    First, I don't claim to be a journalist, don't have that degree, but considering I did provide a link to a post with a history on it, and did research before doing this, that is more than most "articles" or "opinion pieces" that are looking for hits? Take a look at the majority of my pieces around here, and you will see they are not written for hits, but provide information and perhaps even get answers/discussions going on about certain games.


    Which is why I asked the questions about the issue, to get feedback on it. See questions:
    "If you own a PS3 Slim model, and are a PlayStation Plus member, have you downloaded Borderlands and not had any issues? Or, have you experienced something similar to what my friend did? (if you do have Borderlands now, I own the retail version and you can find my PSN name HERE)

    Do any of you know how to fix the "corrupted file" issue my friend experienced, to prevent it from totally killing a PlayStation 3 system?"



    "Your sample size of 2 does not automatically indicate a correlation between PS3 hardware failure and downloading stuff.", if I had based this on just the two experiences, with no other comments on it, I would agree. Perhaps I should have counted the comments on the other article as well, and done a percentage of comments with problems/no problems. But you can read the comments on the article I linked to from last year, and see other commenters on that one that had the same issue in the post there, as well as Chalgyr's comment above and eboue's.


    Thanks for the comment/feedback, and hopefully the issue is with very few PS3 owners.

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  25. It's a heat issue, my PS3 gets really hot while downloading. Maybe it's because of the size? With that being said, it can happen with any download, because I've gotten that message 3 times and my ps3 didn't die

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  26. A corrupted file usually means the hdd is bad all you have to do is buy a new hdd my boss had a ps3 slim with a corrupted file and it would turn on and say it had a corrupted file and would shut back off I replaced the hdd and it's worked fine ever since I have a little experience working on ps3 and Xbox 360

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  27. Your friends PS3 was probably about to die and the download just pushed it over the edge. The corrupt file would just be from Borderlands not downloading properly, it wouldn't cause a hardware failure.


    I'm sure there's been a bunch of PS3's die while people were playing Battlefield but no one would blame the game. Downloading a PS Plus game is not going to kill your PS3, unless it was already on the way out.

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  28. "
    While I haven't dl'd Borderlands (I own a retail copy from launch,)"
    Same here.


    "I have downloaded WH40k: Space Marine, Red Dead Redemption, Far Cry 2, Just Cause 2, and all of the mini's and other free games from PS Plus, with no issues."
    Yeah, I have downloaded a few games and demos, and never had issues. I just find it very odd for the consoles to be dying because of an update/download. I'm almost wondering with some of the reports if it's an HDD issue, where the HDDs in use might write a lower speed and/or just not be designed around downloading files over long periods of time? Maybe just a HDD quality issue, that switching brand/manufacturer could fix?


    "I feel for your friend, and hope that his newest PS3 gives him longer years of service than his previous one."
    Haha, yea, he didn't waste time on getting a new one, as he enjoys the PS3 very much and uses it pretty much daily.


    Thanks for the comment/feedback!

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  29. "
    Never had anything happen other then running out of space on my hard drive..."
    Haha, had that happen on my PS3, and had to figure out what I wanted to save and get rid of! Some of the space was demos, so those were the first to go.


    He uses the PS3 pretty much daily (Netflix & gaming), so he's pretty familiar with it, and called me hoping I had heard something else to try.
    As for PCs crashing/dying a lot, it depends on who you ask. :)


    Thanks for the feedback! Also, did you get Borderlands?

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  30. When you download a file on the PS3 you then have to install it. Most likely the file was not the issue. Hopefully you were smart enough to test the hard drive before you got rid of it. Also saying the file killed your PS3 is the same as Saying " What do you mean Uncle Johnny is dead I just saw him last week." Electronics die

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  31. Alright. Let me shed some *Coors* light on this. First off, the PS3 can get hot. It needs adequate air circulation. This means: It needs to be standing upright and outside of any entertainment stand. Secondly, this update did NOT kill your ps3. Excessive heat did. For it to die, it needs to be getting too hot. These huge downloads/updates can create a high load on the PS3.

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  32. You are correct sir. Most PS3's die while *gasp* playing "Call Of Duty".

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  33. Proper cooling will make almost anything live forever.

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  34. "If [...]
    the system gets a fatal error during these downloads/updates, is that
    not a programming issue on Sony's side that should be addressed?"

    NO. NO. NO. ABSOLUTELY NOT.

    The "error" is a symptom of an existing the HARDWARE PROBLEM that is about to render your PS3 unusable REGARDLESS of what you download or install on it.

    In other words, your friends PS3 WAS DYING ANYWAY, and this error was the first symptom he saw before it died altogether.

    There is ABSOLUTELY NO UNIQUE PROGRAMMING being executed during the download process that could cause such an error. ABSOLUTELY NONE.

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  35. Being that I don't own a Slim, but ours does get hot like an oven when running DVDs or games sometimes, do the Slim models run as hot as the older ones? I mean, if the PS3 gets hot while downloading and some of the games/files can take a long time, that means there isn't much you can do other than put fans on it maybe?

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  36. So was the "error" you think just showing his HDD was about to go out and having issues, and I guess did? With WhoBurnedMyToast's post from last year, http://whoburnedmytoast.blogspot.com/2011/03/is-ps3-firmware-360-bricking-consoles.html, and the comments on it, and then this with my friend's, the only connection was uploading/downloading at the time of "death".


    Thanks for the comment/feedback!

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  37. "I'm sure there's been a bunch of PS3's die while people were playing Battlefield but no one would blame the game."


    LOL, are you saying your's did? Actually, the Wii had games (Brawl I think being one), that were blamed for breaking the disc drives/lasers in the systems, so there are situations where games have "broken" systems due to the format (dual layer).


    Thanks for the comment!

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  38. "When you download a file on the PS3 you then have to install it. Most likely the file was not the issue. Hopefully you were smart enough to test the hard drive before you got rid of it."
    He took the system and just traded off the whole thing, Game Stop had run a test on it Friday and couldn't get the system to respond in any useful way, so the old HDD is with the old system.



    "Also saying the file killed your PS3 is the same as Saying " What do you mean Uncle Johnny is dead I just saw him last week." Electronics die"


    Well, it was a question of did the download do it? Or, contribute to it? It would be more like saying, "I was working with Uncle unloading bricks from the truck when he fell over." Was it the bricks that did it? No, probably the actions/aerobics of unloading the bricks...at least that's how I think it is in this situation.


    Thanks for the comment!

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  39. Interesting that you didn't seem to mention what type of failure it was? Given that he got the corrupted error message it sounds liable to be a HDD failure. Since that'd explain why it was unable to download Borderlands, and got stuck writing to a bad sector of the HDD.


    If this was the case it was probably on it's way out for a fair bit of time, and attempting to write 16gb was what it sent it on it's way out.

    PS3s don't have exactly astonishing failure rates, and realistically, software doesn't break hardware. Slims generate far less heat and are liable to turn themselves off before they overheat to the point of causing heat-related failures. That doesn't seem too likely to have been his problem. HDD writes themselves don't even generate much heat, the GPU wouldn't have been in use so it seems like the typical YLOD cause is unlikely.


    It'd be sort of funny if it were a HDD failure, because he could have resolved it himself with $50, that said all your post seems to say is 'dead' ... I don't have a clue what this means. Won't turn on at all? Could be the power supply I guess if so, but overall the lack of information you provided doesn't lend itself to a solid conclusion.

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  40. "Interesting that you didn't seem to mention what type of failure it was?"
    He couldn't get the PS3 to display anything, but he could get it to turn on which is how he tried the reset. He switched the cables, did the hard-reset, even took it to Game Stop and they did their test on it they use on trade-ins, and they couldn't get it to display anything.


    Though, he said that Game Stop told him it was "fried". Which is why I asked him about the other stuff, because when I heard "fried" I was wondering how he turned it on, and thought Game Stop was just trying to sell him another one.


    I was actually going to see what he was doing with it, when he stated he had already traded it off. Once the warranty is out, it doesn't matter if the system is opened (well, unless you send it to Sony for repair and they see it, which I have heard they won't repair it).


    He had been downloading a lot of games on it prior to this one, he just finished playing The Walking Dead (Episode 3) I think, so I know he used it a good bit and had a lot of games he played it on it since he purchased it.


    So, in short:
    1) It would turn on
    2) Hard-reset didn't do anything
    3) No display
    4) Failed Game Stop's "function" test (he had a name for it)


    Thanks for the comment/feedback on it! Speaking of the HDD change out, have you done that yourself for some?

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  41. Maybe people would read it in its entirety if you didn't write such crap

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  42. LOL, which part didn't you like? You still get an "Vote up" on your comment for stopping by and taking the time.


    But, if you are a skimmer, or defending the above comment...all you have to do is read the first two sentences of the post...
    "A friend called me Friday afternoon and said he was having PS3 issues. His system would cut on, but the television was not displaying any video footage from the system."

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  43. yea theres no evidence to back anything up. odds are his system was abused and ready to crap out anyway

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  44. My system has its troubles reading disks occasionally but i downloaded Borderlands and it works perfectly fine. This seems like a relatively isolated incident.

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  45. The problem is probably related to the CPU, GPU or motherboard.

    If the HDD fails, I think the PS3 should at least show the BIOS screen with a drive error.

    This is what happened when I upgraded my 320GB PS3 to a 1TB HDD. The BIOS did not recognise the unformatted 1TB drive, but the BIOS was able to tell me this and provided a an on-screen utility to format it and install the PS3 OS.

    The PS3 BIOS screen looks like a static and dark SD version of the normal XMB screen. You also usually see it during firmware updates.

    In your case, it sounds like the PS3 does not even reach the BIOS screen.

    You can hold the PS3 power button for ten seconds or so (until you hear a second beep) to reset some system settings to "safe" defaults when you encounter problems, which may help.

    As for problem causes, the only thing I can suggest is that problems are more likely to occur when downloading because you're putting the system under more stress, often for long periods.

    You might think system stress is higher when playing games, but it might be caused by components such as IO chipset or LAN chipset that are not typically under stress during gameplay.

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  46. Yup here in the UK I think we got boderlands a bit early (correct me if I'm wrong) but I downloaded it fine and have been playing it since on my slim with no issues at all. This is probably just a random occurrence.

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  47. It's kind of funny - because I never 'blame' a game when a system goes kaput I guess. What was the one that was notorious for supposedly killing 360's awhile back? one of the Forza titles was it?

    The reason I thought about this and decided to comment is because something about this reminded me of when my Wii died. I had just picked up Silent hill, I hadn't used my Wii in like a month and spent like four and a half hours late that night playing my new game. The next morning, the Wii was dead - black screen only and had to send it in to Nintendo (who then replaced, not repaired the unit, losing me all of my save data).

    My general opinion is that the system was probably about to die anyway, and whatever activity you were performing was the last straw, so to speak.

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  48. Sadly I have not yet had a chance to try it. I fired it up because I figured (correctly) that there would be a game update that would need installing, so I got as far as the startup screen, but haven't actually played it.

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  49. I think I'm noticing a huge skimming trend when half the commentators are only gleaning a few of the facts and not really lining them up with what you actually said in the article.

    I know in one of my other comments, I did sort of grumble about how the systems don't seem to hold up the way they used to, and I suspect heat is the primary cause of that, but I have to admit that the systems do get used for a lot more than they used to as well. It used to be you plunked in a cartridge, no real moving parts to the system, and you played for a few hours.

    Now you have internet connectivity to worry about, hard drives, spinning discs and the systems are used for games but also for more casual viewing. I would guess both of my ps3 slims are in use for at least 5 hours a day, if not much more because of not only gaming, but things like Netflix and Hulu and watching DVDs & Blu rays.

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  50. It has nothing to do with PlayStation Plus. These are the kind of risks you run when you have any console on for that extended a period of time. They aren't designed to run for that long, especially if it's constantly working.

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  51. I had Borderlands before this and yes its the non disc copy. I fix my problem with the lack of space with a 1TB hard drive, now my PS3 purrs like a kitten (well something like that).

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  52. System updates on the PS3 and downloads take WAY too long imo. I love my PS3, but really....

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  53. Yeah I am sick of what actually passes as News for gaming sites these days. This article is pathetic. What's next a scathing expose on a DualShock 3 with Dorito dust mucking up the works!

    The only reason you are getting hits from N4G is people are looking to actually see if you wrote a shitty "OMG this bricked my PS3" article. Low and behold! You have not disappointed ONE bit.

    I get it you are a small website desperate for hits, but don't let your desire for short term web traffic, kill any chances for a long term audience that will generally find this kind of article an insult to their intelligence.

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  54. no problems for me, on either the fat or slim ps3s for me

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  55. Haha Gamestop's function test. They hoooked it up to a TV and it didn't turn on. What do you think, people at Gamestop undergo some kind of training, or know anything at all beyond a power button for that matter?


    By the way, notice everyone calling you an asshole here? It's rhetorical, of course you do. You can sit here and label them "skimmers" all you want if it makes you feel better, just because you might be able to refute a single part of what you're saying. We both know the real deal here though; you are an asshole. You have no problem trolling the internet for hits, and you also have no problem disingenuously pretending that this is a legitimate article with serious claims. You know as well as everyone else in here that you're playing stupid so that you can write flamebait like that and still manage to look around all innocent when people call you out on your bullshit.


    Yes, I know you will reply with something sarcastic, which will also include something to do with the write-up, so as to remain appearing genuine on the topic. You're only kidding yourself though, if that. Everyone else in here knows that you're one in and endless line of half-baked, would-be writers who can't get by on their own merits, and so decide to troll for hits. Good luck playing writer over here.

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  56. "What's next a scathing expose on a DualShock 3 with Dorito dust mucking up the works!"
    Actually, that could be on our Wii Remotes with the "1" and "2" buttons sticking from goldfish cracker crumbs....


    "The only reason you are getting hits from N4G is people are looking to actually see if you wrote a shitty "OMG this bricked my PS3" article. Low and behold! You have not disappointed ONE bit."
    1) I'm not associated with the site you mentioned "getting hits from"


    "I get it you are a small website desperate for hits,"
    1) I have a real job.
    2) No desperation for hits.
    3) I can't even post/comment on the site giving hits (where you came from I take it)
    4) Have you taken a look around? If I was desperate for hits, as you say, would I write pieces on Bonsai Barber? Space Camp? Or, any of the other small games I cover?


    "...will generally find this kind of article an insult to their intelligence."
    I always try and consider the source. :)


    Thanks for the comment and feedback though!

    ReplyDelete
  57. I have two PS3 slims and downloaded, installed and played the digital version of Borderland with no issues. I also have the GOTY disc version and that worked well.

    Your friend with the Slim PS3 seems to have had a HD issue. THe corrupt file could be the result of a bad HD. The new Slim PS3 model, to save money store part of the firmware on the HD. I can see this could cause the screen issues.

    Glad your friend at least got a solution to the problem even if it wasn't easy.

    ReplyDelete
  58. Computer illiterate persons should not write articles online. This is as others have said an issue with the system over heating or what it sounds like to me, hard drive failure.

    ReplyDelete
  59. "Haha Gamestop's function test. They hoooked it up to a TV and it didn't turn on. What do you think, people at Gamestop undergo some kind of training, or know anything at all beyond a power button for that matter?"
    He said they attempted the hard-reset as part of their test, so not just a plug and power. At least they knew to attempt the hard-reset as well.


    "By the way, notice everyone calling you an decaffeinated* here?"
    Actually, no, I missed that.


    "You can sit here and label them "skimmers" all you want if it makes you feel better..."
    Or, because it's apparently the truth?


    "You have no problem trolling the internet for hits, and you also have no problem disingenuously pretending that this is a legitimate article with serious claims.
    LOL, trolling? Would that be not discussing the topic at hand?
    Have you looked at what most consider a "troll" to be? "troll is someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages"


    If I was trolling, would I take the time to respond to comments (some clearly not on topic)? Or, be like other sites that ask for feedback, and then not respond to the comments.


    "Everyone else in here knows that you're one in and endless line of half-baked, would-be writers who can't get by on their own merits..."

    That didn't prevent you from commenting though, did it?


    Since you apparently jumped to the comment section, let me leave the questions at the end again for you:
    "If you own a PS3 Slim model, and are a PlayStation Plus member, have you downloaded Borderlands and not had any issues? Or, have you experienced something similar to what my friend did? (if you do have Borderlands now, I own the retail version and you can find my PSN name HERE)
    Do any of you know how to fix the "corrupted file" issue my friend experienced, to prevent it from totally killing a PlayStation 3 system?"

    ReplyDelete
  60. "You can hold the PS3 power button for ten seconds or so (until you hear a second beep) to reset some system settings to "safe" defaults when you encounter problems, which may help."


    He did do that, as did Game Stop, but nothing happened though.


    "If the HDD fails, I think the PS3 should at least show the BIOS screen with a drive error.
    This is what happened when I upgraded my 320GB PS3 to a 1TB HDD. The BIOS did not recognise the unformatted 1TB drive, but the BIOS was able to tell me this and provided a an on-screen utility to format it and install the PS3 OS."
    Thanks for the feedback on all of this.

    ReplyDelete
  61. "yea theres no evidence to back anything up."
    The evidence would be he was downloading/attempting to download a game in this situation.


    Now, if he had mentioned that he was playing hot potato with his system while the download was happening, and dropped the system on the floor a few times, I would agree with the "system was abused" part.

    ReplyDelete
  62. "My system has its troubles reading disks occasionally..."
    It's how I actually got my PS3 from a friend. It had stopped reading discs, but functioned in every other way. So, I had the disc drive replaced and the system still works with no issues.


    "...but i downloaded Borderlands and it works perfectly fine."
    Are you planning on picking up Borderlands 2 next week?


    Thanks for the comment/feedback!

    ReplyDelete
  63. "This is probably just a random occurrence."
    Hopefully so! Thanks for stopping by and leaving the feedback!

    ReplyDelete
  64. "It has nothing to do with PlayStation Plus."
    Not the PlayStation Plus service itself, but the downloading of the game from it. I would imagine they actually design the consoles for long running times, and if they didn't, I would find that very odd. They offer so many services on the system, that can be used for hours on end.


    Thanks for the comment!

    ReplyDelete
  65. I do agree very much with this. It seems updates are more and more frequent these days, and sometimes I wish there was a way to ignore them without having to turn off the WiFi/Lan settings.
    Thanks for the comment!

    ReplyDelete
  66. "The new Slim PS3 model, to save money, stores part of the firmware on the HD. I can see this could cause the screen issues if the HD was corrupt enough to not have the firmware accessible."


    Interesting about the Slim models storing firmware in another spot. Did it allow the motherboard to be a lot smaller or something?


    "Glad your friend at least got a solution to the problem even if it wasn't easy."
    Yea, he's not one to wait around, I'm surprised he lasted 2 days.


    Thanks for the comment/feedback!

    ReplyDelete
  67. "This is as others have said an issue with the system over heating or what it sounds like to me, hard drive failure."


    If it overheated, that would be odd as some have said the Slim is designed to shut itself off before it gets too hot. The HDD part may be the right thing, along with the HDD failing and taking the firmware with it as the comment above mentioned.


    Thanks for the comment/feedback

    ReplyDelete
  68. Its hard to compare what breaks on ps3 with another because at some point you will realise that there are slight differences with every ps3. If any part of it fries it will be hard to replicate the problem on another ps3 that doesn't have the same defect. Its just running too hot.

    ReplyDelete
  69. I'm not sure with conviction as I don't work for Sony. But the analysis was to save money on flash RAM. I'm sure it also saved a bit of space, but the verdict for the most part was cost. IIRC it came around the same time they took out the PS2 hardware for cost savings.

    ReplyDelete
  70. it is insulting, these indie gaming websites are out of control. its some guy or girl who is not trained in journalism putting out crap vs. true unbiased opinions. theres no research, no facts, all speculation leaning towards a negative bias against whoever they are talking about. just to get hits. these articles are just unfounded messes and we as gamers should not put up with this. sad to say, but most of these come from N4G. maybe we should stop going there also and stick with destructoid, gamespot, cvg, joystiq, kotaku. the real sites with experience.

    ReplyDelete
  71. Also real sites where many of the commenters hate the sites. Make up your mind.

    ReplyDelete
  72. PS Plus is really good plus it's coming to PS Vita too ..

    ReplyDelete
  73. I think its not bcoz of Software issues!It most probably is bcoz of heat issues and if ur Friend Regularly Services the PS3!Its very important so in order to maintain optimal temperatures!

    ReplyDelete
  74. Well, the system wasn't inside an entertainment system, so the airflow around it wasn't an issue. He ended up getting a new one, so he's been back to gaming like normal on it.

    ReplyDelete
  75. There was research and facts in this, not just speculation. Did you miss the link to the other site from last year about a similar issue?


    As for, "its some guy or girl who is not trained in journalism putting out crap vs. true unbiased opinions.", just because you aren't trained in journalism, doesn't mean you should have improper English (assuming that's your language), and not write pieces with information on issues that you are aware of.



    "these articles are just unfounded messes and we as gamers should not put up with this."
    Unfounded how? I'm not really sure if you read the piece, or just skimmed it?

    ReplyDelete

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