Sony denies 40% failure rate on new PS3, original article removed

by Alexander Sliwinski { Nov 8th 2007 at 10:50AM }

Sony Europe came out and denied a "report" that 40% of the new 40GB PlayStation 3 models are defective. The story got started by Dutch site Gamed, which claimed that Belgian retailer, Games Mania, stated 40% of the new 40GB PS3 sold have been returned because of hardware defects. The original "report" has since been removed and wiped clean from the tubes.

Sony Europe pres. David Reeves said they're very proud of the quality and reliability of the PS3 and are disappointed in the inaccurate story. We imagine Reeves was trying with all his might to not take the swipe at the competition he could have easily justified. Classy.

Tags: europe, failure, ps3

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

samfish @ Nov 8th 2007 10:56AM

It just wouldn't be a Playstation without some sort of technological defect!

EDGE @ Nov 8th 2007 11:02AM

Unlike an xbox or xbox 360 right ?

gonk @ Nov 8th 2007 11:04AM

did the original xbox have hardware problems?

EDGE @ Nov 8th 2007 11:07AM

Could question, the 360 though falls over if you look at it funny.

Vidikron (FU) @ Nov 8th 2007 11:09AM

@gonk

Yes. A lot of people that got Thomson DVD drives in Xboxs that came out in the first year or so had them die. They were notorious for getting Dirty Disk Errors and then ceasing to function completely. The drive you really wanted was the Samsung. It was rock solid.

samfish @ Nov 8th 2007 11:10AM

The Xbox was a solid piece of hardware. The 360 is an epic piece of crap.
The PS1 and PS2 were also pieces of crap.

F. Rocker or Fernando R.? @ Nov 8th 2007 11:12AM

Nintendo is the only one, since the NES, that doesn't make defective hardware.

deaftly @ Nov 8th 2007 11:15AM

the nes was the most defective console of all time

Dale @ Nov 8th 2007 11:15AM

It just wouldn't be *any* gaming hardware launch without some form of technical hiccup, regardless of the manufacturer. It's just Sony have recently been less than kind about their rival's problems, so this is just desserts.

Vidikron (FU) @ Nov 8th 2007 11:17AM

@Fernando

Well, until Sony released this 40 GB model, the other PS3 models are every bit as solid as the Wii, perhaps even more so. The Wii is not without reports of problems. Plenty of people have reported their Wiis dying. Many blame it on the WiiConnect24 setting being enabled. The Wii gets very hot when in standby mode with WiiConnect enabled and the fan never runs to cool it off. The systems with either just simply die or people will start to see artifacts (bits of random color and static) in the graphics when playing a game.

why not the LS2/LS7? @ Nov 8th 2007 11:24AM

The first console I had die on my was my Xbox. I had the original optical drive and it was crap. Dead within a year.

I still have my original working PS1 and PS2 to this day.

Despite what Fernando says, the Gamecube definitely had its problems. Although I never replaced it (since the later Gamecubes didn't support progressive out), my Gamecube has problems with disc read errors, and I'm far from alone.

My 360 has died twice, and my PS3 was defective (in a subtle way) out of the box. My PS3 was only out of my house for FOUR DAYS when Sony replaced it. Sent it off on a Monday, got a replacement back on Friday. That's the best case for a bad situation I guess.

XanthouS @ Nov 8th 2007 11:28AM

I worked at a GameStop for four years, during the first Xbox's launch.

We had several systems returned because of faulty DVD drives. The system went through several iterations and different manufacturers before the problem was solved.

Sure, it can't compare to the 360's RRoD, but that's really an unprecedented level of mass hardware failure.

Vidikron (FU) @ Nov 8th 2007 11:28AM

BTW, if you want to see the issue I'm talking about, as well as see that Nintendo's tech support can be as stupid as anyone else, read here:

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=79&threadid=2114293

Again, this same issue has been experienced by quite a few people.

ssuk @ Nov 8th 2007 3:33PM

PS2 had disc read errors, let's not forget this people.

Plus, I'm sure Sony has used some of it's small-time-importer crushing legal time to get that small-time-magazine to take down it's article. Then again it may just be coincidence the article has gone missing, who knows.

Clack @ Nov 8th 2007 5:44PM

The PS2 was really a massive POS. On par with the 360 in my opinion due to the weak/cheap ass lasers Sony used. They probably only sold to 40 million people but everybody had to buy 2 or 3 over the life of the system to keep playing their game library.

The original XBOX also had some fairly cheap power supplies that would fizzle out from time to time.

I'm not sure why Fernando got voted down so badly, because he has a valid point. Nintendo has a very, very good track record when it comes to the build quality of their consoles.

I'm curious about this 40% 'defective' rate on the new PS3s. Is there really anything wrong with them or were there 40% returns due to no backwards compatibility that the buyers didn't know about until they'd signed on the dotted line? That might get filed under 'defective hardware'.

coolforever4537 @ Nov 8th 2007 1:25PM

I think people still don't know that the 40 GB isn't backwards compatible. They are no doubt trying to cover their asses.

F. Rocker or Fernando R.? @ Nov 8th 2007 11:00AM

Poor Sony, really. I don't know if feel sorry for them, because, they do this by themself.

I wonder if the big ones in Sony sleep well.

EDGE @ Nov 8th 2007 11:04AM

Do what by themselves, what are you on about ?

It was an inaccurate story. Are they not allowed to call out an inaccurate story ?

Trev @ Nov 8th 2007 11:14AM

Troll.

Anything better to do than post year and a half old videos not actually related to the story?

gonk @ Nov 8th 2007 11:20AM

omg a troll on joystiq? that's crazy! get the pitchforks and torches!

XDragon @ Nov 8th 2007 11:21AM

Another stupid post by a stupid fanboy. Read the article before you open you mouth make yourself look like a fool. Don't you have anything better to do with your time, like learning how to read?

Trev @ Nov 8th 2007 11:42AM

@gonk: I'm aware trolling is common. My goal is only draw attention to it, preferably that of someone that will just ban him again so the comments section can be used for actual comments and discussion instead of stupidity.

gonk @ Nov 8th 2007 11:03AM

it was prbably from people returning them after they couldn't play ps2 games

Jake @ Nov 8th 2007 11:06AM

You know, that is a great point. Someone pops in a PS2 game and they get a disc read error. They return the system and report it as such.

Remember, most console owners are not nearly as informed as us super dorks on gaming blogs.

EDGE @ Nov 8th 2007 11:08AM

You have a very good point

samfish @ Nov 8th 2007 11:08AM

Except it's so far only been reported to be happening in one area, which suggests that it's more than likely to be a bad manufacturing batch, rather than a case of localized mass stupidity.

Negativecool @ Nov 8th 2007 11:20AM

Nope. I'd go with localized case of mass stupidity.

After all, there are only 2 things in life that I hate. One, people who are intolerant of other cultures, and....the DUTCH.

XDragon @ Nov 8th 2007 11:33AM

That's pretty funny because regardless of the atricle being innacurate and pulled, I bet that will happen as some people won't realize that the 40G can't use PS2 discs.

Korova @ Nov 8th 2007 1:21PM

Correccion.

The site was Dutch, but the store was in Belgium. And you know what they say about Belgium ...

Lets just say its the butt of many culturally insensitive jokes.

Rususeruru @ Nov 8th 2007 11:09AM

So should we call it the PlayStation360? or DelayStation360 your choice.

samfish @ Nov 8th 2007 11:12AM

PSOD

F. Rocker or Fernando R.? @ Nov 8th 2007 11:16AM

PS3DO

Night Elve @ Nov 8th 2007 1:11PM

Trolling again Fernando? I thought you learned a lesson, I guess I was wrong.

WhatIsThatThing @ Nov 8th 2007 5:22PM

Isn't pointing out a troll almost as bad as being one! OMG TROLL IT'S A FREAKIN' TROLL! I DEDICATE MY LIFE TO CALLING OUT TROLLS.

Yes. There is a troll. On Joystiq. Move along.

DarthDavid @ Nov 8th 2007 11:11AM

60GB FTW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

gonk @ Nov 8th 2007 11:13AM

$599 us dollars in my bank ftw

Shagittarius @ Nov 8th 2007 11:29AM

Having a good education and a good job FTW!

DarthDavid @ Nov 8th 2007 2:21PM

Just to clear some things.....I got the 60GB at the mark down price ($499) + Best Buy free game (Heavenly Sword)+ $150 rebate from AT&T = the best PS3 sku with free game for $350 + tax...........FTW!!!!!

Buckshot @ Nov 8th 2007 11:11AM

By defective, they must have meant "I HAZ NO GAMEZ!" then went and streamed some euro pr0n to their psp.

Vidikron (FU) @ Nov 8th 2007 11:12AM

So what's the problem people are reporting?

This is kind of surprising considering that the other models up to this point are rock solid. I would have thought that the less complicated motherboard would have made the 40 GB even more solid, not less so. Perhaps Sony took some other cost cutting shortcuts.

F. Rocker or Fernando R.? @ Nov 8th 2007 11:14AM

Rock solid?

The 40GB PS3 is more hollow now without the PS2 components.

FidliousWong @ Nov 8th 2007 11:23AM

I'd say many of the defects are not defects but rather ill informed consumers. After all, Gamestops leading loss is in getting PS3, 360, Wii controllers returned as defective when the people just didn't know how to sync the new controllers up to their console.

Negativecool @ Nov 8th 2007 11:25AM

Yes, F.R.,

Literally rock solid I would say.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CTy7Nx0oPI

The sledgehammer doesn't do much but break the glossy plastic off.

why not the LS2/LS7? @ Nov 8th 2007 11:31AM

What problem are people reporting? Nothing.

Don't read a bunch into this. If the magazine could back up their story from their sources, they wouldn't have pulled it.

Actual journalism would be to call the retailer in the article and get a statement of what they were reporting, if anything. Any one of us could do this do this instead of just wildly speculating.