Earlier today, Sony pulled firmware 2.4 off the PSN after getting reports of bricked PS3 systems. For those people that have been living under a rock for the past year, firmware 2.4 introduced an In-Game XMB, Trophies, and several smaller features to the PS3.

The issue being reported is that it will go to the familiar wave background and freeze on it, with no icons coming up. A possible fix for it has been found. If you encounter it, hooking up your PS3 hard drive to a PC, formatting it, then putting it back into your PS3 seems to fix it. Unfortunately, you do lose all your data when you do that.

As we've already reported, SCEA has removed firmware 2.40, released early this morning, from its update servers. Users attempting to use the System Update feature from the PS3 XMB from firmware prior to 2.40 are now being told that their software is up to date.

This action follows a large number of reports on the official PlayStation message boards of the update adversely affecting users' systems. The most widely noted problem is systems simply failing to reach the XMB upon booting, instead getting stuck on a screen with only the familiar "wave" background displayed.
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Most recently commented on by on Jul 7, 2008
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  • 0
    Storm Jul 2, 08
    Wow, that sucks. The only problem I've encountered is a freezing issue when trying to look a some friend's profiles. I have to shut off the PS3 from the back to get it working again. Guess I'll steer clear of that until a new update is released.
  • 0
    Fatal Error Jul 2, 08
    Oh wow, I guess I was a lucky one to have nothing bad really happening so far.
  • 0
    G1LB3RT Jul 2, 08
    good i didn't download it then!

    do you think they will fix this anytime soon?
  • 0
    dmf_dynasty Jul 2, 08
    Shit, now I'm scared to turn mine on. It froze earlier and I haven't bothered booting it up since.
  • 0
    kik36 Jul 2, 08
    Holy shit I'm glad I wasn't home to download this yet!!! That's a bullshit work-around to totally reformat and lose everything! I feel for those who are experiencing this and I hope it gets fixed quickly for their sake!!!
  • 0
    Donnelly Jul 2, 08
    Ahh.

    I just turned my PS3 on to watch Saw IV (Blu Ray edition ) and was surprised I didn't have a download.
  • 0
    Red 9 Jul 2, 08
    I haven't turned my PS3 back on. So if I've apparently got the "bad" version of 2.40, should I leave it off? I never had issues with it to begin with, but should I remain careful?
  • 1
    Gamesta100* Jul 2, 08
    Can you imagine the people who got BB emblem on MGS4 only to lose their saves!?
  • 1
    reaver11 Jul 3, 08
    Lucky me. I've negelected updating it. Heaven shines down upon thee.
  • 0
    kazad Jul 3, 08
    weird downloaded it this morning been working fine, maybe the european one hasn't had any faults
  • 0
    Gutter_Tech Jul 3, 08
    what ps3 do you guys have i have the 60. it would be interesting to see if this affects a certain one. or if indiscriminately attacks all types
    • 0
      Guticb Jul 3, 08
      60 Gig with 2.4 installed without a hitch here.
  • 0
    Seeker X Jul 3, 08
    These are individual cases, obviously, my cousin's PS3 already installed it and it's still running smooth.
  • 0
    Gamesta100* Jul 3, 08
    I have an (Aus) launch console and I have had no problems.
    • 0
      Ameer Jul 3, 08
      Ditto. Might be regional.
  • 0
    random_gamer* Jul 3, 08
    I wondered why it wasn't there when I went to download it.
  • 0
    Bale Fire Jul 3, 08
    Hmm I guess my Internet being down was a blessing is disguise, I hope it doesn't take too long for the fix to come out though, I want those features bad
  • 4
    Sereph Jul 3, 08


    Goddamn Sony, for the love of God, get your act together.
    • 0
      BlackLabel Jul 3, 08
      This could happen to any company adding a feature to over 12 million consoles, some are bound to inadvertantly install wrong causing issues, Microsoft has had the same issues at times with their firmwares.
      • 1
        Donnelly Jul 3, 08
        I don't believe Sereph mentioned anything about MS.
        • -1
          Onvacation Jul 3, 08
          He's saying it like sony are the only ones who ever get it wrong though.
        • 0
          Seproth Jul 3, 08
          It's also called flamebait and it's not allowed...
        • 0
          Red 9 Jul 3, 08
          How's it flamebait? This isn't the first time something like this has happened to Sony.
        • 1
          Seproth Jul 3, 08
          If he had said "Goddamn Sony, for the love of God, get your act together. That's why I love 360 this never happens with them." or something to that effect it's a perfectly reasonable response.

          Just saying "Oh Microsoft did this too." without provocation is flamebait. Nobody brought it up. Just because Microsoft has, in fact, had an issue like this. Doesn't mean that Sony can do it too. It's a mistake, it's justified to be annoyed.
        • 0
          Red 9 Jul 6, 08
          Seproth, you're not making any sense.
      • 0
        Slumpy monkey* Jul 3, 08
        When has anyone heard of an xbox bricking from faulty firmwire? I haven't.
        • 0
          Ameer Jul 4, 08
          No, they just brick because a fair percentage of them are faulty.
        • 1
          Donnelly Jul 4, 08
          RROD RITE, AMEER?

          I love how every time Sony balls something up the PS3 fanboys respond with "But, but, but, RROD LOLOLOLOL"
        • 0
          Fatal Error Jul 4, 08
          Well really, that's a pretty simple thing to call out, no? Hard to brush that under the rug when it's pretty out there. No one's saying "BUT, RROD LOL", they're using it as a response to 360 fanboys who come in and say "OH GG SONY WAY TO *bleep* UP".
        • 0
          Ameer Jul 5, 08
          It's only fair to treat childishness with childishness.
        • 0
          Seproth Jul 6, 08
          quote Ameer|
          It's only fair to treat childishness with childishness.
          So is that some sort of preemptive strike?
        • 0
          Sereph Jul 7, 08
          So, laughing at a mega-corporation *bleep*ing up people's machines isn't allowed? I laughed when Sony's laptops started exploding from faulty batteries too (considering too, that I still own a Sony Vaio laptop from the same year as the faulty ones).

          If MS had done the same thing I would have laughed. I laughed when they said that the failure rate on 360s was around 2%, when it was more like 30-40%.
  • 0
    lord of vice city Jul 3, 08
    errrm, heh
    this isnt good news, mines working so far, but....
  • 0
    Zero and X Jul 5, 08
    Ive had no problems with mine.

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