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Sony defends PS3 from BBC "PS3 failure" report

Posted Sep 17, 2009 at 8:09AM EST by Glenn M.

Listed in: PS3 Tags: BBC, playstation 3 updates, PlayStation Network, Ray Maguire, SCEUK, Sony, UK, Watchdog

The PS3 is certainly all over the news right now, isn't it? Even BBC is getting in on the action, but not in a way that you'd think. BBC's Watchdog program is set to feature the PS3 in a report, claiming that Sony is refusing to fix systems suffering from the YLOD, or the Yellow Light of Death. The report also threw the PS3 hardware reliability into question, prompting Sony to immediately rush to the defense of their console.

"From the correspondence to date, I have serious concerns as to the accuracy of these allegations and the likely tone of the Watchdog report," wrote Ray Maguire, managing director of Sony UK. The report, which focuses on the PS3's hardware failure, seemed to indicate that the PS3 has a high likelihood of going YLOD, and that Sony is refusing to fix the problem for the instances that it occurs.

"The information that you have provided suggests a fundamental misunderstanding of the technical issues and a mis-characterisation of SCEUKÂ’s Out of Warranty repairs policy," Maguire added.

Earlier this month, Watchdog even set-up a van right outside the Sony UK HQ, called it the PlayStation Repair Action Team, and offered to repair PS3s for free. Watchdog received complaints from 155 PS3 owners, 10 of which went to the van. The program also sent a technical report to Sony, but it was based only on three units - one of which had already been tampered by the owner.

"The testing concerned a sample of only three PS3s, which cannot, on any basis, be deemed to be representative of a UK user base of 2.5 million," stated Sony. "One of these had in addition been materially altered by the owner."

Maguire adds:

SCEUK has run searches of its customer complaints/warranty database to identify the number of reports made to it regarding instances of system shutdown or failure in circumstances where the front panel yellow indicator is illuminated.

The results show that of all PS3s sold in the UK to date, fewer than one half of one per cent of units have been reported as failing in circumstances where the yellow indicator is illuminated.

Sony's defense of the PS3 came in the form of a six-page report, which you can view in full at GamesIndustry.biz through the source link below. The Watchdog program airs 8PM in the UK tonight.

Oh, and just a little note - Fanboys, let's not get ahead of ourselves in the comments section, okay?

Care to check this out?

Video: How to fix your PS3's "Yellow Light of Death"

Via GamesIndustry

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The whole thing with YLOD is exaggerrated. Sure, it happens, maybe even more often than Xbox or PS2 breakdowns, but I way off the failure rate of the Xbox 360. It's hardware which gets warm hundreds of thousands times. Sure there are a few breakdowns. A failure rate of zero percent just isn't possible.

And the report is completely false. Sony is willing to repair your PS3, even if it costs a bit.

Additionally, BBC watchdog's reporter is clearly a Microsoft supporter:

http://tech.uk.msn.com/gaming/article.aspx?cp-documentid=7838134

# blah — NJ_Blitz 2009-09-17 10:54

ive heard of a few YLOD happening but not as much as the xbox's RLOD. last i read on here, 54% of 360 would get the RLOD.

My ps3 hasnt worked properly in ages. alot of people are complaining about how their blu-ray drive has stopped working and its £100-150 to get it fixed. My ps3 only plays ps2 games and dvds. cds, ps1 games, ps3 games and blu-ray movies dont work at all. theres no way im paying that to get it fixed! some people have got it fixed for free even out of warranty

# BS!!! — rikthelightning 2009-09-17 10:58

my ps3 got YLOD while playing CoD 5, i called up sony and even though my warranty was out by 4 days they replaced my console with a brand new one less than a week later.

...oh and i'm from the UK

# WTF!?!?!?!?! — ISOHaven 2009-09-17 11:17

Good to know. My fat PS3 was on 24/7/365. Never had an issue. In fact, being on all the time might even be better then letting get hot/cold/hot/cold/hot/cold....

YLoD seems to be a very small percentage of people.

# oops — rikthelightning 2009-09-17 11:44

i also forgot to mention that i got it replaced for free

# hehe — NJ_Blitz 2009-09-17 11:54

yeah i forgot to say im from the uk too.

# Omg wtf bbc?!? — free3dom 2009-09-17 12:35

Wtf seriously? The BBC has reali gone down hill, they cant even get their facts straight or atleast learn sum f**king maths like 0.05% rate of faliures from 2million plus total sales means that afew faulty products were made (10,000 by my count), which is hell of alot less then xbox's rrod, arrgghhhh i give up anyways back to my mainy point.... BBC give me sum real news with real facts!!!!

Btw Like woooooowww BBC you are sooo going to get a hell load of hate mail.

Lol

fanboys are goin to be pissed!!!

# Hmm — Scribe 2009-09-17 13:13

Sony actually meant fewer than half a percent if you read it closely AKA < 0.5% which out of 2.5mil means under 12,500. Also, that is yellow light fault, which covers almost any error aside from a complete power failiure, not just a proposed 'soldering issue'.

# exaggerated — usjbroly 2009-09-17 13:16

there is a very low base of YLOD. dead blu-ray is more likely. maybe they wanted some interesting news since ps3's large sale increase.

# Hmmm...ylod wooow bbc — free3dom 2009-09-17 14:32

Funi most of the ps3s i've seen with the ylod have had the "soldering issue" but there was one with a blue-ray driver problem..... OMG BBC YOU CHEATS!!!! Like the guy above said not all failiures are caused by the soldering issue... Which means that all of the 15 ps3s they "fixed" had only the soldering issue???? I think not.... Like what is the probablity that all 15 random ps3s with the ylod had the same problem (soldering issue)....reali? "we could what sony counld'nt" reali???? I smell a rat, lol

I hope fanboys are listening to this lol ......

# * — free3dom 2009-09-17 14:37

Sorri quote was "we could Do what sony couldnt"

# YLOD SONG — friggingreat 2009-09-17 15:40

The BBC programme Watchdog has made a little song about the YLOD

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnklhEh3NJM

# I'm not so much annoyed about the bbc — the by 2009-09-17 22:02

as I'm more p1ssed at the writer of this thread!

the last sentence was uncalled for in trying to bait a flame war!!

there was no need for it!!

# omg — EmilioB 2009-09-18 07:37

im not even joking...

my ps3 got the YLOD last night, i didnt even know this programme was happening.

how absolutely *****ting unlucky for me is that....

im so annoyed right now.

x

# ok?? — darkfroggy 2009-09-18 08:34

so this article is for the slim or fat ps3???

# @ EmilioB — the by 2009-09-18 11:08

have you contacted sony yet?

# well .... — Lifeline 2009-09-18 11:43

My ps3 phat ylod on me a week ago, bought it the day it came out, last quite a while in my opinion, played it every day, couldnt be bothered to get it repaired or replaced for a reconditioned one, so I brought a ps3 slim instead .. oh i think watchdog should burn..in my opinion.

# ... — NathanDrake 2009-09-21 14:08

Never had a problem with any of my PlayStations. My friend however is on his fourth Xbox 360. Another friend of mine did have a YLOD PS3 but Sony replaced it within the week he sent it for no cost.

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