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Rumor Alert: Is there a PSP recall at Wal-Mart?

Posted Jan 13, 2007 at 9:09AM EST by QJ Staff

Listed in: PSP Tags: memory stick, Sony, Wal-Mart

Sony, according to an eyewitness report, is recalling some defective PSP units at Wal-Mart. The eyewitness said he went to a Wal-Mart on January 11 just in time to see a sales person taking all the PSPs from the shelf. The eyewitness then questioned the sales person but didn't get an answer. That's a nice way of hinting it wasn't really the eyewitness' business.

Not taking a "no comment" for an answer, the eyewitness decided to ask someone else who worked at Wal-Mart. The chattier someone else told the witness that Sony recalled all the PSP systems. The eyewitness says:

I know there is a lot of defective PSP sold on Christmas and people are returning systems like crazy and the problems are system shut down by itself, UMD doesn't read, cannot read memory stick, system restore by itself and more.

The PSP recall theory triggered a few speculations.

One guy who said he works in the retail industry explained that it wasn't a recall but RTV or Return to Vendor. This means if a system is bad they take it back to the store. The unit is then shipped to the vendor's warehouse to be replaced. The unit itself is shipped back to the manufacturer to be refurbished. "Besides people do funny stuff with the PSP to get it not to work and will say anything to get it returned. Funny thing is, is that Wal-Mart... will take back almost anything without question and for any reason."
The eyewitness countered the PSP units he saw being carted away were new and in unopened boxes so it can't be RTV.
Retail guy said recalls MUST have a notice so consumers can be notified. "It is not a recall unless they specify with a notice at the return desk. If it is a notice than it is a recall."

There are other theories. You might want to sit down and not drink anything. If you spew your drink all over your keyboard it's not our fault:

Sony's taking back the PSPs has something to do with Dark_Alex OpenEdition series.
Maybe Sony has finally given up and pulled all PSPs. They figured if you can't beat 'em, just pull 'em. That is why no titles are being released, they just simply canceled all PSP-related sales after the stock of PSPs sold over the holidays.
Maybe the Wal-Mart employees are digging them out and are going to eBay them as they did with all the 1.5's they could get their hands on after Sony upgraded new units before shipping them.
Sony may be recalling them back to be replaced with a new motherboard to combat downgrading or their latest PSP batch could have some really big flaw which we could have used.

So many theories and no one really knows for sure. That's why we're classifying this as a rumor.

Via DCEmu

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If anyone remembers a year ago before the first 2.0 downgrader, 1.5s were suddenly vanishing from all retailers. I know Sony goes through a lot of stock in NYC metro, and most of the big stores were all 2.0s (that only days earlier were stocked with 1.5s).

A few weeks after the 2.0 downgrader was released, all of the sudden the stores in question began selling their 1.5 stock again.

I wouldn't be surprised if Sony is pulling this ***** again. As it stands, nearly all retail (

# This is lame — Guest 2007-01-13 10:49

Sony Wont give up psp yet...just cause one guy saw something doesnt mean all the walmarts in the country are doing the same thing...this is a lame rumor and its stupid

# LIES — soopergooman 2007-01-13 10:56

THERE IS NO RECALL, STOOPID NOOBS WHO HAD TRIED TO UPDATE OVER CHRISTMAS SEASON (new psp but with 2.71 and noobs updated but prolly unplugged or impatient)WAS THE REASON. WALMART ARE IDIOTS FOR TAKING THEM DOWN, I AM ON THE PHONE WITH SONY TECH SUPPORT AND THEY CONFIRM THERE IS NO RECALL.

# shut up — Guest 2007-01-13 10:58

ur probably a sony nut that is noting the reaction to the psp community sony r tards what ever stunt they r trying to put its not good for us

# what — Guest 2007-01-13 11:00

what does that have to do with them recalling them at wal-mart

# What about returned PSP's with false problems? — sinX 2007-01-13 11:03

What about people just returning them to try and get a homebrew capable PSP? I know a lot of people who returned there PSP's 2,3, ever 4 times! I returned mine twice and each time I just made up some lame excuse and they bought it. Think about all those people making up false problems!! Maybe all the people who returend there PSP's for Christmas was just to much for wal-mart to keep ignoring.

# rumor alert — Guest 2007-01-13 11:12

okay okay stop people think read and learn, the title here is rumor alert and is on several news sites, news spreads fast on the net and its like chinese wispers, i reckon its BS sony wont give up the psp they have it at CES and talks for a movie download service next year and new gps camara and massive sales to look forward to in europe because of MGS portable.

and plus hey its only one stor that we have possible news of a recall of units.

IF ITS TRUE :

i think it just a fluff up someone pulling strings from the market, to sturr us up and maby get the programmers to try and work on more downgraders and use them to find sonys errors in firmwares for them.

just like the all i want for xmas is a psp scandle, big companys learn from the users, if we can bothc it together spny can go one better because they have the resources behind them and the SDK's.

this will soon blow over and nothing will come of it for a while and maby when or if there is a 3.00 downgrader sony will be screwed as most units are selling at 2.81 or 2.82 and im geussing last quarter of the finichal year it will be 3.00 so sit tight and wait.

# erm, no. no recall. — Guest 2007-01-13 11:20

My cousin has been working at the local Walmart for a year and a half. He tells me there is no recall.

# bah... — Guest 2007-01-13 11:27

SOny is stupid. why not embrace the homebrew community, heck i bet if they embraced it they would have way more psp sales. If people brick there psps its there fault and what can you do to fix em? Buy a new one.. see its win win.... haha well thats how i see it.

# shut up urself — soopergooman 2007-01-13 11:28

your words mean nothing, you are not registered.

# .. — soopergooman 2007-01-13 11:31

Thanks for confirming this for the noobs above like mister shut up .

# goodness — Guest 2007-01-13 11:46

I don't see why everyone is getting all stirred up. If sony is upgrading all the PSPs, it's almost good. Just search on a generic bittorrent server. There is an insane amount of piracy going on with PSP games. Why? We are able to load ISOs from our memory sticks. It's almost too tempting not to do. $40 for a new game or wait 2 or 3 days for it to download via bittorrent. Many of us are in our teens/high school and are flat broke so bittorrent wins. Meh... it's a two sided problem and both arguments are good.

P.S.Anyone who believes #2 is retarded.

# xbxf — Guest 2007-01-13 12:02

holly crap dude!!!! this may have had something 2 do with D_A. its amazing what one person could do. he may have mad sony take back every psp. sony is getting so destroyd that they are givving up. hmmm it think they will make one last (the next one) FW that lets everyone enjoy homebrew

# exactly — Guest 2007-01-13 12:02

maybe there not selling alot at that walmart so the store is sending them back so the store can get full credit back from the stock that they have -also its January all stores are getting returns from all unwanted xmas gifts-

# A couple things... — Guest 2007-01-13 12:20

For starters, if Sony were to openly embrace homebrew, they would lose almost all game sales, since most savvy PSP users would just pirate the games, since it'd be way easier without their homebrew-blocking security. Right now, I don't think they have a choice. I know they allow unsigned code on PS3, supposedly, but with PSP, since the format has already been hacked, they have no control of piracy, unlike with Blu-Ray (since there's no way to read Blu-Ray disks besides using a PS3), so they have to make an effort to stop at least piracy, so that developers don't stop making games. If Sony didn't make an attempt, devs wouldn't make games for PSP as there would be hardly much profit from it anymore.

I think Sony should go the MS route, and release a psuedo-XNA dev kit for PSP2, thus allowing us to develop more and possibly better homebrew for PSP2, but still trying to keep a handle on the piracy. It'd probably still end up getting hacked, but at least they'd have given both devs and gamers what they wanted.

# Local walmart? — Guest 2007-01-13 12:25

Has anybody went to there local walmart and seen them pull them, I went there and there was like 5 psp 2 ps3 and a butt load of ps2 slims????

My best friend is a co-mgr there and he has heard nothing only of the new psp coming.

# YO! — Guest 2007-01-13 12:27

I wrote that in a forum and only did it as a stupid reply, nothing meant to be serious. You guys are retarded!!!

# Friend's PSP — Guest 2007-01-13 12:44

Funny, my friend got a PSP for christmas and it was a bit messed up, MGS:PO wouldnt run( I fixed it by letting the disc spin for an hour an now it loads) That could possibly be why. Also it wasn't the game as I gave him my copy and it was fine. This is probably the reason.

# wal-mart return policy — Guest 2007-01-13 13:03

i have to say that i used to work at a wal-mart many moons ago, and i have to say that it is true - wal-mart will take ANYTHING back. if you got it from another store, and if for some reason it isn't even SOLD in the store, wal-mart goes out of their way for their customers when it comes to taking returns back.

good to hear that after all these years, some things never change. heh!

# Hen of a feather — Guest 2007-01-13 13:12

Jeez, all that happened was that someone took all the PSPs of the shelf in ONE store. Why would this whole D_A thing lead to the death of the PSP just because Sony doesn't hire bright enough programmers?

If they keep 3.xx locked up tight and stop selling 2.xx units, the 1.5/SE/OE/2.xx will be rarer and rarer due to bricking/dropping in the ground/other, and finally be few enough not to be a threat.

And even if they DO give up on the PSPs hacking front, they won't want to be beaten by Nintendo's world domination of handhelds, and they will not stop making units. This whole thing is making a hen out of a feather - it was only in ONE store, and we're speculating about PSP armaggeddon based on a frown from a store's employee. Calm down and buy games, if you're so afraid of the PSPs death.

# ALL WRONG!!! — Guest 2007-01-13 14:36

Feb14th is coming and they are replacing them all with the PINK body =P

# What a retard... — Guest 2007-01-13 14:47

Maybe Sony has finally given up and pulled all PSPs. They figured if you can't beat 'em, just pull 'em. That is why no titles are being released, they just simply canceled all PSP-related sales after the stock of PSPs sold over the holidays.

Those loads of new releases coming you dumb son of a *****. Yeh they just decide to recall all PSPs and what? Bury them in a land fill?

God some people are stupid. Plz for the love of god, dont breed....

# WTF! — Guest 2007-01-13 14:58

I said it was only a stupid reply! You are the idiot!!

# old — Guest 2007-01-13 15:11

this is old i found this like 2days ago...

# It has begun — Guest 2007-01-13 15:17

The Great Purge

TA-82 has become obsolete and now Sony is sending in the TA-83 from the future to combat Dark Alex.

# It has begun — Guest 2007-01-13 15:31

The Great Purge

TA-82 has become obsolete and now Sony is sending in the TA-83 from the future to combat Dark Alex.

# It was NOT a recall. — Guest 2007-01-13 15:33

As I work on the sales floor in the electronics there was NO RECALL. The removal was done from walmarts doing an "OPEN CASE" of all video games and removing the consoles so not to be stolen. WHY this was considered some recall is very funny.

# HAH DA SHVING! — Guest 2007-01-13 15:45

The evil Sonah corporation send the T-1000 from da futar!

# 2121 — Guest 2007-01-13 17:20

Obviosuly lol. whoever didnt get that is a homo

# i agree — Guest 2007-01-13 17:22

There's a torrent site ,where the psp is only behind ps2 and pc in number of torrents available.

# WOW — Guest 2007-01-13 17:22

WOW YOU *****ING HOMO YOU CALL SONY *****ING LOOOOOSSSEERRRR RR

# I have a theory — Guest 2007-01-13 17:28

Maybe Sony decided that homebrew is fine. There's absolutely no way to stop it, and systems like PS2's and Xbox's weren't recalled simply because of homebrew, and there it was more massively used for pirating games. With PSP, it at least has a variety of homebrew applications that are useful for different purposes.

That would be very cool.

# OR !!!!!! — Guest 2007-01-13 19:15

Duh, sony is doing a recall to upgrade all firmwares to the latest, or a possible future update, they figure pull out the 2.71's and under and you eliminate the problem (a big chunk anyway) ... for awhle...

Sony doesn't like wal-marts lax take back policy, and to many people were bricking, or would get a wrong version +2.81, make up some ***** & bull story and return 'em. My ex works at a wal-mart and she said they got back like 30 in a 4 hour time frame, majority would "just turn on but have nothing on the screen and a light"... Sounds like Sir Bricksalot to me

# agreed — Guest 2007-01-13 20:09

One Wal-Mart and a "no comment" "no name" + bull***** until corroborated. Is this Kotaku or something? Since when did you guys start publishing flimsy rumors? oh.. wait...

# ... — Guest 2007-01-13 20:45

Of course you did Kurt, you Detective you. ;)

# I work for NEW WORLD wal~mart — Global_throttle 2007-01-14 01:47

I work at a distribution center in Indiana.I have to say I see Claims everyday.Claims meaning stuff that is returned.Stuff that goes back to a vender due to slow sales or end of the season.We cover 75 to 80 stores.I have seen a handful.I should say so far.If there is a recall I will see it.If it is real.On a bad note PS3 are coming back left and right.

# i bought 2 psp from walmart — Guest 2007-01-14 05:07

1 befor xmas with firmware 3.03 and 2 after xmas with 2.71 firmware in them i think that's why they pull them the put the firmware that is hackable on the shelfs.

# psx — Guest 2007-01-14 05:30

visit burjkhalifa.com forums with plenty of psx eboots and psp isos register an free account and download whatever you want try it its full with psx eboots and psp

isos

# Blue ray — Guest 2007-01-14 07:31

You can buy a blue ray drive for your pc or mac.

I don't know anything about ps3 homebrew, but it would seem simple to make a blue ray iso dumper from disc to hard drive.

# ta-86 — Guest 2007-01-14 07:35

ookm had a beta ta-86 he somehow acquired. That is what is coming

# Idiot — Guest 2007-01-14 07:47

Your an idiot.

YOU CANNOT MAKE AN UNHACKABLE SYSTEM!

FACT!

Firmware 3.xx will be defeated.

So will any Motherboard that comes forth.

'Nuff Said.

NG

P.S. Sony won't drop the PSP. the Hacks are making it more attractive. Meaning more $$$.

# i agree and don't agree — Guest 2007-01-14 08:41

first off, i do think it's completly rediculous that people are speculating about the complete death of the psp from some guys working at a wal-mart. come on, think about it.

but i wouldn't be surprised if they released a homebrew-compatable firmware. HOWEVER, i'm guessing they will make it run hb (boosting psp sales), but NOT make it runs ISOs, (keeping game sales alive). it would be a win-win situation. i guess it would be a typical S*ny, ENCRYPTED (non-hackable) firmware, that allows homebrew. just a concept though.

# PSP — dbr 2007-01-14 10:07

I bet Sony took the pre-3.00 firmware PSP's off the shelves, so people wouldn't brick and return them all the time, costs them big bucks.. Replacing the "vulnerable" PSP's can buy them some more time before they are hacked too. I don't believe for a second, that they would make a firmware intentially hackable.

# Coincidence — Hman 2007-01-14 10:18

Haha, this is great. I went to Wal-Mart last night, walked into the games section and the whole PSP game case was EMPTY. Apparently one of the glass doors fell and shattered and they had to relocate the games. They were all still there, but in a different place. Scared me at first.

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