Sony pulls problematic v2.40 Firmware update

Sony pulled the latest firmware update for PlayStation 3 following complaints from users that it froze up their systems. A few hours after the release of version 2.40 on July 2, the PS3 official message board was filled with complaints from quite a few disappointed customers.

Sony owned up to the issue but said not all consumers had trouble while installing the patch. The firm has suspended the download for the time-being as it tries to figure out the problem.

The problem does not appear to be restricted to a particular hardware model, as owners of 40GB, 60GB, and 80GB consoles have all reported experiencing trouble. According to Sony, the issue has been encountered in the consoles of a "limited number of consumers."

One customer wanted to know through the forum if “there's anyone who updated their PS3 and have had no problems at all?” Responses to the thread substantiated Sony’s claim with hundreds of people confirming they did not face any trouble after downloading the update.

"In order to further assess the issue, we have temporarily taken the firmware offline for further testing," said a Sony spokesman through an e-mail. "We are working diligently to isolate the problem for those few consumers and to identify a solution before we put the firmware back up."

It is not known whether the owners of affected systems will be able to repair the console themselves or have to send it to Sony to be fixed.

the latest firmware is endowed with some improvements that include in-game access to instant messaging to communicate with other players and other PS3 features, such as checking downloads, changing settings, and playing music from the user's library. Also, among other features the firmware brings in a trophy system to award players for game performance.