| Recurring |
one_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to the "blinking blue light of death" glitch affecting some PlayStation 4 consoles occurred within Sony's products. Sony acknowledged the issue and provided a troubleshooting guide for the problem, indicating that it was an internal issue with their console [23246].
(b) There is no information in the provided article about a similar software failure incident happening at other organizations or with their products and services. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase can be seen in the article where Sony addressed the "blinking blue light of death" error that some customers experienced when trying to power up their PlayStation 4 consoles. This error was attributed to potential problems with the console's power supply, hard drive, related hardware, or connection to an incompatible television [23246].
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase can be observed in the same article where customers reported issues with their new PlayStation 4 consoles, such as the blinking blue light error. Some users expressed frustration after spending time waiting in line only to encounter this problem when trying to use the console, indicating operational issues faced by users during the initial setup and usage of the device [23246]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) The software failure incident related to the "blinking blue light of death" glitch on the PlayStation 4 can be categorized as within_system. Sony addressed the issue by providing a troubleshooting guide for customers experiencing the error, indicating that the problem was related to the console's power supply, hard drive, related hardware, or connection to an incompatible television [23246]. Additionally, Sony mentioned that the vast majority of feedback on the PS4 was positive, suggesting that the issue was contained within a small fraction of the units shipped, indicating an internal system-related problem [23246]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident related to non-human actions in this case is the "blinking blue light of death" glitch affecting some PlayStation 4 consoles. This error occurs when customers try to power up their consoles, and it is attributed to problems with the console's power supply, hard drive, related hardware, or connection to an incompatible television. Sony has provided a troubleshooting guide for this issue, indicating that the failure was due to factors introduced without human participation [23246].
(b) The software failure incident related to human actions in this case involves customers experiencing issues with their PlayStation 4 consoles and expressing their dissatisfaction online. Some customers posted one-star reviews on Amazon due to the "blinking blue light of death" glitch, indicating their frustration with the product. Additionally, Sony responded to these complaints by offering support and guidance to users facing problems with their consoles, showing that human actions (customer feedback and complaints) played a role in addressing the software failure incident [23246]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware |
(a) The software failure incident related to hardware:
The article mentions that some customers experienced the "blinking blue light of death" error when trying to power up their PlayStation 4 consoles. Sony attributed these issues to problems with the console's power supply, hard drive, related hardware, or connection to an incompatible television [23246].
(b) The software failure incident related to software:
The article does not specifically mention any software-related issues contributing to the "blinking blue light of death" error. The troubleshooting guide provided by Sony focused on potential hardware-related fixes and did not highlight any software-related causes for the problem [23246]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident related to the "blinking blue light of death" glitch on the PlayStation 4 does not appear to be malicious. It is described as an error that occurs when customers try to power up the console, leading to complaints from users who were unable to use their newly purchased devices [23246]. Sony's response to the issue seems focused on providing troubleshooting guides and possible fixes, indicating a non-malicious nature of the failure incident. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
accidental_decisions |
(a) The software failure incident related to the PlayStation 4's "blinking blue light of death" glitch does not seem to be primarily attributed to poor decisions. Instead, it appears to be more of an accidental issue related to hardware or connection problems. Sony acknowledged that the error could be linked to issues with the console's power supply, hard drive, related hardware, or connection to an incompatible television [23246]. The company provided troubleshooting steps and did not indicate any poor decisions as the root cause of the problem. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
accidental |
(a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is not explicitly mentioned in the provided article. Therefore, it is unknown whether the failure was due to contributing factors introduced due to lack of professional competence by humans or the development organization.
(b) The software failure incident related to accidental factors is evident in the article. The article mentions that some customers experienced the "blinking blue light of death" error when trying to power up their PlayStation 4 consoles. This glitch was not intentional but rather an accidental issue that surfaced after the console's release [23246]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident related to the "blinking blue light of death" glitch on the PlayStation 4 can be categorized as a temporary failure. This is evident from the fact that Sony offered a troubleshooting guide for the issue, indicating that there were potential fixes for the problem such as updating TV software and power cycling the console [23246]. Additionally, Sony mentioned that the number of affected systems was less than 0.4% of the units shipped, implying that it was not a widespread or permanent issue but rather a specific problem affecting a small fraction of consoles. |
| Behaviour |
other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident described in the article is not related to a crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions. Instead, the issue reported with the PlayStation 4 is the "blinking blue light of death" glitch, which occurs when customers try to power up the console [23246].
(b) omission: The software failure incident is not due to the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). It is specifically related to the "blinking blue light of death" error that users encounter when trying to turn on the PlayStation 4 [23246].
(c) timing: The software failure incident is not attributed to the system performing its intended functions correctly but too late or too early. The issue with the PlayStation 4 is the occurrence of the "blinking blue light of death" glitch upon powering up the console [23246].
(d) value: The software failure incident is not caused by the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. The problem reported with the PlayStation 4 is the "blinking blue light of death" error, which prevents the console from functioning properly when users attempt to power it on [23246].
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident is not characterized by the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. The issue with the PlayStation 4, the "blinking blue light of death" glitch, is a specific error that occurs consistently when users try to start the console [23246].
(f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident, the "blinking blue light of death" glitch on the PlayStation 4, does not fall into the categories of crash, omission, timing, or byzantine behavior. The specific nature of this issue is related to a unique error that prevents the console from functioning correctly upon startup, leading to customer dissatisfaction and the need for troubleshooting guides [23246]. |