Remember last week's PlayStation 3 firmware update that added such features as "trophies" and the in-game XMB? Turns out the patch bricked a slew of consoles, prompting Sony to yank the update; a fix is due before the week is out.

Sony said it only received a "limited number" of complaints about problems with the 2.40 firmware update (I installed it on Wednesday without a hitch), although Kotaku reports that "owners of PS3s in all shapes and sizes" found that their systems hung after installing the patch; indeed, a post on Sony's PlayStation blog about the buggy update drew more than 2,200 comments.

Some gamers managed to fix their bricked PS3s by removing the console's hard drive and reformatting it. Of course, they also lost all their saved games and downloads in the process—not fun, especially for anyone who made it past Act V in MGS4.

In any case, Sony's customer service department promises that firmware update 2.41 should be available this week, according to CVG. Keep your eyes peeled.

Update: Reports are coming in that firmware v. 2.41 is now available.

Related:
PS3 firmware 2.41 out "midweek", says Sony [CVG]