like people who say that the ps3 explodes and lights peoples houses on fire, that's a myth, some guy on the internet said that on a popular forum, and it got spread around, it never happened, my ps3 is on all the time and it's quieter and cooler than my computer, it never overheats.

that person who said that is definitely a xbox fanboy who is trying to cover up the xbox 360. the ps3 would not catch on fire if you leave it on over night, but the xbox 360 might just heat up so much that it might catch on fire. so that person was just trying to cover up the xbox 360.

I'm not saying that you are gullible, but... a game system exploding from overheating? Maybe it would melt a little bit... But you can't always believe what you read on the internet, especially if it's on a forum.

he must not like the ps3 if you ask me

While the other answerers are partially right, their are many possibilities that could end with a fire. These sort of reports are (typically) never actually witnessed first-hand, so the PS3/360/whatever, might have been plugged into an overloaded outlet. Entertainment Centers usually have all kinds of things plugged into a single wall outlet. TV, DVD, (VCR, maybe) Stereo, Woofer, PS3, Wii, Xbox, Xbox360, Satellite receiver, etc etc. All of those things use A LOT of power, and if they were to all be plugged in in a hazardous way, then you turn on a powerhouse like the PS3 while having several other devices going, it very well could cause a fire. Of course, the PS3 could have faulty wiring/poor soldering that could cause touchy components to explode. Yes, explode. It's very very possible that PS3's are catching things on fire and exploding, but not in massive proportions. There are many many tests the PS3's go through prior to shipping (to ensure safety and functionality), but component and system damage can arise in shipping.

Or, like everyone else said, it's just some dumbass somewhere spreading lies. *shrugs*