Gamer suing Microsoft for bad Xbox drives
by Edward Ho 
{ Oct 28th 2004 at 8:09PM }
Yesterday, Sean Burke filed a suit in Los Angeles alleging that his Xbox stopped reading and playing games after less than a year of normal use. The suit is looking to represent all Xbox owners who have had similar problems and is seeking compensation. Microsoft hasn't responded yet, but we'll keep you updated. Any readers have an experience with bad drives in their Xbox?
UPDATE: So far I've only gotten a generic response from Microsoft's Molly O'Donnell saying they have been aware of the suit and have been looking into it. I'll keep putting whatever I get from them in the comments thread.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Lowell @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
My Xbox stopped working 3 weeks ago. It is less than 1 year old. The error message indicates that the problem is a bad hard drive. It is very frustrating.
alex rainert @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
I've been getting the "Dirty or Damaged Disc" error recently with brand new games. Grr... I want to send it in to get fixed but with Halo2 around the corner...
Arthur Che @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
This isn't new. Our Xbox died last spring some time (though it had lasted for much more than a year). My roommate did some research online and found a lot of stuff about it. The deal is that Microsoft uses a few different manufacturers for the optical drive in the Xbox. The one you get is pretty much random, and you have no way of knowing without opening the box. One or two of these drives dies after a while, and if that happens you're pretty much screwed. We ended up buying a new Xbox when Ninja Gaiden came and I couldn't play for more than 2 minutes without an error. Our new Xbox had a Samsung drive, which is the safe one. You can tell by looking at the disc tray, but I don't know all the details since he was the one that took care of it. I don't think they have fixed the problem yet, so you're rolling the dice when you buy one...
ian @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
My brothers died after only four months, and my friends died last week. Halo 2 is almost here and no Xbox.
blacklily @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
mine is only 10 months old and its been giving me random dirty or damaged disc errors on all my games. I thought it might be a video issue then I researched it and realized its the DVD drive.
Neal Gant @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
(After the first bad box) I always get the extended warranty. I get the one year instead of the two year because I haven't had a xbox last for a year yet! Microsoft is well aware of this problem (look on the Microsoft Xbox forums) yet they refuse to acknowledge that there is a problem. The last time I spoke to technical support, the tech sounded completely surprised that I had experienced drive failure twice already!
I will be going to pick up my FOURTH xbox soon but I am waiting for the Halo2 release so that in case the drive has an "issue" with Halo2 I can utilize the 30 day grace period instead of paying for yet another warranty from the gamestore.
I can't help but to wonder how many boxes I will have to try before I find one that will read ALL of my games (all the xboxes I have owned will read some games but not other games)
Tyler @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
I had the same experience as Alex above, I would get "Disc dirty or damanged" ONLY on newer games (Crimson Skies at the time.) All my old games would run fine. I think MS builds software onto each disc to check for bootleg copies and the newer discs have newer software that fails easier on the crappy drives.
This is totally their fault and they should be sued. They tried to get me to pay $100 and shipping to get my Xbox fixed. I ended up getting it "repaired" for $50 with free shipping. I've bought 30+ games over the years, and I feel I'm getting screwed by their anti-piracy policies. That's crap.
(If this is true, the problem is Microsoft won't give up any of this information freely, so we're lost to our own hypotheses.)
Cold Shot @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
For a detailed explanation of the optical drive issue, visit this site:
http://sentientcreations.com/xboxIssues/index.php
Blake @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
I bought my xbox about three weeks ago, the first one only lasted days before the drive failed. And now my new one wont read CDR music for the custom soundtracks. MS needs to get there act together, noteveryone, including me, will buy multiple xboxes because they cant build a descent product.
Rachel Beverlin @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
SO... whens the LAWSUIT happening?
Posted Oct 29, 2004, 11:05 AM ET by Rachel Beverlin
Ok so I have been emailing Xbox all over the place and here is what it have come up with.
Here is the first email:
I am a first generation Xbox user. I have been having cannot read disk error that says disk is dirty or damaged. I have been researching and I see MANY others have this problem. I have tried to address this in a mature manner but I am not getting any help whatsoever from you. Look I have had this problem for 3 years... a little error here a little one there and then boom my new games won't play but for 2 minutes. I am not under warrenty anymore and my Xbox doesn't work anyways so I decided to open it up and clean it (I was also hearing something knocking around inside it). It works now that I got the hair off the lens (don't ask me how it got there), but barely. But while I was inside my Xbox I noticed something, that knocking I had heard was a broken plastic clip used to hold down what looked like a cooling unit. It had a clean break and was broken in half. Since this was the first time I opened this I wonder if this happened during manufacturing which means other parts could be faulty. I am not to blame for this. My father payed full price for this Xbox and I do not want to spend 80 dollars to get it fixed and even if I did I don't have the money because we just got hit by Hurricane Charley a few months ago. I am trying to address this problem in a mature manner I am just asking you as a loyal Xbox customer to at least talk to me with out giving me the standard blah blah blah your support does. Nothing works, my DVD drive is faulty and I think I deserve more then to pay money to fix something I got broken.
Thank you,
Rachel
This is there response to the first email:
Hello Rachel,
Thank you for writing to Xbox regarding your repair concerns.
We understand how important this is to you and we apologize for the inconvenience you have experienced. The limited warranty for the Xbox, which is found in the Xbox Instruction Manual, specifically excludes from the warranty those instances where the Xbox is modified or tampered with, or is repaired, modified or altered by other than Microsoft authorized repair centers. Therefore, Microsoft is unable to offer any repair services for your Xbox console.
We recommend that you do not open or attempt to open your Xbox console under any circumstances. Taking apart or modifying the Xbox will void your warranty.
In case you have other Xbox concerns, feel free to write back. We take feedback on Xbox and our Customer Service very seriously and review customer comments daily.
Sincerely,
Charissa
Xbox Customer Care Team
I tried to resond to the mail with this message but it did not go through:
But I had to open it. There was a piece knocking around in here
(plastic clip for the cooling unit) that could have hit something and caused
an electrical spark which I have been told would have totally fried my
Xbox (which had been broken In the first place but I didn't know until a
friend heard it in there and told me loose pieces could fry my Xbox)and
what if it had caused a fire? My warrenty was over anyways and I didn't
want that broken piece to cause anymore damage to my Xbox ( It did
anyways). I also had to clean my lens off which you give no easy access to. What am I supposed to pay an 80 dollar repair fee everytime I need my lense cleaned?
So I sent a second email:
This is the second half of my message I sent earlier. I believe I have a defective Xbox. I know I have a Thomson Dvd drive and that I also need a new processer heatsync (clip). I would like it replaced for free because I feel that I payed full price for an Xbox that is defective (after warrenty). I am a loyal customer and will continue to buy all your games and products if my Xbox would just work. Please email me and let me know what I can do because I really cannot afford nor want to pay the repair fee.
I got this response:
Hello Rachel,
Thank you for writing to Xbox regarding your inquiry on replacing your new processor for free.
We understand your concern and the importance of this matter to you.
With regard to your concern, we suggest that you contact our phone support team and verify if you can replace your processor for free or is it possible to be replaced. Phone support can be obtained by calling 1-800-4MY-XBOX (1-800-469-9269). They are available 5:00 A.M. to 10:00 P.M. Pacific Time, Monday through Friday and 5:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Pacific Time, Saturday and Sunday. The call is toll free in North America. Or International direct dial to the US for assistance is 425-635-7180.
In case you have other Xbox concerns, feel free to write back. We take feedback on Xbox and our Customer Service very seriously and review customer comments daily.
Sincerely,
Grace
Xbox Customer Care Team
Problem is.. I already opened it.. so now they probably won't fix it for free but If I would not have realized it was defective but they probably don't care, they will do anything to get out of paying for this.
So when does the lawsuit start if there is going to be one? Because I would really like to join. Xbox seems like they just hire robots to read lines out of there Xbox Instruction Manual don't you think?
Brendan @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
Add me to the list of early-adopter Xbox owners who ended up with a bad DVD drive. I eneded up buying a new unit after the last pricedrop so that I could play newer games.
Rachel Beverlin @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
Alot of the customers who bought Xboxs rebuilt them way better the Microsoft did. Only problem is it voids your warrenty.
ANYONE WITH INFO ABOUT THE LAWSUIT PLEASE EMAIL ME AT froggedbyaliens@yahoo.com PLEASE!!!!!!
Alan @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
Well, 1st of all, I bought my x-box the day it was released, and my drive is still working. I know, I'm one of the lucky few. But the drive is finally starting to fail. It still reads discs fine, but off and on it'll stop playing the game and I have to restart. And the noises it makes now are pretty horrible. Anyway, I have been looking at options for getting a working drive because I sure as hell dont want to drop another $150 because MS couldn't get good drives. A cheaper alternative that I am trying is I bought an original xbox drive from ebay. I bought the thompson drive, which is the worst one (and the most common I think. It's also the one my x-box came stock with) but it was pretty cheap. I got it for $23. Sure, I have to open my xbox and void the warrenty...but I don't think they'll do much for my aged 3+ year old xbox, so it's ok.
There are also other, better alternatives too. some of the drives are better and faster and should last longer than the Thompson one (although if it lasts me 3 more years, I won't complain!) For example, there's one drive that's 16X and fits in the xbox case, but you need to do some work (a little soldering and flashing it's firmware). But this makes for a drive that lasts longer and can load games faster. Other methods also exsist.
Edward Ho @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
Latest response I've received is that they are aware of the lawsuit and they are looking into the issue. They do encourage Joystiq readers to call if they have concerns about their own xboxs:
"If any of
our customers have any concerns, we encourage them to contact
1-800-4MYBOX."
- Molly
O'Donnell of Microsoft
Joseph @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
After about 6-9 mos. I had to buy a new xbox in order to play newer games.
Kept getting the "disk is damaged/dirty" message on the old xbox.
bstriegs @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
BEE-doop BEE-doop!
What's that I hear? Uh-oh, it's...
THE SCAM ALERT!!!
Maybe IF it only died once AND it was an isolated incident you could justify purchasing a console twice. But four times?!?
Let me first state that, though I may be young, I've been a gamer for years and have NEVER had ANY video game console die.
My grandfather still has an original NES in his basement that me and my cousins play every Christmas and Thanksgiving. Reminder: the NES was released in America in 1985. 19 YEARS!!! And you're saying that many Xboxes can barely last just one?
Not that I can relate, my family raised me Nintendo, but I can easily say I've generally enjoyed every Xbox game I've ever played, and I was actually thinking about considering the possibility of maybe purchasing one until I heard about this.
You know, it's not like Microsoft doesn't have the funds to do a recall. Nor is Microsoft making money from the console anyway. What they're trying to compete for is MARKET SHARE, which they hope will eventually turn into a profit.
Similarly, during the early NES days, Nintendo faced faulty hardware issues and instituted a massive recall of every defective machine and replaced it, free of charge. Sure, they lost millions, but they secured the loyalty of the customers, which put them in the black in the long run.
Plus, all this has got me thinking... Do Microsoft's sales figures for the Xbox console include people buying replacement systems? I'm surmising they do, in which case the Xbox would have a significantly smaller fanbase than previously thought.
Rachel Beverlin @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
PLEASE! Also see in you can find the info on how the victims can join the lawsuit. So far I have called where the papers were filed but they said noone named Sean Burke filed papers with them!
leonard @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
My first xbox died (damaged disk or wrong disk failure) after 3 days, o I returned it and got a new one, it lasts since then, more than a year...
leonard @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
My first xbox died (damaged disk or wrong disk failure) after 3 days, o I returned it and got a new one, it lasts since then, more than a year...
zebtron @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
I have a refurbed PS2 that I've owned for more than a year and luckily have not had any problems, but there is a well documented drive read problem with the Sony PS2 as well. The screensavers (pre G4) even had a segment on how to fix the PS2 problem. I wonder if there are similar problems with the Gamecube.
The interesting thing for this is that it gives more credence to having the ability to replace a DVD drive on your own for a console you purchased. This would now be considered a mod, but no person would call replacing a bad optical drive in your PC a mod... sounds more like maintenance.
Mike @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
Yah I bought one of the first generation xboxs and within 7 or 8 months it was dead, and no one from microsoft i talked to would do anything about it for a reasonable cost. I eventually bought a new one and havent had many problems with it so far... I get an occasional dirty/damaged disc error, but usually resetting it or turning it off a few times does the trick. I do find it unacceptable that microsoft treats its loyal customers like that, and would love to join a class action lawsuit to get my money back from the first POS xbox that died. And theres a message board with hundreds of other people like us that all had damaged or faulty xboxs [http://www.anetforums.com/posts.aspx?ThreadIndex=6789]. Hopefully something will come from this and microsoft will have to reimburse the people it ripped off.
Mike
Mike @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
Yah I bought one of the first generation xboxs and within 7 or 8 months it was dead, and no one from microsoft i talked to would do anything about it for a reasonable cost. I eventually bought a new one and havent had many problems with it so far... I get an occasional dirty/damaged disc error, but usually resetting it or turning it off a few times does the trick. I do find it unacceptable that microsoft treats its loyal customers like that, and would love to join a class action lawsuit to get my money back from the first POS xbox that died. And theres a message board with hundreds of other people like us that all had damaged or faulty xboxs [http://www.anetforums.com/posts.aspx?ThreadIndex=6789]. Hopefully something will come from this and microsoft will have to reimburse the people it ripped off.
Mike
Michael Bohmer @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
My X-Box died after less than a year. It was just freeze with no error message whatsoever. By this point I had over a dozen games and didn't want to switch systems. I ended up buying a second one, which was expensive and annoying.
BlakeB @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
I got around to blogging my experience today. They won't listen to complaints on the phone so keep up the blog buzz.
http://blake.typepad.com/blog/2004/11/xbox_drive_issu.html
Scott Watson @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
This Makes me Sick! Mine is 6 DAYS old! Tray won't open with a rented disc in it! Paper clip crap yeah right! Micosoft SUCKS & should be sued!
Doug B @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
I bought mine over a year ago and have had the
"dirty or damaged" error message since a month or so after I got it.
I though my discs were dirty or damaged.
Turns out the programed message was misleading and others have had the same problem.
I called 1800 4myxbox and they offered $75 repair, then dropped to $50+.
I told them to bite me.
I'm joining the Class action suit as soon as I find out how to.
Anyone have info or similar experience , please email me...
Thanks,
Doug Broccone
Doubro@optonline.net
ashri @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
I am in Singapore. I had the same problem with xbox disk drive. I was told that I could get a replacement if I pay to extent the warranty S$168(USD100). I think this is another one of Microsoft idea of getting rich - squeezing the kids mind.
KenMooso @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
I've had my xbox for almost two years. and there hasn't been any abuse to it, just normal use and it has died for some reason and now i have to pay $80 dollars on a defect. this is stupid i want a new x box for free or should get mine repaired for free. i want in on this lawsuit!!!
KenM @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
If you got any information about the lawsuit and how you can get in on it, please email me at Moosdog131@snowboard.com
LarryG @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
I bought my first XBox 11/01, the day they arrived on shelves. By 8/02, that box was worthless. Each time I put in a game, I'd get the notorious "Dirty Disk" errors. Being a sucker for console games, I purchased a new XBox system 2/03. By 12/03 I was experiencing the same 'dirty disk' errors. I was able to find a used samsung dvd drive and retro-fit it to work with my original xBox. That worked great until the motherboard went south on me 10/04. Now I'm down to a single XBox (never opened) with a crappy Thomson DVD drive.
Paul @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
What if we started taking pictures with dates and times of every time our xboxes couldnt read a game/dvd or got a dirty disc error, then sent it to them? the sight of those screens piss me off beyond belief, and im sure they would love to see what they're giving their customers. im interested in this lawsuit because of the problems i've had with:
Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
Nfl 2k3
Grand Theft Auto:Vice City
SRS (which took me 7 tries to load when FRESH out of the box)
MLB Inside Pitch 2003 (which just wont play anymore)
and the MAIN one, Halo 2, which took over 20 attempts (placing the disc in the tray, closing the tray, waiting for it to start, the menu goes to the screen saying it must not be an xbox disc/dvd/music cd) to even start playing, then 5 more tries to actually load the first level, which then froze halfway through, and problems have continued.
Amanda @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
My son received an Xbox the first Christmas that they were available. After only a month or two of playing, we started receiving the dirty disk errors. I haven't yet looked to see what type of drive he has. But I will when I get home. My husband and I have already purchased a PS2 for him for Christmas. But he really wants Halo 2. Why should I purchase any more games for a system that constantly freezes? I actually have felt sorry for him at times. I am recently remarried....so for the past three years (while I was single), I have had to listen to him getting upset over a game system and no funds to do anything about it!
Randy @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
I had an Xbox purchased on Nov 15, 2001 launch day - I then bought the extended warrenty 2 months later from MS and they honored it. I sent the Xbox in for the dirty disc error and they sent it back. It started DDEing again within 9 months so I sent it back in BUT this time when I got it back it would not access Xbox live and it got banned. So it was sent back in a 3rd time this time when I got it back it worked fine till the last month of my extended warrenty so I called and requested I be provided a replacement unit. So I sent in just the Xbox. MS returned to me a replacement Xbox, all new cables, controllers and a FREE two year warrenty on this unit.
No problems so far on this unit.
John I @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
My first xbox I bought last christmas had a malfunctioning fan, so I returned and got a new one that worked for about 4 months then started freezing and giving me the dirty disk message after about an hour of play on certain games. But the problem kept getting worse and it started making a clicking/grinding noise... I had the chance 2 play some Halo 2 on Xbox live and beat the campaign, it froze a couple of times but I would just reinsert the disk. Now for the past couple days it hasnt worked at all... giving me the dirty disk message every time I insert a disk. email: jannevn@hotmail.com with any information you might have about the lawsuit
Jay @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
I'm blown away by all the blatant evidence in these threads of MS's typical obsession with scamming people with faulty products and legal-speak safety nets. Being a bit schooled in economics, I know that this BS is not only typical, but it's actually considered by bigshot sellouts like Bill Gates to be not only sound "business practise" but ethical too! Does Billy-boy not remember what it was like when he was developing windows and just trying to get by as a tehno-geek, like so many of those who modify and repair their own systems (using remarkable talents and knowledge we all admire), the very same he now makes enemies with. (This whole thing smacks of the hypocritical, money-hungry Metallica-MP3 debacle)... Gates makes enemies with them by being a sell out, by screwing with them with his piracy-checking software that crashes our systems, and the lowest-bidder hard drives. These corrupt practices are everywhere, the aut-industry, in PCs, but nowhere so blatant as with XBox it seems. I drive an old truck because I know how to fix that and avoid the auto-theifs, but I can't say the same as for my XBox. If only I had less economics training, I wouldn't be so wide-eyed to the corruption, and maybe I'd hae taken some computer/electrical engineering and I'd be the one thinking to myself, "Heh heh, Screw you Bill gates" to the glorius smell of solder flux!
Rick @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
My son got a xbox for Christmas last year and only about 1/3 of the games run on the machine I hav taken many games back and gotton new games because I thought the disks were faulty. Now I believe what you are saying and that the drive is the faulty or marginal item
nynex @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
IT SHOULD SAY:
Your Xbox can't recognize this disc because its all our fault. Make sure its an Xbox game not a Playstation 2 game, DVD movie not a VHS, or audio CD not CASSETTE OR 8-TRACK you IDIOTS. Also check to see if the disc is dirty or damaged, try spitting and breathing on it about 200 more times then wipe. Please send us more money and we will let you play again. Remove this disc to continue.
IM CALLING TOMORROW.
anthony @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
someone above posted that the Samsung drive is the "Safe" one.. That's not true. Mine's a samsung and it has had the exact same problem as everyone else... It can't read DVDs or games.
Microsoft is a very terrible company.
David Miracle @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
Well..to put it short, my xbox will play fine for a while...and you'll hear it working really hard and eventually, when i have to go to a load screen...it eventually says my disk may be dirty or damaged...the thing is...i'll buy a brand new game, put it in and it says it's dirty or damaged..and it's with many games, not just one. i've noticed that MANY MANY people have had this problem and i really wish someone would actually do something about this. Buying something at that price, i'd expect it to work for AT LEAST a year. and it also seems that MS doesn't even act like there's a problem. I'm very upset about this much like everyone else with this problem, i just really hope something can be done. i'm just glad someone is finally taking a stand.
Roger Kneebend @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
My "launch day" Xbox began exhibiting dirty disc errors 6-7 months after the fact. Since I didn't buy an extended warranty from either EB or MSFT I had to pay to have the disc drive replaced. The rep I spoke to said, "You're probably the 100th person this week I've talked to with the same problem." My eyebrows raised. "Oh, really? And yet Microsoft insists charging to have these faulty drives replaced?" The rep backpedaled a little, but it's not as though I was going to be put through to Billy G. if I pressed him, so MSFT got another ninety of my dollars plus whatever their extended warranty cost. Ah, well.
Joe G @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
damn....i had no idea about this problem w/ xbox.....i got my xbox Sep of this year.....the back of it has a date of "7/12/2004" (which i'm guessing is when it was manufactured)......i haven't played it for about a month but i got a couple games for xmas today.......and Call Of Duty worked.....then i put in this Poker Championship....it says it can't read disk.....so i put it CAll of Duty....can't read that one.....tried it a few more times....then it works......so i figure i go do a 'google' search for "my xbox won't read disc"....WOW!!! I had no idea this was an epidemic......i'm dissapointed.....i haven't used my xbox that much or misused it or abused it?? MICROSOFT YOU GUYS NEED TO DO SOMETHING!!!!!! In a few years you think we're gonna by XBOX 2 or whatever else you got coming up??? THIS IS NOT GOOD BUSINESS!!!! I'm very disappointed, especially w/ a reputable fortune 500 name such as MICROSOFT??? I guess you live and learn..... Joe Gonzales fliteco1981@yahoo.com
Bob @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
I had my Xbox for a couple years, possibly 3. I've kept pretty good care of it. I don't even play much, when I get a new game I'll play the hell out of it, and then drop it, so basically I haven't even used it for months. Then the holidays come around and I get Halo 2 and Need for Speed Underground 2, but more and more the game slows down and I get the 'disc is dirty or damaged' message. Now everything I put in will not start at all, I get the 'Xbox does not recognize this, make sure it's an xbox game, dvd, audio disc bla bla bla' message. It's very frusturating because I keep good care of my systems, and now I cannot play any of my presents that I keep on staring at. I do not have the money to fix this after the holidays. I wouldn't mind joining this lawsuit myself.
Matt @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
What an interesting thread!
I'm just like the guy in comment number 42. Got my xbox about a year and a half ago, taken good care of it, not used too much. It has been fine right up until this morning when I tried the Halo2 disc I got for Christmas! :( It won't even read the disc but all my other games work fine. Did hit google and wound up here.
I'm impressed by the number of people that have gone out and bought replacement console(s). Great consumer loyalty there, and a good indication of the quality of games available. What a shame Microsoft don't seem to value that loyalty as much as thay should!
One thing I have noticed is that you can buy replacement DVD drives for the XBOX (at least here in the UK e.g. http://www.whitedog.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php?&products_id=643). As my warrantee has now expired, this is something I will have to consider. And though a new DVD drive will sting a bit, I'm certainly not shelling out for a new XBOX.
Failing that, does anyone know if there is a decent XBOX emulator out there anywhere so I can run my XBOX games on my PC that does have a good DVD drive? :)
Now don't hate me for this, but I'll have to say a few things in Microsoft's defense. Sorry, but there are always 2 sides to the coin...
I think I am right in saying Microsoft lose money on each XBOX they sell. It cost more to them that it does to you or I. This should be made up to them later in market share and therefore games rolalties.
*If* this is true, I don't think they can be blamed for wanting to use the chapest parts they reasonably could. The XBOX is only really a bastardised PC made as cheaply as possible. And I doubt I could easily buy an old PC of the same spec for what I paid for the XBOX.
After all, the XBOX only really needs to function until it is made obsolete. There is a comment above about a working 19 year old NES in somebody's grandpa's attic. I'd argue this is probably because the cartiges it uses are solid satate and do not have the moving parts present in a CD/DVD laser system. The fact that it is in the attic shows it has out lived its usefulness. My playstation 1 died the same death, as did many other but as I had moved on I didn't mind so much by then.
Microsoft will have bought these drives from Thompson in good faith, they could not reasonably have know they would fail so readily. If there are so many drives failing (as seems evident), I think it is unlikely Microsoft have done this as part of a cynical marketing strategy. It just isn't good business practice. Customer loyalty is hard earned and worth big $s to them. XBOX2 sales will suffer because anyone like me who has had drive problems will think twice before buying it.
If you have read this far, thanks for your trouble. I hope my comments were of interest to you :)
EB @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
I will never buy a Microsoft product precisly (sp?) for this kind of problems...
I know the Xbox was a bad product but never imagine users will have this kind of problems.
Brennan @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
Here I sit, in this boat with everyone else. My XBox would grace my gameplay with dirty disc errors occasionally during the first year I had it, but it has become a bit ridiculous lately. I can't play any game for more than an hour without the fateful message. I have called support several times and have yet to speak to a representative who will even acknowledge teh issue as it has been written about before. Like in other cases, even supervisors treat my problem as if it is one-of-a-kind and unique. A gentleman tonight went so far as refer to the knowledge I have gained on the subject as the kind of "he says, she says" rumors on which Microsoft will not base its decisions. Eighty dollars, if you please, they offer politely...though when I push they offer a 25% discount on the repair. So I wrote an email, describing my disappointment and evolution from a loyal and impressed customer to one who can now only speak ill of their practice. XBox struggles to hold a significant share of a competitive market--does their decision on this matter make sense?
Stephen Burns @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
My sons are accustomed to leaving their XBox on for extended periods of time. The other day I heard a frantic call from my youngest---there was smoke coming out of the unit. I turned it off immediately and of course it is fried. I shudder to think what could have happened if no one was around and a fire started in our house.
Stephen Burns @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
As a follow-up to my earlier post today, I called XBox regarding the smoke problem. They were extremely helpful, first passing my call to a supervisor to deal with because of the potential liability issues, and then a quick expediting of the arrangements for the repair, complete with an appreciated price reduction for my scare. Kudos to Microsoft for the way they handled this matter.
Jeff Rollman @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
Amazing, I have been gaming since I got a Colecovision for my birthday when I was 5. Never have I had a hardware problem with any of the 8 systems I have until I purchased an xbox. I know the problem is with the cheap-o Thompson drives they used, and I adjusted the lense pot inside to stop the xbox from locking up. Tough it seems to have helped, it is still flakey. I will need to replace the dvd drive for 70+ dollars. I am very dissapointed with the xbox, and with Microsoft in general. What bothers me most is their claim that only 1% of those first generation xbox's were faulty. What they meant to say they fixed 1% of the first generation xbox's, and that 99% of them haven't been claimed because they are out of warranty. No way am I giving the xbox2 the light of day, unless they come forward and admit to their mistake.
DJ @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
Xbox sucks, Microsoft sucks and
I will smash my non-working P.O.S. xbox with a hammer, sell my games on ebay and buy a PS2. I wouldnt take a new xbox if bill delivered to me for free. I guess we have to learn some rthings in life the hard way.
Mary Ann Keester @ Dec 18th 2005 10:13PM
I'm in the same boat as everyone else. My son's xbox just stopped working one day with a 07 error code, and we've only had it 6 months! And yet microsoft expects me to fork over $80 more to fix it. I'd love to join a lawsuit against them for their faulty products is someone would please email me the information at imaggie@cableone.net. I've been trying to find information on how to fix it myself, but I can't seem to find any information. This is the last time I buy anything from Microsoft!!!