BBC show tackles 'clapped-out old banger' Xbox 360
by Alexander Sliwinski 
{ Feb 14th 2007 at 4:00AM }
The BBC's show Watchdog premiered an episode last night focusing on the "clapped-out old banger" known as the Xbox 360. The main subject of the piece was Alex Ainsow. After the warranty ran out on his Xbox 360 he says it wouldn't stop crashing. He paid £85 ($166 USD) to have it repaired and then his refurbished Xbox 360 lasted three days.
The show concludes with Microsoft offering Ainsow a new system and some games to shut up. According to the BBC, Microsoft says most people with an Xbox 360 have an outstanding experience, and there's no system issue. The show says that they've received 248 complaints about the Xbox 360 and are receiving more as the system goes out of warranty.
After the break we have the last part in the epic YouTube saga of Rob, who was contacted by Watchdog, and his one two defective Xbox 360s.
The following video is what happens when you type in "Watchdog" and "Xbox 360" into YouTube. We thought there might be a chance the Watchdog segment was uploaded. This video was made on Dec. 1, 2006. It's apparently the last chapter in the epic tale of Rob and his defective Xbox 360. This segment takes place after he was contacted by the BBC show Watchdog. Perhaps one of our readers across the pond can confirm whether he was on the show this evening.
See also:
[Update 1: We added the Watchdog segment]
[Thanks Sean]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Grunge @ Feb 14th 2007 4:12AM
BBC = Sony fanboys?
Baby21 @ Feb 14th 2007 4:43AM
What make you think "Sony"?
I think it is more better
BBC = Anti-microsoft
Cos of with some of bad report from Vista.
Jdoki @ Feb 14th 2007 4:50AM
Did anyone watch the show? Goddam that ex-Wheel of Fortune dude is the worst presenter on the planet!
Anyway, I thought the piece was pretty weak. It wasn't like they said 'We've had loads of complaints', it was just two guys having a bitch.
KineticOnline @ Feb 14th 2007 4:53AM
He complaining about his 360 sometimes not reading dvds (not games) and sometimes it disconnects from live. What a tosser.
Anyway he wasn't on the show, which was useless. It was a 3-4 minute segment where two guys bitched about their console breaking down outside of warranty and having to pay to get it repaired.
Seriously, you buy something you covered by the warranty, when thats over then you have to pay to get it fixed. Whats so unusual about that, everything else you buy is the same
fishamaphone @ Feb 14th 2007 4:54AM
"Then why give the kid a new system and some games? Why not stand by your product even after public humiliation?"
Ummm... non-sequitur? What would you have preffered they do? Seriously, what is "standing behind your product" if not replacing faulty units? Pretending the units aren't faulty?
Ozzpot @ Feb 14th 2007 5:03AM
My first Xbox 360 suffered the ring of death after about 10 months. Microsoft took about 1 week to fix it, but no sooner had it got back from the repair centre and been set up, the autumn software update bricked it. I was absolutely livid. Once again it went away for repair, took about 3 weeks this time, and I got a refurbished machine back. A month later and it started crashing. Before long it wouldn't run for more than 5 minutes. On Christmas day, it stopped completely. It had now run out of warranty, but Microsoft treated it as a special case. As my 360 experience had been so plagued with problems, I got a phone call from a very nice lady, who said they'd fix the machine for free (in fact I got a much newer machine, if refurbished). I also got to choose 2 gifts as an apology. I chose two wireless controllers, which is £66 worth.
All in all, although I have had a rough time of it with 360 failures, I know I am in a minority. The 360 is a fantastic console, the best of this generation - and Microsoft are committed to making a huge success of it. And I must admit, contrary to my expectations, do seem to genuinely care about their customers.
To say that they gave him a new 360 and games "to shut him up", and by not standing by their hardware they are somehow trying to sweep the issue under the carpet, is cynical to say the least. If they didn't do this they'd be criticised. Maybe they genuinely care?
Although my experience has been frustrating at times, Microsoft have impressed me with their service and support. The 360 is the best console on the planet, and I love it.
RetepNamenots @ Feb 14th 2007 5:06AM
It was hardly 'featured' on the program. They just had two people complaining about their 360s. I liked the way that whenever they said 'ring of death' they played the horror music.
lazygamer @ Feb 14th 2007 5:17AM
This was one of the poorest Watchdog investigations ever.
The usual format for a (decent) report is:
1. What's the problem
2. Whose fault is it?
3. Case Studies
4. Message from an 'Expert'
4. Someone from the faulty party is interviewed (sometimes interrogated) in the studio
5. Conclusion
The Xbox report went like this:
1. Whose fault it is.
2. What the product is.
3. What the problem is.
4. Case studies
5. Footage of 'a 360 crashing' (how come it's not switched on?)
6. Message from the 'Expert'.
7. Microsoft's response.
8. Something about timeshares in log cabins i wasn't paying attention.
They're certainly not Sony fanboys, Watchdog had them on in the past over faulty TV's. They do however overhype some stories to ensure they're as interesting as the headline issues (usually involving how some old woman was conned out of her house and home by her pet beagle)
dauthi @ Feb 14th 2007 5:17AM
My 360: 13 months and still running strong! I almost wish I hadn't bought that extended warranty :\
Wolfie @ Feb 14th 2007 5:43AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56-gQq62Hyc That's the segment from the show.
That video you guys have is a bit odd. Seems real enough, just odd the humor that goes with it (really pushing he's a Cockney)
Dr Doom @ Feb 14th 2007 6:01AM
I watched it too. Though it was sensationalised somewhat (as someone else mentioned, the horror music when showing the ring of death was OTT) they did say that they'd received something like 270 complaints. If you consider the number of gamers that watch the show and the percentage of them that actually could be arsed to reply it's quite high.
Let's hope my 360 doesn't break!
rfom @ Feb 14th 2007 6:48AM
For the the "minority" of 360 buyers who are getting burnt - well, their fault for buying the "best console ever", you deserve it! Seriously, you expect MS, with their OS track record, to bring out a console that wasnt shoddily made? Their strategy was to be a year ahead at any cost - this reflects in the console AND the games - 360 fans crowing about the PS3 not having games, but at least they have ensured a superb lineup for 2007, while the 360 has just 4-5 decent games after FIFTEEN MONTHS! And the worst thing is - Sony and Nintendo will pick up the "message" from the 360 fans - quality doesnt matter - so their consoles may be far better engineered than the XBOX this time, but expect that to change next time!
ssuk @ Feb 14th 2007 6:59AM
BBC and perticually Watchdog can be anti-anything at the drop of a hat. Microsoft very clearly made him pay for the referbishment but after that failed MS decided to be kind and give him a new 360 and games before facing a legal suit over the repairs, simple as... Though, not many brits would sue over it to be honest...
Neccy @ Feb 14th 2007 7:14AM
I watched this last night and I must say I wasn't impressed by it, I felt watchdog didn't really handle it in the normal fashion.
Also i remember as the show was ending they had a few emails from people with broken xbox's whilst the show was on and some got read out at the end. Some poor guy has has 9 replacements!
I understand xbox's failing, all new tech can do that, what i cannot forgive is microsoft sending out more faulty tech as a replacement. They are obviously not QAing thier "refurbished" units properly.
MustBeNice @ Feb 14th 2007 7:17AM
Awwwwwww. Poor 360 owner. If this was a PS3 everyone would be ALL over this. But since its the 360 it's just a "Minor" problem! You guys have to be the most low down ps3 haters around.
John Doe @ Feb 14th 2007 7:27AM
I know 3 people with a 360. 2 of them have had problems.
Bill @ Feb 14th 2007 7:34AM
I wish somebody would investigate and find out the true failure rate. I've had 2 launch lemons, and I believe almost every story I hear about dead 360's. I know first hand the frustration.
For those of you whining about the Red Ring of Death stories I hope it happens to you..lol I for one appreciate a site like this trying to put pressure on MS to set things right. The story they claim of 2-5% failure rate has got to be a bunch of bs. I'd say 15% - 20% of the people I know on live have had one type of Xbox 360 failure or another.
Ed @ Feb 14th 2007 7:38AM
While I certainly don't doubt some have had issues with their 360s, I've seen too much video evidence to believe otherwise, it strikes me as odd that the same people have multiple bad experiences. Where are these folks storing their console? On carpet, in an enclosed cabinet, near a heating vent, or what? I've played the living hell out of my 360 since launch, and I've yet to have a single issue. It's well ventilated, on a shelf, and the power supply sits on a wood floor (not carpet). Simple things that might help some of these people out.
Handlotion @ Feb 14th 2007 7:57AM
I LOVE the 360 but I have to say the hardware is sub-standard! I am currently on my 3rd console since release!
DC @ Feb 14th 2007 10:22AM
@5,
Because either you are under warranty or you aren't. If Microsoft believed in their product they would not be addressing things like this.
It indicates that they know the 360 is flawed.
Marc @ Feb 14th 2007 8:03AM
The problem with people having multiple problems is due to the fact that Microsoft is sending a refurbished console back. If they can't fix the issue when the model is new from the factory, how are they going to fix it when someone is manually trying to repair a console vs an assembly line. I'm sure the multiple failure rate wouldn't be so bad if they just sent out a new 360. I've purchased many refurbished electronic products and more than 50% of the time, the device fails within one year...normally for the same reason it was sent back to the manufacturer the first time.
Ozzpot @ Feb 14th 2007 8:37AM
QUOTE: "For the the "minority" of 360 buyers who are getting burnt - well, their fault for buying the "best console ever", you deserve it! Seriously, you expect MS, with their OS track record, to bring out a console that wasnt shoddily made? Their strategy was to be a year ahead at any cost - this reflects in the console AND the games - 360 fans crowing about the PS3 not having games, but at least they have ensured a superb lineup for 2007, while the 360 has just 4-5 decent games after FIFTEEN MONTHS! And the worst thing is - Sony and Nintendo will pick up the "message" from the 360 fans - quality doesnt matter - so their consoles may be far better engineered than the XBOX this time, but expect that to change next time!"
I probably shouldn't comment about this, as it's clearly trolling, and will only trigger another console war, but that's mostly bs. Microsoft may make a lousy OS full of security holes and flaws, but their hardware is and always has been of the finest quality. Even I as an Mac user have to admit that. To say otherwise is to be badly mistaken, misguided, or zealous. There is little evidence to prove that MS made any great priority of havign a year's head start on Sony. Sony just took so damn long over the PS3, that's all. There are 2 schools of thought: the console released first has a head start in sales, and therefore user base and a generational head start in games development. The other way of looking at it is that the newer console has the advantage, as it is usually more technologically advanced. As a non-partisan gamer, I weighed up all 3 consoles in this war. The 360 wins in just about every way. If you ask any neutral developer, they will tell you the 360 is easier to develop for, has a far better online service, the 360 versions of their games even look slightly better than the PS3 versions, the controller is far better conceived and engineered... and so on. The only thing the PS3 really has left is the larger media in the blu-ray format, and that is a big risk, given that it only has a 50% chance of winning the war.
I have 6 friends with Xbox 360s, and another 3 or 4 friends who are waiting for the PS3 instead. The 360 owners are all knowledgeable, experienced and serious gamers. The PS3 guys are not. They are all casual gamers that know little about games, let alone follow sites like this. They are ill-informed followers of fashion, ready to put their money behind the brand name that sounds the most familiar. It seems it is what Sony have sadly come to rely on, and as any serious gamer will tell you, it may be starting to cost them.
Back on topic, I too think that MS's figures of 360 failure rates are optimistic at best, downright misleading at worst. Of my 6 friends, I am the only one whose 360 has had problems, but that's still a 16.7% rate. I am sure the real figure is 15-20% too. But teething problems aside, at least MS do seem to do right by their customers in the end.
Michael Le @ Feb 14th 2007 8:18AM
"Microsoft may make a lousy OS full of security holes and flaws, but their hardware is and always has been of the finest quality."
What? All they made is the XBox and a few peripherals how could they have a proven track record?
maverick_saturn_626 @ Feb 14th 2007 8:53AM
Iddiots, BBC isn't anti anything, watchdog is there for that reason, to report whats going on in tech and other industries, don't think that because they critisized 360 that they are anti-Microsoft, only stupid fanboys would think this, if anything, look at Fox, all they ever do is slag off Sony and other companies like as if they have nothing decent to report on, this is why English look down on Fox and find it nonsense, we'd rather look at CNN. Its not watchdog's fault that so many of you are having to face the ring of death, don't even think about blaming BBC for reporting this.
Guess what, they aren't the only ones, several gadget shows on Sky have reported the same thing, are they anti Xbox? Really fanboys, you should think before writing trash. It just makes you look stupid.
rfom @ Feb 14th 2007 8:59AM
"Microsoft hardware is and always has been of the finest quality"
As far as I remember, unlike Sony, they dont make too much hardware. Zune: old Toshiba model. XBOX1: a big, clunky PC. Their first real hardware design was 360- and it shows.
Incidently, you are right about the post- its trolling, but simply to counter the rubbish in mails like yours - the classic MS method of mixing the odd truth (the 360 controller IS better) with large doses of misinformation.
- The 360 is easier to develop for - therefore? developers just have to get used to it. The Wii is the simplest to develop for - so should both PS3 / 360 go for a 733MHz PowerPC processor?
- has a far better online service: forgot to add that it also costs 50USD a year did you, or the fact that its around 5 years? And that there is no basic free option - even if you want simple multiplayer and downloads!
- Blu-ray only has a 50% chance of winning the war: ever studied probability? 50%, with Sony / Disney / fox behind it, rapidly outpacing HD? If you say so.
Rob @ Feb 14th 2007 9:02AM
@Baby21:
"BBC = Anti-microsoft"
The same BBC that *REQUIRES* you to use MS software to fully use their site. Yeah, they're anti-MS.
Randomhiro @ Feb 14th 2007 9:09AM
I hate watching things about my profession(video games) that are described by people who are not up to date with news about each system. It makes me sick that they can talk about a house arrest on T.V. or something and then think they have the right to report on a few xbox 360's crashing moments later. And a year after the problems were relevant at that! how old is that news video. If it is indeed new news, than I feel bad for the british and how behind they are. btw did you notice when the reporter said" Gears of War" it had a video of the kid playing the G.R.A.W 2 demo. wtf is that all about!
maverick_saturn_626 @ Feb 14th 2007 9:13AM
Lol, Rob, Fanboys are so blinded by their own faith to a console they turn against all and everyone that says the slightest thing wrong, I'm sure they'd defend thier console more then thier girfriends, if they ever get one that is.
Ozzpot, well I guess your mates buying a PS3 make the percentage of casuals who buy "any" console for the sake of it, not just PS3, I happen to know exactly why I want one, and so does everyone I know. And "if" by some chance you got the idea that buying any other console other then a 360 doesn't make you a true gamer, you're wrong.
shase @ Feb 14th 2007 9:18AM
The thing is MS should stop sending back refurbished items and send back brand new boxes. It would be really interesting to see how the repair center fixes these things if they try to fix it at all. Bet they try to turn it on a few times and say "it works" and call it a day. It doesnt suprise me if they are out there to rip people off with refurbished systems. Once your warranty runs ago yet again you have to pay shipping and repair fees yet again and they make $$$. Probably only the few who really bitch about it will get a new system
Steve @ Feb 14th 2007 9:24AM
While I love seeing Microsoft finally being held accountable for the terrible 360 hardware, I have to admit that this story wasn't very meaty. But for the BBC, i.e. British state-run television, I guess it was an OK report.
Joe @ Feb 14th 2007 9:30AM
Wow - here's something newsworthy: Some crybabies bitching about the cruel ways of the world. Wanker News Flash: Things break sometimes.
Jake @ Feb 14th 2007 9:32AM
I have a 360 and love it, but the thing has hardware issues. I occasionally talk to people on LIVE and people I know. I'm on my second. The 7 people I know are all on their first. A lot of the people I talk to on live are on their second. People going through 9 make me really doubt they are treating it properly, though. In the end, I would be surprised if even 90-95% of 360s were making it a year. The only real 360 complaint I have, actually. Everything else about it rocks.
Evan @ Feb 14th 2007 9:37AM
The part of the 360's hardware design done by IBM (the CPU and hardware architecture) is absolutely brilliant! The PS3 might be slightly more powerful, but the 360 is far more efficient than the PS3 (computational-power per watt of electricity), the 360's CPU is cheaper to manufacture than the PS3's Cell, and the 360's CPU architecture is a lot more "software-friendly".
However, the part of the 360's hardware designed by Microsoft is complete and utter crap!!! The 360 generates less heat than a PS3, but Microsoft completely fails in expelling that heat! As a result, localized hot spots soften the solder and fry the chips. The design up to the motherboard is nearly perfect, but everything Microsoft built around the motherboard is crap. It's loud, bulkier than it needs to be, and can't even cool it's CPU and GPU properly.
P.S. I know IBM also designed the Cell processor, but they designed it as a multimedia DSP, and Sony is to blame for shoe-horning it into a game console.
robby2009 @ Feb 14th 2007 2:30PM
I though the BBC was a news program! Apparently they just take bribes from companies like Sony to slam competitors' products. These may be TWO cases in which the 360s broke, but 98% people who have a 360 DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM with it! I can't believe I thought the BBC was a trustworthy news program! Those idiots have no idea what they're talking about!
Steve @ Feb 14th 2007 10:12AM
"- has a far better online service: forgot to add that it also costs 50USD a year did you, or the fact that its around 5 years? And that there is no basic free option
Posted at 8:59AM on Feb 14th 2007 by rfom"
No basic free option? Oh really? What's a Silver account then retard? Oh THAT's right! It's STILL better than PSN. So woefully misinformed but then again, wouldn't expect anything better from a guy who names himself after a second rate shooter. Get some facts before you go make and even bigger ass of yourself.
4 or 5 good games in 15 months. Man that was a good one.
Mark7r0n @ Feb 14th 2007 1:03PM
I am on my first 360 with no problems what so ever. Everyone seems to know someone with 360 issues but no one I know has had any problem. But we all got ours several months after the launch. I wonder if it is just the launch consoles that are being plagued with the "ring of death" which I think would be more aptly the three-quarters-ring-of-death. Because what happens when the 4th one lights up red? Nuclear meltdown? Event Horizon? Puppies and kitties blasting out the DVD drive!? I want to know!
Plsk1n @ Feb 14th 2007 10:45AM
Shutting up a complaining customer and still making him happy.. thats called good business folks.
Matthew @ Feb 14th 2007 10:57AM
I don't think that trying to hold Microsoft accountable is necessarily bashing them. As someone who is still sitting on the fence on the 360, it feels like I've heard too many of these stories, it's more of a PR issue than a technical one. As a consumer, my fear is that if I buy a 360 today, it could have problems. While that would be normal, I'm worried that I will keep sending units back and forth, my warranty will eventually expire, and then I'm shelling out extra money (even if it's only for shipping), to have something fixed which should have been right from the start. When you add in the horror stories of updates bricking systems, it just doesn't give me a great level of consumer confidence in their product. Whether these high failure rates are accurate, or if there is inequality in the reporting, Microsoft has done very little to alleve those fears. If the system really is that dependable, why not have an official failure rate published by MS?
I consider myself one of the lucky ones. The 360's current library doesn't have any system-sellers for me, however I'm eagerly awaiting Mass Effect and Blue Dragon so I know the 360 will have a home in my entertainment center eventually. Still, I may wind up waiting, like I did with the PS2, until my consumer confidence in their product has raised and I feel like they've worked out any design bugs and THAT'S something Microsoft should be paying attention to when these stories break. Better yet, why not a change in policies so that after so many replacements, you get a new unit with a new warranty?
mushiking @ Feb 14th 2007 11:08AM
remember kids: if you don't like it, it must be wrong.
cosh @ Feb 14th 2007 11:10AM
I have 3 Xbox 360s (1 from launch, one from March, one from August), I use them all the time as do my children, who routinely leave them on overnight, etc. I've never had a problem with any.
(I also bought a launch PS3, but only played it a week or so.)
(I've yet to find a Wii for sale or I'd try it too.)
(My launch PSP failed two weeks after owning it, the UMD drive stoped working. Sony refused to fix it because it was a gift and I did not have the receipt. So, I spent the $110 they wanted for an out-of-warranty repair on a second DS instead - and I've not regretted it.)
In summary, things that have never failed on me: Atari 2600, Nintendo NES, Super Nintendo (2 units), Nintendo 64, Gameboy, Gameboy Advance, Xbox (2 units), Nintendo DS (2 units), PS3 (for a week) Xbox 360 (3 units), My smooth charm with the ladies
Things that have failed me:
Sony PSP, The Chicago Bears
SuperMario21 @ Feb 14th 2007 11:20AM
I haven't had a single problem w/ my Nintendo Wii...except for the lack of sleep due to playing it and excessive fun I have been having. Unlike my friend who's Xbox 360 broke after a couple of months and almost had to fork over $166 to get it fixed (he lied about his warranty and didn't have to pay)
Game Artist @ Feb 14th 2007 11:43AM
I suspect that the main issue is that MS keeps trying to fix some 360's that are clearly lemons. Something breaks, they do a half-ass fix and call it good if it runs for 15 minutes. Trouble is those unit have a cpu or gpu that simply gets too hot due to defects and causes the problems all over again. Those units keep get getting recycled into the repair program. I really hope there is a policy in place to destroy units returned more than once.
On top of that there is the fact that some retail units just stick units returned as defective back on shelves. That way the defective units are getting sold multiple times.
I dont think there is really *THAT* many defective units out there. But I do think that maybe MS cut the tolerances a little too close. Especially so on the launch units. Once the new smaller chipped units get released later this year I bet the problems disappear.
Spartacus @ Feb 14th 2007 11:54AM
I have a launch 360 that I had pre-ordered and picked up around the 1st of December of 2005. I haven't had any problems with it. No lock ups, no crashes, no overheating and only one "red ring of death" that was caused by a power failure. Rebooted the box and it was fine.
I have owned both iterations of the Xbox and must say that MS's hardware is and has been of good quality. Perfect? No, but hardly "flawed". The original Xbox was big and clunky, but it was also indestructable and reliable. PS2's went dead left and right (probably a huge factor in Sony "selling" over 100 million units) while the Xbox played from day one to the present day. I knew several people with launch Xboxes that still play on them with no problems. I know only 2-3 people who bought PS2's, 1 sold it after getting an Xbox, the other has gone through 3 consoles- 2 PS2's and 1 slimline. Seriously, how can we be griping about MS's hardware when Sony hasn't been known for quality hardware since the mid 90's?
And rfom, you need a reality check. I'm glad you like Sony, more power to you, but you need to get your facts straight before ridiculing the competition.
-The 360 IS easier to develop for AND is just as powerful as the PS3 overall. Better GPU, more flexible architecture, more system bandwidth and a CPU better suited for gaming calculations.
-Xbox LIVE DOES have a free option. A Silver account is given to all 360 owners. With it you can do EVERYTHING the Gold members can except online multiplayer.
-The 360 has FAR more good games than 4-5. I'm a pretty casual gamer these days and even I have bought 8 games or so for it. None of them were bad, but a few were only so-so. I have PGR3, Dead or Alive 4, Oblivion, Gears of War, The Outfit, Battle for Middle Earth II, Fight Night R3, GRAW, RB6 Vegas and Crackdown on pre-order. There are many other great tiles out there that I don't play such as the sports games and even Viva Pinata. Overall, the 360's lineup is far more impressive than either Sony's or Ninty's by the end of 2007.
-You're right, the 360's pad IS better than the PS3's decade old recycled design (without rumble).
-Even IF Blu-Ray wins the format war, it won't impact gaming much. Few games will be able to afford to fill up 50GB worth of hand created content. Furthermore, compression techniques will continue to improve as well, so if a dev does top out a DVD9 disc, they'll still be able to squeeze the content on- or god forbid use 2 discs like FF did so many times on the PS2.
Wolfie @ Feb 14th 2007 1:38PM
I think you kinda have to accept that the 360 has a lot of problems hardware-wise. A lot of people in groups seem to find that somebody has had a serious fault. Not many other system have this group thing (where by one at least says somethings gone wrong). I've had a lot of different console and they normally broke due to long term use (be it 3 years they broke). I've still got a sense which works 100% of the time and a Mega Drive which works 90% of the time; but they didn't use moving parts in their systems which we do today thanks to the media that is disc format.
MS isn't a hardware company, so you have to take in account their machines are not going to be as reliable as Nintendo or Sony which are hardware people. Yes, they all out source which means they do get people with the know how in, but at the same time, this doesn't change a thing (just because you have more people doesn't mean a project goes any faster). They may have made a decent system, I'm not commenting things the software side as I have no real interest in the 360, but what I do think is that they did rush the 360 a bit causing a lot of problems to slip through the net. kinda works in the sense that if they can release so many machine and now they will have so many problems what is the finacial implications; so long as it's not too high, they will go ahead and release the system. Case is, normally, bigger problems are likely to go through as less will occure while minor ones will be sorted quicker as they are more likely.
The ZeroCorpse @ Feb 14th 2007 12:04PM
I'm on my second XBox 360. My first one- a launch console- ran perfectly for the entire time I owned it. Never had a red ring, never had any overheating problems, and only had one complaint: It was loud.
So I sold it. I got a new one with the benq drive, and it's pretty quiet. It runs perfectly, too.
Frankly, I don't get this "I've gone through five of them" BS. I just don't see it happening. When I sold them, we only had a few come back as defective. Nobody I know has ever had a bad one, except one guy who had some problems getting his to sync up with his controllers unless he powered it on first from the console, and then turned on the controller afterwards (MS fixed it and returned it promptly. No problems.)
I still contend that a majority of the "returned five times" posts are:
A.) People who mistreated their console in some way.
B.) People who kept their console in a warm/sealed/unwise place.
C.) Sony reps who are invading blogs to complain (We KNOW they do this).
D.) Attention whores.
E.) People with bad/unstable power lines in their house.
F.) Unlucky saps who actually got a defective unit and are now milking it to "stick it" to MS.
G.) Out-and-out liars.
H.) Sony fanboys who are out-and-out liars and never owned a 360.
I guess I could be wrong. I could be in that part of the world where all the perfect 360s ended up, I suppose.
But that's kinda weird, don'tcha think?
Mal F4cti0n @ Feb 14th 2007 12:30PM
Did anyone else think that Alex guy looked like a fat, ugly chick? Woof!
Yeah, so far I haven't had any system I bought break (knocks on wood). I would be bitter if my $500 system broke after less than two years and I was required to pay $166 to fix it.
Hey, if I had none the life of the product was less than two years I would not have bought it. Screw warranties, if, after normal use, the product stops working AT ANY POINT, there is/was a problem with the product. The company should fix/replace it, warranty or no. If stuff keeps breaking, fire your whole QA department!
Mal F4cti0n @ Feb 14th 2007 12:31PM
replace none with known. Whoops.
Noshino @ Feb 14th 2007 1:04PM
"In summary, things that have never failed on me: Atari 2600, Nintendo NES, Super Nintendo (2 units), Nintendo 64, Gameboy, Gameboy Advance, Xbox (2 units), Nintendo DS (2 units), PS3 (for a week) Xbox 360 (3 units), My smooth charm with the ladies"
no PS2 or ngc? how can you live with only a xbox?
"I still contend that a majority of the "returned five times" posts are:
A.) People who mistreated their console in some way.
B.) People who kept their console in a warm/sealed/unwise place.
C.) Sony reps who are invading blogs to complain (We KNOW they do this).
D.) Attention whores.
E.) People with bad/unstable power lines in their house.
F.) Unlucky saps who actually got a defective unit and are now milking it to "stick it" to MS.
G.) Out-and-out liars.
H.) Sony fanboys who are out-and-out liars and never owned a 360."
I haven't seen the ps3 or the wii have as many problems as the 360 is having. And if you or some people haven't had that many problems, it doesn't mean that it is the same everywhere else, unless you thought that the malfunction rate was 100%. Mistreating might be a reason, but I doubt that 75% of the people that has had problems with the 360 has mistreated it, hey is "$300" right? unless you are rich and got enough to fork that much. Oh, and refurbish consoles is not a way to take care of this, people deserve new ones, and M$ will only give you one if you are JUST about to sue them.
meh, it's just nice to see that whenever something happens to the 360, their scapegoat is the ps3 and sony, great come back, heh
"and kitties blasting out the DVD drive!? I want to know!"
ROFL
P.S: yah, there are only 4 to 5 games worth playing on the 360, great head start they had huh? :)
ALH @ Feb 14th 2007 1:41PM
bah, youre not a true 360 owner unless youre on your second console anyways.
I like how in the report they said that the 360 broke when the guy played his 'favourite game' gears of war, while showing footage from something else. How would the guy know if it was his favourite game or not if his 360 broke while playing it?
Biphster @ Feb 14th 2007 1:53PM
Just over the last week I've had two freezes on my Nov 2005 system. Its not been played much over the year (PS2 has had most action). But with Gears of War being released its seen alot more action of late. I'm a bit worried its going to conk out though.
I went to game here in Denmark and they will give me 1600Kr ($280 USD) in exchange value for it with the two games I own. I asked If I could use it against a PS3 and suprisingly they said yes (I expected they'd not do that kind of thing on a new machine). Anyway that will help dampen the 5499Kr ($968 USD) It will cost for the PS3 over here. Yes thats right, almost $1000 to all you whining Americans.
Then I'll wait and see how things go with this rumoured cooler running model xbox 360, if it appears i'll rebuy one.