Xbox 360's Red Ring of Death visits Weekly Geek Show
You hope that nobody gets it, it's curable, but anecdotal evidence continues to pile-up and show the Xbox 360's Red Ring of Death seems to be far more prevalent than gamers would hope. Like any disease, coming out and discussing it is what gets people talking about the problem and acknowledging that there may be a greater issue here. At a minimum, it would be nice to finally get some answers.Now, the issue isn't that random consumers continue to experience the Red Ring of Death repeatedly, but wouldn't you know it, for an item that supposedly has a 3 percent failure rate, it certainly has a lot of that happening in the gaming media. The latest victim is Michael "Caspian" Wiegand over at Weekly Geek Show. He's gone over his year warranty, refuses to pay the $139 and he's using extortion as his method for receiving a new system. Wiegand writes, "[Microsoft] send me, your dejected disciple, a new 360 and a free gold subscription for a year and I'll retract this article and replace it with a flattering one."
Wiegand is in the right frame of mind, it's not like Microsoft hasn't shut up complaining customers with new systems before. Although it's getting harder and harder to dismiss the problems when more high-profile Xbox 360 failures continue to occur, especially when systems are being sent back for repairs a second time. Joystiq's saga of a broken Xbox 360 wasn't even an isolated incident on our own staff. At this point it'd be nice if Microsoft further extended their warranty or finally released the actual failure rates for the system. We hope the new black Xbox is built better. Chris Furniss, from the Weekly Geek Show, speaks for many Xbox 360 owners when he says, "I fully expect my Xbox to give me the ring of death sometime within the next year ... It really is a great machine. It just has a horrible failure rate."
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Heliophage @ Mar 24th 2007 9:15PM
I've had mine since launch, but my friend has gone through 3. I love my 360, but if I were in his shoes, I would have given up by now and just put down for a PS3, or at least some more RAM and a better GPU.
ducnguyen95829 @ Mar 24th 2007 9:16PM
2 red rings of death and 2 frozen machines = 5th 360 in 15 months... Thankfuly everytime it breaks they extend the warranty onto the next refurb that they send me.
KC @ Mar 24th 2007 9:18PM
Seems to be the most faulty console ever.
KNOCK ON WOOD, the one I bought for my bros and I is still working. Bought three months after release.
And the second one I bought about 6 nonths ago is still working fine too.
I've on the otherhand, had to buy a second saturn after the first sparked out the back and caught fire, a second psone when the first stopped working, 4 dreamcasts when the lazers kept diein', 3 ps2s whos lasers also stopped readin discs, a second gamecube when the first just stopped workin, and a second xbox whne the first also sparked out the back and burnt a hole in the chip.
KNOCK ON WOOD that with all the cd based consoles failing on me, the 360s havent turned to crap on me.
Maybe my bad luck with em is over. KNOCK ON WOOD.
fwacce @ Mar 24th 2007 9:18PM
After going through 2 360s, I have given up. I won't buy another one until MS fixes whatever it is in the system that causes it to fail. Maybe they should spend more time on getting their system to work right, rather than driving boats by Sony launch parties.
Voryn @ Mar 24th 2007 9:18PM
I had the ring once, and my machine was a January 2006 model. I immediately turned it off and it started working after a couple hours. I pray that I'll never have to get it repaired.
Toney Cardoza @ Mar 24th 2007 9:39PM
I just updated my 360 today and got the ring of death and i called support and they were putting the blaim on me and not their dashboard update that crashed my system now i'm no high roller and have big street cred like you but i refuse to pay Microsoft to fix it if they are the one who broke it so there it sit on my entertainment center as a reminder of what Microsoft think of me 1 0f 6,000,000
Fioter @ Mar 24th 2007 9:40PM
The perception of a high failure rate isnt helped by MS refurbishing bricked units that come in and sending them out again.. they just fix it up so that it starts up without fixing the underlying issue.
They need to bite the bullet and take those bricked units out of circulation.. or sell them cheap in some third world country.
tmmoore_nc @ Mar 24th 2007 9:40PM
I found it HYSTERICAL the other day when I walked into Wal-Mart to find that the display 360 unit had the Red Ring of Death.
realstar @ Mar 24th 2007 9:42PM
My first 360 died after about 6 months, they sent a replacement and it died almost out of the box. I unfortunately had to call it quits at that point and sold my remaining 360 games and accessories. I just dont feel confident that the machine is reliable enough for daily playing. I also had the system scratch a ring into my EnchantedArms disc which was really infuriating since it was sitting perfectly level and hadn't been moved.
SickNic @ Mar 24th 2007 9:44PM
I guess I'm glad my launch 360 was DOA. MS gave me a new one in it's place and it has worked perfectly since (except for the rare freeze up)
Diskoboy @ Mar 24th 2007 9:47PM
A.) Toney - your full of shit. You updated your 360? How did we go about doing this? There hasn't been an update for several months, now. And the next one is scheduled 2 weeks from now.
Second off - I want a quick poll: For those of you who actually have experienced the red rings of death, quick poll: how many of you have had your consoles standing? How many were laid flat?
Just a theory....
James Kochalka @ Mar 24th 2007 9:47PM
I'd love to get a 360, but can't see myself doing it when the thing breaks so easy. I don't want to just take $400 and flush it down the toilet.
Luckily the Wii's future line-up is looking better and better.
Diskoboy @ Mar 24th 2007 9:48PM
Oops... My bad. No update. Just maintenence.
Andrew GO @ Mar 24th 2007 9:48PM
I've had the red ring of death twice, but luckily warranty covered it both times. Xbox 360 is my favorite system but that was a pain.
Xbox fan @ Mar 24th 2007 9:53PM
Welcome to sensationalism. I haven't heard of the red ring crap in quite awhile. I've gone through 4 units myself... all of which had a manufacturing date around the launch period. My friends have newer consoles from the end of last year and have had no problems. Chances are that people are returning their bad units or sending them back for repairs and it is those units that wind up back on the store shelves or back in circulation from being refurbished.
I admit that there are broken units out there.. but someone give me an instance where these units are still breaking down from just being a few months old. LOOK AT YOUR MANUFACTURING DATES. There are still bad units in circulation. Maybe the refurbished system they got going isn't a great idea. It sure as shit doesn't mean that a consumer who wants a 360 can't go out and buy one tomorrow and feel confident that theres will work in 90 days. My forth one has gone 4 months now without so much as a freeze (manufactured 12-2005). Quit spreading crap unless you can confidentally say you have a newer unit that just crapped out.
James Kochalka @ Mar 24th 2007 10:00PM
Well, without an announcement from microsoft saying "we know what the problem was and we fixed it" it will be hard for the consumer to trust that the problems have indeed been fixed.
samfish @ Mar 24th 2007 10:00PM
I'd love to get myself a 360 someday, but I've gotta say, with this system's failure rate, it doesn't make me very eager to take the plunge...
It sounds like the failure rate is EASILY over 25%.
I'm honestly surprised that there hasn't been a class action lawsuit brought up yet. This is exactly why they exist!
Usually it's Sony who releases the shittiest console, but I've got to admit, so far the PS3 has been a damn quality system.
And, of course, Nintendo's systems are always built like a friggin' tank!
James L @ Mar 24th 2007 10:03PM
OMG! I have been through 4 XBOX 360 now!
1: This one was DOA. I bought this one during the launch time. The DVD player wouldn't read and would make a loud horrible clicking noise!
2: This one would not boot. It would just freeze on the XBOX screen.
3: I had a weird video issue, the screen would make crazy color patterns and eventually did not turn on. I called and it was out of 90 day warranty. Luckily the warranty was extended a couple months later.
4: Of course, got the three rings of death! I only had this one for less than 60 days and probably logged only 15 of play time total! Now the warranty was out. They wanted $139.99 for the repair, but I was furious at this point. They had a "Special" rep contact me a couple days later. Amazingly, they actually called me back. The rep offered me half off of the repair and gave me two free games (which I am still waiting for the second one that was promised to me). Now my XBOX is in its shipping process, and we will see if this new one will be better. Now I will be forced to buy the extend warranty or I will have a $400 paper weight and accessories and games that will be pointless!
Hello @ Mar 24th 2007 10:04PM
My launch model has had no problems. Only one person I know had to send his 360 in. (Microsoft paid for it since it was a launch model.)
VOODOO85 @ Mar 24th 2007 10:05PM
had mine since launch (december 05) and only had one problem with a live update which wouldnt allow my 360 to read discs but microsoft offered to replace the hdd for free.
but after finishing on the phone i then went about moving game saves onto a mem card and the 360 updated again and solved the initial problem
i do know 2 people who's xbox has died though and both just got instant replacements!!
Homer 918 @ Mar 24th 2007 10:08PM
I'm on my fourth or fifth unit...I really have forgotten. I take perfect care of my console and I love my 360 and its exclusive games but there appears to be a problem with manufacturing. I would love someone to do a statistically significant poll.
REUYL @ Mar 24th 2007 10:10PM
Microsoft needs to start putting those 65nm CPUs in NOW.
Xbox fan @ Mar 24th 2007 10:14PM
@ tmmoore_nc
"I found it HYSTERICAL the other day when I walked into Wal-Mart to find that the display 360 unit had the Red Ring of Death."
No shit Sherlock... if you shop at Wal-Mart they are known for re-stocking shelves with "returns". Someone probably broke their unit and the store decided they would use an open box for a display.
Never buy electronics from Wal-Mart!!
@ samfish
"It sounds like the failure rate is EASILY over 25%."
Are you stupid?? With that high of a failure rate a recall would have to be issued. Why don't I just throw out numbers out of the top of my head.
PS3 has only sold 15% of their total manufactured consoles. There, now we can both play the guessing game. Some of you just love to start shit. Get a life!!
sp @ Mar 24th 2007 10:19PM
if someone hasn't heard of the "red ring crap" in quite awhile, i'd say they haven't been reading xbox forums much lately. it's nice to finally see some people with a platform publicly challenge microsoft on this problem. my unit was manufactured 02/06 and i got the three red rings just the other day. i was hopeful i would never see what looks to be the inevitable for WAY higher than 3% of xbox owners, particularly those of us who bought a system the first chance we got, but after digging further into the problem, i have an even greater confidence that i will get someone else's bricked system in return which will then fail me in an unreasonable amount of time. bragging about "four months" without a freeze isn't bragging at all. and i also don't look forward to the gift that keeps on giving, that being the known problem of xbox live marketplace purchases that will have limitations on a replacement console, which microsoft has also been aware of for well over a year.
diskoboy, in response to your poll, my system worked fine for almost a year standing up, but for the last month it's been on its side and that's when it died. i think the time from manufacture was probably more of a factor, but who knows.
shutthehellup @ Mar 24th 2007 10:20PM
"Xbox fan"
Try 9-19-2006!! The first crapped out on me in November 2006. The new 360 was sent to me by Microsoft in 11/2006. It's only 3/2007 and 9-19-2006 has crapped out on me. "Sensationalism", I think not! You've gone through 4 units!? There is no reason why anyone should have to go through 4 units before they find a proper working one.
Matthew Mac @ Mar 24th 2007 10:21PM
You meam the gaming media that all got launch consoles? Christ, I thought everyone those were POSs. Guess not.
Dan S. @ Mar 24th 2007 10:21PM
I purposely bought mine from Costco so I could return it anytime and not deal with MS. It was a good thing I did because 2 weeks after I bought mine, I got the ring of death. The return process was super easy at Costco and about an hour after the ring of death, I was playing on a new console which has worked so far without any issues.
sheppy @ Mar 24th 2007 10:27PM
Here Xbox Fan comes to save the daaaaaaay!
Actually, shit stain, I'm on my fifth Xbox 360. On the four that died on me, only half were manufactured before January 2006. The third was a March 2006, you know, the time Microsoft claimed they fixed the issue and released a dashboard update that bricked a ton of consoles. Fourth was manufactured June 2006.
There is a problem, the real numbers are being hidden by Microsoft, and there are currently 4 class action lawsuits trying to get off the ground. Well, four that I've heard of.
copa @ Mar 24th 2007 10:28PM
I am on my third 360. I was pretty understanding that the first batch of retail units had a high defect rate, especially since Microsoft's replacement process was so efficient.
I am considerably less understanding of the fact that Microsoft sends other people's bricked units out as refurbished replacements. That is a very cheap-ass approach that only serves to enrage your customer base.
bootsielon @ Mar 24th 2007 10:28PM
Why buy an Xbox then? I'm on my third one too, hopefully warranty has applied but I also fully expect another ring of death after the warranty expires. I was thinking the other day that maybe purchasing a PS3 wasn't as great a deal as it seemed a few months ago, since its exclusives were becoming less, but now I realize that once my 360 dies, it'll be completely PS3 from then on. I'll never pay for getting my 360 repaired, if it dies, it's microsoft loss of a gamer purchasing more games.
D @ Mar 24th 2007 10:31PM
@23 - how does the higher than usual failure rate have anything to do with the PS3? Please keep your sad insecurities to yourself and focus on the topic.
So to follow my own advice, I know 3 people who have 360s and 2 of them have had the RROD. Unbelievable actually....
Brian @ Mar 24th 2007 10:32PM
My 360 is STRUGGLING right now with all the Crackdown I've been playing. Seems to lock up if I try to play more than an hour straight, and it's not a bug in the game because if I immediately reboot and then just do stuff fin the dashboard it'll lock up again.
bootsielon @ Mar 24th 2007 10:34PM
Xbox fan, I can't believe the level of tardness that you display on your comments.
"If 25% OF XBOXES HAD A FAILURE RATE; THERE WOULD BE A RECALL LOL!!!"
Well, guess what dipshit, THERE ISN'T a recall, and there's a huge failure rate. Doesn't that impress you? Because nobody else is impressed with the quality Microsoft puts in its products.
lol, you made my day.
ssuk @ Mar 24th 2007 10:34PM
Haven't had a problem with my 360, however I don't deny the red ring problem. I just hope it doesn't happen to me. =(
Elatis @ Mar 24th 2007 10:41PM
I'm on unit #4 and it's a noisy refurb crap unit.
So glad I gave MS $1000 on launch day for this and the worlds worst service....oh and a Live account that expired while they kept my first 360 for two months and never gave me any compensation.
You fooled me once MS, but never again.
Matt Wagner @ Mar 24th 2007 10:45PM
i have a console from launch. i play it regularly, sometimes even heavily, and use it to watch DVDs and sometimes listen to music, and i've never had a problem with it. my box has frozen on me less then 10 times total, and usually either when i try to navigate through the dashboard to fast or while playing FEAR (something about that game i guess).
people claim they take perfect care of their machines, but there are unseen things that could cause the system to fail. sure, maybe you don't regularly kick your console down the stairs, but maybe its in a place without enough ventilation, maybe its getting to hot. is it sitting on the carpet? i had a computer that wouldn't work because of static buildup from the carpet, its a possibility.
i wouldn't call their 3% failure rate inaccurate. most people are judging from what they know. you had 4 consoles fail one you? that sucks, i admit, its shit luck, man, but still, thats not even a fraction of a fraction of a percent. 3% of a million is 30000, so you are bound to know someone that has a failed console.
m ike @ Mar 24th 2007 10:53PM
my first xbox 360 wouod give me a out game in a xbox 360 error every now and than. sent that back to ms and bought a new on at costco. have had no issues with my costco 360
my brother got the red ring od death and is waiting to get his abck
my boy from canada got red ring of death returned it to gamestop with warranty.
yes its a great console and yes it has had failures. i don't know how any of you got thru 4 or 5 with issues. i have eprsonally never had the red ring of death only ehard about it and my costco 360 has been running 18 hrs a day for close to a year with no issues what so ever.
though let it break i will ahve another in 30 mins. man i love costco
a dirty bastard @ Mar 24th 2007 10:56PM
my third replacement just died two days ago within two months i'm sick of M$'s bullshit at least its kinda fun talking to people in India trying to speak English with an American accent
if this replacement dies im gonna say fuck it
and put my PS3 in center stage
Hannibal @ Mar 24th 2007 10:59PM
Mine's been fine since I bought it, only trouble I had was when the intercooler gave me the death rings.
T @ Mar 24th 2007 11:03PM
I saw my first RRoD in person today. Oddly enough, it was a demo unit set up in the R-Zone at a TRU. It was just sitting there blinking pitifully.
Not the best thing to have happen. Of course, there was also the demo 360 at a Wal-Mart that had a 360 Demo Disc inserted, but whenever they tried to reset it, it stated the disc inside was not a 360 disc.
mrmeenky @ Mar 24th 2007 11:13PM
rot for nothing i got the 3 ring of death i checked the code it was one of the unknowned error i think 027 i tlked to tek support and thay seid it need to be sent in {not good idear in my area with every one that was sent out never has been seen again} so while i was contiplating i saw on the xbox foem that there a way get the new update on disk and force it to update the 360 i seid it cant hurt the sys is dead anyways "note it was RROD for 3 month solid" after i dl the update burnt it to disk i put it in the 360 after on and off like 40 times it started to read the disk ... after it was finish it wanted to reboot i thought it didnt wook but it seems like it was before dec. update witch i think crashed it in the first place.. just a question did enyone crashed RROD that weak ?
Eric @ Mar 24th 2007 11:14PM
My first 360, which I got at launch, gave me the red ring of death about a week before my three month warranty ran out. So I sent it in for repair and they sent me a new system, as the old one couldn't be repaired.
Well, ten months later the red ring of death reared it's ugly head once again and once again, I called Microsoft. I figured, new system, new warranty... Right?
Wrong. Even though technically I had a brand new system, it was still under the old warranty. Which means it ran out. They wanted me to pay the $130 or whatever it is for repair.
In the end, I sold all my Xbox stuff for around $300 and jumped ship to the PS3, which I'm very happy with.
I'll never buy another 360.
Blast Beats x @ Mar 24th 2007 11:14PM
My 360 just failed on me a couple days ago, I bought this console in the first week of January. Luckily for me I was still protected by Targets 90 day warranty so I returned and got my cash back! Until M$ Fixes it's Red Ring of death Issues, I'll be holding out for quite a while..and so will my copy of Gears which will be collecting dust in my living room next to my good ol' Dreamcast.
Ashley @ Mar 24th 2007 11:15PM
I bet 90% of the people who have commented haven't even owned a 360! Just PS3 fanboys who finaly have a chance to flame the 360! ;)
PS3s will have a problem simular to this, just wait! :P
Xbox fan @ Mar 24th 2007 11:15PM
@ bootsielon & sheppy
Hahahahahah!! I can always count on you two dipshits to post a comment on EVERY SINGLE blog as if your opinions are the only ones that count. First of all I do believe I wrote:
"Quit spreading crap unless you can confidentally say you have a newer unit that just crapped out."
"I admit that there are broken units out there.. but someone give me an instance where these units are still breaking down from just being a few months old."
"Maybe the refurbished system they got going isn't a great idea."
You'll notice that most cases posted involve launch or refurbished units. READ dumbfucks!!! READ!!!
And if you two assholes love to bash it so much, why do you own one?? Next time you mention the word retard, look in the mirror. I said that there is a problem. But are they stemming from just refurbished units or are they still happening today?? That was my point. So don't act as though you two are all knowing because it just makes you both look like insecure pieces of shit that will bash anything Microsoft. The end.
Bandit @ Mar 24th 2007 11:25PM
I'm on my third. You can't tell me that the failure rate is only 5%. No way. I have not met anyone who is not at least on their second box (except for one who just bought it).
BTW - both of the failed 360's where Manufactured in March 2006. I always have mine laying flat out in the open (e.g. plenty of ventilation).
How can you tell if they sent you a refurb?
sheppy @ Mar 24th 2007 11:27PM
@Xbox Fan
First off, I didn't call you a retard, I called you a shit stain. There is a difference. A retard has no choice in what he is. A shit stain is merely the biproduct of a society that doesn't know how to wipe properly. Thus, you are a shit stain.
"And if you two assholes love to bash it so much, why do you own one?? "
The games, jackass. The games. While I wish I could be rid of this curse (actually, not really... thanks to the extended warranty I bought, its, at most, been a case of not playing 360 for a couple weeks... $130 well spent, I'd say), the games keep in on my shelf. And, incidently, I bash all consoles.
Also, you stated that these are only issues being brought forth by the launch consoles or the refurbished ones. Then you told everyone to check their manufacturing dates. To which I responded with the manufacturing dates in a grand "you're full of shit, here's the proof" fashion. Others responded with their red ringed consoles outside of your statement. So then you go on from a point of saying "outside those units, never happens" to "you dumb fucks, most people have their issues with X units." Meanwhile, you cannot deny problems currently exist WITH newly released consoles... unless something magical happened since June 2006, the manufacture day of my last bricked console.
Just admit it, youse my bitch.
a dirty bastard @ Mar 24th 2007 11:35PM
your the man shep GJ
Xbox fan @ Mar 24th 2007 11:36PM
@ Sheppy
WILL YOU FUCKING READ?? Did I say you called me a retard? Here's my quote..
"Next time you mention the word retard, look in the mirror."
"The games, jackass. The games." Oh my God you're an idiot. I'm going to write comments online all day long bashing a system I own cause of the games. Fucking idiot. Get a life!! You comments are meaningless and most times are biased. I get the final word fucking shit for brains because anytime I see one of your comments I'll skip right on by while you try to write back to make yourself feel better. You're not worth shit and posting comment after comment after comment day in and day out doesn't make you anymore important. No wonder you had a shadow follow you around to annoy the shit out of you. Get a life asshole. Get a life.
JesseJames @ Mar 24th 2007 11:40PM
Mine died on me 2 days after Gears of War Launched. I finally got a game that made me feel like my 360 purchase wasn't a total waste and Blam; 3 Red Lights. To top that off; my last memory of microsoft and the xbox was not good neither; My original xbox 1 failed on me after 5 months of ownership. NFL Fever would just freeze on me after a half hour of play; then it started happening with Project Gotham Racing too; I sold it back to gamestop (lol, they didn't keep it on for a half hour) and never looked back!
I was only one month out of warranty and refused to pay for the repair. 2 months without gaming on the 360 and they finally announce all warranties are being extended. I sent my unit out for repair, it arrived after I had already purchased the Wii and the PS3.
I have not gone online since receiving it back nor have I purchased any new games for the 360. The Wii and the PS3 get all the love. If the 360 breaks again; good riddance; The PS3 more than makes up for that loss!
Sony and Apple are mingling (More sony titles going up on the apple itunes store in UK and US) wonder what Sony is going to get out of the deal (Itunes access maybe? OSX on PS3 or Vaio's? Both would be a dagger and the final nail in Microsofts coffin)
I'd love to see Apple and Sony deliver the One Two knockout punch (Mac OSX takes over as primary OS for all pc's and Sony is already on track to slaughter them worse than the PS2 Xbox era)