Microsoft in 'open dialogue' with ECC over disc scratching concerns
It's been one week since European Commissioner for Consumers Meglena Kuneva requested information from Microsoft on the Xbox 360 disc scratching problems highlighted by an investigation by Dutch TV show Kassa.
The company released a statement saying that they "are working in an open dialogue with Commissioner Kuneva to clarify our position and all the efforts we are taking across the EU, and in fact globally, to address any consumer concerns."
However, as 1UP notes, Microsoft released a separate statement to MCV that has since been amended. That statement placed the blame on "improper use" of the Xbox 360, which involves moving the console while a disc is inside. Kassa's own report indicates that the scratching can occur if the console is switched from horizontal to vertical position, so though the user may be at fault, is the policy therefore unfair? Microsoft did retract this statement; it's unclear if they did so due to a change of heart or because implying consumer fault is just bad PR.
The statement went on to say, "As we have said previously, there is no widespread issue regarding scratched discs as is alleged by Kassa." That's a far cry from the statistical data we were hoping to see, and the subjectivity of the word "widespread" leaves Microsoft a rather large window for problems. We hope to hear more as the public investigation continues.
The company released a statement saying that they "are working in an open dialogue with Commissioner Kuneva to clarify our position and all the efforts we are taking across the EU, and in fact globally, to address any consumer concerns."
However, as 1UP notes, Microsoft released a separate statement to MCV that has since been amended. That statement placed the blame on "improper use" of the Xbox 360, which involves moving the console while a disc is inside. Kassa's own report indicates that the scratching can occur if the console is switched from horizontal to vertical position, so though the user may be at fault, is the policy therefore unfair? Microsoft did retract this statement; it's unclear if they did so due to a change of heart or because implying consumer fault is just bad PR.
The statement went on to say, "As we have said previously, there is no widespread issue regarding scratched discs as is alleged by Kassa." That's a far cry from the statistical data we were hoping to see, and the subjectivity of the word "widespread" leaves Microsoft a rather large window for problems. We hope to hear more as the public investigation continues.



















(Page 1) Reader Comments
"Your console has been moved from a vertical position to a horizontal position [or vice versa depending on the direction the software recognizes]. Please note that moving the console during gameplay can cause serious harm to your game disc."
But, I've still had some pretty scratched up discs, and they are always either in their cases or in the tray, and my console stays flat. They don't prevent the games from loading, yet.
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It was funny too because when it happened the first thing that came to my head was the gamestop employee earlier that week asking me if I wanted to pay $5 or something to insure my copy of Gears. I laughed in his face and said no. I was thinking, like what kind of idiot destroys a game. A drunk one.
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But on the other hand why do they have a drive like that in their systems? There are lots of consumer devices on the market that have drives that can be moved around without the disc scratching. MS doesn't manufacture the drives themselves, but they shouldn't have allowed their supplier(s) to give them such drives.
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My 2nd refurb unit would scratch discs like crazy. I'd be in the middle of playing a game and suddently the dvd drive would make a horrible noise; after the noise stopped, BLAM, dirty disc error. Pull the disc out and sure enough, it's been scratched to hell and back...
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Vibrations from sub-woofer/home theater system,
Vibrations from foot traffic near the console (which is in my entertainment center)
I've isolated my console and put additional dampening in the form of a towel to help. I've also switched the position of the console (while off) from the verticle to horizontal positions, neither of which have resolved the disc scratching issue.
Say what you want, but my console has a scratching issue due to a design shortcoming.
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My PS2 scratched a Taiko Drumming game disc when I moved it from vertical to horizontal. I learned my lesson and really wouldn't blame Sony for it at all.
What I would blame Sony for it why my PS2 wouldn't read CD-Rom based games after 2 years of use.
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You just cleaned up the disc, tried it again, and if it didn't work, you bought a new copy.
It is almost always due to user error, and so you have to deal with it yourself by buying a new copy of the game.
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"the console was vertical or horizontal?"...
i told them it was horizontal and always had been...
they then replid saying that :
"Sorry to inform you sir, but your console is likely to scratch your disks if it is palced in the horizontal position."
When we phoned them back telling them it was vertical they told us it should be HORIZONTAL.
it sounds like they should sort out their facts.
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If you average out the two responses you will recieve the true answer...diagonal.
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haha, i have to agree, they'll have to come up with a special stand for that one.
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Well I dont care what they said, it was happening to me. After fighting with several managers over the phone, I was hung up on several times. Knowing I was boned, I ebayed the system and luckaly got most of my money for it. Second system went 5 months of heavy use and then freezes with 3 red rings. Overheating could not possibly of been a problem because I purposely had the thing next to my open 24/7 bedroom window. The system itself was practically outside, and in winter too, so it was nice and cool. WEll I had store warrenty this time and used it, jsut got my 3rd system as a replacment. Now im scared to use the 3rd system, especially with it being summer. So im now selling my 360 and plan to buy an elite whenever they fix these manufacturing problems. Sucks cause I have a gold live account which I wont be using for like the next 6 months it looks like.
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so, to those who claim otherwise, the xbox can definately scratch discs without someone moving it!!
my xbox was only 2wks old at the time. judging from the cd tray it had one of the first cd drives in that had the missing rubber pads that stabilise the disc, my replacement console has the second drive type in it. I haven't tried it with gears of war yet as i need to send it back and pay microsoft for a replacement which i still haven't swallowed my pride enough to do yet!
funny thing is - microsoft accepted that my console must be faulty based on the description of the scratched disc (and offered to replace my console) but refused to accept that it was at fault for scratching the disc (thus not replacing my gears disc for free)... crazy twisted logic!!!
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"Could Microsoft have included a disc drive that had a type of shock absorption? Yeah, but that would just cost even more money."
haha, according to the tv investigation the drive in the original xbox360 disc drive *did* have shork absorbers as standard (little rubber pads), but -for reasons best known to themselves- Microsoft removed them!!
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