Red Ring of Death visits Orland for lunch

by Alexander Sliwinski { Aug 30th 2007 at 4:44PM }

When our own Kyle Orland isn't writing around this joint, he's either doing something with NPR, scribbling about the media, or keeping up with his own website; where he tries to play a game every weekday during lunch and write about it. Today's piece is a tragic one where he chronicles what happened minute by minute:

0:01 I put BioShock in my disc drive and turn the power on.
0:02 The TV is still black. I look down and notice three red lights surrounding the power button.
0:03 I desperately try to reset the system. No change.
0:04 - 1:00 Soft weeping.

Yes, our dear Kyle got the RRoD. We've actually had quite the little epidemic going on around staff lately of general Xbox 360 failures -- three in two weeks. Our luck on Joystiq may be bad, but our sister-site Xbox 360 Fanboy (X3F) isn't immune. They had two of their three writers have a system die on them (one of them twice). Just remember that you're covered under warranty for the most part and to tell your system you love it every day, because it may be the last time you ever see it alive. Now, please pardon while we go get the lasagna out of the oven and sit shiva at Orland's place for the afternoon.

Tags: orland, rrod, xbox360

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

Ross Miller @ Aug 30th 2007 3:47PM

I had to replace mine about 6-8 months back. And now I'm starting to hear a strange whir in my disc drive. Everyone I've talked to tells me that's a sign that Digital Death has come by to give a notice. I have to finish BioShock before it's too late ...

Mr. P @ Aug 31st 2007 2:37AM

At least you're not as unlucky as the guy linked to below.

http://games.gearlive.com/playfeed/article/q307xbox-360-red-light-of-doom-problem

I should be getting my 5th failed 360 refurbished about a month from now, and if it suffers a similar fate I'm finally selling it off. I already have a PS3, and I hear they've found PS3 files (along with 360 files) in the PC version of the game, so all will be good, unless Lost Odyssey turns out to be good (unlike Blue Dragon).

Crono @ Aug 30th 2007 4:50PM

Did he check his cables to make sure they weren't the cause? Did he then wrap his 360 in a towel and leave it on for 10 minutes?

If not. WHY NOT?

Grindstone @ Aug 30th 2007 5:45PM

Home remedies, for teh win!

Hmm, ya know, I've seen a lot of art-like RROD pics, and this one is no exception.

Cal @ Aug 31st 2007 2:14AM

That's my photo!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/milkman/1113346900/

borntokill @ Aug 30th 2007 4:53PM

another one bites the dust

hvnlysoldr @ Aug 30th 2007 4:55PM

Another one rides the bus.

Zeus the God @ Aug 30th 2007 5:09PM

LOL! God, hvnly... You are a piece of work.

hvnlysoldr @ Aug 30th 2007 5:24PM

Only a piece eh? I need to work on it more.

JL @ Aug 30th 2007 4:55PM

Condolences to Kyle on his loss. No one should have to go through such a tragic time.

Then again, MS prepares us for it. "Hey, its gonna die, but its ok because we'll fix it!" Sweet! They'll fix it! What a great company. Fixing things that are broken!

WiseGuy @ Aug 30th 2007 4:55PM

Geez. I love 360, but this is bad. I had 3 refurbished consoles in a year and a half span before I just upgraded to an Elite. I love the games and services... but there's no excuse for this. Thank God for the warranty.. but I would be pissed if mine bricked right before the fall launch line-up (Halo 3 is my MUST HAVE). Got mine in MAY 2007 and haven't had so much as a screen freeze. I have it on all the time too. I'm pretty confident in this console. The others only lasted less than 90 days. Only time will tell. I'm pretty confident that anyone buying one in the store in now should have no worries (with the redesigned motherboard, heatsinks, and soon smaller processors). Wish they would have built this thing right the first time though.

Matt B @ Aug 30th 2007 4:56PM

I'm sure playing Warhawk the time your 360 is on vacation will fill the void for you.

On the bright side, you'll get a free month of XBL Gold when you get it back.

kokuryukai @ Aug 30th 2007 5:41PM

How it a free month (don’t be fooled) Microsoft is just crediting your XBOX GOLD for the month you don’t have your system. Damn you Microsoft release the new chipset so I get a 360(of course MOD it) and pray they don’t have the same failure rate.

Hirsbrunner @ Aug 30th 2007 4:57PM

I've been seriously considering buying a Core system for a while now. But every time I do, I see posts like this and horror stories to follow.

If I called Microsoft and asked specifically for an Xbox360 that will not die from RRoD, you think they'll hang up on me? Srsly.

J @ Aug 30th 2007 5:09PM

I'm with you. I'd like a 360 but I'm going to wait until the hardware is more stable... and the price drops again.

BulletToothTony @ Aug 30th 2007 5:02PM

and that is why is called a 360.... from MS to your house and then back to MS....

sorry you were not immune, but hopefully you'll get it back b4 halo3, which will make it probably do another 360 after a couple of weeks

good luck to you my friends

Crono @ Aug 30th 2007 5:04PM

That was actually kind of clever. Good job!

Korova @ Aug 31st 2007 10:34AM

Oh-oh! I think we witnessed a birth of an internet meme! 360 - MS->consumer->MS->consumer-> ...

$$$$$ all around.

hotnutz @ Sep 1st 2007 12:02AM

>and that is why is called a 360.... from MS to your
>house and then back to MS....

LOL - now that is something that got a laugh out of everyone I showed it too. Well said.

geek13 @ Aug 30th 2007 5:03PM

Why do people say Halo is a "MUST HAVE"? The series has been played out and isn't even fun. Being plagued with bunny hoppers that have no skill doesn't make it a "MUST HAVE".

chenry @ Aug 30th 2007 5:05PM

people say they want it so nobody else will look at them funny and say "what's wrong with you?!". It's console peer pressure. I don't care about H3 either.

colin @ Aug 30th 2007 5:28PM

what's wrong with you?!

Dragod @ Aug 30th 2007 5:35PM

It's a must have for people who liked the first or second game. I love the damn game. I don't care if you don't like it, just don't tell me the game isn't fun. That's a matter of opinion.

Just like you might find shaving mother's back every Tuesday night fun, but I may not.

samfish @ Aug 30th 2007 5:39PM

Lots of things. Depression, insatiable rage, chronic masturbation, an urge to kill midgets, I don't like Mass Effect, refusal to bathe and just general anti-social behavior.

Jake @ Aug 30th 2007 6:51PM

Halo became popular because it allows a very solid split screen co-op and multiplayer experience. I had more fun getting drunk in the dorms having 11A vs. 12A 4v4 deathmatches than I ever have with any other game in my entire life, and I didn't even own an xbox.

You can whine and pout all day about how you wish nobody liked the game. But, millions of people do and will continue to play the shit out of it, so get used to it. Stop trying to convince yourself that the game can't be fun unless somebody not as smart as you plays it.

colin @ Aug 30th 2007 7:26PM

@Jake,

thats how we did it too. our whole dorm was networked. funny, there were never any halo haters back then.

UnnDunn @ Aug 30th 2007 7:33PM

I have no interest in Halo 3 either. I may buy it at some later stage, just to finish up the story, but other than that, I have no interest in it.

J-Guy @ Aug 30th 2007 10:04PM

Damn Jake. Drunk in a college dorm playing Halo? You just love enhancing the stereotype, don't you?

lysernix @ Aug 31st 2007 12:05PM

Most obvious troll ever.

chenry @ Aug 30th 2007 5:04PM

I tell my system I love it every day by playing it every day. Almost four months straight now

Nox-Sama @ Aug 31st 2007 9:53AM

Me too =P

Edog Lost @ Aug 30th 2007 5:04PM

welcome to the party PAL!

dark54555 @ Aug 30th 2007 5:05PM

This shouldn't be a surprise. GamePolitics's writer just had one die, Law of the Game's writer has lost two, IGN has lost a few...pretty much anyone in the game press/blog-o-sphere has lost at least one console.

Ihya @ Aug 30th 2007 5:59PM

Just don't ask Brian Crecente over at Kotaku how many he's got through, I think he's on his 8+ 360?

Kyle Orland @ Aug 30th 2007 5:05PM

@Crono: The cables were fine and I don't want to risk making things worse with the "towel trick"

Crono @ Aug 30th 2007 5:13PM

worse? You have to ship it back to microsoft anyway for a free refurb. They're going to replace your system no matter what. How could it get worse? 4 red lights?

I probably wouldn't do it either :)

hvnlysoldr @ Aug 30th 2007 5:26PM

Everyone spam Kyle Orland until he makes an avatar.

colin @ Aug 30th 2007 5:30PM

moar avatar

The Boo @ Aug 30th 2007 5:46PM

Bandwagon here I come!

NorCal05 @ Aug 30th 2007 5:58PM

SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM

Kye @ Aug 31st 2007 6:43AM

As a fellow NDF member, I recognise hvnlysoldr and support his endevours.

Crono @ Aug 30th 2007 5:07PM

Oddly enough, I don't really "play" my 360. Its on, every day and most every night. And I play new demos on it occassionally. But rarely do I get up off my rump and put a game in.

I use it as a Media Center Extender. I get TV, DVR, Radio, DVD, Music, Internet movies, backed up DVDs, all in one convenient place. Its very slick.

Games? Thats what my wii is for.

baby sea tuna @ Aug 31st 2007 9:13AM

Shit, I think you forgot to add "mini" to the front of that.

WiNG @ Aug 30th 2007 5:10PM

requiescat in pace

360, we knew you not

skunkworks @ Aug 30th 2007 5:10PM

8 pennies strategically placed under the mother board fixs 90 percent of 3RRoD. including mine. the towel trick is a sure fire way to fry your box.

Lifted 0ne 4l9 @ Aug 30th 2007 5:10PM

yea mine just died on me while playing Bioshock, colors went all funny so i saved and restarted to find the bottom right LED blinking red and a black screen of death with a E 74 error, and went through process of finding my error code of 1022, no red ring of death its over a year old was not happy it held up so strong this whole time. So i decided to do cheapy D's towel trick hoping that it would cause the circle of death didn't think it would fix it like it temporarily fix's RROD systems, but it did going on 3 days since hopefully when this temp fix is over it gives me the circle of death so i can have it fixed for free if not towel trick again it is till it does.