Microsoft talks Xbox 360 lifespan, fails to see irony
by Ludwig Kietzmann 
{ Nov 6th 2007 at 8:25PM }
Mindy Mount went on to cement the Xbox 360's technological prowess, noting that its innards are good enough to last until the next big breakthrough. "Right now there aren't that many things on the horizon that you think, wow, that's going to be a game-changer." After the unceremonious -- but necessary, in hindsight -- dropping of original Xbox support, both developers and publishers would stand to benefit from a longer Xbox 360 lifespan, though longterm success would hinge on a demonstrable and obvious increase in the system's perceived physical lifespan. If the system is to be supported by consumers for years to come, it will have to outlive the dubious aspects of its reputation.
[Thanks, Patrick]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Will @ Nov 6th 2007 8:34PM
Mindy Mount then concluded the conference by saying "Remember, if you want to make it last, mind the immortal words of Douglas Adams.. don't forget your towel."
Donald @ Nov 6th 2007 8:38PM
Doesn't wrapping it in a towel make it worse?
Also in before, during and after flamewar.
playwhutyalike (take my shoes off) @ Nov 6th 2007 8:39PM
DONT PANIC.
rv @ Nov 6th 2007 9:27PM
Mindy Mount. Lol, who would name their kid that. How is that not a porn star name?
teenagertc @ Nov 6th 2007 10:47PM
HEY!! "Don't Panic" is a Coldplay song!! Cool!!
Pertaining to this post, I'd really like my X360 to last more than 5 years!
zuburi @ Nov 7th 2007 12:46AM
I'd throw it in Mindy Mount.
Shin @ Nov 8th 2007 5:10PM
I think you all are missing the point. I think that the durbility of the system is not in question, but the amount of inspiring IPs that will come out because you let the system (Xbox360) become ripe and mature. The programers will have a steady, stable platform to produce the epic as well as the innovative IP. Over time, the games become less of a risk to produce after investor have made their profits from next3-gen sequals. I mean, these are power system in respect to gaming and have a enough room to grow beyond the 5 year shelf-life. When the syetem do become tapped, then the imagination of the programers must be used to come up with new and inventives ways to use the power of the system toward gamplay and game design. If we are to seriously consider going to the 10 year mark, I say we will see atleast 8, the we must look at that premise like this. The new consoles are like marrying a pretty women, she will become more beautiful over time; but, then that beauty has it's limits in the time of things. This is then, when we must assess more clearly her depth of character. I think if it is treated in this way, gameplay, concepts, and game design can see the next step.
playwhutyalike (take my shoes off) @ Nov 6th 2007 8:41PM
@Donald
There are tons of vids showing people baking the 360's (HDD off ofcourse) for about 20 minutes, letting cool for 12 and it's good to go. I believe cheapyD at cheapassgamer.com has a vid on it.
Yeah, I know, it's f'n weird.
Superstar90 @ Nov 6th 2007 9:31PM
It worked for mine, for about 2 weeks. It died a full death later. They repaired it though :)
The problem is that it has to stay VERY cool, like you have to turn a big fan on it for as long as you are playing.
MrBlank @ Nov 7th 2007 2:29PM
Mine died, but I didn't get the red lights -- I got psychedelic textures for a while and then no video at all. Because it didn't get the red lights, M$ would not fix it. The extended warranty doesn't cover anything other than the RRoD!? Apparently, my video processor went on the blink.
Baked the thing in a towel and got it working again for 2 days. Then it quit again, so I baked it and immediately traded in for credit at the local mega-corporate game store before it stopped working again.
Good riddance to bad rubbish.
Zoidbergio @ Nov 6th 2007 8:43PM
The PS2 hardware isn't that reliable either. I am on my 3rd Playtstation 2 because the first two stopped working. A lot of people i know had to replace their PS2s, just as a lot of people i know got RROD on the 360s.
I think a lot of the PS2's high sales figures are due to people having to buy it more than once.
dan stabbingworth @ Nov 6th 2007 9:28PM
Well, I think people's perceptions of electronics lead to some annoyance with broken electronics. I would expect my receiver, keyboard, and TV to last a long time. But I would not expect the same of my ipod, PS2, or computer. But they're all electronics, so...
Word Up, North Korea! @ Nov 6th 2007 10:49PM
I'm still on my first (pre-ordered!) PS2. i have learned how to open it up, clean, and adjust the lense/laser however
B1gC72 @ Nov 6th 2007 10:56PM
yea i replaced my PS2 twice. it broke 3 times though, the third time the red eye was dusty so i q-tipped it. both times i replaced it thought it was the disc read error. i had that fantastic Circuit City warranty though where you bring it back in box and they give you a new one AND the difference in price from when you bought it to when you brought it back on a gift card. the second time i returned it, i got like $100 ($99.99 if you wanna be a dick) if memory serves.
i dont know if that was as bad as the 360's defects or not though since i know i broke it the first time. i left it on for like 2 weeks when i first got it cause my mom wouldnt buy me a memory card and i didnt wanna loose my progress. i think i was playing either Spryo or Crash then. ah, those were the days.
ogvor @ Nov 6th 2007 11:33PM
I think this is true in some cases. We have a PS2 that we bought a year after it was released that still works fine, while my friend, who bought his after mine, is on his 3rd PS2. I also think that the next batches of 360s with smaller, cooler chips will lessen the RRoD problem, though thats no exscuse for all the Xbox's (including mine!) that have died up until now. I can imagine the current generation (not counting the Wii) will probably last longer than the last 2 becuase Graphics just don't have as much room for improvement. I go back to play a PS2 game and I just can't stand some of the graphics. I just don't think the next generation will be as big a leap in the graphics as the last 2, probably more of a leap in internet and input capabilites.
Jake @ Nov 7th 2007 8:10AM
I had two PS2's fail on me and one 360. Both times with the PS2, though, I knew someone else that was buying a PS2. So, I would by him a PS2, give it to him for the money, then return my broken one for a new one. It worked pretty slick actually. My 360 was covered under warranty.
I love how we also assume the PS3 will last 10 years just because it has went almost a year with no problems. My guess is that most PS3's will not last that long if they are being used a good amount. That isn't a knock on the PS3, either.
GoonieGooGoo @ Nov 7th 2007 3:37PM
Every single person I know that bought a launch PS2....had to replace it within 2 years.....and about 1/2 replace that one within 2 years.
Think about that....of my 24 friends who bought PS2s at launch...24 failed......that's a 100% fail rate.
I am on my 3rd one....and the only reason I think it's lasted is because I put a huge HDD in it and don't use the DVD-Drive.
F1 @ Nov 6th 2007 8:43PM
I could actually see it going for at least 6 years if M$ plays its cards right and finally put the RROD on the extinct species list once and for all.
Ramifications @ Nov 6th 2007 10:49PM
All the posts on the RROD every 2 seconds is getting a bit old...I mean all the new 360s have new heatsinks and hardware in them and there is a freaking 3 year warranty now. I have a 360 i got a year ago and it has been perfect since the day i got it even though i play it for a few hours every day. I think the amount of RROD have decreased tremendously since the new heatsinks, and even if in the oft chance it breaks...you have 3 WHOLE YEARS to get it fixed for free... Thats a longer warranty than I got on my car....
B1gC72 @ Nov 6th 2007 11:05PM
ok Ramifications.
but what about the millions of people who bought their 360's BEFORE the new heatsinks? it's going to take a while for ALL of those old 360's to be replaced with new ones so the problem is still relevant. and the 3 year warranty, though a valiant move by any company, is just Microsoft's "oops, my bad". seems like more hassle than it's worth to me honestly.
B1gC72 @ Nov 6th 2007 11:06PM
correction: new heatsinks and falcon chips (i think thats what it was called lol)
James @ Nov 7th 2007 12:03AM
@Ramifications.
I bought my First 360 at launch and it died(RROD) on the day of Halo 3 Beta which I was invited too, about a year ago(I think).. They wouldn't replace it for free because that time they didn't have the 3 year warranty
So I complained for about 4 hours and they replaced it for free anyways. Took about a month till I got my new 360. So new 2007 Xbox 360 (and your apparently mentioned NEW HEATSINKS!) and another 6 weeks later. Died again! YAY! 2 Days before Halo 3(pre-ordered) came out! wonderful!
Waited another month.. And I have yet to see this one go down (which it will)
Count Noobula @ Nov 6th 2007 8:45PM
Man.... in terms of "physical lifespan" we can also draw parallel's to the original PS2. While it didn't overheat, the DVD drive was prone to crapping out all the time. I went through 5 models of the original PS2 design before I told EB to give me an Xbox as replacement. I'm not saying all of them were liek that, but a high number. We can only hope that the 65nm chips have fixed or at least reduced the RRoD issues.
I just hope that all the new consoles have a long lifespan. At current prices and stuff I don't think I could handle another upgrade in 5 years that wasn't my computer.
raj @ Nov 7th 2007 8:41AM
xbox 360 is made teribbly i own 2 and they have both had rrod and now im getting the e74 error and microsoft wants 2 chargeme 100 bucks
gonk @ Nov 6th 2007 8:50PM
OMG JOYSTIQ IS SONY BIASED
B1gC72 @ Nov 6th 2007 11:09PM
lol your sarcasm amuses me.
it was the church of Halo 3 here for like a year lol.
Nter @ Nov 6th 2007 8:53PM
Karen Sutra
Zoot Suit Jedi @ Nov 6th 2007 8:59PM
Deep Market Penetration: The Mindy Mount Story.
jake11 @ Nov 6th 2007 9:39PM
mindy does microsoft
Korova @ Nov 7th 2007 7:47AM
Sorry, but micro and soft would never appear in a porn title.
horngreen @ Nov 6th 2007 8:54PM
When it RRODs it is because some of the solder joints popped off due to intense heat. The towel makes it even HOTTER and often resets the solder joints. At least that is what I read. I think if your 360 is acting up in any way you should drop a towel on it until it RRODs then it would be covered by the extended warranty.
Kamall @ Nov 6th 2007 9:03PM
Yep, suffered the disc read error (DRE) on my Playstation 2, I know how you 360 owners feel with the RROD, its just unacceptable!
Thank GOD it was bought from Costco so they replaced it with no hassle even after 1.5 years of buying it from them!!!
Mr Khan @ Nov 6th 2007 9:09PM
An odd coincidence, Iwata was just talking about lifespan today, and basically said the same thing, which anyone should have figured at this point
still to early in 7th gen to be talking about the 8th, not like we don't have enough 7th gen goodness to satisfy us for a long time
playwhutyalike (take my shoes off) @ Nov 6th 2007 9:34PM
Yeah, no doubt.
There is something for everybody in this market today.
Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Nov 7th 2007 9:15AM
I'm sure Nintendo started talking about the 8th gen (internally) about a month after the wii launched. R&D can take years.
That said, I'm expecting Wii2 to be 2 wii's ductaped together, and a more ergonomic controller with better button placement.
Powerfull enough to be HD, but still cheap enough to clock in @ 200 dollars.
steve Johnson @ Nov 6th 2007 9:18PM
Like this total piece of Micro$oft shit could last five years! Give me a break!
Vegeta (aka Ska Oreo) @ Nov 6th 2007 9:34PM
You do realize that whenever you use $, it makes you seem like an arrogant prick?
Superstar90 @ Nov 6th 2007 9:38PM
Are you an idiot wrapped in a moron?
baby sea tuna @ Nov 7th 2007 8:55AM
...and dipped in jackass.
n2 @ Nov 6th 2007 9:17PM
I had 3 PS2s in the first five years of release due to issues with the hardware. Comparing the 360 against the PS2, saying that the PS2 has a longer life cycle is laughable.
Ludwig Kietzmann @ Nov 6th 2007 9:29PM
Three is a pretty low number compared to how many 360's some unlucky people go through. And again, this is an issue regarding reputation just so much as hardware. The PS2 never had a stigma of unreliability around it (nor did it have a 3-year warranty).
n2 @ Nov 6th 2007 9:45PM
Okay, I understand your point and there are those who have had problems, but just comparing to my own experience, I've now had a 360 for about two years without a single issue. In that same time frame, I had already picked up a replacement PS2.
My contention is that the PS2 isn't necessarily defect free because it's been around 7 years. It's been around 7 years in various incarnations because it's wildly popular and has become fairly inexpensive. Am I alone in owning more than one PS2 during it's lifecycle because a prior one broke? My first PS2 was purchased on the day of release.
Granted Microsoft had more problems than anyone else, but Sony has had it's share of issues too.
Ludwig Kietzmann @ Nov 6th 2007 9:56PM
True, the PS2 hasn't been around for 7 years because it's free of defects. But we're not comparing the two systems in terms of hardware, instead we're asking how the 360 can obtain a similar long lifespan in terms of the consumer support the PS2 still enjoys. To do that, it has its own hurdles to overcome, one of which is hardware failure (which is related to lifespan -- literally). The PS2 is essentially the ideal the 360 should like to go for, according to Mount.
finnith @ Nov 6th 2007 9:47PM
MS Fanboy says:I bet RROD is just part of Microsoft's 10 year plan.
gonk @ Nov 6th 2007 10:59PM
i thought the 10 year plan was sony's bs, not m$'s
dsub @ Nov 6th 2007 9:53PM
PS2 is still selling. I have 3 broken ones in my closet, and am now on my 2nd PS2 Slim.
End of Story.
Night Elve @ Nov 6th 2007 9:59PM
Maybe I'm lucky I don't know but I've never had a problem with any of my videoconsoles.
I own a PS2 since day one and is still working like a charm, my Dreamcast is still kicking even my PsOne is still working.
Heck! I still have the first Gameboy I'm pretty sure still works.
embassy @ Nov 6th 2007 10:00PM
screw the topic.
i just came here for the mindy mount jokes.
time well spent.
"deep market penetration".
:laughs:
darthpoontang @ Nov 6th 2007 10:00PM
Please! The PS2 was/is rock solid. Most of the units that crapped out were units that were units with an illegal mod-chip installed.
I bought an xbox 1 and it failed on me after 6 months; the 360 failed on me after 4 months. I still have my original SNES, N64, WII, PS1, PS2, PS3.
Microsoft quality is shyte with consoles; RROD and BSOD come to mind when one thinks of Microsoft Hardware and Software.
INCH75 Vocals @ Nov 6th 2007 10:35PM
I'm gonna have to disagree with you, superhero. I went through 5 PS2's, and the fifth one is flaky, where the disc always has to be selected before you play it. My PSP gave me maybe 9-16 hours before my UMD drive stopped working. Also, my original PS1 had to be upside down to not overheat. None of these were modded. My original XBOX, and my 360 have both worked like champs since launch day. All 3 (or 7, depending on how you look at it) Sony products were purchased at launch, and I was given no support from Sony. Also, excluding the original NES' quirks, all Nintendo and Sega consoles I've owned have run like champs. Don't make a broad generalization about a manufacturers quality based off of internet message boards, and your own personal experience. My experience with Sony products has been shit, but I don't view them as a shit manufacturer. In fact, after the problems I had with them, I still bought one of their TV's. Don't mistake RROD stories on the internet as absolute. I'm sure it's happening (although not to anybody I know), but remember that most happy customers aren't on the net bitching about how great their console is working. So you're not really going to get a clear perspective.
Sorry for the rant. I just dislike statements like this.