Poll: Have you had to send your 360 in for service?

[tbird2340]

Well my 360 died last night.. About 80% of the group of guys I play with have had to send their's in.. Far cry from the 5% M$FT claims.

I am just curious to see the % here that have had their's crap out.

If you could.. Include the date of purchase.

Thanks!

EDIT - Excuse the extra "it" in the poll choices! It's supposed to be "send it in" :D

[tbird2340]

Flashed the 3 rings last night (5/20/07).

Purchased 05/15/06. WOW!! Almost on my year anniversary!

[alxreys]

Bought mine in June of 2006. Sent it last February.

[redcat]

I got mine in September 2006 and have never had any problems, other than maybe twice when a game froze up on a loading screen. For the record, I don't really play it that much compared to most, and when I do play it's rare that it's for more than an hour or so at a time.

[Michael Corvin]

Bought at launch, died within 6 months. Sent it in and got a refurb which died about 6 months later. I'm on my third which I received around Nov. last year. So far so good. It appears to be a new unit, manufactured that October('06).

[JasonF]

Bought one in late January and got the three rings in early February. I exchanged it at the store instead of shipping it off to Redmond. The one I have now gave me the red rings twice a couple of weeks ago and has been working fine ever since, so I have my fingers crossed.

[1998Nole]

I have had mine since 1/22/06 and have had no issues...yet.

[xmiyux]

I didn't buy at launch but i know i had mine over a year. I sent mine in for disc drive issues but never received the red rings (it was just lightly scratching some discs and making terrible noises). They sent me my exact unit back just with a new DVD drive installed.

[matome]

Purchased mine 12/30/05 and have no problems with mine with fairly heavy usage *knocks on wood* Figures I bought the MS extended warranty too, which I generally never do.

[nemein]

Everytime I get tempted to bite the bullet and buy one, I just come here and read through some of the threads. Thanks for saving me some money ;)

[UncleGramps]

If I remember correctly, I bought mine in December 2005. I've been lucky enough not to have any problems yet. Judging by what I've read, it's only a matter of time, but I have the extended warranty so I'm not too concerned.

[DJ_Longfellow]

Well, mine died after the VERY first dashboard update. I had a 360 since launch also. It died then, I got my new one pretty quickly, however, when I got it back I could not get online...there was a glitch in the new system they gave me. They realized the error, so I had to send it back AGAIN.

I did get a FREE wireless controller for my trouble though. So I guess that was ok then.

[xmiyux]

Everytime I get tempted to bite the bullet and buy one, I just come here and read through some of the threads. Thanks for saving me some money ;)

:shrug: All that being said i have had more fun with my 360 than i have with any other single console or even in my days of PC gaming. I understand though - had i read all these threads i would be a little wary as well. I completely don't understand those people who buy one now (knowing what we do) and don't get an extended warranty.

[matome]

Yep, I'm enjoying the 360 more than any other console I've owned, thanks to games like Condemned, Dead Rising, etc. I'd highly recommend it with the extended warranty.

[Josh H]

Everytime I get tempted to bite the bullet and buy one, I just come here and read through some of the threads. Thanks for saving me some money ;)

Same here. Gave me enough pause to wait for those new chips to get put in and see if those units have less problems. Might as well wait for a price drop as well since I've waited this long. :shrug:

[Michael Corvin]

like miyu and matome says, still probably my favorite console in the past decade - even though I'm on my third. I have zero regrets.

[matome]

Yeah, the Elite looks pretty sweet so maybe you'll find a good deal on that.

[xmiyux]

Although i would love to see some sort of class action suit to tag MSoft for charging people to have their console repaired when it seems (without seeing any actual statistics) that they have a much higher failure rate.

[Mopower]

Mine would have been a year old in July but I got the three red lights last week. We'll see if number two makes it a year.

[KurrptSenate]

with all these 360 dying after dashboard updates, it leads me to believe that you could re-flash the firmware on the DVD drive and it should fix the problem.


I might have to give that a try

[Daryl]

like miyu and matome says, still probably my favorite console in the past decade - even though I'm on my third. I have zero regrets.
ditto

[goLUCKY]

T-bird you will be missed, BTW the third one is the charm.

[Jeremy517]

Everytime I get tempted to bite the bullet and buy one, I just come here and read through some of the threads. Thanks for saving me some money ;)

Yep. I'd probably have one + GHII by now if it weren't for all the horror stories.

[tbird2340]

As a ton of others have said. This system is so sweet that it is worth the risk. I knew of how often they broke and I still pulled the trigger. Got a year of almost daily use before she bit the dust...

[Josh H]

As a ton of others have said. This system is so sweet that it is worth the risk. I knew of how often they broke and I still pulled the trigger. Got a year of almost daily use before she bit the dust...

I've been so tempted to get one. But the fact of the matter is that $400 is $200 to much for a console already IMHO given the little I play these days and the fact that it has such a high failure rate which makes it a necessity to drop another $50 on a warranty and probably have to hassle with getting it replaced at some point in time is just too much of a kick in the nuts.

Totally unacceptable pricing/failure rate IMO and I just can't bring myself to shell out $$$ in support of it. I'd rather cast my vote by not buying one until this is resolved.

Though to be fair, it is easier for me than some as I'm not a huge FPS/Racing/online gaming fan so my temptations aren't that strong right now. :D

[kakihara1]

Nope I've never sent mine in. Suck it losers ;)

Actually I know I have a disk drive problem with mine so it's only a matter of time before I'll need to send mine in. :(

[Nosmo Rex]

Got mine at launch, had to send it in a month or so ago. I also had one controllers break shortly after receiving it that was replaced under warranty.

[pinata242]

Wow, 29 or more (including return trips) to 11. That's a 72.5% failure rate from this sampling. Even if the sampling is somehow skewed (my personal knowledge of friends' 360s is at 50%), I don't know how Microsoft can say that there's an acceptable-within-the-norms failure rate (isn't like that 5% or something?).

[John Sinnott]

Mine unit started getting used on 12/25/05 and I've never had a problem. *crosses fingers*

[edstein]

Bought mine at launch and it died last March. My second unit seems fine after the dashboard update. I've been having a blast with this system. Worth every penny of $400 even with the problems.

[The Bus]

Though to be fair, it is easier for me than some as I'm not a huge FPS/Racing/online gaming fan so my temptations aren't that strong right now. :D

Oblivion
Trusty Bell / Eternal Sonata (based on the demo)
Dead Rising
Ninety Nine Nights
Viva Piņata
Crackdown
Guitar Hero II
Catan
Dead or Alive 4

And eventhough you're not a big FPS or racing fan, I'm sure between Gears of War, Halo 3, GRAW, Forza 2, Burnout, PGR3, and Test Drive Unlimited you will find a game you like very very much.

But I do think that $450 is a lot to pay for a console and (as I just wrote) you need to consider a warranty as part of the price, period. I'm on my third.

[Josh H]

Oblivion
Trusty Bell / Eternal Sonata (based on the demo)
Dead Rising
Ninety Nine Nights
Viva Piņata
Crackdown
Guitar Hero II
Catan
Dead or Alive 4

And eventhough you're not a big FPS or racing fan, I'm sure between Gears of War, Halo 3, GRAW, Forza 2, Burnout, PGR3, and Test Drive Unlimited you will find a game you like very very much.

But I do think that $450 is a lot to pay for a console and (as I just wrote) you need to consider a warranty as part of the price, period. I'm on my third.

Right now Gears of War, Oblivion and Crackdown are the main interests for me. Though I've played through the Gears campaign Coop at my buddy's on casual and hardcore, so that's not a big selling point right now. Dead Rising, Ninety Nine Nights, DoA4 and Viva Pinata don't interest me, the other couple I've not heard of.

But as you say, $450 is a lot of money, and just too much for a console +warranty for me. I'm hoarding amazon GCs for a while and hoping for the redesign and a price drop in the late summer or fall.

GHII I already have on the PS2 and wouldn't rebuy as I already have 2 controllers for it.

[slop101]

I've had my 360 since November of '06, and I haven't even had as much a stutter... yet.

[sassylaurie]

Purchased 12/19/05 and got the 3 red rings after downloading an update in Jan. 07. Even though it was out of warranty all I had to do was pay the shipping to get my 360 to them. They sent me a new one with a new 1 year warranty.

[taffer]

Bought my 360 in March '06. Has not broken yet... :fc:

BTW, does the PS3 have any problems like this? I haven't heard of any. It is kind of ironic that last gen we all knew the PS2 was infamous for its DRE errors, and now this gen it is the Xbox that is faulty.

[Mopower]

Bought my 360 in March '06. Has not broken yet... :fc:

BTW, does the PS3 have any problems like this? I haven't heard of any. It is kind of ironic that last gen we all knew the PS2 was infamous for its DRE errors, and now this gen it is the Xbox that is faulty.

I'm sure there are many more 360's in the wild than PS3's so once the ratio gets equalized you will have your answer.

[taffer]

I'm sure there are many more 360's in the wild than PS3's so once the ratio gets equalized you will have your answer.

Yeah but the PS3 has been out for half a year. It took less than half a year for the 360's red ring of death and the PS2's DRE errors to surface.

[KurrptSenate]

I really don't think you could get an accurate consumer report until the product was out for at least a year



and even then...

[TNAJason]

Sorry to hear about that Tbird,you will be missed. I bought my 360 in August of 06,and had to send it in March. Got one back in after just 2 weeks,and is working fine. My disc drive on the other one was messed up,and then while I was playing Marvel Ultimate Alliance in middle of it,it gave the 3 RED RINGS and just killed the game in it,BUT luckily I have a friend where I bought it and they exchanged it no problem.

[TimeandTide]

I'm still puzzled by the $400-is-too-much-to-spend-on-a-console-argument, especially a console that can do what the 360 does. Between the great games available, XBL Arcade, online gaming, and achievements, $400 is a bargain, IMO. An argument for another thread, I suppose.

Anyway, I replaced mine at CC the day I bought it (red rings). No problems other than freezing a couple of times since Dec.

[Mopower]

Yeah but the PS3 has been out for half a year. It took less than half a year for the 360's red ring of death and the PS2's DRE errors to surface.


Well the PS3 may have been out for half a year but it's hard for them to break when the majority of them are locked up behind retailer cases collecting dust.

[McHawkson]

I picked "sent in twice" eh, well, will be twice shortly. First time was on 4/20/07 due to 3 red lights of death. The second time (it happened last Saturday), I got the replacement 360 and only played it twice, the video went dead. I rebooted my 360 3 time, no luck and tried to unplug my VGA A/V from 360, the plastic thingy was pulled out with my A/V. I'm getting the feeling that they sent me used box....

[funkyryno]

Have any of you bought your 360 at Costco and returned it? I know Costco has a fairly liberal return policy and I was wondering if buying there would save me some money over buying an extended warranty.

[porieux]

Bought in Nov 06. Have not had any problems yet (knocking on forehead).

DEFINITELY go with the Costco option.

[Josh H]

I'm still puzzled by the $400-is-too-much-to-spend-on-a-console-argument, especially a console that can do what the 360 does. Between the great games available, XBL Arcade, online gaming, and achievements, $400 is a bargain, IMO. An argument for another thread, I suppose.


It's not so much a "value" statement on a objective level, really just depends on your budget and how much you value gaming.

$400 is stiff on my grad student budget, and I don't have a lot of free time in general these days and have a few hobbies that I give more priority to that gaming to it's just too much for me.

Even more so when you factor in the failure rate.

[dancinns]

I haven't had a problem with mine but I am starting to get a little worried since I've been getting several "dirty disc" errors when I've been playing MLB 2K7.

[Mr. Music]

This poor thread is being Hinkled into submission.... ;)

[kakihara1]

This poor thread is being Hinkled into submission.... ;)

rotfl ........can't......breath.

[Josh H]

This poor thread is being Hinkled into submission.... ;)

Do I have a semi-double post above?

I ask as I thought I replied TimeandTime earlier, but the post never showed up for me (and still isn't) but the server was hanging a bit.

I've had problems in the past on my browser at home with sometimes not seeing posts for whatever reason.

[DVDKrayzie]

Bought a launch 360--no extra warranty.

Died a few months later (3 red lights), MSFT did the overnight thing and extended the warranty one year for free. cool!

bought a 2nd 360 premium for the game room and HD-DVD a little while later. Died about 6 months later, this time 1 red light and a weird error screen, also the games would freeze and turn all blocky. MSFT replaced it (took about 3 weeks this time).

Bought an elite 360, was going to sell the premium (1st one) on cragislist. 3 days after I get the Elite the one that was replaced now has the 3 red lights. Jesus.

So I call MSFT, and of course my extended 1 yr warranty expired 3 weeks ago and they want $139. She seemed ASTONISHED that I had a defective console. After bitching she offered to repair it for $99. I tried to speak with a supervisor, but I couldn't get them to replace it, so I guess I'm going to have to send it in and pay $100, otherwise I just have a box that likes to flash red lights at me.

So 4 360s so far since launch, 3 defective. I'm just waiting for my Elite to take a shit on me (MSFT extended warranty this time)

Buy that extended warranty with these ticking timebombs...

[Duran]

I'm still puzzled by the $400-is-too-much-to-spend-on-a-console-argument, especially a console that can do what the 360 does. Between the great games available, XBL Arcade, online gaming, and achievements, $400 is a bargain, IMO. An argument for another thread, I suppose.

Anyway, I replaced mine at CC the day I bought it (red rings). No problems other than freezing a couple of times since Dec.

XBL Arcade and XBL cost additional money, do they not? I can't justify $400 for a console that has that kind of failure rate.

[taffer]

XBL Arcade and XBL cost additional money, do they not? I can't justify $400 for a console that has that kind of failure rate.


Live Silver is free. Live Gold is $50 a year. Silver can do anything Gold can except play online multiplayer. Live Arcade is the same as buying a retail game. You pay once then you own the game.

[Fincher Fan]

I replaced mine in-store once and have had to send it in once.

[eatntae]

I haven't had to send in my launch console, thankfully. I had a 3-red ring scare a few months ago, but when I turned it back on, it worked fine, and has so ever since.

[msdmoney]

Bought mine in November 06, just got the three rings a week ago and sent it in for repairs. I really think, even if you discount some skewing because people with broken 360's are more likely to respond, that the failure rate is just absurd. There is just too much anectdotal evidence.

I still really like the console, but they should be replacing anyones console free until they get the manufacturing problems resolved.

[Michael Ballack]

Once for me. I hope it's the one and only time.

[Duran]

Live Silver is free. Live Gold is $50 a year. Silver can do anything Gold can except play online multiplayer. Live Arcade is the same as buying a retail game. You pay once then you own the game.

So what is there to do on Live Silver if not play multiplayer? Buy movies and games?

[redcat]

So what is there to do on Live Silver if not play multiplayer? Buy movies and games?

You can download demos on Silver as well.

[taffer]

So what is there to do on Live Silver if not play multiplayer? Buy movies and games?

With Silver you can still download anything, demos, pics, avatars, etc. You can still also access the marketplace where you can buy the Live Arcade games and such. Unless you plan on playing online, you do not need Gold, as that is the only thing it has that Silver does not.

[K&AJones]

Mine is still going strong after 9 months but I'm not on it probably as much as others by a long shot.
Of course that will change with Bioshock, UT3, Medal Of Honor, Brothers In Arms, and of course "H" along with a handful of others.


Kenny J - Buzz Starhopper

[fumanstan]

Haven't replaced it yet. I got it for Christmas and it was a 5/2006 system.

[KurrptSenate]

i had my friend swap mine out, so technically I personally have never had to send one in

the same thing with my brothers. He got the 3 rings the day after he bought the system, but I had my friend swap out his as well


my brother-in-law just got the 3 rings last night. Im going to try to get my friend to swap his out as well, but he may have to send his in for repair

[tbird2340]

Ok.. Maybe I should have rephrased the poll.. Has your 360 broken and you've had to send it in OR return it to where you purchased it and got a replacement..

Basically have you had to replace your 360. Doesn't really matter if you sent it in.. Has it broken and you got it replaced..

[KurrptSenate]

i bought mine used, and that one died, and I did get it swapped out elsewhere

my brother returned his to the place he purchased his and got a new one


so I'd take that as a "yes"

[ttppll]

I bought mine on launch day, it failed in June of 06 and the replacement I got has worked fine ever since. Out of all the game systems I own it is the only one I have ever had to send back to get fixed.

[taffer]

i bought mine used


:eek: With the notorious failure rate, I would NEVER consider buying a used 360.

[ChrisHicks]

my Launch day unit died(5-9-07) but I haven't sent it in yet. I bought the Elite and was planning on selling the Premium afterwards. considering the repair is going to cost 140.00 there is no reason to sell it now since that would kill any profit I could have made.

[Lethal Nemesis]

Mine started fucking up yesterday, 5/24/07, exactly 6 months from when I bought it (11/24/06). I don't get the red rings, but it won't read any discs at all.

[McHawkson]

Mine started fucking up yesterday, 5/24/07, exactly 6 months from when I bought it (11/24/07). I don't get the red rings, but it won't read any discs at all.

Um... you mean you WILL buy 360 in 6 months?


;)

[Lethal Nemesis]

Um... you mean you WILL buy 360 in 6 months?


;)
:lol: doh

[Lethal Nemesis]

Fixed it.

I are dum

[edstein]

I bought mine on launch day, it failed in June of 06 and the replacement I got has worked fine ever since. Out of all the game systems I own it is the only one I have ever had to send back to get fixed.

My original xbox had problems too. I didn't have a warranty but MS paid for the repair.

[KurrptSenate]

:eek: With the notorious failure rate, I would NEVER consider buying a used 360.


yea, it could have sucked if I didn't have a friend to swap it out for a new one.


I basically (after all said and done) got a premium with an extra controller for 300

[Ispep Aloc]

2 Times for me.

First time was a breeze, no problems. Second time they wanted me to pay for shipping and told me that this has been in effect since last February 06. I told the rep that I had a problem in August of 06 (Dead Rising "killed" my system last time) and that I would not pay for shipping. I received my box a couple days later and sent it back. They kindly sent me a free month of Xbox Live in the box with my system. Have not had a problem since I received my 2nd one.

[Save Ferris]

sent mine in once. And ill continue my point from the official 360 thread--

I dont care about my console breaking--as long as my insurance (warranty) covers it. Cheap ass people whine and complain that its $50 'out the window' but it saves me lots of headache. If it breaks it goes into a nice little box and i get a new one in a week. Sure we all wish they worked perfectly but $50 to cover everything is perfectly acceptable to me. Microsoft is the one paying more than $50 per console to fix them--especially the ones they fix multiple times.

[tbird2340]

If it breaks or my new girlfriend is over it goes into a nice little box....

:lol: And I'll continue my point from the official 360 thread---

I'll also fix your post...

[Save Ferris]

http://www.haxed.co.uk/cms/uploads/pics/giant_rolleyes.gif
hey the hole in the disk tray can chaff after awhile!

[Mopower]

s If it breaks it goes into a nice little box and i get a new one in a week.


I don't know about you but it took at least a week for me to get the box. Then UPS wouldn't deliver the thing without a sig. So that took an extra day. Then it took one more day before the thing could be picked up. So that's like 8 or 9 days just to send it in. But it's a 3 year warranty pretty much for $50 so its worth it.

[tbird2340]

Yea he's either smoking crack or just really bad at math...

He wasn't on Live for over a month.. Wait.. Oh never mind.. ;)

[Save Ferris]

I don't know about you but it took at least a week for me to get the box. Then UPS wouldn't deliver the thing without a sig. So that took an extra day. Then it took one more day before the thing could be picked up. So that's like 8 or 9 days just to send it in. But it's a 3 year warranty pretty much for $50 so its worth it.

I have them send it to me at work. Another tip is to call more than once even if things are 'fine'. I called 3 times and each time they had to 'reconfirm' sending me the box. All in all the whole turnaround time was about 10 days. Bugging them on the phone helps a lot.

[Suprmallet]

Had mine since launch. No problems.

[im_ryandick]

three times for me.

[squidget]

Got mine in Nov 06, so far no problems. I've only had 1 console die on me (a modded dreamcast) and I've had them all since the NES days. I also do not understand how MS can say this is within normal failure rate.

[Duran]

This thread gives another clue of why this generation is failing so spectacularly, outside the Wii. Hardcore gamers may think it is OK to spend $400 on a console that is very likely to fail, but regular people find it utterly unacceptable. Console manufacturers, and devoted gamers, are living in a bubble, and this generation is heading straight into a dump fill in New Mexico. :lol:

I was thinking something very similar. $50 for an extended warranty is a good deal? I've owned almost every console released before this generation, and I've never had one crap out on me in anywhere close to 3 years. A $400 console that is this unreliable is absolutely unacceptable in my opinion. I shouldn't be required to purchase an extended warranty - it should be provided with the system if it's that bad.

[Josh H]

I was thinking something very similar. $50 for an extended warranty is a good deal? I've owned almost every console released before this generation, and I've never had one crap out on me in anywhere close to 3 years. A $400 console that is this unreliable is absolutely unacceptable in my opinion. I shouldn't be required to purchase an extended warranty - it should be provided with the system if it's that bad.

Same here. A $400 console to me is pretty much unacceptable, period.

Factor in that it has clearly the worst failure rate of any recent console and thus requires an extended warranty is just an absolute kick in the nuts.

While I'm not as doom and gloom on this gen as Vandelay_Inds is, I'm fairly down trodden about it.

Two consoles are priced out of my range, with the 360 also having quality control problems keeping me away, and the Wii hasn't grabbed me yet due to the post launch game drought and not being sucked in by the motion controls yet.

Hopefully the Wii game library will improve and the 360 will get a redesign (maybe the rumored new chips will solve the problem) and a price drop and I can get more enmeshed in gaming again.

[SmackDaddy]

Had my Xbox 360 for 2 days before the shenanigans started. Got some random dashboard freezes and SUPER SLOW downloads. Locked up on GoW a couple of times too. But the clincher was a dirty disc error on GoW (only game I have so far). Brand new disc, went straight fromt eh case to the disc tray. Not a scratch or spec of dust in it.

So as not to temp fate I exchanged it for another one at Target (and can do so as many times as needed during the 90 day return period until my 3 yr Target Extended Warranty kicks in).

Everything is going smoothly so far, but it's only been one day.

That being said, GoW is AWESOME....and while I like the Wii's dashboard better, the online integration on the Xbox dashboard is really nice ansd seamless.

[Arpeggi]

My first XBox 360 crapped out on me after like 3 months (Dec 06 to mid-March 07). Returned it to Costco and bought a new one.

[taffer]

I've owned almost every console released before this generation, and I've never had one crap out on me in anywhere close to 3 years.

While I do agree that the 360 hardware has some major quality issues, it is not fair to compare it to old consoles. Old consoles were very simplistic. They had what, maybe some RAM, a motherboard, and a 2D video card and that was pretty much it. Today's consoles have all that PLUS a very advanced 3D processor, a hard drive, DVD drive, cooling fans, etc. There is much more stuff within today's consoles that could possibly malfunction. Comparing old consoles to today's consoles is like comparing a bicycle to a motorcycle.

A $400 console to me is pretty much unacceptable, period.

I understand that for you, gaming is not your #1 hobby. However, $400 really is not that much for a console. When you take inflation into consideration, the price of every past console would have been $400 or more too.

[Josh H]

I understand that for you, gaming is not your #1 hobby. However, $400 really is not that much for a console. When you take inflation into consideration, the price of every past console would have been $400 or more too.

I strongly doubt inflation has been so bad that the Gamecube which launched in 2001 (and was between the PS2 and X-box in terms of power/specs) at $199.99 would cost $399.99 in todays dollar.

Plus inflation is hard to apply to electronics. As they improve, prices for technology drops so you don't really see inflation like you do with other goods. For instance look at cellphones where they've gotten fancier and fancier and prices haven't changed much and have dropped a good bit on the low to mid in models compared to 5-10 years ago even though these models are much smaller and more feature laden than the older phones which cost the same or more at the time.


But at any rate, your first observation is the most relevant, as for me it just boils down to $400 being too much for me with gaming not being my top hobby (and me being an extremely poor grad student). It's also just the principle of the thing. I never paid more than $200 for a console before this generation, and I'm not very anxious to change that. Too many other things I'd rather spend the money on.

But for others its fine, so I don't bitch too much about the 360 price in general, and just accept I'll have to wait for a price drop to even consider getting one.

It's the damn failure rate that bothers me. $400 and I still have to buy a $50 warranty as the things almost guaranteed to break? Fuck that, Bill Gates can blow me.

[fumanstan]

While I do agree that the 360 hardware has some major quality issues, it is not fair to compare it to old consoles. Old consoles were very simplistic. They had what, maybe some RAM, a motherboard, and a 2D video card and that was pretty much it. Today's consoles have all that PLUS a very advanced 3D processor, a hard drive, DVD drive, cooling fans, etc. There is much more stuff within today's consoles that could possibly malfunction. Comparing old consoles to today's consoles is like comparing a bicycle to a motorcycle.

I'm not sure I agree with that completely, considering consoles in each generation were pretty much high end technology at the time too. They clearly don't seem like much now, but they were cool shit back then.

Technology has advanced so that it should be able to handle these new components seamlessly.

[taffer]

I found these charts in an older thread. In inflation adjusted dollars, the Gamecube is the cheapest console ever.

Let's look at the most popular consoles in inflation adjusted dollars:

Atari 2600 = $659 -eek-
NES = $364
SNES = $293
Playstation = $393
Playstation 2 = $348

The only one not approaching $400 is the SNES. Oh and :lol: at the near $1000 3DO and Neo Geo.

http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/5295/22710078qb7.png

http://img243.imageshack.us/img243/3228/69183284kc1.png

[taffer]

I'm not sure I agree with that completely, considering consoles in each generation were pretty much high end technology at the time too. They clearly don't seem like much now, but they were cool shit back then.

Technology has advanced so that it should be able to handle these new components seamlessly.

I understand that technology we consider primitive today was cutting edge back then. However, these old consoles did not produce massive amounts of heat like today's consoles. They also did not have moving parts or lasers which wear out over time. Although they should not wear out that quickly...

[Josh H]

Guess those charts show, that with the exception of the NES, only Nintendo knows how to make affordable consoles.

SNES- $293
N64- $254
GC-$225
Wii- $250 w/game.

Too bad they've had the fewest AAA games (IMHO) the last 2 generations. Hopefully the Wii will change that, but not off to a good start for me at least.

[Josh H]

I understand that technology we consider primitive today was cutting edge back then. However, these old consoles did not produce massive amounts of heat like today's consoles. They also did not have moving parts or lasers which wear out over time. Although they should not wear out that quickly...

True, but the PS1, PS2, GC, X-box and Dreamcast all had moving parts, lasers etc. and none of them seemed to fail nearly as much as the 360 (not even the already shoddy PS1 and PS2).

Heat may be a point, but I'd put that more on them either: a) not doing a good enough job of heat dissipation or b) trying to put too much technology in too small a box for current heat dissipation technology.

Either way its shoddy ass design and consumers should expect better...especially for $400.

[maingon]

I need to send mine in, it died after the update. It works once and a while but most of the time it doesnt, just get the red lights. I will send it in, in a couple weeks, just dont want to spend the money

[RVP]

Got the Red ring of death today. This is really going to hamper my Guitar hero skills. Can someone tell my about how long it takes to get replaced once you call? Oh and I bought mine 03/06 and have the extended Ms warranty.

[Josh H]

Can someone tell my about how long it takes to get replaced once you call? Oh and I bought mine 03/06 and have the extended Ms warranty.

See a few post above.

I have them send it to me at work. Another tip is to call more than once even if things are 'fine'. I called 3 times and each time they had to 'reconfirm' sending me the box. All in all the whole turnaround time was about 10 days. Bugging them on the phone helps a lot.

[RVP]

See a few post above.
Thanks, Ten days is not bad at all. I just didn't want to be without it a month +.

[McHawkson]

Thanks, Ten days is not bad at all. I just didn't want to be without it a month +.

Well, it's all depends. I'm still waiting for the shipping box from Xbox, it has been 7 days since I called them. Last month, it took about 15 days for me to get the replacement box.

[Save Ferris]

you have to call them every day to get them to hurry with the box sending. seriously, every time I called them they hadent sent it yet. Ride their ass about it, its all they understand.

[sniper308]

Fuck that, Bill Gates can blow me.

Wow, tell us how you really feel.

I'm thinking that's going to show up in a few people's signature :D

[Mopower]

Save Ferris must live next to a replacement center. It has been over two weeks since I first called them and they still have my Xbox.

[McHawkson]

I'm STILL waiting for the shipping box kit that they haven't send to me. I called them two days ago and asked what happened. They said they shipped it on 5/25 (I called them on 5/19), and they doesn't know why it takes so long time to ship it out. -rolleyes-

[Save Ferris]

Save Ferris must live next to a replacement center. It has been over two weeks since I first called them and they still have my Xbox.

Have you harassed them on the phone every day? Not yelling at them but bugging them. Even after they say 'its been shipped out' call the next day play dumb and ask again. You'll find out if it really was.

[RVP]

Its a shame that you would have to call and bug them just to get the box. I mean how hard is putting a label on an empty box, and setting it in the UPS pile.

[Save Ferris]

Its a shame that you would have to call and bug them just to get the box. I mean how hard is putting a label on an empty box, and setting it in the UPS pile.

Seriously they will procrastinate if you let them. Just bug them, even after I got a confirmed shipping number I called and found out it wasnt right. THEN it went. Still I have a phone at my desk and can call while doing my work and its toll free so its not too much trouble. And yes I got a replaced xbox in a little over a week.

[seltzer77]

I got mine in September 2006 and have never had any problems, other than maybe twice when a game froze up on a loading screen. For the record, I don't really play it that much compared to most, and when I do play it's rare that it's for more than an hour or so at a time.

Same here.

[Mopower]

Have you harassed them on the phone every day? Not yelling at them but bugging them. Even after they say 'its been shipped out' call the next day play dumb and ask again. You'll find out if it really was.


No. I should. Even though I'd have to put up with someone from India or who knows were who "just can't believe my Xbox has a problem!". I'll call them when I have a good hour to burn on hold.

[Save Ferris]

yep. sad thats the only way to get things done...

[McHawkson]

I probably feel fortunately that I used the TDD line... I get the respond much quickly (within 1 minute).

Only thing that I hated the most: asking all my information to verify that I'm really me.

[PacMan2006]

I got the three red rings last night.

I'm curious what everyone here would recommend me do. It's still under Best Buy Warranty until August 2007.

BUT, this will be my FOURTH Xbox 360 since August 2006 if I trade this one in for a new one.

What would you guys suggest here? Should I start thinking about selling my 360 and buying a PS3? Do you all know if PS3 is having similar malfunctioning problems, too? Because this is just getting absurd, and I'm starting to worry that if I'm still having problems after three Xbox's, it might be a permanent problem no matter what I try to do.

Thoughts?

[Josh H]

No. I should. Even though I'd have to put up with someone from India or who knows were who "just can't believe my Xbox has a problem!". I'll call them when I have a good hour to burn on hold.

Great. Now I'm even more convinced to not buy one until they get this crappy hardware fixed.

[McHawkson]

I got the three red rings last night.

I'm curious what everyone here would recommend me do. It's still under Best Buy Warranty until August 2007.

BUT, this will be my FOURTH Xbox 360 since August 2006 if I trade this one in for a new one.

What would you guys suggest here? Should I start thinking about selling my 360 and buying a PS3? Do you all know if PS3 is having similar malfunctioning problems, too? Because this is just getting absurd, and I'm starting to worry that if I'm still having problems after three Xbox's, it might be a permanent problem no matter what I try to do.

Thoughts?

Maybe you can try contact xbox and see if your is still under warranty (if you registered it) and have it replaced from them. I think they checked everything before ship it to us (through they DID NOT check the video on my replacement box -rolleyes-)...

[Save Ferris]

What would you guys suggest here? Should I start thinking about selling my 360 and buying a PS3? Do you all know if PS3 is having similar malfunctioning problems, too? Because this is just getting absurd, and I'm starting to worry that if I'm still having problems after three Xbox's, it might be a permanent problem no matter what I try to do.

Thoughts?


Get whatever console you want to play--to me a PS3 has no redeeming gaming qualities, I mean If I bought one Id never use it.

The 360 has problems but I dont care. I could trade a new one in 2 times a month for years and not care--as long as im not paying more than my $50 insurance, Its all good.

You might want to look at whats different in YOUR home gaming environment--4 times seems excessive.

[Mopower]

Do you all know if PS3 is having similar malfunctioning problems, too? Because this is just getting absurd, and I'm starting to worry that if I'm still having problems after three Xbox's, it might be a permanent problem no matter what I try to do.

Thoughts?


Sure buy a PS3 and have fun with it's 3 games. And oh ya BLU-RAY!

I'd just get another Xbox 360. As long as you have the warranty you can keep sending them in. Hopefully they will start making better ones some day. Of course I'm starting to get back into PC games because of my 360 going down. I can fix a PC myself if anything goes wrong. And unlike Microsoft I know how to use good thermal paste.

[Jeremy517]

Great. Now I'm even more convinced to not buy one until they get this crappy hardware fixed.

Just get it at Costco. Free lifetime warranty.

[Save Ferris]

Sure buy a PS3 and have fun with it's 3 games. And oh ya BLU-RAY!

I'd just get another Xbox 360. As long as you have the warranty you can keep sending them in. Hopefully they will start making better ones some day. Of course I'm starting to get back into PC games because of my 360 going down. I can fix a PC myself if anything goes wrong. And unlike Microsoft I know how to use good thermal paste.


My friend was telling me a new gaming video card came out. For around $300 of course lol

I dont miss playing THAT game of 'keep up'

[Mopower]

My friend was telling me a new gaming video card came out. For around $300 of course lol

I dont miss playing THAT game of 'keep up'


Well no. That's why I bought a 360 in the first place. Insane graphics for 4 or 5 years instead of having to buy a $300 video card every 2 to keep up. Although I'm surprised how well my 2 year old system is doing with newer games.

[PacMan2006]

Well, I don't play THAT many games, anyways. I certainly want a solid library of games, but I'm not the gamer who has 20 games in his collection. Right now on the 360, I have the two football games, Call of Duty 2, Gears of War, and Rainbox Six Vegas.

You might want to look at whats different in YOUR home gaming environment--4 times seems excessive.

Can't think of a reason it'd be a problem on my end. It's ventillated well--even propped up on a couple DVD cases for extra cooling. When I play it, I NEVER play it for long than an hour on average. I do watch some HD-DVD's on it. I've played the 360's systems on two different TV sets, and still had problems. So I don't know. It works fine, then it just freezes out of the blue one day.

Quality games are great and all, but not if the hardware consistently continues to fail, making it impossible to play them.

[Josh H]

Just get it at Costco. Free lifetime warranty.

I just can't stomach $400 and this level of unreliability.

Maybe after a price drop that's something I'd consider (assuming they don't solve the hardware issues).

[Save Ferris]

Can't think of a reason it'd be a problem on my end. It's ventillated well--even propped up on a couple DVD cases for extra cooling. When I play it, I NEVER play it for long than an hour on average. I do watch some HD-DVD's on it. I've played the 360's systems on two different TV sets, and still had problems. So I don't know. It works fine, then it just freezes out of the blue one day.

Different TVs wouldnt affect the 360. Some people have the console on a CARPET and wonder why it heats up... lol

I wonder if lots of pet hair in the room would get inside and mug things up? Just speculation.

Anyway, for ME, reliability is way down on the list of importance as long as I can get a new console whenever it fails. If it were closer in competition to the PS3 for my needs I might switch but for now theres so little tempting me on the sony side. Every single game I would ever want is coming to 360 (Mercenaries 2!) and its not a cheap system.

[Mok]

Whats sucks the most is the damn drm problems you have to go through if they do replace your console.

[The Bus]

DRM problems? You mean, like what? You get to keep the hard drive, so you don't lose anything.

Not sure what you mean. Re-setting up WMC?

To reiterate what's been said already, if you're buying a 360, you simply must take into account the cost of the warranty at that price. For most people (excluding Josh Hinkle) that's still a very good value (compared to other consoles and their libraries).

[Brewc]

I'd like to know how many in the Poll have had to send it in for repair after the Spring Dashboard update 3 weeks ago? Mine was doing fine had been over a year since it had failed and no problems until then. MS CSR's still insist that it's a coincidence, I disagree, too much talk over it it on various boards after the update.

[Save Ferris]

To reiterate what's been said already, if you're buying a 360, you simply must take into account the cost of the warranty at that price. For most people (excluding Josh Hinkle) that's still a very good value (compared to other consoles and their libraries).


Id get an extended warranty even if I was getting a PS3.

[PacMan2006]

SaveFerris...

I agree with you, except I am starting to get worried that when my system DOES break down, it will no longer be easy to correct. For example, I bought my system in July 06, and got the 2 year warranty. However, I believe (I will have to verify with Best Buy tomorrow) I remember an employee telling me that you can exchange it no problem for a new 360 from July 06 to July 07. But after that, in the second year of the warranty, you can only exchange it once.

Now, maybe he was wrong on that, and I'll definitely confirm. But if there warranty has that type of policy, what happens when it breaks down four months from now in, say, September? If I get a new system on the weekend via the warranty exchange at Best Buy, it will be my FOURTH. I like the 360 a lot, but I am really losing confidence. Not to mention, I can't think of a logical reason why this third 360 crapped out on me. Everything is going fine, and it freezes outta no where. Now the three red rings. I just don't get it.

I was considering getting a PS3, but are they even selling the $500 version anymore? For $600, PLUS a warranty, I don't know if I want to go that route, either.

[Josh H]

I was considering getting a PS3, but are they even selling the $500 version anymore? For $600, PLUS a warranty, I don't know if I want to go that route, either.

They quit making the $500 pretty much right after launch. Seemed like they just wanted it out there to be able to say they are only $100 more than the 360.

But really the question you have to ask is whether there are enough games on the PS3 you want to play to warrant $600 (and a warranty if you must).

[PacMan2006]

Yeah, that's a really good point. And that's a big part of my dilemma. I am going to have to get a new 360 this weekend, and it will be my fourth. I love the system, but it's very unreliable. And I cannot figure out a thing I can do to make it stop dying out on me. It's not like I keep it on a rug, or play it everyday for four hours, or am always gaming online, etc. I don't get it.

[Save Ferris]

I think Id consider the MS warranty--that one for SURE is good for an unlimited amount of replacements. Not sure why BB wouldnt be though.

Id look at your whole setup and see if theres something that might be causing the malfunctions--clean power lines, no moisture, ventillation, keeping it horizontal rather than vertical, etc....

[PacMan2006]

Thanks...how do you go about maintaining that your system is well ventillated?

[Josh H]

Make sure it has 3 or 4 inches of breathing room on the sides and back, preferably don't put it in a cabinet (if I got one I'd probably sit it on top of my entertainment center rather than in the shelving with the rest of the consoles and components) etc.

[PacMan2006]

Thanks. I will admit that while there was breathing room on the front and back, there was a speaker about an inch apart on the left side, and the side on the wood cabinet on right of the 360.

[ChrisHicks]

I'd like to know how many in the Poll have had to send it in for repair after the Spring Dashboard update 3 weeks ago? Mine was doing fine had been over a year since it had failed and no problems until then. MS CSR's still insist that it's a coincidence, I disagree, too much talk over it it on various boards after the update.

mine died immediately after the update. this was on a perfect working machine(launch unit) that never had any disc read errors or anything. I downloaded the update, it rebooted and 3 red lights instantly.

[Josh H]

Thanks. I will admit that while there was breathing room on the front and back, there was a speaker about an inch apart on the left side, and the side on the wood cabinet on right of the 360.

That should be more than enough I'd think, but with them dying on you I'd try keeping the next one totally open and seeing if it helps.

[PacMan2006]

Does it matter if it's horizontal or vertical?

[kakihara1]

They say horizontal is always the best option. These issues are absolutely NOT a reason to stay away from the 360, especially if you get the MS warranty. It's the best system out there right now and if it dies on you it will be replaced.

[JasonF]

I'm super pissed right now. I bough my 360 at Circuit City in January with the Circuit City warranty. I figured that if the thing broke, I wouldn't have to deal with all the nonsense of mailing it off to Washington. I thought I would just be able to take it to the store where I bought it and get a new one. And that's exactly how it worked when my 360 broke after a week.

Now, four months later, my 360 has broken again. Last night, I took it to Circuit City on the way home from work and was told "sorry, you have to call or warranty hotline." So I call them, and it's the same crap as dealing directly with Microsoft. They'll send me a mailing label (within 7-10 business days), I send the XBox back, and they will send me a new one within 15 business days.

That's up to 5 weeks! Ridiculous!

I bought my XBox in an actual retail store. I ought to be able to exchange the thing in an actual retail store, instead of waiting two weeks for them to put a label in the mail.

If that is really too much to expect, how about this -- you have my credit card on file. Why not run an authorization and send me my replacement XBox with my label. Then, give me 15 business days to send the broken one back to you. You can charge my credit card if I don't.

This is so frustrating. The one advantage is at least I know I won't get a refurbished unit.

[Save Ferris]

Ive never heard of a retail store doing that. You might be able to take it up with the store manager. If they have xboxes in stock, they should give you one of those!

[freshticles]

My friend and I both bought 360's in December. His died last week. At them time we both opted to pay for the 3 year 'protection service plan' from Future Shop. So his breaks, he brings it into Future Shop (where he works) and is told "we can't do anything, the microsoft warranty is now a year so you have to deal with them until that's up"...what the fuck? So I just paid for 3 years of warranty but will only get credit for 2 as the psp started the day I bought it.

[Fodder1976]

Wow. Just wow. I just came across this thread and took a look at the poll results. What incredible results. Microsoft should be ashamed. Its amazing that a system that has over a 50% failure rate is doing so well.

[shumway]

I don't think you can necessarily extrapolate the data from this poll to the entire XBOX 360 user community as a whole. I'm sure the true failure rate is much higher than 3%, but, much less than 50%.

[Josh H]

I wouldn't be surprised if it was 50% among serious gamers who are using it on a near daily basis.

But your right that it would have to be lower overall if for nothing else that casual gamers who only turn it on once or twice a week at most, as it's not going to get as much wear and tear in those cases.

[shumway]

I agree.

[pinata242]

I wouldn't be surprised if it was 50% among serious gamers who are using it on a near daily basis.

But your right that it would have to be lower overall if for nothing else that casual gamers who only turn it on once or twice a week at most, as it's not going to get as much wear and tear in those cases.
Sure, but I don't think anyone can say that this is acceptable. The fact that there is a 50%+ (67% on this poll) failure rate for active users says there's a problem. My car won't run out of gas if I don't drive it either.

[Josh H]

Sure, but I don't think anyone can say that this is acceptable. The fact that there is a 50%+ (67% on this poll) failure rate for active users says there's a problem. My car won't run out of gas if I don't drive it either.

Read my other posts in the thread and you'll see that I agree with you VERY strongly. ;)


It's the damn failure rate that bothers me. $400 and I still have to buy a $50 warranty as the things almost guaranteed to break? Fuck that, Bill Gates can blow me.

[taffer]

I wouldn't be surprised if it was 50% among serious gamers who are using it on a near daily basis.

But your right that it would have to be lower overall if for nothing else that casual gamers who only turn it on once or twice a week at most, as it's not going to get as much wear and tear in those cases.

There have been several stories about people whose 360 has broken within a few weeks of them getting it. That is not even enough time for 'wear and tear' to build up even if they played it every single day.

[Save Ferris]

Sure, but I don't think anyone can say that this is acceptable.


I dont mind. Its a luxury toy, not a car.

[Josh H]

There have been several stories about people whose 360 has broken within a few weeks of them getting it. That is not even enough time for 'wear and tear' to build up even if they played it every single day.

True, those are just the "true" lemons that had some kind of major manufacturing defect (i.e. something above and beyond what's causing most of the problems). I've not seen enough of those stories to be super concerned about breakdowns that early. It seems to be more common 6 months or a year down the road for most of the stories I've read.

Plus the super fast breakdowns could be people setting it on carpet or other poor ventilation spots and exacerbating the problems.

[pinata242]

Read my other posts in the thread and you'll see that I agree with you VERY strongly. ;)
I know, I was adding to your point.

[Josh H]

I dont mind. Its a luxury toy, not a car.

I see the point. But for me, when I buy something I expect it to last. I don't like to buy junk. Especially $400 junk. They've got to fix it to get me on board (or drop the price--preferably both as $400 is a bit too much for a console for me anyway), even though there are several games I'd like to play without going to a friends.

[pinata242]

Totally. My birthday is Sunday and my mom is bugging me for what I want. I seriously don't want anything but a 360 is the only thing I could see myself be willing to accept as a gift since I wouldn't want to pay for it myself at this point in time.

However, I just can't bring myself to mention that when I know I'm waiting for the 65nm chips to hopefully help with the heating and warping issues. So, in essence, it's not even worth free to me to have to worry about and deal with these possible issues.

[Josh H]

However, I just can't bring myself to mention that when I know I'm waiting for the 65nm chips to hopefully help with the heating and warping issues. So, in essence, it's not even worth free to me to have to worry about and deal with these possible issues.

I'd do the same. I just don't want to deal with it. Never had a problem with a console before, and I'm not interested in having one that will likely give me problems--again even given that there are more games on it that I'd like to play that there are on my Wii (and honestly that will probably always be true for me).

I'll wait for the new 65nm chips in hopes they fix the problem (and are coupled with a price drop).

[Save Ferris]

I would put NO faith in whatever new chip they add. Think about it: Would you NOT buy a warranty even with a new chip? Hell no--so you're in the same boat you're in now.

As long as MS honors each and every replacement its not too bad IMHO.

[Josh H]

I would put NO faith in whatever new chip they add. Think about it: Would you NOT buy a warranty even with a new chip? Hell no--so you're in the same boat you're in now.

As long as MS honors each and every replacement its not too bad IMHO.


I'm more hoping for a price drop, as I just can't justify $400 console. The failure rate is just the staw that broke the camels back. $400, plus needing a warranty and dealing with the hassle of potential multiple returns is too much.

Drop it to $300 and I'll consider it (though I'd still probably get the warranty). Put in new cooler chips that MAY reduce the problem, and I'm probably sold.

Plus waiting has the benefit of giving Nintendo a chance to make the Wii library stop sucking and providing me with good games regularly enough that I don't need a 2nd console (well third counting the PS2 which I still have a lot to catch up on).

Or the Wii line up continuing to suck provoking me to sell it off and get a 360 for little cost out of pocket.

[tbird2340]

I dont care about my console breaking--as long as my insurance (warranty) covers it. Cheap ass people whine and complain that its $50 'out the window' but it saves me lots of headache. If it breaks it goes into a nice little box and i get a new one in a week (Yea.. RIIIIGHT). Sure we all wish they worked perfectly but $50 to cover everything is perfectly acceptable to me. Microsoft is the one paying more than $50 per console to fix them--especially the ones they fix multiple times.



The 360 has problems but I dont care. I could trade a new one in 2 times a month for years and not care--as long as im not paying more than my $50 insurance, Its all good.


Um.. Dude.. You do realize if you did this you would never have one, right? Are you OK with that? Would it be all good then? This just baffles me.. How could you NOT care? I mean... I think the 360 is the cat's meow but it still pisses me off when I hear people have to send theirs in 2+ times!!


Anyway, for ME, reliability is way down on the list of importance as long as I can get a new console whenever it fails.


:hscratch: This logic totally baffles me.. TOTALLY baffles me.. Hopefully you don't participate in market studies and answer questions like "what is most important in a product?"


I dont mind. Its a luxury toy, not a car.



As long as MS honors each and every replacement its not too bad IMHO.


:horse:

Man.. We get it. You have ZERO problem with your 360 breaking every other week. You paid $400 which is no big deal.. Because it's not a $40,000 Lexus right?

I think you must work for Microsoft or something..

[McHawkson]

It doesn't matter as long as I get FREE replaced xbox. If I HAD to pay for repair or replace, I would be pissed off. ;)

[Michael Corvin]

I can understand not caring as long as they replace/fix it at no charge BUT every time you are out a console for about a month. That is what is unacceptable to me. I don't mind it as much since I have a Wii to occupy my time, but if the 360 was it, it would be totally unacceptable.

I mean, it takes over a week to get an empty box. :wtf:

[McHawkson]

Read a book while you wait. -ohbfrank-

[Save Ferris]

I got my 360 replaced in about 10 days no joke. Thats perfectly fine to me. Sure its a little inconvenient but some day they might get their act together. If not, I can go 10 days without a console. I hounded them while sitting at my desk working for the first 3 or 4 days but thats not bad.

MS isnt happy about the money they waste replacing these. They dont rub their hands together with glee each time a unit breaks--it could mean quite a lot of loss actually. I honestly feel better sticking it to them, than if i bought the warranty and never used it. At least they dont get my $50 ;)

Yes, reliability is low on my list of requirements for a console--
1. game library--games i want to play
2. graphics capabilities
3. good online features
4. good multiplayer features
5. strong network of friends/people playing
...

maybe 'reliability' coming in 6 but maybe lower.

See--i never LOSE my $400 investment, so what do I care?

[Save Ferris]

I would actually be torn if there were a better (or close) alternative out there. I would stress and think--Dammit I should of gotten brand X! I could be having FUN on THAT console...

But as it is, the 360 is the only console to own right now (for me) so im not worried about other stuff I could be playing or if I could of spent that $400 on something better.

[taffer]

I'm waiting for the 65nm chips to hopefully help with the heating and warping issues.

I'll wait for the new 65nm chips in hopes they fix the problem (and are coupled with a price drop).


Even if these cooler running chips (which are nothing more than a rumor) ever do come out, what guarantee do you have that the Xbox360 you buy will have the new chip? I seriously doubt that MS will change the look of the machine or the box, so they will look the same as the 'old' ones. When you buy your 360, how would you know if it has the new chip or not? You could be buying old stock the store has leftover. MS could very well quietly start using the new chip without anyone knowing about it too.

[Josh H]

Even if these cooler running chips (which are nothing more than a rumor) ever do come out, what guarantee do you have that the Xbox360 you buy will have the new chip? I seriously doubt that MS will change the look of the machine or the box, so they will look the same as the 'old' ones. When you buy your 360, how would you know if it has the new chip or not? You could be buying old stock the store has leftover. MS could very well quietly start using the new chip without anyone knowing about it too.

Then I'll still not buy one.

I'd like to have a 360, but I'm not dying to get one. There's probably only 4 or 5 games I'd really consider picking up right now, and most of them are still $60 which is $30-40 more than I'd pay for most of them. So it's just not a huge deal for me right now.

And again, a price drop of at least $100 is the main thing I'm waiting for, along with some of the hit games to hit the $20-30 range. Then I'll consider jumping in regardless of this issue.

However, MS is getting a ton of flack over this, I'd think if they put out a more reliable machine (assuming the new chips make a difference) they would want to publicize it at least to some degree.

[Mr. Music]

I'd like to have a 360, but I'm not dying to get one.

You sure do talk a lot about it though... -ptth-

[taffer]

However, MS is getting a ton of flack over this

I wonder how much of the general public actually knows about the 360's problems? Sure us 'hardcore' gamers that read video game forums and websites are very aware of the problems, but the majority of the gaming public does not read forums. The general gaming public could be clueless about what the "red lights of death" is.

[Josh H]

You sure do talk a lot about it though... -ptth-

Consequence of a boring desk job and a life long interest in video games. ;)

It's just something that annoys the shit off of me.

1. Raise the bar for console launch prices $100 from the previous gen and $200 more than I've ever paid for a console.
2. Make the most unreliable console in history.

:mad:

[Josh H]

I wonder how much of the general public actually knows about the 360's problems? Sure us 'hardcore' gamers that read video game forums and websites are very aware of the problems, but the majority of the gaming public does not read forums. The general gaming public could be clueless about what the "red lights of death" is.

The hardcore crowd also buys a large chunk of games, and is more likely to complain and give MS flack.

And as others said, they are getting financial "flack" by losing money having to replace so many consoles. Especially damaging since they were losing money on each console sold for the first year or so already.

[taffer]

And as others said, they are getting financial "flack" by losing money having to replace so many consoles. Especially damaging since they were losing money on each console sold for the first year or so already.

Is MS really losing money by having to fix these consoles? It costs us $50 for the warranty. Does it cost MS more than $50 to fix a console? And they are not really 'replacing' broken 360s. They fix the broken ones and send them to someone else as a refurbished unit.

If they were really losing money on fixing all the broken 360s, it would seem they would place a higher importance on solving whatever the problem is...

[Mopower]

Read a book while you wait. -ohbfrank-


I'm waiting until they release books on Xbox Live so I can read them in HD glory.

[Josh H]

Is MS really losing money by having to fix these consoles? It costs us $50 for the warranty. Does it cost MS more than $50 to fix a console? And they are not really 'replacing' broken 360s. They fix the broken ones and send them to someone else as a refurbished unit.

If they were really losing money on fixing all the broken 360s, it would seem they would place a higher importance on solving whatever the problem is...

I'd have to imagine they are. They have to pay for:

1. Ship the box to you.
2. Parts to repair that console (and sometimes cost of a new one as I've read of people getting new units)
3. Cost to ship the heavy ass console back to you.

That's probably often over $50, and when you factor in people sending them back multiple times on $50 warranties they are clearly losing money on that person.

Now, who knows if they sell enough $50 warranties to people who don't play enough to have it break (or who get lucky) to cover this.

Conversely, they may be losing money but its less than they would lose by changing parts/altering the production process to solve the issue. :shrug:

[sniper308]

Even if these cooler running chips (which are nothing more than a rumor) ever do come out, what guarantee do you have that the Xbox360 you buy will have the new chip? I seriously doubt that MS will change the look of the machine or the box, so they will look the same as the 'old' ones. When you buy your 360, how would you know if it has the new chip or not? You could be buying old stock the store has leftover. MS could very well quietly start using the new chip without anyone knowing about it too.

We'll know because someone here will post the manufacture date or the serial number starting range or something else advising which ones have the new chip.

You are aware that there's this thing, and its called the internet, and on this thing called the internet people share information :D

[Giantrobo]

Well I saw some funny image shinanigans while playing a game tonight. I'll have to see what's up over the next few days. :(

[PacMan2006]

Hey guys,

Are those 360 cooling fan attachments worth a buy? Have they been known to keep the 360's cooler and therefore less prone to overheating/red rings??

[JasonF]

Hey guys,

Are those 360 cooling fan attachments worth a buy? Have they been known to keep the 360's cooler and therefore less prone to overheating/red rings??

Quite the opposite -- most of them make the overheating problem worse by interfering with the airflow from the 360's internal fan.

[McHawkson]

Yeah, I noticed it when I added the cooler. It seems like the more heat coming out of exhaust than without the cooler. Strange...

[taffer]

Those coolers are just the placebo effect. People still get the 3 red lights of death even using the coolers. Just take the money you would have spent buying a cooler and get the extended warranty instead.

[DVDKrayzie]

wow this is insane my 4th one just took a crap on me today while watching a DVD.

[Jeremy517]

If you really want to fix the red rings, do this:

http://rbjtech.bulldoghome.com/pages/rbjtech_bulldoghome_com/XClamp.htm

(Note: It voids your warranty, so just send your back if it is still under warranty)

Results from another board:

1. Fixed the 3RLOD, No issues at all now, No freezes, works fine - 237
2. Fixed the 3RLOD, still video freezes occasionally. 1
3. Mixed results, sometimes works with no 3LOD - 1
4. Didn't fix the 3LOD. - 12

[Flay]

3rd red rings of death for me. It crapped out while booting up Marvel Alliance. This happened on a Premium I purchased to replace a twice-failing Core.

[Cardiff Giant]

Bought my first one on 1/4/06 and it died around late March of 06. Sent it in, got a replacement and it's constantly freezing on all but a select few games. It's now out of warranty and the best MS could do for me was reduce the charge to 100 bucks with free shipping both ways but between having other more important expenses and of late losing interest in it, I'm waiting for a while before sending it again. My brother had his first one die (a launch console) and is on his second which is thus far ok. A guy I work with had his eat it as well. Never have I had problems with a game console before (included a modded regular xbox!) but the 360 is proving to be a real bitch with me and others I know.

[Goldblum]

I can't believe this debacle is still going on. Shame on you, Microsoft.

[taffer]

I can't believe there hasn't been a lawsuit yet like the PS2 DRE suit.

[tbird2340]

Meh.. Who cares everyone.. As long as you bought the warranty and you are getting it fixed for free.. Who cares!! :rolleyes:

[SmackDaddy]

Ok, so I got only my second dirty disc error, but it was worse than the first. First one was with GoW and exiting to the dash and then going back to the game was no problem.

This time it was Burnout. Got a dirty disc error midway through an online match. Could hear the drive making some sort of noise (maybe the laser seeking) and exited to the dash. Tried to restart the game but no dice. Had to eject then restart the game to get it to start.

This is my second box already and it's no problem to take it back if I need too, but I will give it a little more time and see if it becomes a problem. That being said, what all can you transfer to a memory card? Do I just need to transfer my saves? Are achievements and such stored online? I do not want to have to restart GoW or lose my Viva Pinata garden!

[Mopower]

Just got my 360 back today. So that was 15 days between the first phone call and the unit's return. Not too bad at all. I thought they would have it longer. I hooked it up and turned it on for about 10 min. It was still hot as hell so it doesn't look like they did anything to improve the cooling. I'm guessing I'll have to send it back in a year from now.

[msdmoney]

Meh.. Who cares everyone.. As long as you bought the warranty and you are getting it fixed for free.. Who cares!! :rolleyes:

It is pretty annoying to send in a console to get fixed, especially multiple times. Plus there is always the fact that after the warranty is up, you will probably have to buy another warranty, since it doesn't look like they have corrected the problem on fixed units.

[Giantrobo]

I can't believe this debacle is still going on. Shame on you, Microsoft.


Agreed :up: MS's 360 breakdown mess :down:

[Jeremy517]

Well, I assume by now they know what the problem is, either from their own research or just reading the fixes on various message boards, so hopefully every one being sent in now should be fixed reliably. In the past, they just sent out a different unit. Now... ?

For people that have sent theirs in in the last few weeks, did you get your same XBox back or a different one? I've read that people are getting the same one back, and if that is true, it should bode well for those units in the future.

But yeah, this has gone on WAY too long.

[Mopower]

Well, I assume by now they know what the problem is, either from their own research or just reading the fixes on various message boards, so hopefully every one being sent in now should be fixed reliably. In the past, they just sent out a different unit. Now... ?

For people that have sent theirs in in the last few weeks, did you get your same XBox back or a different one? I've read that people are getting the same one back, and if that is true, it should bode well for those units in the future.

But yeah, this has gone on WAY too long.

I got the same unit back. Serial numbers match.

[SmackDaddy]

Well, I am now officially on Xbox #3!!! Weee!! They wouldn't let me swap out hard drives, so I had to buy a memory card (they had the 512mb for $39) and they even let me hook up my box in the store so I could transfer saves....but....MY VIVA PINATA SAVES DO NOT SUPPORT TRANSFERS!!!

[Michael Corvin]

that sucks. Where was this that they wouldn't let you keep the drive?

And yes, game saves you can't transfer suck balls.

[Jeremy517]

Until new models are shipped with changes in manufacturing, changing it out at the store probably won't do anything. The replacement from the store is just as likely to die. Your best bet is probably to send it in to MS and assume/hope that since they're sending the same units back now, they know how to actually fix it.

[Josh H]

Hopefully they have figured out how to fix it, and future builds will come with it fixed. Bodes well for the cooler chips improving things if they've also figured out the design flaw.

I finally jumped on an HD Set, so I'd love to pick up a 360 as soon as there is a price drop/new chips.

[SmackDaddy]

that sucks. Where was this that they wouldn't let you keep the drive?

And yes, game saves you can't transfer suck balls.

It was at Target. And are their any places that list games that do not support transfers??

Oh, and for the curious here's how their extended warranty works: Problems within the first 90 days are taken care of by basically exchanging it at the store. But, after the 90 days and through the first year you basically return it To Target who then sends it in to whomever your products manufacturer is. Or you can just skip them altogether and send it yourself under Microsoft's 1 year warranty. For the remaining 2 years, they will attempt to repair it, if it is not repairable they send you a Target Gift card in the amount of your original purchase, thus fulfilling the warranty.

[pinata242]

Just more of the same, but with the funny bit about Microsoft running out of these boxes.

http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/06/anecdotal-microsoft-low-on-xbox-360-coffins/
...so, we have the story of Officer Craig Ravitch of the New York Police Department.

Officer Ravitch discovered last Friday that his Xbox 360 died on him in a classic New York "You gotta' be frickin' kidding me!" moment. He loves his Xbox 360, it's his "favorite system," but the "constant breaking down is amazing" to him. He called Microsoft, as he's done three times before. This next console will be his fourth since the 360 launch. He bought the $60 two-year warranty after his last failure and also received a 50% repair discount after arguing the last time. Microsoft support told him he'd have his box by Tuesday. After not receiving a confirmation that this Xbox 360 coffin was sent (which he received the last time he did this), he decided to call support again. They informed him his box wasn't sent because "the service department is running very low on boxes, so it will take a little longer than expected to get that box" out to him. Ravitch was shocked. Is Microsoft getting back so many defective systems that they don't have a fresh supply of coffins anymore?

We spoke with Officer Ravitch, who has a 26,000 point Gamerscore and buys about four games a month, and he told us, "As a consumer, I'm extremely, extremely disappointed with the way these consoles are dying. I don't have small children, I'm married, I get my three hours of gaming in when I can." He points out that the time he's lost in the back and fourth transit of his Xbox 360 has cost him three months of Xbox Live and he's thankful that he bought the warranty last time around, despite it being an unnecessary expense. Ravitch was mostly concerned that Microsoft is running low on coffins and now his repair has been delayed by a full week. Ravitch says, "I hate to badmouth the 360, its one of my favorite systems, but this burns me."

[McHawkson]

:lol: "Xbox 360 coffin" that's a great name! Maybe that explained why it took them little longer to send me the coffin.

[Mopower]

Don't you get a free month of XBOX Live after you get your 360 back from repair? I did. So really it hasn't cost him anything in regards to Xbox Live.

[xmiyux]

Don't you get a free month of XBOX Live after you get your 360 back from repair? I did. So really it hasn't cost him anything in regards to Xbox Live.

From what i have seen this is somewhat uncommon. I know i didn't get anything when mine came back to me.

[taffer]

They must be getting shitloads of broken 360s back if they are running out of cardboard boxes. :lol: -ohbfrank-

I hope the Xbox720 is better quality and fully backward compatible because at this rate, 2 years after the 720 launches there probably won't be a single working 360 left.

[Michael Corvin]

Don't you get a free month of XBOX Live after you get your 360 back from repair? I did. So really it hasn't cost him anything in regards to Xbox Live.

I called back and specifically asked for a month after my second 360 died. Total I've been without my system for two months. I was asking for one back. No go. They wouldn't budge.

[Mopower]

From what i have seen this is somewhat uncommon. I know i didn't get anything when mine came back to me.


That's weird. The guy I talked to said they would give me a free month and then when I got my system back it came with a Live Card. Of course he was also "so surprised" I was having problems with my 360. So who knows.

[McHawkson]

I got the free month Live when I first sent in (last month) without request. :shrug:

[msdmoney]

I just got my 360 back, well I actually I got two 360's back. Somehow they sent me two 360's. Both boxes had the same generic letter, I will have to try and figure this out later.

[Brewc]

Trade one for a Wii or PS3

[tbird2340]

I called back and specifically asked for a month after my second 360 died. Total I've been without my system for two months. I was asking for one back. No go. They wouldn't budge.


Wow.. I didn't even think of that. We paid for THEIR service but can only use said service with THEIR product.. So you called them and was tough with them to get a free month and they said no? Man.. Total BS.

Oh, and mine broke on the 20th and that's when I called.. It's the 7th and I still don't have it back yet. They received it Monday at 9:00 AM. I called them Tuesday to see what the status was. She said I need to give them 8-10 business days! -eek-

[Fincher Fan]

I'm still without an X-Box! Suck it, Microsoft!

[Mr. Music]

I'm still without an X-Box! Suck it, Microsoft!

Uhmmm... then wouldn't it actually be Microsoft telling you to suck it?

[Fincher Fan]

Your logic has no place here, Mr. Music, if in fact that is your real name.

[Mr. Music]

Shhhh..... don't tell everyone my secret....

No one saw..... no one saw....... -pray-

[McHawkson]

Now I'm not impressed with their service and even they lied to me on the phone. I called to check the status and it turned out they claimed that they "received" my cripple box on 6/8 - but according to my UPS tracking that they received it on 6/4.

So, it has been over a month since I reported the problem. -rolleyes-

[tbird2340]

Finally got mine back today (but UPS tried to deliver it yesterday)..

Called May 20th
Received June 11th

Total = 22 days.. Yea, just a hair over the 10 days! :rolleyes:

They did, however, include a one month Live card..

[Save Ferris]

Thats pretty bad. Id be pissed off at MS for trying to pass this off as decent customer service.

You cant treat consumers like this and expect to beat sony once they get their act together.

[KurrptSenate]

well, when we and everyone else keeps putting up with it, I'd hardly a deturrent for them

[tbird2340]

well, when we and everyone else keeps putting up with it, I'd hardly a deturrent for them

What do you recommend we do? ... out of curiosity...

[KurrptSenate]

hahaha

more people complaining, doing the online petition thing, refusing to pay for content we get for free


not really sure. They keep releasing titles that fly off the shelves so it's hard to motivate them to change their policy AGAIN after they recently did. I'm not sure what caused them to change their policy, but something along those same lines definitely sounds like a decent idea

[Save Ferris]

these fuckers cant get away with it. Give MS an inch and they'll take a mile. They're a big enough company that they COULD pay to make sure this kind of thing doesnt happen but instead its a huge cover up. If this console was a food product, MS would be sued into oblivion.

[tbird2340]

these fuckers cant get away with it. Give MS an inch and they'll take a mile. They're a big enough company that they COULD pay to make sure this kind of thing doesnt happen but instead its a huge cover up. If this console was a food product, MS would be sued into oblivion.

Dude.. Are you Dr Jekyll / Mr. Hyde?? All through this thread you were basically saying no sweat off your sac (Cable Guy) if your Xbox breaks, you have a warranty, reliability is last on your list, it's not a luxury car etc... Now you're acting like it's total BS and that you're furious about it.. Which is it?

[KurrptSenate]

I completely agree

yet I still bought Forza 2, which was consequently eaten by the 360. Thankfully, the microfiber cloth in my newly purchased pair of sunglasses brought the game back, but for how long?

[Save Ferris]

Dude.. Are you Dr Jekyll / Mr. Hyde?? All through this thread you were basically saying no sweat off your sac (Cable Guy) if your Xbox breaks, you have a warranty, reliability is last on your list, it's not a luxury car etc... Now you're acting like it's total BS and that you're furious about it.. Which is it?

im trying to say im sorry.


I promised you 10 days and i feel let down for ya!

[McHawkson]

I don't think you have let anyone down. It's Microsoft that lets everyone down.

[Save Ferris]

yeah. I just regret being casual about it. Just because my experience was fine, doesnt mean it is for others.

I am still glad MS is losing money with each rebuild. Maybe they'll listen to that more than any of us.

[McHawkson]

Well, at first time I sent in, the service were pretty fast, I got the replacement 360 within 2 weeks. But now this time, it took much longer.

[Josh H]

What do you recommend we do? ... out of curiosity...

I've just not bought one, with a large part of the reason being the failure rate.

As I said many times in the thread no, purchase from me without at least a $100 price drop and some assurances that they either put the new chips/fans in and that they solve the problem, or that they have figured out how to fix them so if you have to send it in the one you get back should be good to go.

[Save Ferris]

Its a shame but some things still make a lot of sense to buy the extra insurance (warranty) with

[Josh H]

Its a shame but some things still make a lot of sense to buy the extra insurance (warranty) with

True, and I'll get one whenever I buy a 360. I'm just not willing to shell out $450 for the premium and warranty and the hassle of probably having it break at least once.

A price drop, and some hints that the problem under control will make it more reasonable for me.

[Giantrobo]

Muthah Fuckah! Looks like I'm sending my 360 in. :lol:

My video problem is apparently more serious than I thought. I took back one set of HD cables and bought another set. Well this time the optical cable fit, unlike on the other set, but there's still no video. So the 360 turns on fine and I can hear all the audio but there's no picture at all.

Looks like I won't have any video game fun for a month or 2. Bitches....

[McHawkson]

That's EXACTLY I had problem with 360 video and it's in shop right now.

[Giantrobo]

That's EXACTLY I had problem with 360 video and it's in shop right now.

Wow. This sucks. :lol:

[MetalGator311]

Well, I'm one of those "no" votes. It's a launch shipment 360 that I've been using since Xmas.

Semi-off topic, today I took in an Xbox1 to EB that has had off and on boot up problems for 2 years. It made an awful "cha-chunk ca-chunk ca-chunk" noise on some boot ups. Strangely enough letting it sit for 2 weeks seemed to fix the problem. Try to use it 3 days in a row, it wouldn't boot to the dash or off of a game.

[taffer]

Looks like I won't have any video game fun for a month or 2. Bitches....

Think of the positive. It is better it happened now rather than in the fall when all the good games like Mass Effect, Bioshock, Assassin's Creed, etc are out. :)

[Save Ferris]

call them every day robo until they send the coffin to you. just politely check up on them--serious!

[Michael Corvin]

Muthah Fuckah! Looks like I'm sending my 360 in. :lol:

My video problem is apparently more serious than I thought. I took back one set of HD cables and bought another set. Well this time the optical cable fit, unlike on the other set, but there's still no video. So the 360 turns on fine and I can hear all the audio but there's no picture at all.

Looks like I won't have any video game fun for a month or 2. Bitches....

Sorry to hear that, but from what you described it was exactly what happened to me, albeit mine went within 30 minutes of having the video problems not days.

[Giantrobo]

Sorry to hear that, but from what you described it was exactly what happened to me, albeit mine went within 30 minutes of having the video problems not days.


Yeah I think you said you got the red rings right? Mine is still working fine jsut no video. Since I'm sending it in I might as well get the rings at this point because just my luck, I won't get the rings until I get it back.

--

Good advice Save Ferris :up:

--

Yeah I hear you Taffer. But I'm having Lost Planet withdrawls. :(:lol:

[Michael Corvin]

So you can still hear sound but can't see anything? That is different.

[McHawkson]

Yeah, video went dead, the console still running - no red ring of death. When I called them and request the coffin, they questionized me like I'm guilty. :hscratch:

[Save Ferris]

Good advice Save Ferris :up:



It seems like they do their procrastinating on the front end. Every time I called there was something wrong that would have delayed it. Calling. verifying. correcting, quite a few times until i got my coffin. then it was smooth sailing.

[Michael Corvin]

There was a report last week that they were running low on 'coffins' which causes a delay.

[KurrptSenate]

why does that sound absolutely hilarious to me?

[RVP]

I called once, decided I didn't want to be on hold every day so I didn't call again. I got my box in 6 days. So my experience so far hasn't been all bad. Now hopefully I can get it back in a couple weeks.

[Mopower]

Confirmed: MS conducting hardcore turning on ROD Xbox 360's - Extra Cooling!

Just yesterday we reported on how French Xbox 360's were being repaired by Microsoft with extra cooling. And today, Czech reader Ikari mailed us in pictures of his newly repaired Xbox 360 from Microsoft complete with some hardcore turning and of course extra cooling power!




http://www.maxconsole.net/?mode=news&newsid=17870

Who wants to be the first to break their warranty and crack there newly fixed 360 open to see if theirs is like this? I'm not! :)

[KurrptSenate]

well, i heard one of the problems with the heat is that it heats up a solder point, and it loses connection


apparently people were turning on their 360 with it being wrapped in a hot towel to reheat the solder. After it cooled, I guess some people were having luck with their consoles, as the solder point would make contact again, etc etc.

[Fincher Fan]

I'm still waiting for mine. :(

[porieux]

This poor thread is being Hinkled into submission.... ;)

rotfl

[DVDKrayzie]

I finally got around to calling them back today to fix my box (4th one that died) since it was out of warranty and wasn't sure if I wanted to pay the $100 again and after complaining about it being the 4th one, they are fixing it free (1 month out of the year warranty). I was nice but sounded extremely frustrated and finally got them to not charge me. Don't give up. They start at like $139 , offer to do it for $25% off, then 50% and then I guess free. No supervisor or anything either, so just a regular rep has the power to knock $$ off.

[Thor Simpson]

4th system that died? Man this thread is a concern for me thinking about buying one of these, even with a warranty. I can wait a few months and hopefully they get things fixed up. I won't have a lot of time to play before September any way.

[porieux]

Make sure to buy at Costco and you are safe. Well except for losing marketplace downloads. Beware of that.

[spainlinx0]

I really want to get one, but you guys have scared me away. Well, I also don't want to pay $60 a game so I should be thanking MS for turning me off their system.

[Fincher Fan]

Yeah but for people I know personally the odds are better with a 360. With the 3 people I know with a PS3, all of them have died with one receiving a dead replacement as well. He got his money back and is sticking with his 360. I think these consoles are just starting to get too complicated for their own good.

[McHawkson]

Just called them and my replacement II box is shipped out today.

That replacement better be in perfect health for rest of my life! :mad2:

[fumanstan]

Confirmed: MS conducting hardcore turning on ROD Xbox 360's - Extra Cooling!

Just yesterday we reported on how French Xbox 360's were being repaired by Microsoft with extra cooling. And today, Czech reader Ikari mailed us in pictures of his newly repaired Xbox 360 from Microsoft complete with some hardcore turning and of course extra cooling power!




http://www.maxconsole.net/?mode=news&newsid=17870

Who wants to be the first to break their warranty and crack there newly fixed 360 open to see if theirs is like this? I'm not! :)

Anyone have some pictures of the old cooling mechanism? I'm kinda curious.

The big test will be to see how of these people that have returned them for the 3rd or 4th time have trouble again.

[JaxComet]

I have a launch day unit and have never had any trouble. Granted I probably don't play as much as some people here. I haven't used it much in the last 3 months or so.