Rings of Red

[vazel]

lol I love the title of this article, "Microsoft low on Xbox 360 coffins".

For the most part, we've given up on reporting every single time one of our colleagues in the gaming press has an Xbox 360 die on them. Frankly, we'd be writing a piece every couple weeks. A brilliant recent example was the Weekly Geek Show's Xbox 360, which we covered, died again in late May. Exactly one month and six days after being "repaired." But, like Peter Moore asked of all of us, we shouldn't focus on the failure rate of Xbox 360s, but on the service in repairing them. And 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."

http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/06/anecdotal-microsoft-low-on-xbox-360-coffins/

 

[LogisticX]

That's another thing that bothers me. It's not just that the 360's break, but its the time and hassle it creates.

Back when my PSone broke down, MGS was just coming out, and it drove me insane to have to wait to play that game until I got it back. It just feels like it'd be very frustrating if it would happen to me again and again.

 

[mech]

Yeah.. on top of the $90 extended warranty I had to buy and the $10 shipping I had to cough up, my 360 died just as the Halo 3 beta hit. So not fair

Clearly Tommy has no issue with the notion that there are people who are having / have had issues with faulty units, obviously he has issue with the enourmous numbers that are being pulled out of thin air.

He says he doesn't believe people are on their 3rd, 4th, 5th Xbox 360 or whatever... the people who are up to that number 360 probably have an issue with him saying they're pulling numbers out of thin air

I don't think anyone's mentioned any specifics numbers in this thread other than that there are a LOT of issues, because no one has specific numbers.

But it's certainly not just a "few vocal whiny bags", and saying so does the people having problems a disservice...

 

[AzBat]

He says he doesn't believe people are on their 3rd, 4th, 5th Xbox 360 or whatever... the people who are up to that number 360 probably have an issue with him saying they're pulling numbers out of thin air

Please don't put words in my mouth. I never said I didn't believe people have had more than one unit go bad on them. I just thought it was strange that it was happening over and over again to the same individuals. In my experience(and I've done computer tech support for years) it sounds like user error or environmental issues. I also never said THEY were pulling numbers out of thin air. Dave made that comment since he realized I was tired of debating your complete unintelligent opinion on how many Xbox 360 units are defective. You're the one pulling numbers out of thin air.

But it's certainly not just a "few vocal whiny bags", and saying so does the people having problems a disservice...

It is few compared to the millions not having problems. However, your comments can also be seen as a disservice to Microsoft since you assert that over half of all Xbox 360 units are defective. Pot meet kettle.

Tommy McClain

 

[mech]

Dave made that comment since he realized I was tired of debating your complete unintelligent opinion on how many Xbox 360 units are defective. You're the one pulling numbers out of thin air.

We wouldn't even be having this conversation if you hadn't been so rude to people who ARE having problems and saying they're just spreading FUD. And here you go again, calling my opinion "complete unintelligent" (whatever that means ;-))

As I clarified about my guess at the majority having problems:

I'm not just talking about rings of death in terms of defects, and I'm including refurbished / repaired 360s. Also that's just my guess, I have no hard numbers.

On the boards I go to and out of my friends that have 360s, it really does appear that over half have had issues of some description. Not just talking about simple freeze-ups either (which could be software based).

Maybe I'm off, but I wouldn't say way off - even the most ardent Xbox 360 defender on one of the boards I go to has admitted a full 1/3 of his friends with 360s have had them die. Pretty woeful.

It is few compared to the millions not having problems. However, your comments can also be seen as a disservice to Microsoft since you assert that over half of all Xbox 360 units are defective. Pot meet kettle.

Now who's making up numbers?

 

[redrzewski]

I'll be on my 4th. Launch 360 died that feb. "Fixed" one didn't output VGA. Second replacement worked until a couple weeks ago. The coffin arrived yesterday.

The down time is tough. Especially since no one rents them. I think MS should have an option at least to send you a loaner immediately while you're waiting for repairs.

 

[-tkf-]

It just tells us that Microsoft is pissing people off by skimping on replacement units.

The arrogance required to do such a thing is staggering, Microsoft must be aware of these problems there must be some explanation that makes sense

 

[-tkf-]

It is few compared to the millions not having problems.

Well if 8 million people have problems with their XBOX 360 that would still leave millions not having any problems, right?

I think a 360 that last 4-5 years would be a rare thing.

 

[NighTGhosT78]

Rare? ...i think only Tom Cruise's Mission Impossible 360 can lasts all that time.
For now, my first 360 on night one (night launch in europe) died the same night, never turned on displayin' the ring of death immediatly after the first connection.
The replacement lasted until 3 weeks ago and now i've my third.
The only thing is that europeans like me are more lucky for the laws that we have for electronics : minimum 2 years of warranty.

But i'm quite sure that if MS can't find a final solution for all this breaks, there will be a popular insurrection here.

 

[pipo]

For now, my first 360 on night one (night launch in europe) died the same night, never turned on displayin' the ring of death immediatly after the first connection.

Had the exact same thing. Disconnected and reconnected the HDD, never had a problem since.

(yn)

 

[NighTGhosT78]

Had the exact same thing. Disconnected and reconnected the HDD, never had a problem since.

(yn)

And that wasn't my case cause ring of death displayed with and without the HD in the same exact way. The carton box were not damaged in any way so i suppose it was a defective born 360 (it happens).
What scared me is what happened the next months....an increasingly impressive number of defective consoles. Without considering all the web polls around and taking good only the data recovered by all my friends around the world, i really never seen since 360 a gaming console with this break ratio in my life...and i started playin' at 5 with a Zx Sinclair Spectrum 48k with tape player and a Colecovision. I know that the last technologies are more delicate and subject to breaks, but this ratio is maybe outside the worst previsions. It's overtaking by far the PS2 break ratio that was the worst before 360.

 

[pipo]

I think we all agree MS did the worst job ever when it comes to refurbs.

Look at it from the bright side: I'm sure the next hardware from them will be rock solid.

 

[NighTGhosT78]

I think we all agree MS did the worst job ever when it comes to refurbs.

Look at it from the bright side: I'm sure the next hardware from them will be rock solid.

Yes but what i'm asking myself now is.....how many players that had 2...3...4... or more breaks and substitutions will buy the next MS console with closed eyes.
I mean i was happy with the first xbox ( 0 breaks...unit since launch) so i preordered the 360 premium months before the release.

I think that neither if MS next console will play the best games evah seen i'll buy it without checking the breaks factor.
The only way i know to teach to manufacturers what they can and cannot do is by touching their "magic button"......the button with $ printed on it.

 

[infinity4]

so we can say breakdown is spontaneous once it occurs??? do microsoft fix the console or swap with other consoles if one breaks down???

 

[AlphaWolf]

so we can say breakdown is spontaneous once it occurs??? do microsoft fix the console or swap with other consoles if one breaks down???

Depends where you live. In Canada, all units sent for repair are replaced with new units.

 

[pipo]

Depends where you live. In Canada, all units sent for repair are replaced with new units.

Perhaps this is common practice now?

 

[Pugger]

In the UK you get refurb models, I should I have had 4 of them soon to be my 5th. Stuck in Forza for the first time last night played my first race with the 207RS and boom blank screen. Switched the console on and off and the console stalled on boot up, the 360 logo going pixalted, then the dreaded 3 lights. This morning it did work again although it stalled again on Dirt and the DVD drive refuses to open on most occasions. I will see if I get a new one this time.

Chuffed off big time now though

 

[pipo]

Ouch.

 

[Pugger]

Even better news they have told me I have to pay £85 for the repairs (although you do get 1 years warranty). Problem I have with this is that although I did buy the 360 on launch day and of course that is way outside its warranty period I have never had a console longer than 9 months. My original last 6 months my second a couple of days the 3rd one lasted 3 months and this one 9 months. Really chuffed off now.

 

[Anvil]

Depends where you live. In Canada, all units sent for repair are replaced with new units.

Not true. I am in Canada and I got a refurb back after sending it in for repair (system freezing a few minutes into any game). I sent a machine in that was built in 2006 and got a refurb back that was built in 2005.

Needless to say I do not have it any longer as I pointed out to Futureshop where I bought the extended warranty that they guaranteed I would get a new unit if the one I bought ever broke down. They fought me a bit on the issue but in the end I got a new unit (the Elite in fact where I paid the 30 dollars difference).