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Can Gamers Stop Worrying About Red Ring?
By Kris Graft
February 16, 2009
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"What it comes down to is isolating and figuring out the issue, fixing the issue, and the more that we can fix the issue, and know it's fixed, then we're good going forward."
Along with all of the commercial and critical software hits of the Xbox 360, Xbox Live's innovations in online, and Microsoft's successes against more established videogame hardware makers, the ugly blemish staining those accomplishments will be the defect known as the "Red Ring of Death."
To Microsoft's credit, though, after a period of denial, the company made substantial, fiscally painful moves to help remedy the hardware-killing issues that are alerted through three flashing red lights on the face of the console. Notably, Microsoft admitted in July 2007 "an unacceptable number of repairs" that had to be done to Xbox 360s, subsequently earmarking around $1.1 billion to cover the cost of an extended warranty good for three years for "RROD"-afflicted systems.
But when consumers send in consoles for RROD-related repairs these days, what kinds of fixes does Microsoft implement, and will gamers just end up sending back "fixed" Xbox 360s to be patched up a few months down the line? Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg hopes that will not be the case. "We've improved that [repair] process," he says, declining to get into specifics. "It's very quick, and they may upgrade your system with the latest technology. So that works really well.
"...What we do in general, the way that it works, is that they will fix it with the latest [hardware] improvements that we've applied [to current Xbox 360s]. Obviously we're continuously improving the technology inside the box, not to get too technical. So they'll apply that when they make the increments to your system."
As with many consumer electronics, and certainly videogame consoles, hardware makers make continuous improvements to hardware, most not outwardly visible. By updating a console with, for example, cooler-running components or reducing the number of internal parts, the changes not only benefit gamers, but also cut costs. The Xbox 360 is no exception, as the latest hardware revision, codenamed "Jasper," reportedly hit the market late last year.
However, there have been past reports of "refurbished" Xbox 360s failing multiple times after being sent in for repair. A report by Venture Beat's Dean Takahashi chronicled one Xbox fan who had gone through four refurbishes, while one can find any number of unsubstantiated claims by forum-goers who have likewise cycled through multiple Xbox 360s.
Greenberg claims such problems should soon be a thing of the past. "We're seeing great performance of the current systems, so we're really happy with the way they've been performing. ... From friends that have had [repairs] done as of late, I can tell you from our own internal staff that we're seeing very strong performance from a quality standpoint.
"What it comes down to is isolating and figuring out the issue, fixing the issue, and the more that we can fix the issue, and know it's fixed, then we're good going forward. We've put the worst behind us on this, but we know there are a few lagging systems, and so we want to take those and make it right."
So what are the exact hardware updates that apparently find their way into fixed Xbox 360s? Following standard practice, Greenberg says he can't reveal the exact specifications that are applied to today's fixed Xbox 360s because Microsoft's "attorneys would not allow me to say that."
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Copyright 2006 - 2009 Future Publishing Limited, Beauford Court 30 Monmouth Street Bath, UK BA1 2BW
England and Wales company registration number 2008885
A report by Venture Beat's Dean Takahashi chronicled one Xbox fan who had gone through four refurbishes. http://www.crazypurchase.com
so if i send my xbox now will it be fixed and will they change the hardware and update my system?
Personally ... I do not think Gamers can stop worrying about it. I have lost 2 systems in the last year from it, and It costs me $100.00 to have it fixed each time because the so called warrenty ran out ... If I had not invested so much money into it all already ... I would more than likely switch to a different system. My family now wants the new system that is supposed to be released on March 13th, with RE 5, but for $399.99 I really do not think I want to buy it to have it quit on me and cost me another $100.00 that I really do not want to have to spend on repairing a system that cost me over $400.00 to buy in the first place. I paid over $600.00 for the first system I bought and had to pay another $100.00 to have it fixed!! I think there is something seriously wrong with this issue!!
In a Microsoft World you can never stop worrying about anything
No fanboy flame wars please. :)
If you feel yourself getting a bit worked up over yet another 360 vs PS3 debate, then relax, watch this video, and realise both the 360 and PS3 are great until the Wii steps in spoils the fun. :)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=e_ztH2Sfb5c
@ Dubs FT
I just had a look through your posting history, DubsFT. A cracking read I have to admit. Almost every single post you have made is violently anti-Microsoft. You don’t miss the slightest, most tenuous opportunity to spout bile about the 360.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, sure, but I’m starting to think you have nothing but obtuse anti-Microsoft-isms to offer. A one-trick pony if you will. A feral one.
So I’m curious, why so bitter? I don’t know what everyone else thinks but this smacks of some serious repressed trauma. Ex-employee perhaps? Mac employee? My God, are you Gary Kindall??
@SaintJude, nicely done there... I have had a look through your posting history, majority of which is the Killzone 2 thread and this one, one of them is negative comments, one of them is possitive, can we guess which one is which.
You claim to have a PS3 that has been "gathering dust", on which I call bulls**t, because every other XBox fanboy on the internet claims the same thing, and mainly because if you had a PS3 I'm sure that by now you would have played some of the exclusive games library, if not, and you genuinly do have one, you should probably check out some of the games, as there are some absolute Gems, for both consoles. Just because you claim something on the internet doesn't mean everyone will believe it to be true.
Every other one of your posts is leaping blindly into the defense of MS in such an over the top, excessive way, I would have to ask, why are you so defensive of them, do you have their child, are you a current employee, were you abused by Sony or Apple goods as a child?... See, we can all play that game!
I have a 360, but I still don't like the fact that Microsoft have managed to worm their way into the Games Console market, as I fear they will destroy it! Nearly anybody that works in the software industry (not just games) has a very good reason for being concerned by this. Closed Ensemble studios, lay-offs in rare... Rare FFS! You tell me why a lot of people don't like them as a company, it's all about the bottom line for them and nothing else matters.
The 360 has some excellent games, the HW was massivly faulty on release, and it has taken them far too long to resolve this issue. It doesn't matter how many times you use the words "1 billion", "PS2 Drive" and "Warranty", it simply isn't acceptable, if you can't see that, then welcome to true fanboy status.
I'm not saying anybody else is right, but before youget up on your high horse about other peoples post, you might want to remember we can all see your's too.
I’m glad you can look through my history, I’ve only posted a handful of times though I’ve been a member for a while. That’s right I decided to post in defence of Microsoft because I think the RROD issue has been talked to death and exacerbated by the vocal minority. Yes, it is bad unacceptable even, agreed, but my original point was that they seem to have fixed it and learnt their lesson from the money they lost over it. Something which DubsFT seems to have trouble understanding.
Admittedly I am fond of Edge and their, quasi-pretentious ways which is why you will see me defending them when it is reasonable.
Yes perhaps I’ve neglected the retarded(affectionate) love-child of my past admiration for Sony and an unexpected pay check – my bloody expensive PS3. I did only buy it for the exclusives, that and my guilty secret – F1CE. But once those exclusives have been played to death (F1 is finally multi-platform, Heavy Rain is a way off, FF is multi-platform) – there is nothing to keep me coming back to the PS3. Hence the dust gathering. That said, when it comes to my spare time I am extremely selfish and would never let some idiotic sense of ‘loyalty’ to a brand stop me from enjoying computer games. It’s the reason I own all 3 platforms and the reason faboy-ism really gets on my nerves.
Please don’t put me in the same boat as our DubsFT. The word ‘fanboy’ gets bandied about a lot and I don’t like to use it but wouldn’t you say he’s a little single minded?
I too have been on here for quite a long time, I just don't comment all that often, I read the magazine every month... which I'm probably going to stop doing I think, and no, not due to any reviews, but because all of the news on here now seems to be recycled rubbish printed to raise a reaction. Its a shame to see this happen to what was IMO one of the most respected British mags in the industry.
Fair enough on the single mided comment, but I'm sorry, your posts read as bad if not worse.
As I said you claim to have all 3 consoles but claim your PS3 is gathering dust, yet anyone that owns a PS3 or even doesn't (as per some of my firends) and has played a PS3 (and isn't a 360 obsessed convert) wouldn't deny that there are just as many great exclusive games for the PS3 as the 360.
Cold fact is from all your posts, the only clue that I would have that you weren't a 360 only gamer, or 360+wii gamer is because you claim to have a PS3 that is "gathering dust".
"That said, when it comes to my spare time I am extremely selfish and would never let some idiotic sense of ‘loyalty’ to a brand stop me from enjoying computer games. It’s the reason I own all 3 platforms and the reason faboy-ism really gets on my nerves."
But then -
"Absolutely right! Though I imagine I'd have to actually dust mine off and use it for it to have a chance of breaking down. I guess it will remain 100%, rock-solid-reliable until Heavy Rain's comes out."
So I don't get it, how long has your PS3 been gathering dust? Is Heavy Rain the only game you're interested in? You know that Sony have a huge number of 1st Party Devs compared to the others?
I do find it bizarre though that you say you're only replying because you're fed up of people going on about RROD, but you yourself are still citing the 1 1/2 year old comment about PS3 not having any games, which IS actually resolved. Irony.
i would go into more detail about which games I'm talking about, but I doubt you'd pay the blindest bit of difference. I like the games on all 3 consoles at the moment, okay, I prefer the PS3 HW for reliability, home entertainment value etc.
I also don't like Microsoft as a company and don't like the idea of them getting into the Games Industry as i said earlier, but I'm not gonna stop them, they have so much money nobody will!
Let me clarify my point. My PS3 is gathering dust because the exclusive games do not appeal to me enough to warrant a purchase. This isn’t an absolute comment, I do play it albeit rarely. My comment about dusting it off was clearly an exaggeration to make a sarcastic point. Also the multi-platform games like Far Cry 2, Fallout 3, FEAR et al all tend to fare better graphically on the 360 (not baiting here, just an opinion).
If you intend to nit-pick my comments to somehow conclusively prove that I am Bill Gates’s bastard son and have never seen a Playstation then be my guest, just leave me out of it. Short of inviting you to my house and shoving my Sixaxis in your hands I cannot prove I have a PS3 as much as you can’t disprove it. And that would be uncomfortable for both of us, what with all the Halo 3 posters on my walls…
As for Microsoft, why don’t you like the idea of them getting into the business? Clearly they aren’t up to creating a monopoly there too, are they? I think the Xbox and the resurgent Nintendo and obviously Sony are doing a brilliant job of keeping everyone honest through healthy competition. Without the Xbox you would have the Wii and PS3 – essentially chalk and cheese. And I wouldn’t like the games industry in the hands of one company – it’s dangerous. It is competition that has given us the recent glut of quality games, nothing else.
[Who the hell]
Yes I know I have nothing to do with this whole situation but I read your post and the issue regarding fan-boys and I agree.
I too think that the term gets thrown around a little too much and its a term that people really need to look at and further think about before using.
I grew up with Nintendo consoles and therefore became somewhat bias towards their brand. However in my videogame maturing I've been able to factor it [my fan-boyism] down and apply thought more logicaly when it comes to games.
Personally I would never own all three consoles because the content and style of games available for each platform feels all too similar. Yes their are titles that do deviate and offer something that the other platform doesn't (Flower for the PS3 is one such title) yet I just don't feel that there is enough difference to warrant a purchase of both consoles (360 and PS3) well not yet anyway.
Clearly, one DOESN'T need to be Gary Kindall to dislike Microsoft; one just needs some semblance of a clue coupled with at least a vague awareness of their long, extensively documented and discussed history of choosing to conduct themselves across myriad markets like a huge collection of assholes.
What to me is much, MUCH harder to understand is the psychology of Microsoft fanboys, those who feel that the company needs defending from its detractors. I mentioned this already in another comment, but it really seems to me like the digital equivalent of Stockholm syndrome.
When it's genuine, that is. What's YOUR story, SaintJude? Why do you so readily leap to Microsoft's defense? What on EARTH have they done for you lately?
(It's "DubsTF," by the way, not "Dubs FT.")
Sorry to butt in, I just had to say one thing. I don't see any difference between the 360 "fanboys" and the PS3 "fanboys" who defend their console of choice. Yes, there's people who throw fits and are overly aggressive, but there are also people who try to reply intelligently and objectively for the sake of a friendly debate. The latter I see no problem with and wouldn't consider those people anything more than gamers who enjoy discussing their hobby with fellow gamers as opposed to obvious MS employees or rabid fanboys jumping at any opportunity to blindly defend their console with no regard for truth or objectivism. Just my thoughts.
Sorry DubsTF, didn't intentionally misspell your name.
I agree that Microsoft's practices have a long shady past. That's common knowledge. Take Kindall even. If this was a discussion of OSs, I'd promptly get banned for excessive swearing and Bill Gates death threats.
The reason I felt the need to defend the 360 is quite simple. It has provided me with the best entertainment so far this generation. I'd just as easily defend Sony if I felt they were being unreasonably criticised. Also, I'm at work and extremely bored.
Shame about our tiff, another time, another place we could have been friends.
Ah, no worries homie. For what it's worth, I own all three consoles, too, and I buy multi-platform games mostly for the 360 because I prefer their controller.
See you in the thread under the next Greenberg story! Like I said in my original comment, I'm sure it won't be a long wait.
Looking foward our next puerile encounter.
...the digital equivalent of Stockholm syndrome...
Not even that sophisticated, I suspect: something more like reassurance and envy. The latter would explain why most fanboy fisticuffs tend to cluster around platform exclusives, with each side trying to out-sour-grapes the other. Which is also why this was quite funny: http://sexyvideogameland.blogspot.com/2009/02/je-regrete.html
You don't have to be Gary Kindall to dislike Microsoft. You just have to experience using their products. Let' s start with Windows : ridiculously buggy, constantly needing updates and service packs and always playing catch-up to the elegant Macintosh OS. Only now they're implementing in Windows Vista features that have been in Mac OSX for a long time now . Microsoft Office: so unintuitive and a nightmare to use; commands are nested deep into menus and submenus ; what a nightmare. Zune: so obsolete in looks in features. And now Microsoft is working on a touch screen interface similar to what Apple has already perfected in their ipod and iphones and laptops. And I won't mention anything about Xbox except: "Off-the-shelf parts stuffed into a white box" . Honestly, do they really think it's that easy to put together a game console without any problems. Xbox is their frankenstein. Now it's gonna rip their freakin heads off.
Only now, I think Bill Gates has included EDGE among his charity donors so, you'll probably read nothing of this sort of things in this magazine.
Well put. Good to know I'm not the only wondering why Microsoft gets a free ride around here.
My warranty ran ou and I got a RROD. Nearly threw it away, but then I started reading about the X-Clamp fix. Apparently the board overheats and starts curbing so the GPU looses its connection to it.
Bought a set of new screws for 5 euros. Took an hour to put them in. Then I had to overheat my 360 for 12 minutes to tighten the screws (nervewrecking!!!). But then voila: It works like a charm again.
2 360s dead and counting + 2 PS3s dead and counting. I live in Japan and both companies took around 10 days from home pick-up to repair and home delivery... Although Microsoft fixed my elite for free while Sony charged me 15,000 yen...
awww, here's a napkin... (hands over napkin)
Good luck finding an on line experience as good as Xbox Live with your PS3. I just got the RROD on my console for the second time. Yes, it sucks, but you have to admire Microsoft for the quick and fairly hassle free resolution. You can't expect that your electonics will never fail, but you can expect most companies to turn a deaf ear when you call in to get help with a failed device. I would much rather continue to buy from a company like Microsoft that openly addresses issues and makes a substantial, $1b+ effort to rectify them. It's a shame some dolts out there like to attack MS just because they've been so successful for so long.
You really have to admire companies that make exploding cars, then after enough people explode, they do a recall and after some pressure, agree to refund the people's money who bought the exploding cars to start with...all the while selling MORE exploding cars and taking a full two years to transition to nonexploding cars.
Yeah, those are the people I admire most. They do so much good in the world.
Brian
www.brianwoods.com
Yes, it sucks, but you have to admire Microsoft for the quick and fairly hassle free resolution.
Excuse me? I have to what? WHO has to admire Microsoft?? And for what, exactly??? It amazes me how you or anyone else can imagine that Microsoft, in opting to spend some of their QUABILLIONS of dollars on a "hassle free resolution" when confronted with RRoD failure on a massive scale, had YOU the end user or anything resembling your best interests in mind. You live in a dreamworld!
a company like Microsoft that openly addresses issues
*snort* *chortle*
It's a shame some dolts out there like to attack MS just because they've been so successful for so long.
Oh yes THAT'S why, thanks for reminding me: because they're so successful. Right.
hassle free? wait what? whaaa? The whole hardware IS the hassle.
Admire? I think I'll pass....
Yeah, I'm worried b/c I've never had any issues w/my 360 and have owned it since 10/07 (bought it for Mass Effect). At any rate, I'm wondering if I will get the RROD and if so, will it occur within that 3 yr timeframe. I would like Jasper components but I'm more than content with a fully-functioning original console. At any rate, it appears that MS has addressed this issue.
I know what you're saying bud, mines fairly new so not a problem, but my friend is in the same boat, his original 360 is nearing 3 years old and hasn't RROD yet, he's worrying that it'll do it just outside the warranty period.
I've being trying to convince him to wrap it in a towell and turn it on for a while, but suprisingly he's not keen on the idea. -lol-
LOL i know a few gamers who have had other hardware issues ( worn transport ) outside their 1 year warranty but in the 3 year , and a towel came in very handy !
Firstly, I can't believe the amount of people on here that are saying things like, oh, it's only £99 just buy another one... why? Are you really that stupid!? There's something called a warranty, if you would rather spend another £99 of your hard earned (or as I suspect is the case, your parents hard-earned) you really do need to see someone.
Secondly, Comparing the PS2 drive failure to the 360 RROD is pointless and silly, they are no-where near the same scale, and if you want to argue that, just look up the failure rates, there is no comparison, the 360 drive sometimes scratches disks fails too, this is on about the same par, and the 360 warranty does not cover it.
My 360 has not failed yet, but I haven't had it that long, plus because I got a PS3 first, it doesn't get used as much, but if it does I will not like the rest of you brain washed think that "It's fine because they gave me a warranty", I will not be impressed because mine is a later system and 3 years is plenty of time to have resolved this issue. Talk about blinded people/
Oh, and has anybody noticed the fact that Edge seems to be reporting on everything and anything that will get fanboy hits and flame wars going recently. Goodbye Edge my old friend, it is a shame to see what was one of the few decent UK magazines end up this way! :(
And yes, I do see the Irony in putting that on the bottom of my post. :)
I am honestly shocked that two years after admitting to problems with the 360 that the problems should be over "soon." For a billion dollars the problems should have been over a few months after you admitted there was a problem.
Oy, oy, oy.
Brian
www.brianwoods.com
Just buy a PS3 and save yourself a lot of hassle. End of.
I agree to a certain extent as you would miss out on the 360 exclusives.
After having my 2 year old 360 RROD on me in December, I now have a policy of buying all my multi format games on PS3.
"On February 16th pswi60_2nd_account said: New
I think Microsoft has done a decent job of turning this thing around. I know that my original Xbox 360 still freezes up from time to time, and I get nervous because I think it's getting the RROD, but it still works great. It froze up on me twice while playing Gears yesterday and I thought for sure it was done, and perhaps sometime in the future it will shit the bed."
LMFAO!! Shit the bed is such a perfect description of what happens with RROD!
1. You're all relaxed and comfy in your bed about to have a great dreamfilled sleep...
1. You're all pleased with your 360, games, achievements & loving Xbox Live...
2. As you roll over you feel hot squidgy substance under the covers= SHIT THE BED!!
2. One day you turn on your 360 and are ready to play your fave game= RROD!!
Anyhoo, I had one RROD before they had announceed the free fix and had to replace it. Now my 360 Drive can't read any discs which is not a fault covered by the free fix!! Anyone know how to make the 360 RROD deliberately so I can get a replacement for free??
WTF - take a hammer to ur old 360, then buy a new one for £99 in sainsburys.... and u get a free game so the console only costs £60. Thats a great deal IMO
Just a suggestion, but try the towel trick (wrap your 360 in a towel and leave it on for 15 mins), i know it's usually used as a fix for the RRoD but it never lasts and as overheating seems to be at least part of the cause, and your 360 isn't working anyway, it's got to be worth a go!
1/ There still are a number of RRod problems
...BUT the problems are addressed
1/ with garantees
2/ with improved hardware ,
....no need to put that in question.
and yes sadly...
ppl are still finding reasons to complain .. these are
1./ just "moaners"
2./ "Sony fanboys" ...(vast majority)
Should it been so bad Ms would never sold as much until now.
im sure that Sony would gladly change position this with... I subscribe all the defaults MS has.
Conclusion Rrod is small talk. Has had no or very limited impact on Ms sales. It just feeds the fanboys.
@atomicplayboy
On what basis can you say that youll never buy again..?
Who can argue with logic like that?
I appreciate that MS are apparently doing everything they can to address these hardware issues, but I'm still going to be a bit nervous while playing games on my 360. I just recently got it back from RRODing on me about 3 weeks ago and according to the enclosed letter they had replaced the Motherboard inside. I wasn't about to open the thing to find out, but the power button certainly felt different and, well, the console was working again. Then it RRODed on me again last Sunday.
Was the replacement Motherboard an old one? Is it some other defective component? Is the latest hardware still unreliable? Was I just damn unlucky? Who knows. Needless to say, I wasn't too impressed, though when I saw the 3 red lights it was freakin' hilarious.
Hopefully the next repair will keep it going for... oh, another year at least? I think I can put up with sending something off for repair once a year, but I fear it's going to get costly, depending on what goes defective (my 360 has previously suffered from a DVD Drive issue which was more expensive to fix than I wanted).
So it bothers me less than it would most people, but I still agree with everyone that this shouldn't have ever happened in the first place. At least I haven't had to buy a whole new console, which seems to be a solution other customers are happy to use.
In direct response to the title of the article though... no. Gamers shouldn't stop worrying about RROD yet.
Did you not read the article? GREENBERG SAYS IT'S OVER. And if that still didn't convince you, SaintJude will be along any minute to wave the magic $1 BILLION number at you. "Case closed!"
Where exactly does he say it's over???
"...we're good going forward. We've put the worst behind us..." pretty much sums it up, wouldn't you say? GREENBERG HAS SPOKEN.
Uh... No.
The fact that articles like this are still doing the rounds, and that I know people (or people who know people) that have had multiple RROD s on new/ repaired units means there's still 'no sale' from this gamer. Unbeliveable that a company can get away with this...and no, Gears of War 1 and 2 do not make me want to join the hordes of gamers saying 'but the 360's library makes it all worth it'.
My PS3's burgeoning library and rock solid reliability means this isn't even a source of the mildest frustration either. This year's gaming selection from Sony means I have precisely zero reason to gamble on dicey hardware. Maybe next gen' Msoft, but not this time around....
“unbelievable that a company can get away with this…”. I’m not sure what you mean by that, they’ve already spent $1 billion. Are you asking for blood, maybe for Microsoft to stop production and give up on the industry because of RRoD? Yes, it’s unfortunate, but the consoles are repaired for free, shipped for free, you don’t even have buy a box from the post office.
As for the hordes, well, they are a horde because it is popular opinion – 360 has a good library. Conversely, my PS3 is gathering dust under my TV. As much as I want to justify the price I paid for it by playing it relentlessly, I just can’t find any reason to do so.
When I read the “unbelievable that a company can get away with this…” comment I immediately think of gamers who put up with it and continue to support a platform that does this. Sure Microsoft has put away $1billion to deal with this but shouldn't a recall or something more dire have been performed?
I had a friend message me saying that Microsoft has "us" by the balls. I asked why and he responded that although the machine may red ring (he was on his 3rd), they have the games that keep us coming back. It was at that point I disagreed with him. No company has me by the balls. I don't care how good the software is. I own all systems and I have made the PS3 my default system for all multi-platform games because I don't have to worry about the console dying on me. How they get away with it is by users going out to purchase second or back-up consoles. Would you buy a TV that is notoriously known for having issues such as this? Would you be ok with having to ship any other electronic device off to get it repaired constantly? Would you seriously put up with this with any other device? No? Then why put up with it now?
No justification needed here, and no playing relentlessly on any platform either...just normal regular enjoyment gleaned from a well-provided-for games console and Blu-Ray player. It had its quiet time, or should I say it saw more use as a PS2 game upscaler than a PS3 games playing machine for a few months, but everyone knows those fallow days are long gone. You can't argue that it has no AAA games out now or due iminently.
Yes, it was expensive, but the dust wipes off with a dry cloth, the same as with any brand of console. I never dusted my PS2 relentlessly either, and that was pretty well provided for. ;)
No way I could justify spending less money on a machine that's always threatening to go belly up (and that goes for all machines...not just consoles) because of a couple of exclusives and a lower price point. And that must be a pretty popular opinion too, or the 360 would be walking away with this generation, instead of enjoying a slight lead given to it by a year's head start.
WTF the 360 costs £99 in the UK. It could break every month and I would still buy a new one. Hardcore fans appreciate what MS did by getting the 'machine to market' quick. Screw any quality assurance u just buy a new £99 Arcade when it busts.
Theres no point trying to repair the melted machines either. I'd rather MS sent out a replica brute gravity hammer to smash the core when it busts . Or u can boot it out ur 1st floor window (u need to remove the hard drive first - for ur new machine)
Feel a bit sorry for all those people who bought an "elite" for £329 though. That was a genuwine rip-off with a 1 in 3 failure rate. Still... if the cash filters through to MS game studios so Remedy can have 6 more months on Alan Wake - I dont really care.
I find it more offensive that u can buy MGS4 for £19 but the bloomin PS3 still costs £399. WTF are Sony playing at. U need a PS3 for £129 WITHOUT the blu-ray & shitty pirates of the carribbean movie bundle.
Its a tribute to how good the 360's games library is that users are willing to accept this. Lets not forget that the past 2 generation winners both had horrendous hardware defects, upside down ps1's and skippy / defective dvd drives in ps2's. MS's customer service is also far better than sony's, i remember having to pay out of my own pocket to return a ps1.
I had the same experience with both the PS1 and PS2, having to replace both at my own expense within a year or two of purchase because of faulty (CD/DVD) drives. At least when i got the RRoD Microsoft replaced the system for free. It amazes me how short PS3 fanboy memories are when they hold up Sony as some sort of shining example of reliability, lets hope for their sake that the increasing number of reported PS3 Blu-Ray drive problems doesn't become an epidemic.