• 13Jun 08

  360 Frustration MGS4 PS3 Today

  Well folks,I love my 360,but I've had enough.This is not to say that I won't still be playing it,because it will still be my primary source of gaming,especially because of the great online service.I have sent it into repair so often as of late, that I've just decided to go out and buy the 80 GB PlayStation 3, bundled with my all time favorite game.....Metal Gear Solid 4. Maybe now,when I finally do get my 360 back,it will have time to receive that much needed air it so desperately needs.You see,while I'm playing my PS3,my 360 will get to rest.Maybe then it will last longer.
  • Posted Jun 13, 2008 2:36 pm PT
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• 21May 08

  My 360 Dead: Failure Rate For Xbox 360 Is A Whopping 16%

  Well, last night I was playing an enjoyable co-op game, a Ubisoft title I might add, although my wisdom has prevailed and I am not going to blame the game for what happened next. I was a little over an hour into the game and suddenly everything froze, then those 3 dreaded Red Lights. I cant say that I didn't see it coming (refer to previous blog) but I am now seeing a bit of red myself. You see,I am a collector of many things,especially anything from the gaming industry,so I really take good care of my 360.

  I really love my Xbox 360, therefore would never want to discourage anyone from purchasing one. Their are so many great games for this platform that its hard not to like it. I just cant help but wonder if Microsoft will ever truly resolve this overheating issue. I have heard so many rumors about 45nm chips that will apparently help keep it cooler,but when ?

  As of Feb 13 2008 the gaming site 1up.com got its hands on a survey from Square Trade, a firm that sells warranties for various consumer electronics. The company took a thousand claims it received and compiled statistics about relative gaming console failure rates. The PlayStation 3 and the Wii had a mere failure rate of three percent, which is fairly standard when it comes to your average electronic gadget. The Xbox 360, however, compiled a failure rate of 16.4 percent. Square Trade also claimed that 60% of those failure rates were due to the dreaded Red Ring Of Death. Now 1UP.com has noted that the estimates of actual Xbox 360 failure rates seem to be varied, with some guessing that about a third of all 360 consoles end up breaking down. The biggest joke of all, is that Microsoft had initially claimed the failure rate was a only 3%. Former Xbox exec Peter Moore later called the hardware failure rates "a moving target." Microsoft obviously had no choice but to extend the warranties to three years, taking a whopping 1 billion dollar loss in the process.

  My biggest concern is that I send my 360 back in for repair, then 3 to 6 months down the road I have this same issue to deal with all over again. I have heard that once your 360 suffers this RROD fate, even when its repaired, you will eventually have to deal with it again. Look folks, I realize that every product has some sort of failure rate, but 16% (probably much higher) that's absolutely absurd !! I applaud Microsoft for extending the warranties, but how long is it going to take before they can put this overheating issue to rest. I am now about to be on my third Xbox 360 and I am fuming with anger. In my opinion, Microsoft has been extremely nebulous from the very start with regards to these RROD issues. I also believe that the "design" of the 360 has much to do with the overheating issues, therefore, it won't be until the next, next generation Xbox that this issue will hopefully be put to rest.

  So all of you a 360 owners who have not been through what I and so..o..o many others have,some words of caution. First,don't assume it will not happen to you.Second, take extra precautions and keep it in a well venilated area.Third,consider keeping a small fan blowing on it. Fourth,unplug it after every use. Funny,I rarely ever played as much as the average gamer does,therefore,my 360 wasn't even on that often, and it still overheated. I had my console in a well venilated area.I even dusted it off before and after every use. I had my second 360 for two years.I thought for sure that if something bad were to happen,it would have happened a long time ago. Boy was I ever wrong.

  I really despise owners who I have seen on sites like utube.com, who say that if your system overheats, its because you were foolish and didn't take care of it properly. Believe me people,there are some real issues with this platform, so don't be fooled into thinking that your out of the woods just because you haven't had a problem yet. Bottom-line,I would recommend the Xbox 360 to everyone,regardless of the hardware issues. Its a great gaming platform with a phenomenal online gaming service and a ton of great games, just don't expect it to last forever.

  • Posted May 21, 2008 2:52 am PT
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• 17May 08

  Symptoms? Four Red Reasons To Be Concerned.

  I really enjoy my Xbox 360, yet I am starting to have some real concerns. One example would be that my fan is "always" in high gear, even when I am simply surfing the dash-board. The other concern is that my games seem to be freezing up more often than not. The ironic part about these game-freezing woes is that they seem to be happening more often when I have a Ubisoft title in my tray. I was hosting a co-op session of Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 the other evening with a friend and suddenly....bam, game freeze plus console freeze. I had to literally take the game out,shut down and re-start my console (disconnecting me from live) in order to get it to function properly again. The most concerning issue with that particular re-start, was that when I finally got my console initially back up and running again, it was with a fuzzy red and greenish screen....then poof, the screen goes back to its original clarity. Just a simple glitch ? You tell me.

  I have also had game freeze problems with the Rainbow Six Vegas one/two series, both Ubisoft titles as well. I once had a problem with my first Xbox 360 that had nothing to do with the Red Ring Of Death. Microsoft resolved that issue by replacing it. My biggest fear now is that my 360 is on the brink of oblivion. I currently have it in a well ventilated area. I have read complaints, via a google search regarding the combination of Ubisoft titles along with the Xbox 360 and these game freezing issues. Could this all be nothing but a precarious chain of events ? Or am I just trying to configure my brain to that old adage of wishful thinking ? Is it just a matter of time before I have to face the Dreaded Red Ring Of Death ? I purchased my 360 on day one. My RROD warranty runs out in November 08. I want to believe all is well and that I am simply suffering from a mild case of paranoia, yet something just doesn't feel right. Do I have those dreaded four red reasons to be concerned ? Any input would be most helpful.

  • Posted May 17, 2008 3:01 pm PT
  • Category: Games
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