sauceMicrosoft facing US$1.15bn Xbox 360 repair bill
By Tom Sanders, 9 July 2007 07:27 AEST Consumer Electronics
Software giant admits there are 11.6 million faulty consoles, which it will have to fix.
Microsoft has admitted that every one of the 11.6 million Xbox 360 consoles sold in the past 19 months suffers from a design flaw that could cause the device to fail.
The firm will extend the warranty coverage from one to three years to compensate consumers, but does not plan to instate a recall or exchange programme.
Microsoft gaming chief Robbie Bach claimed in a conference call with financial analysts that the design issues surfaced recently.
"In the past couple of months we started to see significant increases in repair requests and call requests and significant attention from people," he said.
Microsoft did not disclose the exact nature of the problems, but said that it had made the necessary design changes and that units currently in stock will be upgraded.
The extended warranty period is limited to hardware failures indicated by three flashing red lights on the console. Users of consoles suffering from such problems are entitled to free repairs and shipping.
Microsoft estimated that the repairs will cost the company US$1.05bn to US$1.15bn, spilt evenly between the higher than expected return rates for existing consoles under the one-year warranty, and future returns under the extended warranty period.
Xbox 360 defect rate: 100%
- Stormwatch
- DCEmu Fan
- Posts: 2090
- https://www.artistsworkshop.eu/meble-kuchenne-na-wymiar-warszawa-gdzie-zamowic/
- Joined: Thu Jul 04, 2002 11:55 pm
- Location: Brazil
- Has thanked: 0
- Been thanked: 0
- Contact:
Xbox 360 defect rate: 100%
Lines join in faint discord and the Stormwatch brews
. . a concert of Kings as the white sea snaps
. . at the heels of a soft prayer
. . whispered
. . a concert of Kings as the white sea snaps
. . at the heels of a soft prayer
. . whispered
-
- DCEmu Super Poster
- Posts: 1237
- Joined: Tue May 25, 2004 3:09 pm
- Location: Here
- Has thanked: 0
- Been thanked: 0
Re: Xbox 360 defect rate: 100%
The fact that MS clearly had a manufacturing problem and set aside that money is old news. The only thing new in this article is the "spin of 100%" added by the publisher.
The figures I've seen of about 25%-30% seem to be on the money. I'm not trying to completely defend MS. Even that defect rate is unacceptable, but I doubt that 100% figure. I think the only reason they took out that much is they probably really don't know what went wrong. All of this seems to be hit and miss with regard to when the machine was built other than the anecdotal stories out on the net. I know some people with launch consoles that haven't had problems. One symptom that seems to be a warning sign is how hot the box is getting. Discs that come out too hot to handle can't be a good thing. Mine or others that I've known without issues have discs that are barely lukewarm even after many hours of playing (of course, this is simply another anecdotal account!).
The figures I've seen of about 25%-30% seem to be on the money. I'm not trying to completely defend MS. Even that defect rate is unacceptable, but I doubt that 100% figure. I think the only reason they took out that much is they probably really don't know what went wrong. All of this seems to be hit and miss with regard to when the machine was built other than the anecdotal stories out on the net. I know some people with launch consoles that haven't had problems. One symptom that seems to be a warning sign is how hot the box is getting. Discs that come out too hot to handle can't be a good thing. Mine or others that I've known without issues have discs that are barely lukewarm even after many hours of playing (of course, this is simply another anecdotal account!).
- mrandyk
- DCEmu Mega Poster
- Posts: 1629
- Joined: Thu Sep 01, 2005 8:31 pm
- Location: Stalking
- Has thanked: 0
- Been thanked: 0
Re: Xbox 360 defect rate: 100%
I feel much safer about buying a 360 now, so many are defective it is just pathetic that I was afraid to get one.
-
- Janitor 2nd Class
- Posts: 9018
- Joined: Wed Oct 17, 2001 7:44 pm
- Location: Chesapeake, Ohio
- Has thanked: 0
- Been thanked: 0
Re: Xbox 360 defect rate: 100%
That would put my system in that category. There was one time I went to turn it on and it had 4 flashing red lights. I immediately called xbox tech support figuring it was this problem. Turns out it was just my AV cable had come unplugged slightly and it was causing it to flash the red lights. Yea I felt stupid but relieved at the same time.
Wii number: 1227 6854 1080 3665
- Smiley
- DCEmu Ultra Fan
- Posts: 3071
- Joined: Wed Jan 26, 2005 9:31 pm
- Location: For British Eyes Only...
- Has thanked: 0
- Been thanked: 0
Re: Xbox 360 defect rate: 100%
The one that I got during this past christmas has been working flawlessly for me. Of course, since I've really gotten into the wii, I haven't played it that much either.
Re: Xbox 360 defect rate: 100%
When you think about it, weren't original Xboxes very accident prone as well? Almost everyone I know has an Xbox with a dead Thompson drive.
-
- DCEmu User with No Life
- Posts: 3641
- Joined: Sat Feb 16, 2002 1:55 pm
- Has thanked: 0
- Been thanked: 0
Re: Xbox 360 defect rate: 100%
I don't know that the Thomson drives are more prone to death than others, but their compatibility with write-once CD formats and rewritable DVD formats is terrible; it's an odd combination, but that's how it is. It's been my experience that Thomson stuff in general (sold in the US under the RCA brand) is pretty mediocre even when it works correctly...
"You know, I have a great, wonderful, really original method of teaching antitrust law, and it kept 80 percent of the students awake. They learned things. It was fabulous." -- Justice Stephen Breyer
- Disheveled DrFreeze
- DCEmu Mega Fan
- Posts: 2896
- Joined: Tue Feb 24, 2004 10:23 am
- Has thanked: 0
- Been thanked: 0
Re: Xbox 360 defect rate: 100%
my original xbox has a thompson drive, and i fricking hate itEx-Cyber wrote:I don't know that the Thomson drives are more prone to death than others, but their compatibility with write-once CD formats and rewritable DVD formats is terrible; it's an odd combination, but that's how it is. It's been my experience that Thomson stuff in general (sold in the US under the RCA brand) is pretty mediocre even when it works correctly...
about 1.5 year after buying it, it started even having trouble with completely new games, that is one of the reasons i havent gotten past level one in ninja gaiden (that and the fact i totally suck at NG)
my 360 has been a good little unit so far, but if this one is gonna die on me time just out of warrantee, then ill be off M$ shit for the next decade or so
DrFreeze, thinking outside the box since 1985
DrFreeze, licensed road terror since 2006
DrFreeze, Sun Certified Java Programmer since 2007
DrFreeze, licensed road terror since 2006
DrFreeze, Sun Certified Java Programmer since 2007
- Calavera
- DCEmu Classic User
- Posts: 4225
- Joined: Sat Aug 03, 2002 3:51 pm
- Location: Calacera County
- Has thanked: 0
- Been thanked: 2 times
Re: Xbox 360 defect rate: 100%
My 1996 Playstation disagrees.Gmc wrote:Meh, optical drives will always be a problem.
- Hawq
- Soul Sold for DCEmu
- Posts: 7817
- Joined: Sat Jan 05, 2002 1:43 pm
- Location: Great Britain
- Has thanked: 0
- Been thanked: 0
- Contact:
Re: Xbox 360 defect rate: 100%
The Samsung's tendency to randomly eject itself & not stay closed or open as the machine shuts down is also an annoyance, takes a good 5-10 minutes to get the damn thing to stay shut to play a dvd or game sometimesDew wrote:When you think about it, weren't original Xboxes very accident prone as well? Almost everyone I know has an Xbox with a dead Thompson drive.
theres no-one else to blameThe Prisoner - Makes NGE's ending look almost intelligible.
Bored? figure out where the above lines from. Answers