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XBox (Games)

MS Responds To 360 Glitches 137

Chris_Yates writes "Microsoft has responded to the complaints of angry gamers popping up on the internet. As expected, they claim it is a very small percentage of Xbox 360 owners that are experiencing a problem. The main question remains, though, what kind of support will those unfortunate few receive? Molly O'Donnell says, 'It's unfortunate and it's important that we get working consoles for those few people who are having problems. We want to get them playing and happy and buying games!' An ABC article states: 'They'll be playing again in three to five days...'"
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MS Responds To 360 Glitches

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  • Wait (Score:1, Troll)

    by Gilzors ( 933257 )
    Let me get this straight. People paid like 300 bucks for a 360, and they don't even work right sometimes? Its seems like they were just trying to be the first next generation console out even if it was unfinished.
    • Re:Wait (Score:3, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward
      A few were bad. Just like PSPs and PS2's and original Xboxes.

      Microsoft will fix them, sucks to be that guy or girl though.

      Life goes on, and as much as I don't want an Xbox360, this is hardly news.

      We might as well comment on how a huge number of people travel during the holidays.
    • this happens with most console.. even the dreamcast was the same. but.. its just amusing its m$ again.
  • No Biggie (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Dubpal ( 860472 ) * on Thursday November 24, 2005 @09:03AM (#14107345) Homepage
    I highly doubt this is going to effect sales to any degree Microsoft should be concerned with.

    This is exactly the same type of thing that happened after both the PSP launch and in particular the iPod Nano launch with the faulty screens/susceptible to scratching fiasco. A few months on and it's still a more desirable item than ever.

  • by Winterblink ( 575267 ) on Thursday November 24, 2005 @09:09AM (#14107361) Homepage
    There was a fellow on the XBox360 forums who posted this link [gamespot.com] to a Gamespot forum post about a guy fixing his problems by getting his powersupply brick off the ground. Could this problem be due to poor cooling of that brick?

    Most people probably heeded Microsoft's advice after people scoffed at the size of the thing - put it back behind your sofa or TV. But it could be that the lack of proper ventilation is causing this problem, which doesn't seem to be as "isolated" as Microsoft is saying. From what I've been reading on various forums around the net it's a higher percentage than one would expect.
    • by Jarlsberg ( 643324 ) on Thursday November 24, 2005 @09:13AM (#14107372) Journal
      From what I've been reading on various forums around the net it's a higher percentage than one would expect.

      You can't possibly estimate a percentage based on reading forums on the net. Seriously. :)

      • On Slashdot, you can estimate the degree of something bad about Microsoft by simply looking at the folds in the palm of your hand.

      • by Paul Slocum ( 598127 ) on Thursday November 24, 2005 @09:38AM (#14107441) Homepage Journal
        Some of the forums like this one [teamxbox.com] have posts from people who have spoken to MS tech support, and xbox support said the incidents are much higher than expected and replacements won't be available until at least January. They also confirmed that most problems are due to overheating.
        • by Anonymous Coward
          They also confirmed that most problems are due to overheating

          Am I the only one who is surprised that they're having overheating problems? I mean, it's not unexpected that the system produces enough heat to fry an egg, most systems with a multi-core processor and a new graphics card does this, but you'd think that this would be the primary 'engineering' concern when designing the case. Did Microsoft ignore engineering concerns or did they not see this as a problem? Are there other issues which will eventuall
        • Ah, tech support reps. Such an infallible and reliable source of information.
        • replacements won't be available until at least January

          That cannot be right. Microsoft have repeatedly stated (and frequently been critised for) that they are spreading the available consoles over several weeks/months, rather than releasing them all at launch, then having a couple of months before any more are available. Unless the failure rate is so incredibly high (over half of the consoles) that any given console may have to be repeatedly replaced before they find one that works, replacements should be fa

          • That cannot be right. Microsoft have repeatedly stated (and frequently been critised for) that they are spreading the available consoles over several weeks/months, rather than releasing them all at launch, then having a couple of months before any more are available.

            Really? Where did Microsoft state that? Not rumor-mongering, but an actual Microsoft statement. Oh, that's right. They didn't. The "intentional shortage" rumor is just that -- a rumor. The reality is that Microsoft only has so much man

    • "Do you have evidence to support your claim?"
      "The best kind, it's called, anecdotal"
      • Well, I make no claims that this is surely what's going on, I merely pose it as a possible problem and solution that I found out there. :) It could work, or it could just be a clever ploy by someone to get everyone putting their powerbricks on their 360 boxes. Either way, it's worth at least trying by the folks out there who are having problems, in case it IS the issue. That way maybe they can have a bit more information handy when phoning Microsoft's tech support.
      • CTRL + ALT + DELETE

        I agree with other posters... Xbox360 errors are indeed caused bye bad Design...
    • Every single story I have read has mentioned the same guy, who "can't even finish a single lap in Project Gotham 3."

      I've read at least 5 stories. All using the same person as their example.

      I'm not saying that it is NOT a widespread problem, but can't they come up with a few more examples?

      I didn't get a 360 on launch day (too far back in line) and my wife told me this morning that TONS of people were having problems. She read about it. (My wife knows very little about this stuff...only that I wanted one.)
  • by EvilDonut ( 164879 ) on Thursday November 24, 2005 @09:17AM (#14107386)
    The main question remains, though, what kind of support will those unfortunate few receive? Molly O'Donnell says, 'It's unfortunate and it's important that we get working consoles for those few people who are having problems. We want to get them playing and happy and buying games!'

    Actually no, the main question does not remain. It gets a straight answer: Those few who have problems with their Xbox will get a new one. It's pretty simple really.

    Why is FUD like this allowed to get through?
    • Good point! It seems that in the tech community anti *nix FUD gets tons of coverage, and then anti-ms FUD gets propegated... Now, dont get me wrong, i'm not an ms fanboy (i'm nobody's fanboy) but i can safely say that this one is as obvious as the parent makes it out to be. cmon slashdot!
    • Amen.

      I bought mine at launch, and it works great. The power supply is cool, and the air out the back of the console is warm at most. The fans will sometimes sound like the thing is going to start flying, but what do you expect?

      I have two friends who bought them, and they're working great as well.

      I've been reading a lot at the Xbox.com Forums, and people are doing some pretty stupid things. They're placing the console on the carpet, with the power brick right behind it. They're enclosing it in a ti

      • The PSP problem was an inherent design problem that was done more or less intentionally. The problem existed in *all* PSPs, and I think still might. When confronted, they claimed that the offset was not only fine, but shonldn't have been questioned.

        They deserved a bunch of crap not only for the problem, but for the attitude they displayed when confronted with it.
      • by lubricated ( 49106 ) <michalp&gmail,com> on Thursday November 24, 2005 @01:29PM (#14108442)
        If my dvd player couldn't sit on top of my reciever and inside my smallish cabinet I would return it. If it made a ton of noise I would return it. Why does is an xbox supposed to get any leeway.

        You know my nes, snes, ps1, and ps2 had no trouble with any of the configurations that people mention make the 360 crash. Technology has come a long way, don't tell me that modern equipment should be expected to be worse. That's bullshit, and if it means I don't get a next gen console for a good long time then so be it.

        I'm hoping people are more like me and won't put up with substandard shit then like you and take mediocrity as it comes. $400 is too much to spend for bullshit.
        • Dude I so agree with you. Substandard shit should not be tolerated, especially at a $400 price tag.

          The 8bit NES did require massive dust cleaning to get the games to work. People were willing to tolerate it in the 80s because of the monopoly of dominent games. Xbox or 360 does not have that dominance. Not even close.

          By today's standard, errors and blue screens just aren't acceptable on consoles. This is not PC hardware with a thousand drivers that is interchangable. This is 1 set of chips in a box.
          • It's not substandard. It is exactly standard. The Xbox 360 pumps out as much heat as you would expect from any system running 3 x 3.2GHz processors (and GPU). This IS a PC, that by your very definition, is a bunch of very advanced, very hot chips in a box.

            You want the heat characteristics of an NES? You also get the graphics and performance of an NES.

            You want the performance and graphics of a state of the art PC gaming rig? You get the heat characteristics of a state of the art PC gaming rig.

            You put a bo

            • You want the performance and graphics of a state of the art PC gaming rig? You get the heat characteristics of a state of the art PC gaming rig.


              The X-Box isn't sold as a PC gaming rig, which takes some know-how as to the care of computers. It's sold as a consumer appliance. It's a toy. The nature of the product implies it should be plug-and-play and at least as reliable as any other component in an entertainment center.

              You put a box with the heat characteristics of a PC gaming rig in a small cabinet? You
          • The 8bit NES did require massive dust cleaning to get the games to work.

            Not out of the box. And in a nonsmoking, pet-free, toddler-free house, not for years afterwards.

        • Although MS gave the 360 a small form factor for more versatile placement, you could still give it extra room to let it breath. If your big-screen TV recommended placing it a few inches from the wall for ventilation would you ignore that too? Even some PS1s and PS2s had overheating problems. I've witnessed PS1s that would skip during video playback from heat but play smoothly after placing books under two edges so the middle was more exposed. You simply can't expect anymore to cram 5 to 10 times as much
        • Somehow I get the feeling your DVD player doesn't run at multiple GHz either.
        • My PS2 is much louder than my X360. And plenty of people did have their PS2's die when they put in tiny places with no ventilation. I don't understand what people expect MS to do - should they somehow surpass the laws of physics? Extremely powerful hardware runs hot. It's not some great hardship to give the X360 a little space and don't put the power supply right next to it (the cable is so long it would actually be more trouble to do that anyway). It fits perfectly well in my entertainment center.
      • by Anonymous Coward
        I've been reading a lot at the Xbox.com Forums, and people are doing some pretty stupid things. They're placing the console on the carpet, with the power brick right behind it. They're enclosing it in a tiny hutch, again with the power brick. One person had stacked it on top of their reciever, which we all know gets pretty warm.

        Do you consider ANY of your listed "stupid" things as being out of the ordinary?

        Placing a game console, inside an entertainment unit, wow, totally unexpected. I mean who on earth cou
        • So.... it's okay for you to change the way you play games by buying a new game system... a change you want.

          But it's not okay for you to live with the new constraint that the latest technology needs better cooling than the technology from 4 years ago.

          You're welcome to avoid change any time you like. You can pick up NES's for quite cheap on Ebay, I understand.

          Personally I'm looking forward to all the benefits of the next era of technology, even if I might have to adjust the way I arrange my equipment a litt
          • by Anonymous Coward
            The point of the comment, is that NONE of the "stupid" usage patterns described by the poster I replied to are in any way unusual, unexpected, or out of the ordinary. In fact, they can all be described as typical.

            Perhaps if the 360 had shipped with a cryogenic chamber for the power unit, consumers would have expected that there might be a heating problem. How would a consumer guess that we had just entered the age where technology and room temperature could not co-exist? BTW, have you seen any of the "fixes
      • A consumer electronics product that crashes (or burns) depending on its physical position and spacial orientation in a living-room, you call that a commenting galore?
  • by Miros ( 734652 ) * on Thursday November 24, 2005 @09:19AM (#14107390)
    Whatever the problem is you can be sure that microsoft is going to make it right for those who have expierienced a defect. Dont forget, they lose money on every xbox. They want you to buy the games, and they want you to get your friends to buy xboxes. Allowing defective units to remain in the world is not something microsoft will do. They will either offer a software patch (if it's a software glitch), a replacement part via mailin (if it's the brick) or they will just replace the unit. At the very least i'm sure they're all under warrenty.


    Microsoft's objective with this console is to snatch up as much market share as possible from its rivals (one of the reasons it will be priced lower in japan). The console market is like the car market. Getting market share is the most important aspect of the business, and it's also one of the hardest. Sony hasent made it easy for microsoft either, but with the second gen consoles (now that people know the xbox 1 wasnt a flop, like so many other "recent" consoles have been) Microsoft has a real opportunity to sieze an even larger share and you can bet your breakfast that they're doing their best to take advantage of it.
    • now that people know the xbox 1 wasnt a flop, like so many other "recent" consoles have been

      Maybe here in North America it was not a flop, but it was in Japan. They have to pander to the Japanese cause they have no where to go but up in that market. It's sad to say, but the anti-xbox fanboys here have nothing on the ones in Japan.

    • It sounds like Microsoft isn't prepared to just send out new systems though. They will try to repair them first. Regardless of Microsoft's definition of "immediately", it will still take at least 48 hours to ship consoles to and from consumers.

      O'Donnell urged anyone with Xbox problems to call 1-800-4myXbox or go to http://www.xbox.com./ [www.xbox.com] If the problems can't be immediately resolved, Microsoft will pay to ship the console overnight to a repair center, overnight it back once it's fixed, or ship a replace
    • Dont forget, they lose money on every xbox. They want you to buy the games, and they want you to get your friends to buy xboxes.

      Maybe they just want people to buy games.
  • by Great_Geek ( 237841 ) on Thursday November 24, 2005 @10:04AM (#14107534)
    Clearly, Microsoft expected a lot of problems - this is why they so severely restricted supply. The beta test will last a few weeks, then the supply will be cranked up when the 360 goes RTM.
  • by Generic Guy ( 678542 ) on Thursday November 24, 2005 @10:05AM (#14107535)

    There seems to be varying power supplies, and you can even tell the difference from slight alterations of shape and color. It is shaping up that the 'bad' Xbox units seem to (at least partially) be because of bad PSUs. I know I've had flakey PCs because of rickety PSUs.

    There was a posting on xbox-scene from a group who managed to get two of the pre-ordered Xbox units. Getting back home, they hooked up all the cables and power and viola -- bad Xbox 360. So they opened the other box, leaving all the existing plugs and wires into the TV and all in place, put the new XBox unit on the existing wires and viola -- bad Xbox 360. (They admit they were freaked that they may have had *two* broken Xbox 360s out of the gate.) The 'other' PSU made the Xbox work fine, even when tested on both console units. They mention there are slight variations in the two PSU designed.

    So, it really appears that one of Microsofts PSU suppliers screwed up. With multiple PSU suppliers, It would also help explain why some people complain their XBox 360 is "loud" or has a lot of "fan noise" and others claim it is pretty quiet. This may not explain away every Xbox360 problem, but it sure seems reasonable.

    • by dbhankins ( 688931 ) on Thursday November 24, 2005 @10:35AM (#14107628)
      That group got a viola with each XBox? Wow! I wonder if Microsoft will pay for the music lessons...
    • So, it really appears that one of Microsofts PSU suppliers screwed up.

      The most important reason why I avoid any Microsoft-products when possible is that whenever there are problems, it's never Microsoft's fault.

      And instead of fixing the problem, Microsoft (plus fanboys) start to play the blame-game and fingerpointing.

      I don't care whose fault it is.

      Maybe some PSU supplier screwed up, however it's Microsoft's oblitgation to do the quality-control of the end-product, so they should have never shipped t

      • The most important reason why I avoid any Microsoft-products when possible is that whenever there are problems, it's never Microsoft's fault.
        And instead of fixing the problem, Microsoft (plus fanboys) start to play the blame-game and fingerpointing.

        As the original poster (OP), I'm certainly no MS fanboy. This early Xbox-2 or 260 or 360 or 480 or whatever it is hasn't garnered much interest for me, except for some amusement factor at the release problems.
        However, a PSU problem while stupid and frustrati

        • Yeah, I think that most if not all the 360s work, and the only problem that so many people had problems with their xboxes was because of a bad/faulty PSU.
          I also don't think that this is MSFT's problem... (there goes my karma)
          Imagine an assembly line, where people test the xboxes. Every station has a tv controller power supply, and when a xbox comes to the tester, he/she plugs it in and makes sure it works then puts it back in the assembly line and the xbox gets boxed. In the box, there is a defective power
          • Re:Testing (Score:3, Insightful)

            by RoLi ( 141856 )
            I also don't think that this is MSFT's problem [because it's the PSU's problem]

            OK, please explain which parts of the package which clearly has the "Microsoft"-label on it are "Microsoft's problem" and which aren't.

            There is absolutely no way that microsoft could test the PSU chealy

            Actually it's trivial to test PSUs. That technology is decades old. Also there would be no need to test it with an XBox360, you just test wether it fits specifications (Voltage, Amps - just 2 parameters, there are few devices

        • As the original poster (OP), I'm certainly no MS fanboy. This early Xbox-2 or 260 or 360 or 480 or whatever it is hasn't garnered much interest for me, except for some amusement factor at the release problems. However, a PSU problem while stupid and frustrating for early adopters it doesn't necessarily take away from the actual 360 design. In fact, the external PSU in this case may be a boon for MS, because its much easier to replace than taking the entire console apart.

          First of all, I find it kind of har

  • by Doctor Crumb ( 737936 ) on Thursday November 24, 2005 @10:11AM (#14107545) Homepage
    "It's what you would expect with a consumer electronics instrument of this complexity .... Par for the course."

    Can you imagine Panasonic or Toshiba using that excuse regarding a stereo? No. These are consumer-grade electronics, which should Just Work. Bugginess is par for the course in computers because Microsoft has convinced people of that; they are apparently trying to do the same with consumer electronics. If someone's stereo kept rebooting/hanging in the first 2 days that they got it, and they heard about other people having the same problem, widespread or not, they would go get a different brand.
    • Tell that to the thousands of people who had defective PS2's throughout the lifetime of the console.

      Or the people who got dead pixels on their PSP. Or their new Dell LCD flat screen.

      I could go on and on, but the point still stands, this isn't the 80's, where companies actually gave two shits about build quality. If you get a piece of consumer electronics that lasts any reasonable amount of time these days, you're very very lucky.

      Do I like it? No. But don't blame Microsoft, blame the electronics in

      • It's true that my friend's PS2 was always buggy. But my Gamecube was not.

        Conclusion: Two pieces of data are all you need to draw a perfectly statistically valid inference. NINTEND0 r00lz!

        Or maybe not.
        • It's true that my friend's PS2 was always buggy. But my Gamecube was not.
          Conclusion: Two pieces of data are all you need to draw a perfectly statistically valid inference. NINTEND0 r00lz!

          My original first gen ps2 purchsed in the first month of release is still working prefectly, but after nearly 5 years I still don't have a working game cube.

          Conclusion: Two pieces of data are all you need to draw a perfectly statistically valid inference. "I" r00lz!
          • 2 out of my 3 PS2 units do not read DVD media (games/movies) properly. They still work with PS1/2 CD media and audio CD media.

            version 2 PS2 dead
            version 4 PS2 works
            version 9 PS2 dead

            I'm about to re-calibrate the laser units on the 2 dead ones to see if they are salvageable without going the route of a new pickup.
            My last working unit I have installed an HDD and the loader software so I don't have to use the drive as much as possible.
      • I have had stereos that have lasted a long long time, but at the same time, I spend a lot of money on good components.

        If I had a screw up with anything that I purchased I would be taking it back, and I know I would have another one delivered to my doorstep the next day with someone wanting to come in and hook it up for me.

        At the end of the day (And I am not saying it's the consumer's fault here) but people want things cheaper and cheaper, if the company that makes it can save 2c on a single component they w
  • Gnihihi (Score:1, Troll)

    by Tom ( 822 )
    Can't help but laugh at the people who stood in line, paid 3-5 times the retail price on ebay or otherwise made a joke out of themselves to be the first on the block to own the overhyped playstation copy - only to be told that "They'll be playing again in three to five days..." - probably after some of their friends who were a little more sane.

    • Overhyped playstation copy?? Wow.. Since when did the playstation come with LIVE? the harddrive inside?,the ability to have your own custom music in certain games?,A controller that has the buttons spread out and fits the hand better? and a bigger fan/fanboy base.. Sure the ps has a ton of games,but how many of them are NEW ps2 games? I haven't bought a 360 yet,but I will soon.. What about the first generation PS2s that died?? My nephew's and mine Xbox have never died..His is like 4 years old. Still plays g
  • Anyone else find it a bit suspicious that MS released a statement so soon after launch? I mean, if it really is such a small percentage, as they claim, I wouldn't think they'd need to be releasing a statement about it the day after launch. A week, sure, but the next day? Looking around at a few forums with polls up, it seems that the defect rate is around the 15% mark.
    • Looking around at a few forums with polls up, it seems that the defect rate is around the 15% mark.

      Yes, because these polls are a perfect cross-section of the 360 buying community.

      I have several friends with 360's and none of them have mentioned a problem. Therefore, everybody with one is lying because my data says that 100% of 360's are perfectly functional.
    • Looking around at a few forums with polls up, it seems that the defect rate is around the 15% mark.

      Please, stop quoting the 15% number. I'm sick of seeing this. Slashdot is not the majority of console users. Hell, Slashdot isn't even the majority of the "geek" community. We're a small subsection. My 360 is working great, so are two of my friend's.

    • Comment removed based on user account deletion
    • It looks like the same exact statement they made back with the first Xbox release had issues. Probably IMO they are seeing about the same if not more issues. Lets face it this one is more complex and has a much hotter system behind the faceplate, so it isn't surprising.
  • only 360? (Score:5, Funny)

    by iLogiK ( 878892 ) <(moc.retsemnairda) (ta) (nairda)> on Thursday November 24, 2005 @11:37AM (#14107884) Homepage
    "MS Responds To 360 Glitches"
    only 360? IE must have at least a few hundred...and let's not forget windows 98...
    360 is only the tip of the iceberg. :)
  • Never, ever buy something that's just out. You'll be the guinea pig for the company in question to find out about the children's illnesses of the product.
  • I just read the ABC news article, did anyone else notice the typo under the picture?

    One day after the launch of Microsoft's next generation video game console, Xbox 360, some gamers are complaing that the unit does work. (The Associated Press)

    Yes, there's also a misspelled "complaining" but seriously... They're angry because their unit does work. I found that so fitting for some, unknown reason.

  • This may not be the best place to ask this, but I can't resist. Is it true that people with the core system will be unable to save in their games unless they buy an additional memory card?
    • Yes, or buy a hard drive. The core system does not have a hard drive inside of it already (unlike the orignial Xbox), so you can't save anything unless you get a memory card. The upside is a memory card is a lot cheaper than a hard drive. The downside is no downloadable game content, no game demos, no downloadable trailers/movies/whatever, and having to deal with (possibly) multiple memory cards.
  • If this is such a small percentage of consoles experiencing these problems. Why is there an ad taken out by Wal-Mart in my local paper requesting that people not play certain games on the demo units because it causes them to lock up? I am not joking this actually has happened. Everytime I've been to either of the Wal-Marts here the XBox360 displays have been locked up or crashed. What amazes me is people saw this and still bought the things and now act surprised that they are buggy as all hell.
  • Mr. T. pities you, foo.

    Oh, but you've never heard of Microsoft's history. That's understandable; it is a secret after all.

  • Why are we reading about a product that has never made a profit? And if we must, why is the question of price dumping ignored? Or what about the fires started by the power supply, but blamed by the media on the cable?

    Even the new version, assuming it doesn't have an igniting power supply like earlier versions, is expected to cost 40% more than its retail price. The total cost to manufacture and test a premium Xbox 360 is $552.27 compared with its retail price of $399 [com.com]. So MS is losing money on each one

  • Which Xbox did you get?

    I got the Core System.

    Oh you mean RC1?

  • Exactly what small percentage, number wise reported issues, vs. the total number of worldwide sales? Is this ratio 3000:1, 300:1, 30:1?

    Could this issue be the real reason M$ held off on suppling more units, or was it truely some PR stunt?

    Curious gamer.
  • Here's one thing I find very interesting, people who've bought the 360 like myself have found that alot of times shit happens. I mean seriously dont you think that if every piece of electronic equipment were flawless, everyone who were technicians would be outta a job. All be granted that yes not many consoles have had issues, but MS is going to fix the problem. If something were to go wrong with my machine(knock on wood), I'd be pissed off too. Here's some food for thought, what if when the PS3 and the Rev
    • So you'd buy a car with a fuel pump that will fail in 15,000 miles, or a car stereo that's only going to play 75% of your CDs or only play the first half of every CD you've got?

      What kind of argument is this?

      Apparently just as stated above, the world has become so used to the flaws of Microsoft software that we are now to the sad point that it's just the way of things...

      And then you'll argue with me that nothing can be perfect. Fine, so 12 out of 18 million polygons shatter, that's a bug. But when you can'
  • Microsoft has only responded to 360 of the 1 million glitches in Windows? They've sure got their work cut out for themselves. Good thing they bought themselves some time with those quality XBox 360's.

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