Microsoft Responds to 360 Failure Rate Survey

[Tom Goldman]

Microsoft Responds to 360 Failure Rate Survey

Microsoft has responded, in true PR fashion, to Game Informer's recent claim that the Xbox 360's failure rate is an uncomfortable 54.2%

TG Daily has acquired a response from Microsoft to the recent Game Informer article [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/93943-Xbox-360s-Death-Rate-is-54-2] However, it may not be the response that anyone would have hoped for.

A Microsoft spokesperson stated:

Microsoft stands behind the Xbox 360 as a superior entertainment console with one of the best warranties in the industry. We are constantly improving the design, manufacture and performance of the console through extensive testing of potential sources of any problems. Xbox 360 is pleased to maintain the title of 'most played console' and the vast majority of Xbox 360 customers have enjoyed a terrific gaming and entertainment experience since their first day, and continue to, day in and day out.

Which could be boiled down to this:

Hey, we messed up, but at least we extended the warranty and mostly fixed the 360's hardware problems eventually. Plus, you all bought it anyway, so you must not care that much.

Right? Microsoft seems to be in a very unique position, having one of the most defective consoles in history, but with this fact seemingly affecting the 360's sales very little. Whether it's price, game selection, or release timing, people seem to love their 360s, no matter what.


Source: Kotaku [http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/43724/98/]

Permalink

 

[Simalacrum]

Hey, a new person is giving us the news today! Helloooo! Welcome to The Escapist!

anyways, upon topic, we saw the same thing with the Wii with its software drought - despite very few decent/critically acclaimed titles being released on the system in 08, it nevertheless saw a huge surge of sales due to Wii Fit, which got pretty "its alright I guess" sort of reviews.

edit: I have a feeling those figures are slightly off anyways, over %50 does seem really over excessive, considering I don't have any friends who have had problems with their 360's...

 

[Baby Tea]

Well I'm on my 3rd 360, but I love it.
I only paid for the first replacement, and the 2nd one was within warranty.

I do wish, though, that Microsoft did actually respond with Tom's sum up.
Looks like we'll have to wait for the PR team to get a little tipsy before that'll happen, though.

 

[AkJay]

I fucking hate Microsoft, so much.

 

[sunami88]

I had my 360 for like 3 years, and it never broke down on me. I'm the only person I know that's gone half that long...

I still think 54% is too high though. But what're you gonna do, (IMHO) it is the console with the best games going...

Oh, and random side note: My brother's Elite just up and died like yesterday. I laughed at him. Still though, guess it was just luck of the draw that my console lasted that long.

 

[Legion]

I bought my 360 second hand and it got the RROD as well as a faulty disc drive. I had it replaced with a brand new one within a week of sending it off as well as a free month of Live so I wasn't complaining.

Only an addict can seriously ***** about a week off of their console, it's good for you in many ways, especially if you played it too much like I did.

 

[Capo Taco]

"one of the best warranties" this could mean third best, putting them behind the curve. I love nonsense statements.

 

[RomanLegacy]

Awesome sumuation.

Do more stuff like that in your future articles.

 

[More Fun To Compute]

They messed up. I would be messing up if I paid for any Microsoft hardware more complicated than a mouse and should probably have learned enough to buy a logitech mouse next. Lessons learned all round. A real feel good story.

Only an addict can seriously ***** about a week off of their console, it's good for you in many ways, especially if you played it too much like I did.

We should thank Microsoft for being really bad at making consumer electronics because it gives us a chance to interact with their lovely customer service personnel and gives us a nice break from gaming? Please.

 

[Eagle Est1986]

Huh, wow. I was honestly expecting them to just dismiss those figures as over exaggerated but, erm, huh, they pretty much just admitted to them.

 

[Tremp10k]

i have never had the RROd i have had my xbox 2 years and i really hope i didnt jinx it ima go check now

 

[Dyp100]

Hmmm, I'm rather annoyed at the new model.

I got the original xbox (first day and all) and it did crash. (Not RROD, I think all the dust got caught up inside and broke it, as when we opened it after it crapped out it the whole motherboard was THICK with the stuff) I recently got the Arcade and I just put my harddrive in and it's as noisy as hell, and makes making a ratta-ta-ta noise and lagging out. >.> IDK whether it needs a good kick (like my DVD player did) or...It as poorly built being a lower model, so meh. >.<

 

[Aiden Rebirth]

the 54% is still a bullshit figure, but yea it is preeety bad, microsoft is right though, there extended warrenties, have worked out very well.

 

[Nadlice]

Guh, I'm on my 5th 360, but I still love it. Plus repair time is just a couple weeks....
At least I had the opportunity to play Hanger 18 while my 360 died.

 

[stabnex]

Microsoft did it deliberately when they tried to cut production costs after the first year by adding inferior fans, microchip processors, and low cost soldering materials. This is a well-known fact that Microsoft (oh so cleverly) admitted, but side-stepped when they recalled every system from '06 through '08 and replaced with newer models that were basically recreations of '05 models.

As many of you know, I work in a used video game store and I have to tell you, the number of defective '06 through '08 models is staggering, no joke. And it's all pretty consistant: Tard buys cheap system, tard stands it up cuz it looks cooler, tard kicks system over busting soldering, tard overheats system from playing too much Halo and loose hardware connections expand under the constant heat, tard gets RROD and says 'nut mah fult, blim Macriseft'. And so they bring it to me for the $7 deposit where we put in effective soldering, new AV ports, and dvd drive, then sell them for $160.

EDIT: 54.2% makes perfect sense, totally believable.

 

[Eagle Est1986]

edit: I have a feeling those figures are slightly off anyways, over %50 does seem really over excessive, considering I don't have any friends who have had problems with their 360's...

Well if it makes you feel any better, all of my friends have had their 360s die, two of them had it happen twice. My first one also died a slow and painful death.

 

[Pendragon9]

I never did understand how some people can enjoy a console breaking on them up to 5-6 times. I guess the 360 community just has immense patience. I have to applaud that. I got pissed the first time it happened.

 

[johnman]

I loved your translation of that statement. If only every company did that.

 

[Chimpzy_v1legacy]

Microsoft prides itself on its warranties? Well, they are pretty solid, I'll give them that. Good customer support too, though it only seems to extend to anything xbox360. But that's a different story.

Now if only we didn't need to make use of either. That'd be swell.

Oh well, at least they didn't feed us BS this time.

I loved your translation of that statement. If only every company did that.

But that would mean all spin doctors would be out of a job. Which means their gardeners, poolboys and whatnot will be too. You'd need to be some kind of monster to want that.