Microsoft Warns: Don't Stand Your Xbox One Vertical

[Xenominim]

Next they'll announce that you can't attach a cable to one of the corners and dangle it from the ceiling, and a bunch of people will complain vociferously.

You think you're joking...I have the cable modem at my house currently set up in just that arrangement. I needed it near the ceiling for all the cords to reach where they needed to without buying new ones and didn't have any furniture tall enough in what's basically a storage room now to do it with.

Oh and as for the actual story? I think people are complaining more than is really required. Yes it's a touch annoying, yes other consoles let you use vertical orientation. But there's a lot of equipment out there that doesn't allow you to choose how you want to orient it, and I never thought of it as being some inalienable right for all game consoles.

 

[Ed130 The Vanguard]

I'm waiting to see what the big manufacturing error will be in the Xbone, there will be something, I'm banking on it being related to that non-removable hard drive.

I'm betting it'll be this horizontal-only optical drive.

MS went through 3-4 different models of CD drive in the 360 before they found one that was semi-reliable. The first 360 I owned wouldn't even open the tray unless there was a disc in it. Opening the tray without a disc already in it required the use of tools to get it open.

So, yeah, that drive is my top candidate for hardware failure. And once drives start failing, MS can just come back and say, "We warned you to only use it horizontally!" Easy way for them to get out of replacing defective boxes.

Why do I get the sinking feeling that this is going to hppen?

While not the end of the world, it could pose problems with limited space or those who use desk/workstations as gaming centres.

On the bright side Sony can add another item to 'reasons why the PS4 is superior' list.

 

[spwatkins]

Next they'll announce that you can't attach a cable to one of the corners and dangle it from the ceiling, and a bunch of people will complain vociferously.

You think you're joking...I have the cable modem at my house currently set up in just that arrangement. I needed it near the ceiling for all the cords to reach where they needed to without buying new ones and didn't have any furniture tall enough in what's basically a storage room now to do it with.

Oh and as for the actual story? I think people are complaining more than is really required. Yes it's a touch annoying, yes other consoles let you use vertical orientation. But there's a lot of equipment out there that doesn't allow you to choose how you want to orient it, and I never thought of it as being some inalienable right for all game consoles.

Yeah, I used to do that with my router also.

 

[Mahorfeus]

Over the years I've owned a PS2, Xbox 360, and Wii, and with the exception of the last, have never oriented them vertically. I mean, I understand that the vertical option gives you some flexibility with use of space, but is the lack thereof really that big of a deal? Are people really looking for more reasons to bash this thing? Or better yet, do they need more? Will I ever stop italicizing words for emphasis?

I'm just thankful that they bothered to mention it at all.

 

[CriticalMiss]

Move over Red Ring of Death, here comes the Vertical Slot of Death (not to be confused with the Vertical Slot of Embarrasing Rashes).

 

[Dragonbums]

EDIT: saw the statistic...don't know why anyone would do that to hardware that obviously was meant to be horizontal. Only thing I can think of relates to saving space.

What makes it obvious? The only obvious reason to not put the things vertically is the horizontal advantage of not being able to be knocked over, something that only matters if the console is placed where that is likely. The shape is not dissimilar from my current 360, which is perfectly fine running vertically and has been doing so for years.

The 360 however is often shown being oriented in both positions.

However the Xbox One has only been showed to be place horizontal.
Thus one can deduce that that is how you place the device.

Companies don't need to tell consumers not to put toasters on their side do they?

 

[Matthi205]

Pretty sure the Wii, PS3 and PS4 could be stood vertically and they've all got slot loading drives...

PS consoles since at least the PS2 were actually designed with that in mind (heck, the PS2 even came with a stand IIRC). The PS2, PS3 and Wii do just fine vertically. As for the PS4, we'll have to see. It'll probably be able to stand upright, given its predecessors, but who knows.

Why would the XBOne's slot loading drive stop working in a vertical positioning? That just means they used an inferior component, since ANY laptop slot loading drive can easily be used vertically. Not to speak of any other CD/DVD/BD drive for PC/laptop, those just don't take the mini discs when vertical.

On the other hand, why didn't they design the case of the little PC they sell there with not putting it vertically in mind? I mean if you aren't meant to put it down vertically, just round the outer edges such that it can't stand properly.

On the other hand, I could buy PC components and dangle them upside down from the ceiling, and they'd still work fine. They'd also be cheaper, so I'll be doing just that while waiting for the eventual release of GTA V for Windows.

 

[Snowblindblitz]

It was already bad for the 360 to be vertical, something which I didn't know till a gamestop employee informed me.

Their poor design made it so the slightest vibration would cause the laser lines in your discs.

Not a deal breaker for me, but it all depends on your set-up on your TV stand.
Of course, this could be further them pushing the idea of the xbone being your one stop shop for all things entertainment, as long as you're willing to pay.

 

[Something Amyss]

*blink*blink*

Seriously?

They really did throw out the baby with the bathwater when they designed this thing, didn't they?

They decided the biggest problem was player choice.

Companies don't need to tell consumers not to put toasters on their side do they?

Toasters don't have a history of multiple positions. Least, not any toasters I'm familiar with.

Also, showing it in only one position doesn't indicate it's the only position it can be placed. It could well be that they were showing it that way because 80% of people place their 360s that way. You know, something they just stated.

 

[Imp_Emissary]

Wait.....So if I buy this thing which is $500+ I can't put it vertically? If I spend $500+ on a thing, I want to put it any orientation I please!

Microsoft is going to get the stupidest company in America award this year.

I know exactly what you mean. I spent way more than $500 on my car and it can only work when it's horizontal. I should be able to use my car when it's standing vertical. So stupid that Ford designed a car that way.

Slight issue with that side by side comparison.

All cars are never meant to be vertical. <_< Unless it's really a transformer.

Consoles however have a few reasons to be vertical.
1. To help it cool down a bit easier.
2. To make it easier to put in places you couldn't while it was horizontal.
And 3. Sometimes it looks cooler like that.

Wait.....So if I buy this thing which is $500+ I can't put it vertically? If I spend $500+ on a thing, I want to put it any orientation I please!

Microsoft is going to get the stupidest company in America award this year.

If I buy a bluray player for that money I probably won't be able to put it vertically either. Not without risking breaking it.

Come on people. So you have to keep it horizontal, big fucking deal.

Also, while it's indeed not a major feature, it has been around for consoles since the PS2(though it was a bit iffy back then), and was with all the consoles of the last gen.

It's not a major issue, yes. Just an annoyance. However, it's yet another annoyance for the X-Box One.

;D X-Box One. The One. The Annoying One.

 

[Imp_Emissary]

Move over Red Ring of Death, here comes the Vertical Slot of Death (not to be confused with the Vertical Slot of Embarrasing Rashes).

<_<
Anyway.

I don't think we should be sounding the call of death just yet. I mean, Microsoft wouldn't let such a thing happen to them again. Especially now with all the eyes on them.

Right?

 

[Alorxico]

I don't know about anyone else, but I have a TV that barely fits on my entertainment set. My Xbox 360 HAS to stand vertically to fit on the set or I can't use it. I don't have the space or the cord length to have it positioned to Microsoft's preferred orientation.

But, then again, Microsoft's latest business model appears to be "alienate everyone who does not live in a house with a fifteen by fifteen foot living room and perfect internet connection in every room", because NO ONE who is interested in playing their console lives in an apartment, or dormitory, or trailer, or mobile home, or townhouse, or condo where space is limited and internet connections are wonky. Nope. Microsoft doesn't serve that minority of gamers because, according to their research, they don't exist.

 

[Jadak]

The 360 however is often shown being oriented in both positions.

However the Xbox One has only been showed to be place horizontal.
Thus one can deduce that that is how you place the device.

Companies don't need to tell consumers not to put toasters on their side do they?

That analogy supports the opposite of your point. People don't need to be told what way toasters go because toasters are not new (nor designed to be stable on their sides, usually - but you could totally make a horizontal toaster if you wanted). People have been using toasters for a long time so they carry on using them how they're used to.

Similarly, if people have been using their 360/PS3 vertically for much of the last decade, the idea that the option may not be available for the XBOne may not even cross their minds, they may just assume it'll continue working as it always has.

Ads simply not showing the console horizontal helps, but does not explicitly draw attention to fact that it is required, and could very well pass unnoticed. If you have a history of supporting something, that something no longer being supported is not going to be obvious simply because you stop showing it. It is not obvious, and announcements like this are very much needed and still may not be enough. In reality, the only reliable way to make people aware of this change in available placement options is to design the console to not be stable on it's side.

 

[Griffolion]

It wouldn't be a cooling problem..

Then it is, almost certainly, a cooling problem. That and they just can't get a good enough design to compensate for vibrations in the disk drive on a vertical stance.

 

[Arawn]

This really isn't as bad as it sounds, but from reading the comments it's not something the people want. They, MS, have designed the Xbox One to sit horizontally. It's not a flaw, they made it that way. Blu-ray, stereos, dvd players, they all have to do that same. Sure the 360 gave you the choice, but now there is no such option. The original Xbox didn't sit vertical either. If lacking the feature is a deal breaker, I can't see how the other things they did or didn't do hadn't bothered you more.

 

[otakon17]

They really did throw out the baby with the bathwater when they designed this thing, didn't they?

Everything about it screams bad design. Not trustworthy at all. And then you have to remember the 30% failure rate of Xbox 360 back in the day. That was unacceptable. I sure as hell wouldn't risk buying a new Microsoft console on launch for that reason alone.

This could be a significant limitation. For example, I would have to keep it on the floor. Which would make it run hotter. I literally don't have enough space for this thing anywhere else.

30%? I thought the failure rate of the first generation Xbox 360's was closer to 70%. Only statistic I can find was a Gamespot poll that used a pool of 5,000 subscribers. The result was a 54.2% failure rate. Hell the first 360 I bought died in 6 months, I actually ended up going through some 4 other systems after that too. None of them lasted longer than a year, truly shameful really. I was a fool to keep buying them but I did. I have a generation 1 PS3 I got second hand and it STILL WORKS FINE.

OT: Good God, it looks like a top loading VCR and you are required to treat it as much now? How long until we get reports of this thing burning up due to ventilation problems I wonder...

Captcha: more better... not in this case.

 

[cerebus23]

Way xbone one has been handled sofar just seems to me ms decided they could toss anything out and the xbox 360 people would eat it up, hard not to blame them when so many trolls act like the 360 was some sort of god that could do no wrong.

Guess they found out wrong.

Bottom line at best it is a design flaw, at worst its just cheap parts in a cheap system that will have a bare minimum 30% fail rate every few months, phone microsoft to send them naked pics of you, and report you to the feds for smoking a doobie.

At lest this gen will be somewhat interesting with MS, that lets face it had a lock after last gen over its main rival sony, out of the gate shooting itself in the foot over and over, now lets see if sony can short ship another playstation launch and shoot itself in the foot.

 

[Call Me Jose]

He didn't say anything about not having it upside down guys, no worries.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

Is it me, or does just scream shoddy, cheap, parts? Considering the Wii, and PS3 (the first and second iterations at any rate) had slot loading drives and could be stood vertical, how poor a drive do you need so that this is problem?

Exactly the thought I had, makes you wonder just how deep MS's accountants claws dug into the development of the XBone.

I mean the freaking Wii has a multi-orientation drive, how cheap are these fools?

Very cheap. Remember, the original idea was to use the drive just for installation purposes. After that you wouldn't need the disk. So they used the cheapest drives they could find. But when the time came to reverse the mandatory HDD installs, they didn't bother to change the quality of the drive. Even without putting it vertically, the drive is still a cheap one and I wouldn't be surprised if that's the first thing to go.

 

[spartandude]

This really isn't as bad as it sounds, but from reading the comments it's not something the people want. They, MS, have designed the Xbox One to sit horizontally. It's not a flaw, they made it that way. Blu-ray, stereos, dvd players, they all have to do that same. Sure the 360 gave you the choice, but now there is no such option. The original Xbox didn't sit vertical either. If lacking the feature is a deal breaker, I can't see how the other things they did or didn't do hadn't bothered you more.

I really think its just one of those "another thing about the xbox one". To me this isnt a big deal at all, my 360 is horizontal and i dont have much issue with space, most people are probably the same, but when Microsoft has announced so much shit, even the tiny little things like this are annoying as its adding some more wood to the fire (even if its a little twig)