Why do you keep coming back...

[Press_Start]

...to the XBOX 360?

I know there are threads on 360 and RRod, but what are your reasons to getting ANOTHER Xbox 360? They're breaking down left and right with dismal and outrageous numbers. Microsoft's official breakdown percentage 16%. Stores report 30% returns. Serious gamers poll the breakdown at 60%. One guy in my class is on his 5TH Xbox 360 after first 3 had harddrive problems and RRoD for the 4th.

Why buy something knowing its imminent death will be from now to a year? What is it that makes you, as a gamer and a consumer, go for the 360 time and time again?

Post your reasons and thoughts here.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

A consistent and steady flow of good games, and good online service.

What other answer would there be? I mean, I'm sure there can and will be other answers ... but I have yet to meet the person who is eagerly WAITING for their own RROD.

I've owned FOUR 360's and three had critical failures that were NOT RROD's ... so, when it comes to 360's failure rate, it's not really even about the RROD.

I suppose when you own a 360, all you can do is take care of it, hope for the best, and live every day on XBL as if it were your last. (Which may in fact INCREASE the level of enjoyment you get out of it psychologically-speaking.)

[Sudo]

I just got one a little over two weeks ago, so it hasn't crapped out on me yet. Hopefully it never will, since it's a Falcon and they're supposedly more reliable.

[Niku-Sama]

i waited till it seemed ironed out, i did buy a refurb that lasted all of 5 minutes but that went back and i got credit for it in which i bulit a new computer from.

the one i bought has updated cooling and a newer core and so far being on the ground in the dustiest area it hasnt dieded on me yet

[dylan0228]

I bought one at launch & it lasted over 2 years before I sold it. The only reason I sold it was to upgrade to an Elite & I haven`t had any problems with that. I think if you take good care of it & make sure it`s kept in a clean/ventilated area, it will probably be fine!

[FlufflePuff]

I stick with it for the great games. It easily has the best library of any system out there. XBL is a fantastic service that none of the competitors can match. I stay for those reasons.

I think everyone buys one thinking it won't happen to them. When it does, they already have a library of games and peripherals that you can't just throw away, so you buy a new system or get it repaired. This cycle keeps going until either you quit gaming, or find better games on a better system.

[mercarian]

...to the XBOX 360?

I know there are threads on 360 and RRod, but what are your reasons to getting ANOTHER Xbox 360? They're breaking down left and right with dismal and outrageous numbers. Microsoft's official breakdown percentage 16%. Stores report 30% returns. Serious gamers poll the breakdown at 60%. One guy in my class is on his 5TH Xbox 360 after first 3 had harddrive problems and RRoD for the 4th.

Why buy something knowing its imminent death will be from now to a year? What is it that makes you, as a gamer and a consumer, go for the 360 time and time again?

Post your reasons and thoughts here.

I really wanted to buy a 360, as I want to play online shooting games with other people (My Wii is really fun, but lacks in that matter). They don't seem to be a reliable piece (and are expensive to repair). Look at how Nintendo is handling there current situation with the Wii system and SSBB. It makes me feel great about there company, especially handling an issue in such short term notice (for those that are in the black, they paid for shipping/repairs to the consoles so that you don't get error codes for Smash brothers). Honestly, the 360 might be the best console in the market right now (arguably), yet I would stay away just because reliability issues myself. O_o

[Press_Start]

A consistent and steady flow of good games, and good online service.


;) I can relate. I got the Sega CD just to play the amazing games it had.

But what's the point in having the games if the console repeatedly attempts suicide every time the on button is pressed. :shameful:

[Leo_A]

If you don't like the Xbox 360, that's fine. But go roll your eyes and shake your head elsewhere, you recieved sensible answers for a stupid question, in my opinion.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

;) I can relate. I got the Sega CD just to play the amazing games it had.

But what's the point in having the games if the console repeatedly attempts suicide every time the on button is pressed. :shameful:

So ... do you have a 360?

Did you have one that died and you couldn't get it repaired/replaced?

I'm curious where the negativity is coming from.

[Oobgarm]

A consistent and steady flow of good games, and good online service.

What other answer would there be? I mean, I'm sure there can and will be other answers ... but I have yet to meet the person who is eagerly WAITING for their own RROD.

I've owned FOUR 360's and three had critical failures that were NOT RROD's ... so, when it comes to 360's failure rate, it's not really even about the RROD.

I suppose when you own a 360, all you can do is take care of it, hope for the best, and live every day on XBL as if it were your last. (Which may in fact INCREASE the level of enjoyment you get out of it psychologically-speaking.)


If you don't like the Xbox 360, that's fine. But go roll your eyes and shake your head elsewhere, you recieved sensible answers for a stupid question, in my opinion.

It's great to see that sensibility and intelligence are making a comeback. And I'm not being facetious.

[consolecrusader]

If it wasn't for XBL I wouldn't even think about the XBOX but there are just so many things you can do on LIVE, and the online community is much bigger and I am all about social interaction.

[Half Japanese]

Because it's still the console that consistently gets good games. Seriously, 2007 was a great year to be a 360 owner, what with the plethora of great games and tons of exclusives. Sure the Wii enjoyed great success at selling consoles and getting attention, but where were the great games? Few and far between. 2008 looks like it might be the ps3's time to shine, but they've still got a lot of catching up to do with Xbox Live if they expect me to play online with the ps3.

[smork]

Games - lots of them, and great.

Pretty much exactly why i buy any system.

[Lord of the Files]

It's great to see that sensibility and intelligence are making a comeback. And I'm not being facetious.

Yeah, there's an example of sensibility and intelligence:

-a guy keeps buying more stuff for a system that dies over and over

-a guy calls a perfectly reasonable question "stupid"

Some of us like the 360 but won't put up with the hardware failures.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Yeah, there's an example of sensibility and intelligence:

-a guy keeps buying more stuff for a system that dies over and over

-a guy calls a perfectly reasonable question "stupid"

Some of us like the 360 but won't put up with the hardware failures.

If you're referring to me, who said I kept "buying" anything?

All three of the systems that failed (two had faulty audio output and one had it's DVD tray motor fail) were within the allotted warranty period, which MS extended for all 1st year 360 owners.

I have only paid for one XBOX 360.

Things break. Nothing is perpetual. Yes, if I had to PURCHASE four 360's, I'd probably be a bit peeved, and I might consider some type of alternative measures (stores that sell extended replacement warranties, etc.) ... but, thankfully that hasn't been the case.

The thing that you're ignoring in your assessment of my supposed ignorance is that games and online for the system ARE in fact good enough to deal with frustrating hardware issues.

Though, honestly, I own all three current gen systems and both current gen portables, and I feel the same way about ALL of them and the games out now and coming down the pike in the near future.

If any of them broke, I'd replace them in whatever way I could ... warranty or repair job.

[Fuyukaze]

The moment MS releases a 360 system that doesnt RRoD or fail, I'll be all over that bitch like white on rice or Sothy on a cheap whore. It's got lots of great games but I refuse to buy a system that fails just by looking at it.

[geneshifter]

XBox LIVE and the high number of great games are why I love the 360. Social Interaction Gaming: A concept that started with the PC and the 360 captures perfectly.

[PapaStu]

Coming back? I've had one die, well within my 3 year Warranty (disc drive nor RRoD). MS replaced it and i've continued playing. For online play nothing has come close to XBL. I love the whole Achievement aspect (keeps me playing long after i'da stopped normally).

I replaced an Xbox out of my own pocket after my Thompson drive shit out, but I had like 150+ games by then and I wasn't going to not be able to play those games.

[RyanMurf]

Because of pure amazingness.

[swlovinist]

I didnt have to leave...my original xbox 360(which I won on the Mt. Dew Contest) is working fine without probs. Heck, I even watch all my DVDs on it. I play it all the time. At this point, if it breaks, I will replace it with a HDMI one.

I feel that the 360 is the true predecessor of the PS2. It is starting to diversify itself, and that is a good thing. For a long time the Xbox was just the SHOOTER system. Now, it is getting more niche titles and some RPGs. While it is by far not the most diverse library, I feel that the overall experience with online play and game selection does go to the 360. I own a Wii as well, for the Nintendo First Party stuff, which is pretty good.

I will keep coming back because for the mature gamer, it has alot to offer. I will however, take back some previous statements about the PS3 , and I feel that as time moves on, it will be a very very fierce competitor.

[Oobgarm]

Yeah, there's an example of sensibility and intelligence:

-a guy keeps buying more stuff for a system that dies over and over

-a guy calls a perfectly reasonable question "stupid"

Some of us like the 360 but won't put up with the hardware failures.

Thing is, though, MS generally replaces things for FREE. Most of the machines that are failure-prone are covered by their extended RROD warranty anyway. And all it's costing you is the inconvenience of not having your system for a short period of time.

Perfectly reasonable question? The OP seems for like bait for flames, IMO. And all the replies before the 'stupid' comment were sensible and (apparently) genuine.

Liking the system is one thing, but digging at those who aren't concerning themselves with the repair issues and taking things in stride isn't necessary. Personally, I think rolling with the punches is the smartest way to go about it. Getting upset and posting diatribes on the internet about it isn't going to get you anywhere, and it's really nothing but a waste of time. Get it fixed, move on.

That's not to say there isn't an obvious issue of failures, of course, but I think it's being taken care of in a decent fashion.

[Slate]

I keep coming back because there are lots of good games on the 360 and xbox live is great.

I've never experienced the 3 red rings either. Out of my two xbox 360s (One pro and one elite) I've only had a DVD drive problem with the pro. Thats all.

[Press_Start]

Thing is, though, MS generally replaces things for FREE. Most of the machines that are failure-prone are covered by their extended RROD warranty anyway. And all it's costing you is the inconvenience of not having your system for a short period of time.

Perfectly reasonable question? The OP seems for like bait for flames, IMO. And all the replies before the 'stupid' comment were sensible and (apparently) genuine.

Liking the system is one thing, but digging at those who aren't concerning themselves with the repair issues and taking things in stride isn't necessary. Personally, I think rolling with the punches is the smartest way to go about it. Getting upset and posting diatribes on the internet about it isn't going to get you anywhere, and it's really nothing but a waste of time. Get it fixed, move on.

That's not to say there isn't an obvious issue of failures, of course, but I think it's being taken care of in a decent fashion.

Short inconvenience? Is that the excuse you tell yourself when you take your car to the repair shop for the 3rd or 4th time in one year's time? Or when the furnace breaks down in the dead of winter after you had it fixed many times. Or when a hospital botches another surgery on yourself, friend, or family member? You just say, "its a short inconvenience"?

You want to know why I posted this thread? Because its an interesting anomaly for I can't recall any time when a system which had so many reliability issues still hold a strong fanbase. Metaphorically speaking, the relationship between fans and XBox 360 is almost the same as a battered spouse coming back in their abusive other. Believing it was only a one-time thing and comforted into the thought that it won't happen again. It does happen again and again and, yet, most people don't give a dam about it.

My REAL question is why are you STILL in this relationship? Why haven't you raised your voice to Microsoft and said,

"Hey! I love your games, but I can't enjoy them if the dam system keep dying for no good reason. In this day and age, for a machine to fail miserably so often is unacceptable, especially when society has advanced so far! I want a system that I can depend on. I want an XBox 360 that won't break down on me. I want an Xbox 360 that can take the heat and the demanding long hours. I want a XBox 360 that won't quit on me in the middle of the hardest achievement! I want a Xbox 360 that 5, 10, or 20 years from now, when I turn in on, it will play as great as if it were new! As a consumer and support, I want YOU to do your job RIGHT!"?

[Cryomancer]

Because its an interesting anomaly for I can't recall any time when a system which had so many reliability issues still hold a strong fanbase.


PS2. And your part about the car/furnace/surgery is loaded. A 360 isn't necessary to get to work, keep warm, or stay alive. It's a convenience. My xmas-new 360 is in it's box right now waiting to be sent in for repair (not RROD, either), but I don't mind. Why? Because it's getting fixed for free. I don't even have to pay shipping.

[Lord of the Files]

If you're referring to me, who said I kept "buying" anything?


I didn't say that you kept buying systems, I said games. I wouldn't call it "sensible" to continue purchasing software for a machine that keeps breaking down. I didn't say anything about "ignorant"...we all do things that aren't exactly sensible...I just didn't think your post was a good example of sensibility. I know from your posting history that you are an intelligent person. I'm not sure if I could say the same of Leo Ames, although I did enjoy Eight is Enough.


Thing is, though, MS generally replaces things for FREE. Most of the machines that are failure-prone are covered by their extended RROD warranty anyway. And all it's costing you is the inconvenience of not having your system for a short period of time.

I guess I find that more inconvenient than most then. After many years of gaming I am accustomed to plugging in the machine, turning it on, and playing a game. I'm not big on a 2 or 3 week waiting period on that.

This is why I thought the original question was a good one. I like the games, I like XBLA, I have friends I compete for high scores with, I was basically wholly immersed in the 360 culture. But when the red ring stuff started, that was enough for me. I went right to the store and bought a PS3.


Perfectly reasonable question? The OP seems for like bait for flames, IMO.

I've read the OP three times now and the original poster's other comment. Yes the question is potentially controversial, but I don't think the way it is being posed is intentionally provocative.


And all the replies before the 'stupid' comment were sensible and (apparently) genuine.

I must have misunderstood your other post then....I thought you were holding up the "stupid" comment as a sensible and intelligent post.


Liking the system is one thing, but digging at those who aren't concerning themselves with the repair issues and taking things in stride isn't necessary. Personally, I think rolling with the punches is the smartest way to go about it. Getting upset and posting diatribes on the internet about it isn't going to get you anywhere, and it's really nothing but a waste of time.

Who is digging, who is getting upset, and who is posting diatribes? Is that going on in this thread, or do you mean a general attitude on these forums?

[Sothy]

Veronica Mars Ps3 Fan: Dude Xbox Sucks It Explodes Every Week And You Keep Buying New Ones

[Kamino]

I've had zero 360 problems to date.
Granted, i pretty much hate video games these days. All i fucking play is guitar hero/rock band. which i'm more in for the music.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Short inconvenience? Is that the excuse you tell yourself when you take your car to the repair shop for the 3rd or 4th time in one year's time? Or when the furnace breaks down in the dead of winter after you had it fixed many times. Or when a hospital botches another surgery on yourself, friend, or family member? You just say, "its a short inconvenience"?

You want to know why I posted this thread? Because its an interesting anomaly for I can't recall any time when a system which had so many reliability issues still hold a strong fanbase. Metaphorically speaking, the relationship between fans and XBox 360 is almost the same as a battered spouse coming back in their abusive other. Believing it was only a one-time thing and comforted into the thought that it won't happen again. It does happen again and again and, yet, most people don't give a dam about it.

My REAL question is why are you STILL in this relationship? Why haven't you raised your voice to Microsoft and said,

"Hey! I love your games, but I can't enjoy them if the dam system keep dying for no good reason. In this day and age, for a machine to fail miserably so often is unacceptable, especially when society has advanced so far! I want a system that I can depend on. I want an XBox 360 that won't break down on me. I want an Xbox 360 that can take the heat and the demanding long hours. I want a XBox 360 that won't quit on me in the middle of the hardest achievement! I want a Xbox 360 that 5, 10, or 20 years from now, when I turn in on, it will play as great as if it were new! As a consumer and support, I want YOU to do your job RIGHT!"?

Since you've still managed to completely ignore the question and/or have decided to dodge a response to it, I'll ask again.

Are you passing this harsh judgement on the 360 without having actually owned one for any amount of time?

Or, does this negativity spring forth from the psyche of a spurned former 360 owner who Microsoft failed to provide a sufficient customer service experience to when their 360 stopped working?

Because, as accurate as your description of the console's hardware failings may be, in this life, I'll take the opinion of someone who's had ACTUAL first hand experience with something to heart before someone who's basing one on what they've "heard from friends" and in the "press".

[MachineGex]

I didn't really believe all the bad hype the 360 has gotten until last week....

I have owned a 360 for alittle over a year. I have only played it for the last 4 months, it just sat before that. It just died last weekend. I have only played a few games, mostly Simpsons. I kept the 360 on a shelf by itself, very well vent'd. The system never got played for more than a few hours a day. I just sent it in for repair today.

I am extremely disappointed in how fast it broke. I could not have baby'd it more or played it less. Oh well. I think you just play and cross your fingers. The MS rep. on the phone told me to get a big fan and place it next to the 360 when I get the repair back. I don't think I want to have a huge fan sitting next to my TV, but I guess that may help? #$@%*

I will not buy another 360....my next purchase will be a PS3, but not for the games, mostly for Blueray.

[TonyTheTiger]

I have difficulty not coming back to something that entertains me even if it pisses me off at times. I've had two 360 related incidents.

Case in point: My 360 died on me. It wasn't the RROD, either. My games would just lock up randomly with no sign that anything was wrong. It was just about a brand new console (only about a month old at the time) and despite the annoyance of being without a console for about 4 weeks, Microsoft gave me no trouble and shipped me back my original console (I recorded the serial number) nicely working. I haven't had problems since though I realize I could.

My reaction: It's still inexcusable that the 360 is so shoddily built. Microsoft, however, has done a lot of work to fix the problem by extending warranties, designing better functioning consoles, etc. It's a mistake that should never have been made but at the very least, the company is trying to make amends.

Case in point 2: Not the 360's fault but the game's fault...Mass Effect has a major glitch in it that renders your save files unusable if you save at a certain point late in the game. I lost 30 hours worth of time. It angered me. I bitched on BioWare's message boards and went so far as to contact BioWare directly. The rep basically said that their Q&A staff failed to reproduce the bug. I knew this was BS as I described how to do it very clearly. I kept hounding them to such a point that they basically caved and admitted the bug slipped by. They directed me to call Microsoft at 1-800-4MY-XBOX.

I knew that number would not do me any good but I called anyway for shits and giggles. The guy on the phone had great difficulty understanding what I was trying to tell him. He kept thinking that the disc itself was bad and when I finally got him to understand the real problem, he said he'd transfer me to the Xbox Live department (for what reason I don't know) and then proceeded to hang up on me. Clearly these guys are not trained to handle any problems outside of "My Xbox is broken" and when in doubt, transfer the call.

It's not easy to find, but after some searching I got a hold of the phone number to Microsoft Game Studios corporate headquarters. I called up and the secretary directed me to send an email to the vice president of the division. I sent an email that was stern but polite. What I said was basically "This glitch shouldn't exist. It screwed me over. Give me my money back." Now, I like the game. I want to keep the game. So I don't really feel like I deserve my money back but I felt like in order to raise enough of a stink to get noticed, I should at least sound pissed off. Not two hours later, I get a response from a gentleman named Shawn who asked for my phone number to speak with me directly. I provided it and the next day he called.

I have to say, I felt bad for this guy. He sounded extremely nervous on the phone. My impression was that he rarely has to deal with customers and probably was afraid of me yelling at him. He said that he did some research and found the information about the glitch (presumably from BioWare's boards) but that corporate policy prevents him from giving any kind of compensation only for lost save files. I didn't expect anything else but, again for shits and giggles, I asked if there was anyone above him I could speak with and he basically said no, meaning that I more or less hit the highest echelon of power at Microsoft Game Studios. This gave me some satisfaction since I cut through the red tape of 1-800-4MY-XBOX. In fact, he flat out mentioned that number and said that I circumvented those lower levels. I felt that since I had his ear, I owed the community something so I pretty much put on the "disgruntled customer" face again and told him that the best thing would be to put BioWare's feet to the fire and force them to make a patch or they'll be getting more calls from people like me. He agreed and we said our goodbyes.

My reaction: It was a bitch going through all of this and getting stonewalled at least three times. But if I let this kind of stuff stop me from buying 360 games then I'd be biting my nose to spite my face. Sure, I could say "Nya Nya, Microsoft. You get no money from me." But then I miss out on good entertainment and in the end lose more than Microsoft. So long as consoles and games aren't exploding and injuring people, it's still not enough to keep me away.

[Press_Start]

Since you've still managed to completely ignore the question and/or have decided to dodge a response to it, I'll ask again.

Are you passing this harsh judgement on the 360 without having actually owned one for any amount of time?

Or, does this negativity spring forth from the psyche of a spurned former 360 owner who Microsoft failed to provide a sufficient customer service experience to when their 360 stopped working?

Because, as accurate as your description of the console's hardware failings may be, in this life, I'll take the opinion of someone who's had ACTUAL first hand experience with something to heart before someone who's basing one on what they've "heard from friends" and in the "press".

First off, you are mistaken. I have not passed judgement on the XBox 360 or any person. All I've done on this thread was comment and ask questions.

Second, the only negativity in question here is rather the lack of negativity. When buying a product, we have an expectation for a standard for it to do what it was intentionally designed for correctly. If it malfunctions or stop working, we send it back to get it replaced or repaired. But if the product continuously performs below standards, at some point, a threshold is reached. We say to ourselves "enough is enough", we send the product back, demand our money, and don't do business with the company and its products ever again.

In the case of 360, people, even Frankie himself, stated multiple times that the product has malfunctioned more on many times for various reasons. Yet, you still strongly do business with and support the company, despite what has happened.

Why is there a lack of negativity for these actions? Why continue to let them treat you this way, as a consumer and a gamer? Do you not believe the company and their product have performed below a standard?

As for your first question, yes I did own a XBox 360. I got it for Christmas and played with for a few months. Then, sold it to a friend. 1 month later, he tells me the system I sold him was broken.

[TonyTheTiger]

I believe that they did perform below standard. But I also believe in making amends. And Microsoft has moved forward in an attempt to fix their mistakes. It doesn't wipe away the past but it does make the future look a little better.

[kentuckyfried]

I've often wondered the same thing as the OP, if it continues to break, why fix it?

And as someone once asked, what did microsoft ever do to warrant the level of loyalty of coming back to getting unit after unit after unit (after unit) repaired?

There has been some replies to the general question, but I still don't see it. Maybe I'm just not as tolerant.

[TonyTheTiger]

If someone has had the RROD on 3 or more consoles and has had to pay money each time because of that then, yeah. If it were me I'd probably not come back. If it ends up burning a hole in my pocket then it's not worth it. But in most cases, a broken 360 doesn't result in any out of pocket costs. That's the difference.

[kentuckyfried]

Oh, I know it's free, damn well better be free with that sort of problem.

A definition of insanity that was explained to me was doing the same thing over and over and over and over, getting the same results, yet hoping maybe next time it will be different.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

First off, you are mistaken. I have not passed judgement on the XBox 360 or any person. All I've done on this thread was comment and ask questions.

Second, the only negativity in question here is rather the lack of negativity. When buying a product, we have an expectation for a standard for it to do what it was intentionally designed for correctly. If it malfunctions or stop working, we send it back to get it replaced or repaired. But if the product continuously performs below standards, at some point, a threshold is reached. We say to ourselves "enough is enough", we send the product back, demand our money, and don't do business with the company and its products ever again.

In the case of 360, people, even Frankie himself, stated multiple times that the product has malfunctioned more on many times for various reasons. Yet, you still strongly do business with and support the company, despite what has happened.

Why is there a lack of negativity for these actions? Why continue to let them treat you this way, as a consumer and a gamer? Do you not believe the company and their product have performed below a standard?

As for your first question, yes I did own a XBox 360. I got it for Christmas and played with for a few months. Then, sold it to a friend. 1 month later, he tells me the system I sold him was broken.

I thought I had stated it clearly enough, but I'll do it again as concise as I can.

The reason that I continue to tolerate the below average reliability of the XBOX360's hardware is because the games that have been released to date on the system are above average and have a high benchmark for mainstream US console releases (both in brick/mortar releases and downloadable), and the games slated for the future are appealing enough to know that I will not benefit entertainment-wise from "selling" my 360 out of "fear of future hardware malfunctions/breakdowns".

OR

The games are so damned good, I see no reason not to tolerate what is at the end of the day a relatively small issue. In the event that a 360 fails, Microsoft has proven to me the quality of their repair service, and it is no greater/worse than any other on the market.

Now, as far as your alleged "neutrality" on the matter ... you've used modifiers in your descriptions of the 360's failure rates like "dismal" and "outrageous", you've rallied the DP forum's consumer base that "enough is enough", and you've admitted to selling off your 360 out of frustration ...

... so, you can say what you will (and you're certainly entitled to your own opinion whatever that may be) but I'd hardly say that you haven't passed judgement on the 360. On the contrary, I think that's exactly what you've done.

I don't think that a "boycott" of the 360 would make Microsoft change their current hardware development/repair model. It's no secret that the things break down, MS has publicly conceded to that fact, and extended warranties and taken billions in losses over repairs.

Even if you were to look at it in a historical perspective - Atari, Nintendo, Sega, Sony, Microsoft and countless other console developers/manufacturers have all had instances of less-than-reliable hardware in the marketplace, and in almost every instance it was well-selling product with AAA software ... what's the correlation? Low cost consoles with sub-standard parts and manufacturing? Maybe, but at the end of the day, if you have games worth playing, people will keep coming back regardless of the failure rates.

Is it "right" from a consumer standpoint? Maybe not, but, it's certainly par for the course in almost every generation of consoles.

Why the lack of negativity?

I guess some people are equal parts passionate, patient and tolerant.

[Rob2600]

I know there are threads on 360 and RRod, but what are your reasons to getting ANOTHER Xbox 360? They're breaking down left and right with dismal and outrageous numbers. ...

Why buy something knowing its imminent death will be from now to a year? What is it that makes you, as a gamer and a consumer, go for the 360 time and time again?

I agree. Maybe some of the games are fun, but when is enough enough? I refuse to pay $300 to $400 for a product that will spend several weeks at a time being repaired. It's ridiculous and I don't support it.

"Hey, I just bought a new video game console."

"Yeah? How is it?"

"It's awesome! It cost almost $400. You're probably thinking that's pretty expensive, but it was totally worth it."

"How so?"

"Well, check this out: I play it for a month, the insides melt, and then I get to take a two week break while it's being repaired. Isn't that cool?"


Seriously though, how many people bought a Coleco Adam in 1984? Nobody. Why? Because they kept breaking. Maybe consumers were a little bit wiser back then.



I can't recall any time when a system which had so many reliability issues still hold a strong fanbase.

The Sony PlayStation. Once the price dropped to $99.99, they became disposable consoles.

I've posted this before, but I worked at a video game store during the Sony PlayStation/Nintendo 64 era (and beyond). The same people would come into my store and buy PlayStation after PlayStation.

I'd ask them why they kept supporting such a shoddy product. The only answer I ever heard was something to the effect of, "I wouldn't want my huge library of free, copied games to go to waste."

100 million PlayStations were sold, but not to 100 million different people.

[Nesmaster]

Keep coming back? I never left. I own two machines and no, the first one didn't die. The DVD drive started acting up a bit but it still works. I just finally took the plunge into an HDMI Falcon unit. My PS3 and Wii haven't been turned on in months. I just can't pry myself away from my 360 even to play things like Smash Bros Brawl or Uncharted for example. The main reason I rebought a Wii in the first place got played for about a week, but never finished (Galaxy). The 360 is fastly becoming my favorite console of all time, topping the NES and N64 for me. Maybe it's because I've taken quite the liking to achievement points and talking to someone through the headset while playing. The ONLY game that I can see making me put down my 360 at all in the near future is LittleBigPlanet, unfortunately.

Remember, just because the failure rates ARE through the roof, there ARE people out there who have yet to experience a total breakdown. (RRoD or otherwise).

[Hep038]

Funny I have launch playstations (1 and 2) and a first year 360. None have failed. So I guess I do not have to "come back" because I never left.

But I did have a NES that blinked like hell that I kept forever, and I kept buying games for it. Is that the same thing? If I let that bother me, or listened to people like you and rob2600 I never would have bought a SNES, N64 or a gamecube.

[ghsqb]

I'll preface this by saying that I am only on my second 360, so I know I've been luckier than most...even then my first didn't die from RROD, it was just getting lots of Disc Read Errors.

As frustrating as that was, I am certain that irregardless, I will stick by the 360.

I love the game selection, I think there are tons of quality titles, and I love Xbox Live.

I don't even play online with other folks that often...very rarely in fact, but I love the Marketplace...game content updates, the Arcade....I love everything about it.

I have no illusions about the problems with the hardware, but in my experience at least, when I did have a system die, I received EXCELLENT support, and had a new machine very quickly.

I just wish they could fix the damn DRM glitch so that the rest of my family can enjoy the Arcade titles I've PAID for, without having to be signed in to my account, and online.

[Rob2600]

I did have a NES that blinked like hell that I kept forever, and I kept buying games for it. Is that the same thing? If I let that bother me, or listened to people like you and rob2600 I never would have bought a SNES, N64 or a gamecube.

I'm not saying stop supporting Microsoft forever. If Microsoft releases a great product, then I'll show my support and buy it. If Microsoft releases an expensive product that keeps breaking, I'm going to stay away from it.

Even if Microsoft offers to fix it for free a million times, I don't care. Why? Because it shouldn't have malfunctioned in the first place, especially not for so many people.

Money speaks very loudly. By supporting a poorly designed product, you're telling Microsoft that it's okay to rush a $400 machine to the market. "Don't worry about the high failure rate Mr. Gates, our target demographic of 20 to 30 year old males doesn't care. They're very forgiving, even when it comes to something that costs hundreds of dollars."

However, by not supporting a poorly designed product, I'm telling Microsoft to try harder with its next one. Get it right the first time and stop making people mail their consoles back for weeks at a time.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

I'm not saying stop supporting Microsoft forever. If Microsoft releases a great product, then I'll show my support and buy it. If Microsoft releases an expensive product that keeps breaking, I'm going to stay away from it.

Even if Microsoft offers to fix it for free a million times, I don't care. Why? Because it shouldn't have malfunctioned in the first place, especially not for so many people.

Money speaks very loudly. By supporting a poorly designed product, you're telling Microsoft that it's okay to rush a $400 machine to the market. "Don't worry about the high failure rate Mr. Gates, our target demographic of 20 to 30 year old males doesn't care. They're very forgiving, even when it comes to something that costs hundreds of dollars."

However, by not supporting a poorly designed product, I'm telling Microsoft to try harder with its next one. Get it right the first time and stop making people mail their consoles back for weeks at a time.

Your logic may seem well-designed, however, the fact of the matter in the case of the 360 is this:

"Boycotting" the 360 by not purchasing it is NOT the most effective measure to "hurt" MS financially and/or cause them to AGGRESSIVELY re-design/improve the internal hardware ...

... in the case of the 360, due to the extended warranties, the MORE people that purchase 360, the more money that Microsoft loses on hardware.

The system itself is already a loss-leader costing Microsoft upwards of $200 per system sold. Factoring in that the first 2+ years of hardware manufacturing ALL had design faults and will likely need to be serviced in their lifespan, it's actually the people BUYING the systems that are kicking Microsoft's crotch financially - not the people deciding to "stay away".

It's scary when you think about it, and the disastrous results of the gamble that Microsoft took by selling consoles at a loss.

[blue lander]

Money speaks very loudly. By supporting a poorly designed product, you're telling Microsoft that it's okay to rush a $400 machine to the market. "Don't worry about the high failure rate Mr. Gates, our target demographic of 20 to 30 year old males doesn't care. They're very forgiving, even when it comes to something that costs hundreds of dollars."

This is Microsoft we're talking about. If you're trying to teach them that they can't rush a buggy product to market and expect people to still buy it, you're about 20 years too late.

People keep coming back to Windows for the same reason they keep coming back to the 360: They're both essentially the only game in town. The 360's got the best library of games just like Windows has the best library of applications.

[Drifter 2000]

I've owned my 360 for nearly two years now and I've never had a single issue with it. Logged in hundreds of hours of gaming on it and the only issues I've ever had were an occasional freeze up (once with Oblivion, and once with R6: Vegas). To me the 360 has the best lineup of titles overall that suit my modern gaming needs (action titles and western RPGs).

On the flip side I've had numerous issues with my Wii not wanting to read certain games (Mario Galaxy is a bitch to get going sometimes), and my PS3 will sometimes lock up so bad I have to turn the system off with the switch behind the unit. Now neither of these things are a daily hindrance, but I've had more problems with both of them than with my 360 (which is played considerably more - I've actually unhooked my Wii and put it back in the box I play it so little).

[BydoEmpire]

My 360 red ringed permanently this morning after a couple weeks of flakiness, and I'm not coming back. I've had it for just under a year. After MS repairs it (I do have a warranty), I'm selling it and getting a PS3. I played my Wii more than my 360 over the last year anyways, and the types of games I want on 360 that I can't get on Wii are also available on ps3. Microsoft got my money last June because I had a lot of friends on Live, I figured there would be a lot of great games, and it's the most powerful hardware. But after nearly a year I've hardly ever played online, I haven't bought very many games, and the most powerful hardware in the world doesn't mean jack if it doesn' boot... or doesn't play DVDs... or your games freeze frequently. I will miss XBLA, though. It'd almost be worth keeping the 360 for that.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Might I suggest that all of you who are leaving for greener pastures, if you are so inclined - BLOG about it.

Don't just contribute to a thread like this - create something that is an anchor point for public interest on the subject.

It seems that if there is one thing on the internet that has caused companies like Microsoft to take note, it's technology blogs focused on very specific and highly detailed negatives.

There are plenty of free blog hosting sites on the web. Pick an interesting title and tag that sums up your experience and why you've decided to walk away, and maybe you'll draw enough interest to in some small way contribute to a future solution.

It can't hurt, and it'll probably be a cathartic experience.