So, is it safe to buy a 360 yet?

[Lord_Magus]

I've been thinking of picking one up for a while now (more specifically, ever since Deathsmiles was announced), but I've been skeptical due to the ridiculously high failure rates as everyone knows. Has the situation been drastically improved (and by that, I mean eliminated) in the latest models, or should I just wait for the rumored "slim" version to surface and see how that fares?

To be honest, it's not only that I'm worried about the thing becoming an ugly paperweight on me, it's more that I simply consider it stupid to consciously buy (and subsequently, support) a console with such a high failure rate. If there's a huge improvement in reliability in the latest (Jasper, was it?) units, I might actually pick one up though since there appear to be some solid double-A games on it.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

[skaar]

No. It will never be safe. There are naked ladies in some of the games.

Go buy one and enjoy it while you can. Waiting on one is time wasted.

[rpepper9]

No, it will never be safe. They come alive at night and do unthinkable things to you while you sleep!

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

You use descriptors like "huge" and "drastically" when asking if the situation has been improved.

While there may have been some "minor", "incremental" or even "significant" (generously/relatively speaking) improvements in hardware failures since the introduction of the Jasper model board (and/or any minor revisions since then) I believe that the answer to the question: has there been any huge improvements is still no.

[baraka]

I was comparing the newer PS3 slim models to the newer 360 models a few weeks ago and the new 360 ones seem to be a lot more reliable from what I read. The "new" chipset rarely causes trouble anymore whereas the ps3 slim apparently overheats quite easily.

[Lord_Magus]

No. It will never be safe. There are naked ladies in some of the games.

Go buy one and enjoy it while you can. Waiting on one is time wasted.

I think that third sentence belonged on the second line...?

Still not convinced though. I don't want to risk getting one of these things and having it blow up my house or something. My girlfriend would hate it if that happened.

[backguard]

I've been thinking of picking one up for a while now (more specifically, ever since Deathsmiles was announced), but I've been skeptical due to the ridiculously high failure rates as everyone knows. Has the situation been drastically improved (and by that, I mean eliminated) in the latest models, or should I just wait for the rumored "slim" version to surface and see how that fares?

To be honest, it's not only that I'm worried about the thing becoming an ugly paperweight on me, it's more that I simply consider it stupid to consciously buy (and subsequently, support) a console with such a high failure rate. If there's a huge improvement in reliability in the latest (Jasper, was it?) units, I might actually pick one up though since there appear to be some solid double-A games on it.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

The RROD has been drastically improved with the later versions. I'm not sure about failure rates now, but they definitely have improved. You can get some pretty good deals on Elites if you do a little shopping around. It seems like everyone is offering $50 gift cards or other bonuses with them these days. Also with bing.com cashback and online coupons you can sometimes get really good deals for online purchases. I think I paid about 200 for my Elite from Dell.com about 6 months ago. Basically, I would say if you can get a decent deal it is probably worth getting one. BUT if your 360 goes down you have to sit through weeks of delay while it is repaired. THAT and the quality of titles that have come out for the PS3 in the last 6 months motivated me to get rid of my Elite and stick with my PS3.

[grolt]

I suppose it's too early to tell with the Jasper units, but all seems to be going well with those on the boards I frequent. That's the unit I've got now, and it's been great for me. It's never even run hot, or not near as hot as the earlier systems my brothers have (and have lost due to RROD) at least. It uses a lot less power, too, so put those energy bill savings into some XBLA downloads!

[skaar]

I think that third sentence belonged on the second line...?

Still not convinced though. I don't want to risk getting one of these things and having it blow up my house or something. My girlfriend would hate it if that happened.

I suggest distracting her with naked ladies.

Consoles are cheap enough that they're not a significant investment anymore. Buy the console, play the games, enjoy yourself.

This isn't rocket science. It's a video game machine.

[Lord_Magus]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. It seems that getting a Jasper is the way to go.

I'll probably pick one up from amazon UK, as they have a pretty sweet deal going currently where you get basically 2 free games with any Elite purchase.

But hmm... Is there any way to guarantee I'll get a Jasper unit, or at least identify one if I decide to pick one up from my local game store?

[Therealqtip]

Lol@knowing a 360 or maybe a PS3 is GOING to die. Oh technology these days. It's so good.

[megasdkirby]

I've been thinking of picking one up for a while now (more specifically, ever since Deathsmiles was announced), but I've been skeptical due to the ridiculously high failure rates as everyone knows. Has the situation been drastically improved (and by that, I mean eliminated) in the latest models, or should I just wait for the rumored "slim" version to surface and see how that fares?

I was like that, fearing getting a console because of the RROD and such. But then I saw a nice offer on GameStop which was better thanks to PR stock, so I decided to give it a shot.

Although I have yet to give "heavy play" to the Xbox 360, it's great having one and browsing the library of games (though only a few actually interest me (exclusive for the consoles) and multi-platform versions I will get for the PS3).

Unfortunately, I THINK the slim won't help matters. In fact, it may make things worse. Every time I see a "slimmer" console being released (at least with respects to the PSTwo and PS3), even more problems arise. I've seen more returns on PS3 "slims" due to overheating than I ever saw for the "chubby" system. I think this is due to the cramped space in the console, even with the more efficient CPU and GPU. So possibly the same may happen to the Xbox 360. But no one knows for sure until it's released.

To be honest, it's not only that I'm worried about the thing becoming an ugly paperweight on me, it's more that I simply consider it stupid to consciously buy (and subsequently, support) a console with such a high failure rate. If there's a huge improvement in reliability in the latest (Jasper, was it?) units, I might actually pick one up though since there appear to be some solid double-A games on it.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

From what I can gather, it's all depending on use. If the console is played heavily, without breaks in between to cool it off, it will damage faster than one that is used less frequently or one that is cooled much more often. Just take good care of it, make sure it gets plenty of "rest" so that it can cool, play in a well ventilated area (and very cold area, at least this is my suggestion), and turn it off when it's not in use, and I think you should be ok. Or at least have it last a very long time.

I suppose it's too early to tell with the Jasper units, but all seems to be going well with those on the boards I frequent. That's the unit I've got now, and it's been great for me. It's never even run hot, or not near as hot as the earlier systems my brothers have (and have lost due to RROD) at least. It uses a lot less power, too, so put those energy bill savings into some XBLA downloads!

I dunno grolt. It's going to be two years soon (at least by the end of the year) and the amount of issues I've read concerning the "Jasper" units have been good compared to older motherboards and chipsets. So I am pretty sure one can say that it has helped matters quite a bit. Now take the PS3 and the constant overheating issues I see at work and online, and taking into factor that the PS3 "slim" has been out less than a year, is quite shocking. And this coming from a person who likes the PS3 more.

[stonecutter]

I just experienced my 4th RROD 30 minutes ago on a unit made June 30th 2008. I am really pissed off about this. I wouldn't advise anyone to buy an XBOX anymore unless they want the hassle and frustration. My systems get heavy use, but they are well taken care of, and not in a hot environment.

If I was working and could afford to, I would dump all my 360 stuff at a huge loss I am sure and start over with a PS3.

[skaar]

I just experienced my 4th RROD 30 minutes ago on a unit made June 30th 2008. I am really pissed off about this. I wouldn't advise anyone to buy an XBOX anymore unless they want the hassle and frustration. My systems get heavy use, but they are well taken care of, and not in a hot environment.

If I was working and could afford to, I would dump all my 360 stuff at a huge loss I am sure and start over with a PS3.

Sell your 360 stuff on here. Make others happy!

Seriously, do you know how many computer/laptop/hardware failures I've had in my life? Did I stop using a computer? No. I bought another one.

The more complicated technology gets the more can go wrong. Have you LOOKED inside an Atari?

[Letiumtide]

Is it safe?

Honestly, I've had mine since Lost Odyssey came out, never had a problem.

[duffmanth]

It'll never be safe to buy a 360, but if you want one that much, just get it from Gamestop and get the extended warranty. I think it's pretty cheap?

[The 1 2 P]

Still not convinced though. I don't want to risk getting one of these things and having it blow up my house or something. My girlfriend would hate it if that happened.

How small is your house? The blast radius on 360 explosions is only 2-5 feet. You could have that area remodeled in a week or less.

[Sniderman]

If you have to ask, then you're too much of a nervous nellie to risk buying one. Everytime you fire it up, you're gonna just be WAITING for it to red-ring.

Personally, the reputation speaks for itself, I think.

[megasdkirby]

Everytime you fire it up, you're gonna just be WAITING for it to red-ring.

My goodness, this is so true...at least with me. Though it has diminished quite a bit.

[DeputyMoniker]

Can't tell you how tired I am of this question. It's still a legitimate concern though. I'd say it's safe to buy one but get the extended warranty. If mine craps out (and I've used an Arcade for a year now and had no real probs.) then it'll get fixed. I went with the extended warranty because it covers me for a total of 3 years. I figured that they will probably have it all sorted out by the time my warranty runs out. And if I feel like it, I'll just RRoD my system and have them replace it...do that until I get a hold of one of the newer ones. Yeah, it's a little underhanded, but so is selling an unreliable product. (Not that that actually justifies what Im going to do.)