Extension of the Current Gen and Hardware Failure

Submitted by Shane Whitehouse on May 20, 2010 – 10:45 am18 Comments

As I mentioned in our forums, my recently suspect Xbox 360 went to a place that most gamers hate. Yes, I had the sight pictured to the left. A screech came from my speakers as I turned the unit on, and then – three flashing red lights.

Normally this is not an issue, as you would normally just call or go online to get the unit fixed, but this time it was different. My console is outside the three year extended warranty for the flashing red lights syndrome, and therefore will cost me a fat $99.00 to get it replaced. It made me think about the fact that I am now entering the period where a new console would normally be coming from Microsoft, now nearing the five year mark in its life, but we are not getting that new console. Instead, we are getting controllers that are meant to extend the life of the current generation of consoles, and it made me realize that there could be issues here in the near future for those that own near launch 360 units like myself.

When the three red lights phenomenom exploded on the scene, Microsoft reacted a little slow, and then did a complete turnaround, offering a three year replacement for the three red lights syndrome. This gave owners of the early generations of Xbox 360′s a way to get refurbished or replacement units handled for free. So when you had that fifth failure, it was no big deal. You just called Microsoft, got your label and shipped the console back. Now with most early consoles falling out of this three year warranty coverage, we have a big problem coming up in the horizon for Microsoft, as more people start to experience failure, and now have to pay for a console to be replaced.

Normally, I would not be all that upset. I for one, have only experience this horror once before with my January 2006 production unit. It was sent in under warranty for repair back in February 2008, and has performed flawlessly until Tuesday night, May 18th, 2010. I knew my console was out of warranty, and I tried the normal tricks like calling people I knew in the Microsoft scene to see if they could help. Failing that, I called up to see if I could get the unit fixed without paying for the repair. Again, I was met with resistance. As a matter of fact, I talked to a rep named Karen that told me the with my $99.00 payment, I would get a new warranty. When asked about the inevitable failure of my device again, due to its age, I was told that I could always buy and extended warranty, or a new Xbox 360 to enjoy the many features of Xbox Live.

Therein lies the problem. More and more individuals will have to face this issue here in the upcoming years, as this generation of consoles is extended, and I am sure that this will only be the beginning of frustration for many Xbox 360 owners. How many Xbox 360 owners still have refurbished, early generation consoles that will fail over the the next two or three years? Microsoft will have to come up with some answers, as telling the faithful to drop $99.00 for each upcoming failure seems to be an unacceptable solution. And to pull the card of buying a new Xbox 360 seems to be a new low for a console that currently rules the roost when it comes to online play. Will Microsoft continue to enjoy success with these dedicated fans of the hardware, or will people start to stand up and say enough is enough and walk away from the platform? Time will tell, but at least from my point of view, I am really frustrated. Sure, I will probably pay the $99.00, because I am invested in the hardware at this point, but if this comes about again, I might have to seriously contemplate dropping the Xbox 360 from my console lineup, as I cannot find the will to continue to pay for a console every time it breaks. And yes, I do have the mindset that it will inevitably fail again.

Tags: $99.00, buy a new xbox 360, fail, generation extension, Microsoft, rrod, support concerns, three red lights, warranty failure, weathering the storm, XBOX 360

http://twitter.com/HybridMisfit Jordan Thomas

I think the bigger issue here with the release of such things as Natal. If it does succeed even a little to gain the attention of that less gaming dedicated audience, they will not stand for a console that is expected to fail because most people in that demographic expect to buy a product that works for years with no need for upgrade, repair, or accessories to extend the life of the product. And while newer 360's are less prone to the issue the damage is already done because once anyone who isn't part of the gamer culture hears about catastrophic system failure they will shy away
http://www.infinitydevil.com/ InfinityDevil

Is there any data indicating the latest generation of 360's have fixed the TRL problem?

My 60GB PS3 died last summer with the Yellow Light of Death and after a very annoying month waiting for a 3rd party repair place through the Target warranty to get to it, they had to end up shipping it back to me to ship to Sony (covered by them, still).

I sort of hope that if and when this refurb unit croaks it will be out of warranty so I can pay $100, get it replaced by Sony, buy a new slim one, then sell the refurb so I can avoid a whole month of downtime. I don't play PS2 games anymore, really, so I won't miss that or the memory card slots. The fewer USB ports will annoy me, but will also force me (ow ow twist my arm stop it!) to buy the bluetooth MediaBoard Pro version of my USB-dongle-driven MediaBoard keyboard.

Once my PS3 YLOD'd I realized that Sony either got lucky with their zillion new models of PS3 or needed to do it in that the latest ones, running cooler, don't break down the way the older ones did. This makes me think that my refurb is eventually going to fry itself. I'm just very happy I can back it up to an external drive.

PS: All of that fear aside, I'll be upgrading my PS3 with a 500GB laptop SATA drive this weekend. Got it for less than the price of a new game, which will let me play more games that need to be installed to the hard drive since every game seems to need to dump gigs of data on the drive to run quickly.
http://www.aeropause.com mclazyj

The new Xbox 360 models are designed differently, with better parts, that run cooler. The problem still remains with the older units that are normally refurbished instead of replaced. I am certain if they would have replaced my unit over a refurbished model, I would not be in this predicament.

As for your 60GB model, I would be so tempted to trade you my 80GB I bought last year, just for that backwards compatibility. It would save me a spot under the TV where my PS2 sits.
Nat_K

I 3RR'd two days outside my warranty.

I then bought a $10 kit, took off the X brackets, thermal paste, and reseated the heat sinks.

It's been working like a charm. Since then, I've “repaired” six other systems for friends. Oh, every local friend I know that owns one has 3RR'd. Every one.
Reigen

man, i feel sory for you
hope youre xbox dosent brake again

im so lucky that my local store ofers a premium 6 year waranty
John Locke

Well, you will surely pay so all the others will pay, they will say the same, “this time i pay but the next time….”, the next time is in many years, and then you will pay again if they won't invent something new.
So i don't think microsoft will lose their customers, and they won't do anything about the problem because of people who will pay now but the next time….
usmanking_1

why every1 is complaining about rrod?????????? Are u a ps3 fanboy or sony has just hired u for xbox 360 negative publicity?????????? rrod is past. jasper is present and the future. and i mnot ready to invest in new generation. i have recently bought 360 with jasper. i want to enjoy it for atleast 5 yrs. go microsoft till 2015
Wolf26pack

I feel for you guys. In all my years of owning gaming consoles all the way back to the NES I've never had a console break down on me until my 60GB's PS3 recent YLOD. I had to pay Sony $192 to repair my 60GB & ended up getting a refurb that sounded like a vacuum cleaner. I wanted to get my original PS3 back but no one would help. I got pissed off & decided to go straight to the top. I then contacted Sony's Playstation CEO via email & within an hour I recieved a call back & they said they would take care of it personally. Today I received the 2nd refurb PS3 from Sony, so far so good but I'm going to give it a week before I pass any judgement, *Fingers Crossed* Hope it works.

I just can't believe that I ended up having my system break down in all the years I've gamed it really makes me think of not purchasing the next sysytem for quite a while if they continue to be so unreliable
Damo

I was of the understanding that there was a new motherboard produced as a retro-fit to the first gen xboxes see below:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xbox_360_hardware#…

The opus board should be fitted to first gen xboxes upon repair I would have thought.
John Lock

Transfer to the Dark Side and join SONY with the PS3!
Plus to be honest, lmo better games. And you'll save some $.
John Lock

Because I still have my original PS1 working a o k.And for a next gen console just to fail is utter bullshit. and for a next gen console to fail on your twice?! WTF

I bought a Jasper 360 in Feb 2010 and it got the rrod on me. it was manuf. in jan. 2010. they just changed the name and fanboys went crazy.
John Lock

Holy shit we have the same name? I am LOST.
morphiend

Honestly the YLOD is SO limited its just a standard operating procedure for electronics. Hell, the same problem plagues ALL of my PCs. Gotta keep it clean or it can't keep cool. And, yes, the PS3 does produce quite a bit of heat so give it plenty of space for airflow and don't sit it on its side.

My drive died, but I half-expected it to: it happens every time new hardware like that is created. The PS2 was the first to use a dual-purpose lens and it failed prematurely. Unfortunately, customers end up being beta-testers for new tech since we want new tech now.

Now bad design decisions, like that of the original 360, are a different matter.

I totally feel for the “do I refurb it?” though, since at 5 years we are very close to the next hardware release. And that in itself seems scary since these systems have yet to be “maxed out” yet with respect to a development platform. This generation has definitely been very weird in how its played out.
http://www.baconeggmuffin.angelfire.com Skid Row Trash

I have a near-release Xbox 360. It is 5 years or so later, and I am on my 5th Xbox. My problem is this, every time I send it to get repaired (Always for a different problem too). I get back the same old model. They don't even sell the “Premium” models with the silver door anymore, yet I keep getting those back. My xbox does not even have a HDMI connection on it, and it is my 5th xbox 360. Shouldn't they be sending me the most recent, yet equally priced system, new when my system gets fucked up due to their poor production procedures.

I hope one day when I exchange my xbox, they will at least have the common courtesy to give me a more recent model. After all, I am also a 5 year Xbox Live Gold Member, with over 90 retail games and over 120 Xbox Live Arcade titles. I think I have given enough money to warrent at least the currant standard when mine breaks down.
http://www.baconeggmuffin.angelfire.com Skid Row Trash

I play the crap out of my consoles too. Just so you know, I had 2 different Sega Genesis consoles, 2 SNES consoles, 3 Sega CDs, 2 Nintendo 64's, 3 Playstations (PS1 or PSX). 3 Xboxes, and now, 5 Xbox 360's. Also, just so you know. I have only ever had 1 of each console at a time. I never had like, 2 SNES consoles at once. Only after it broke and I had to exchange.
Richdad

Yes MS should do some system upgrade I wouldn't mind if 360 failed after 3-4 of performance. But no matter how much care I took any of my 360 never lasted more than 1 year.

I have PS2 which I purchased in 2005, it served me well til 2009. After that it crippled a bit due to lens issue. But that is some thing within acceptable limit. With 360 I am freaking afraid.
John Locke

Only mine written right )))
Sir_Julian

John Locke the philosopher plays games? Cool.