Xbox 360 Complaint

[mduda]

The console failed after several months of use - my situation is not unique. Failure was most likely a result of cheap components on the boards, which were selected to bring down recurring production costs.

Microsoft should improve on quality control or consider a product redesign; if not, they should expect to see more returns, pay for more extended warranties and upset customers resulting in reduced earnings in hardware and software sales and liscensing.

Any thoughts, anyone?

Best,
Mike Duda

 

[j_garcia]

What do you mean pay for extended warranties? They extended all 360 owners warranties to 2yrs didn't they? I would think that with the length of time that it has been out, they would have ironed out most of the bugs by now, but lemons still do get by.

Can you describe the conditions under which you use it? How many hours /day in use, is it in a properly ventilated location, etc...?

 

[mduda]

Microsoft has opted to further extend the warranty on the Xbox 360 product for all owners - that is, beyond the original product warranty that was offered at date of purchase.

As far as bugs go, I'm not referring to software issues, but I am referring to hardware failures. The catastrophic failures didn't occur until several months of gameplay on the unit - a very short lifespan for a product that should have continued to operate for at least another couple of years.

Microsoft extended the original product warranty timeframe, which is an indication of many other console owners having similar problems - total system failure.

 

[j_garcia]

I have heard that the hardware failure rate was still quite high. Thus far my brother hasn't had any issues with his. Note that these are not built by Microsoft, they are outsourced to a contract manufacturer who is likely the one choosing the components that go onto the boards and such. Regardless of that, it is Microsoft's product, thus the warranty extensions.

 

[mduda]

The production team probably won't select components unless their is a manufacturing issue that requires a component change to accomodate the product production.

The designer/designing company is 90% responsible for selecting the unit's parts list; the parts list selection takes into consideration design functionality, cost issues, logistics and marketing approach.

After designing several electronics products for military applications, I have rarely seen a component changed because the production team mandated the change.

 

[j_garcia]

I've worked directly with one of the contract manufacturers they're using and for some reason they seemed to think they could do whatever they wanted once we turned over the documentation to them....

 

[mduda]

Then that seems to support the argument about poor quality control. Seems to be a disconnect from the design to the final product release.

Sorry to hear that. I bet you're frustrated!

 

[angstadt530]

I read on either ign.com or teamxbox.com that all the new 360s are being made with different parts now to fix the problem. I can't remember the exact details, but if anyone is interested I could try to find the article again.

 

[Emusica]

The console failed after several months of use - my situation is not unique. Failure was most likely a result of cheap components on the boards, which were selected to bring down recurring production costs.

Microsoft should improve on quality control or consider a product redesign; if not, they should expect to see more returns, pay for more extended warranties and upset customers resulting in reduced earnings in hardware and software sales and liscensing.

Any thoughts, anyone?

Best,
Mike Duda

Call the Microsoft Xbox360 line and they will take down your info. You will receive a box in the mail with a pre-paid UPS label with wich you will go to the UPS store and send it on its merry way. You will get your 360 back in probably less than two weeks. All this will be free of charge plus you will more than likely get one of the newer models that has the improved dvd-drives that are more quiet

 

[mduda]

Thanks angstadt530 and Emusica for the feedback!

angstadt530, if you do come across the article, I would love to read it.

I certainly hope the newer consoles will perform for the better...

 

[abboudc]

You will receive a box in the mail with a pre-paid UPS label with wich you will go to the UPS store and send it on its merry way. Y

Also known as the "cardboard coffin".

The 360 is the most fragile console ever released. I could throw my PS2/DC/Wii/GC and almost any other console in a dufflebag and take it somewhere for the weekend. I'm afraid to even dust my 360. It's very noisy, has a ridiculous power brick, and needs an inordinate amount of space to "breathe". The hardware design team should never be allowed to design hardware ever again. It's ridiculous.

 

[Bigsilvs]

There have been rumors about a new model 360 with a bigger hard drive, HDMI, and maybe a built in HD DVD drive. If this happens, I will be forced to purchase and HDMI switcher

 

[angstadt530]

There have been rumors about a new model 360 with a bigger hard drive, HDMI, and maybe a built in HD DVD drive. If this happens, I will be forced to purchase and HDMI switcher

These upgrades won't happen for quite some time. (Again, can't remember the reasoning behind it, but I read it somewhere on ign.com.)

 

[mduda]

Has anyone opened up either the Xbox 360 or PS3?

I would like to see pics of the boards and the architecture layout.

 

[Tom Andry]

Has anyone opened up either the Xbox 360 or PS3?

I would like to see pics of the boards and the architecture layout.

If someone would send me one for review I would. But I sure as heck not going to open mine . I would think that there would be some internal pics on one of those gaming sites out there. I know that the mag I used to get back in the day (Next Generation I think - went out of business) used to open all the new consoles when they came out.

 

[mikeyj92]

I have had my 360 now since around New Years Day, I can't remember exactly...

It has froze up or shut itself off on me at least once per week since I have owned it...mostly freeze ups, I think there was only 1 shut down.

Now, I have owned: Atari 2600, ColecoVision, Nintendo, Sega Master System, Sega Genesis, Playstation, XBOX & PS2. If I add up all the freeze ups/shut downs on all of those systems that I can remember, I don't think it totals what my 360 has done in the last 9 weeks. 9 f'n weeks. I fear that my unit will soon stop working completely and I'll have to jump through hoops to get it fixed.

I was going to go the PS3 route until the itch to play Oblivion on my 56" TV was too great and mentioned one day to my wife, "I think I'm gonna get a 360 before a PS3...". Within 2 days, she came home with said console/game. (she rocks, btw).

Just thought I'd share my little experience with this system...it does seem to be pretty unreliable.

 

[mduda]

I was going to go the PS3 route until the itch to play Oblivion on my 56" TV was too great and mentioned one day to my wife, "I think I'm gonna get a 360 before a PS3...". Within 2 days, she came home with said console/game. (she rocks, btw).

I've had freeze-ups with the PS3, also. Fortunately, they're not as frequent as what I had experienced on the Xbox 360, but I'm monitoring the problem. The Xbox 360 problems became more frequent until the system eventually had a total system failure and didn't run at all.

 

[abboudc]

If someone would send me one for review I would. But I sure as heck not going to open mine . I would think that there would be some internal pics on one of those gaming sites out there. I know that the mag I used to get back in the day (Next Generation I think - went out of business) used to open all the new consoles when they came out.

Those Next Generation reviews were awesome. They did one on the innards of the Jaguar, Saturn, PS, and N64. Really showed how archaic the Saturn really was.

There are plenty of pics of the inside of the 360 out there if you search. Some guy even watercooled his.

 

[Tom Andry]

Those Next Generation reviews were awesome. They did one on the innards of the Jaguar, Saturn, PS, and N64. Really showed how archaic the Saturn really was.

Even though I've been out of the console game for a while (just got a 360 and haven't even had a chance to hook it up yet), I would still read that mag if they published it. They'd review the same game on all systems, compare and contrast versions, talk about the pluses and minuses of the different consoles... it was an all around great mag. I think that's why it failed - it didn't make any of the consoles happy so I'm betting they lost a lot of advertising. When they shut it down they switched my subscription over to a playstation specific mag. Kinda a bummer.

Anyhow, to stay around the topic, I found this article which had a lot of really detailed pics. Hope that helps.

 

[Bigsilvs]

I've had freeze-ups with the PS3, also. Fortunately, they're not as frequent as what I had experienced on the Xbox 360, but I'm monitoring the problem. The Xbox 360 problems became more frequent until the system eventually had a total system failure and didn't run at all.

I was wondering do your PS3 freeze ups happen while playing PS2 games? Just wondering because there are supposedly around 200 PS2 games that are not fully compatible to play on PS3. I have yet to have a freeze up while playing a PS3 game or watching a Blu-ray movie.