Users report Xbox 360 "crashing like mad"
So, the Xbox 360's been available for, what, 15 minutes, and already the crash reports are streaming in. According to postings on Xbox-Scene and other fan sites, some early adopters are discovering that waiting on line in the cold for two years to snag a box was the least of their problems: the game consoles are allegedly crashing during a variety of games and reporting a range of error messages. There's even a pic up on flickr that purports to show the 360 crashing as the Microsoft logo loads. Sure, it's too early to declare this a pandemic and start hurling Xboxes out of windows, but it still has us wondering: How's your 360 holding up?
P.S. And yes, our Xbox has crashed a bit too — though nothing too terrible.
[Thanks, Persian]
Filed under: Gaming
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 8)
davekenobie @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
who ever said join up with aol is crazy they suck just as bad...no worse than micro. why add insult to injury.
Eric @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
Played PDZ for hours with no problems at all and very little heat. I also have mine vertical next to my TV.
Eric @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
Furthermore my PS2 did lock up after its first hour while playing Timesplitters. Everything will crash once and a while, PC, Mac, Linux, 360, PS2, whatever. But since it is Microsoft the haters will have to make a big deal of it.
RuneSpyder @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
I played a ton of online PGR3 and Madden last night without a single problem. Smooth as silk the entire time.
PJ @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
I think "crashing like mad" is a bit over the top. Some people are obviously having problems though.
My system has been running great. I even left it on all night (while downloading a 500MB demo for NBA Live 06). This morning is was warm, but not hot to the touch. Certainly not as hot as some laptops (Dell) I have used.
I have not experieced any crashes.
....my issue is with my rechargable battery packs not working...
daschupa @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
my dreamcast had problems from day one...crap, add that to the list of similarities between the DC and XBOX2.
Anyhoo, crashes are normal on first runs, they will be worked out, recalls will be made yadi yadi yadi, to me it's what you get for not selling it on ebay for 600 bucks. I felt the same regret with the PS2 when it came out but that was because it had horrible launch games.
zak @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
serves you right for buying a MS branded product.
RuneSpyder @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
You never saw a Super Nintendo or a Genesis crash? Well, no kidding. I never saw a calculator crash either.
JT @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
At this point it doesn't help being alarmist or ignoring the problems. In a couple of days, we'll definetely see if there's any widespread problem... watch those MSFT stocks... One thing for sure, i wouldn't want to be the dude who bought one on eBay for a Gazillion bucks...
Eric @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
#46 if you have never had a console lock up or crash then you don't play games. No console will ever be perfect, something will go wrong sometime. Of course you would be saying what I am saying now if there were about the PS3.
PJ @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
RuneSpyder...nicely put. I needed a good laugh this morning.
John Doe @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
Dave ,
MS designed the f-ing damn system you tool. Its MS problem not IBM. And the excuses just keep on coming.
Joe McCullough @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
Wow, you people are angry (and some of you are mighty pathetic and bitter)!
I have had one problem with my 360, and it wasn't a crash, it was an audio issue while playing Live.
And whoever said that a Gamecube has never crashed needs to come over to my place, I have something educational to show you...
John Doe @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
Eric ,
BS. I NEVER had my Game Boy crash on me. I never had my N64 crash on me. I never had my Genesis, PSX, or Saturn crash on me. Hell for that matter I never had my launch day PS2 crash on me and I play games. So please. Continue with the excuses ad nauseum
eskimo @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
*Mutters under breath* This is why I said to wait for the Revolution, but did anyone listen? Nooo...
Bo Teichman @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
I got my Xbox at 12:11 AM on the 22nd and haven't stopped playing it since (well i did log on some WoW in between sessions). Mine has never messed up or locked up. I have NFS and PDZ. So that sucks to hear that.
DCFC Fan @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
I just wanted to point out, what low expectations people have. You get an Xbox360 at the launch and some have said "Crashes will be normal" or "should be expected." Why? Just because it was JUST released?
Why is it with things like this, we are to expect crashes as "normal"?
MS wants to get in the market first, so they rush design/production/beta testing or whatever to be first and get your money. And the thanks you get is a product that crashes.
They designed this from the chips up. Windows products must be compatible with a jillion things, so I can much more easily understand issues with that sort of launch. But they DESIGNED the Xbox360 and they still can't manage to avoid crashing?
I think it just goes to show you their priorities. Rather than make a well tested, solid product, they were more interested in getting out before Christmas to get the market share, to make more money. Should we have expected anything less?
Swift @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
I love MicroSHAFT!
I own several of the products that they make (software and hardware)
You kind of get used to the cra.......
Swift @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
Crashes, sorry i had to reboot
PJ @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
Keep waiting for that Revolution Eskimo...hope you enjoy it.
Tyler @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
This is exactly what to expect from a prematurley released 1st generation product. I had a feeling something horrible was going to happen to the 360. It was obvious becuase they try to release something too early in order to get a big advance in sales, instead they neglect a major problem. I see lawsuits in Micro$oft'$ bleak future. They should have released it with the PS3 next spring. But anyway, crashing and the legendary blue screen or death are standard features on Micro$oft's shi++y products! Go APPLE!!
Bo Teichman @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
I got my Xbox at 12:11 AM on the 22nd and haven't stopped playing it since (well i did log on some WoW in between sessions). Mine has never messed up or locked up. I have NFS and PDZ. So that sucks to hear that.
ike @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
First thing, M$ and $ONY are companies that are in the business of making MONEY.
That's their whole point. Not to make awesome cool things for geeks, but to make MONEY.
They are corporations for f*cks sake.
So quit thinking your company is better because it has the fans in its mind. If it does, its only because it think that approach will make them more money.
Christ, I wish economics was mandatory in middle school, there would be a lot less idiot comments.
Oh, also, its been what-- 24, 36? hours since the launch?
How do we know that the problem is widespread/ chronic yet?
In one weeks time, if a sizeable percentage of the consoles are found to have frequent errors, then yes, MS clearly has a faulty product, and issues to deal with. I doubt this will be the case. We'll see in a week. It's not like they threw out the system without testing it first!
One last thing, in 6 months or whatever, when the PS3 comes out, the next day everyone is going to talk about all its problems and how it is crap.
If you want the benefits of being an early adopter, you have to suffer the consequences of an early adopter. If you want an awesome system that you know is the best, you'll be like me... wait until you've seen all 3 systems have been out for a while and then make an informed decision.
Billy Dee Williams @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
geez, what a bunch of whiney fanboys. I hope I get to use my dollar sign to spell corporations too!
shadekh @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
33..while your comments are somewhat valid, it does not change the fact that the xbox hasent proved to be rather underwhelming..its not quite as super great as i expected. Not the ps-> ps2 change. Also, the ps3 has arguably better specs. However, the least powerful next gen would be nintendo rev, probably.
As for the japanese market, MS has tried, but have you seen the kind of fare Ms offers? DOA delayed, no proper rpg on charts, barely any old xbox compatibility, the few rpg's which ARE coming are too few anyway. So, while it may sell more than its older iteration...in all probability its a flop.
As for marketing...well, its not that sony and nintendo are laggards, but MS overhypes its products a little too much. Not that its bad...but the mtv thing was horrible.
And while the crash problem may be overheating or just bad code, and is still not really widespread, it does exist. And its disappointing, though not unexpected
Luke Pickard @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
Please understand (as with last gen) members from the opposite side (Sony vs M$) are going to the boards reporting fake problems to dampen the launch. So I would read everything with a grain of salt. Unless you yourself have seen it happen.
Mietrecht @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
Well its a MS product what did you guys expect ?
Kevin @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
Who cares? Why are people buying this system anyway... its games suck. The best games have always been on Sony and Nintendo consoles, not Xbox.
And yes, Halo is gay. Most overhyped game ever.
Don Wilson @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
Using the lame ass 'M$' instead of 'MS' is just as stupid as putting "!!!11!!1lolzbbq". Could there be a link between these two childish groups of morons? I think so!
Wysiwyg @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
#63, im with you. I play games since the first Atari 2600 came out and tried almost every console and computer i could. I read a lot of stuff and talked to a lot of people about games. Since the XBox, i never heard about consoles crashing! NEVER!
Its amazing to see how standards can be so low over time. "Oh, i just bought this console and it crashes a couple of time, but its ok for me". Cmon! Its not about Microsoft, its about you spending money and not getting what you paid for. Maybe your daddy dont care, but we, the ones who work a lot to buy things, deserve a better treatment. Were not asking favors, were demanding quality.
Anyway, Im not buying an XBox 360 until i see what MS will do about it. And if these issues where caused by overheating, Im sure the Playstation 3 will suck too if they dont do it right.
Mike @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
Why am I not surprised? :P
ryan @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
people get a life. My first PS2 has crashed so many times! So has my x-box! Why are you all so angry! Do you all own sony's stock! Because truthfully in the long run if you don't want the x-box 360 than don't buy it! Don't make lies to convince people not to buy it because I am sure half if not 3/4 of the people here are sony diehards and fanatic!
Geoffrey Sperl @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
Dave: No, sorry, the hardware is manufactured by MS. IBM is only supplying the processors - MS is doing the motherboard.
Now, to be honest: I can't stand MS for a lot of stuff (especially Windows), but they tend to do hardware decently well (all of my mice and keyboards are MS), so I am surprised at the number of problems the 360 seems to be having.
As a hardcore gamer myself, I have only had two consoles crash on me, ever (and I come from the Atari 2600 generation, folks): My Dreamcast did crash from time to time, but it was when it was runing games based on the Win CE code that it was compatible with; and my Nintendo 64 crashed, twice, in the same place on a specific cartridge ("Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine"). Neither of those were issues with the console, but rather the games. And neither of the two PS2s my wife and I own have ever crashed.
Unfortunately, it seems the the 360 is crashing on different games (PGR and PDZ seemingly the two that crash the most, but it's not limited to those), so my initial thought is that the 360 probably gets really, really, really hot. Putting it in a well ventilated area is the first thing people should try. Pull it off the entertainment unit and put it on a TV tray or something (NOT on the carpet or the rug) and then run it to see if it crashes that way. If it does, then you know it's the console itself.
BTW: I'm not buying a 360 (buying a Revolution at launch, but that's me), but I hope everyone who has gets to enjoy it. The price is nothing to sneeze at and it would be disappointing to see a major recall on the consoles...
J-ENGINE @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
Anyone who buys a microsoft branded product gets what they deserve.
Some people never learn.
Ross @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
It's sad that people get so worked up about consoles. I can understand it coming from the really younger gamers, but anyone that's out of their teen years should really grow up.
I'm sure a lot of these people can't afford more than one console, or can't afford to pay the premium you get stuck with to jump in early. Or maybe they just couldn't find a 360 to purchase. I'm lucky in that I can afford a 360 and a PS3, but even if I couldn't I'd make a rational decision as to which console to go with. And I wouldn't slam the competition just to reassure myself that I had made the right decision.
Chris @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
I bet the majority of these issues are due to people stacking the player and not allowing them to breath. Also, I bet the units are more susceptible to voltage issues and other issues.
Also, in this day and age, one idiot can spread the "hate" for miles. I have seen a couple posts that are clearly the same person on different forums. It happens all the time and this time is not the exception.
Also, guess what, some are going to fail. Early production will have higher failure rates and lower yields, its just part of mass production. It happens to cars, computers and Xbox 360's.
If you wanted to make sure you got one that didn't have an issue, then you should have waited in line for a life and waited for a 360 in a couple months.
Rich @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
In product design, user errors = design errors. If you can plug an x-box in wrong, that is a MS problem as there are simple ways to fix this. Also, overheating due to placement in a crowded entertainment center is something that should have been forseeable to MS. I think there are some people here that are way to pro-MS and Anti-MS, but the simple fact is that this kind of stuff is much more prevalent in MS products. Nintendo and PS2 are sold in the same stores and operate in the same environments and have a much better track record.
patrick @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
#45
Just wanted to say that my gamecube does crash and overheat. For example, if I'm playing one game for awhile and then decide to change, I have to wait for the machine to cool down or it won't restart. I've also had the powersupply fail on me. I don't keep it in a cabinet, but it does sit on the floor and I have a cat with a ton of hair (so I'm sure that hair is causing it to mess up).
My point in all of this is that other systems are not immune to crashes. Only time will tell how good or bad the 360 is or how smooth the PS3 launch goes.
With that said, I will probably get one in several months.
Zorg @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
Hey! Only hippies and communists say we're losing in Iraq! Oh, wait, is this the anti Microsoft thread? Sorry. Hey! Only hippies and communists and Sony employees and Apple employees and environmentalists and anti-monopolists, and globalization wonks and peaceniks and libertarians and federal judges and anti-trust advocates and students and artists and left-handed homosexual nazis and fur trappers and spear fishermen and kids and geezers and couch potatoes and also-rans and former heads of FEMA and spammers and wingnuts and Luddites and topologists and tarsiers and hammerheads and hackers say that XBox 360 crashes! You take it back!
David @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
First thing I have to say is that this is the spark that MS haters were waiting for. You could have said that the 360 was perfect outside of the power light being annoying an you would still see drones of haters attack the 360 on not being thoughtfull to the color abled...
Now, that being said, if it is true that the 360 is crashing on 1st gen games, this is not a good thing at all. How is a programmer suppose to push the system to its limits if the initial games are already crashing the system?
I just see MS trying to get to the market first, and prior to Xmas, as a hastey dicision. They really needed a great launch to survive next year when the competition comes out.
2 cents.
Andy S. @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
#35, where do you buy your FUD? Because it's nice and thick...
IBM does not manufacture the 360. IBM manufactures the processors, and that's it. How do you know that the problem is not in ATI's video chipset? These screenshots definitely have video artifacts going on. How do you know that it's not an issue with bad RAM? Or any of a million other parts of the console that IBM *didn't build*?
Get a clue, really.
Brian @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
Well you know what they say....the day Microsoft makes something that doesn't suck is the day they make vacuums.
Actually, I love my Xbox and I've only had it glitch on a few games (morrowind) but other than that I'm happy with it. I will, however, be interested to see if the 360 problems do turn out to be wide spread or just a specific run of production or whatever. This could be huge.
Brett @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
No one has mentioned the funniest part, that these are going for over $1000 each on eBay! That's right, pay a premium to be the first to have a faulty first generation piece of hardware!!
SEAN Meyers @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
When 'changing faceplates' is a marketing tactic, you know you're in trouble.
My XBOX hardly plays anymore. Every time it accesses the HD to load game data it crashes.
Not to mention the horrid message I get all the time with new games 'This disc is unrecognized by this xbox. Please make sure it is a microsoft formatted disc"
WTF???
Also I get messages that say "This disc may be dirty or damaged" and the discs are brand new.
I have tried to buy lens cleaner discs but when i put them into the XBOX it tells me "This is not a Microsoft Formatted disc and can not be read by this XBOX."
Aaaarggg. How can I ever buy anything microsoft again. I am a huge apple fan and was excited by the new processing power of the 360, but I also have a PSP and have become a huge fan of sony.
If you're trying to decide between the two, choose sony.
The Japanese have a lot of pride in their gaming technology and there is no way they are going to let Gate$ have a superior product this time around.
Japanese engineering is far superior to anything microsoft can produce, because all they think about is saving money.
As far as HOLIDAY GIFTS go, anyone thinking about a 360 should opt for a $199 PSP. These little machines are incredible and they are compatible with the PS3 as a controller with a HUGE screen for maps and other data so it will be useful down the road.
cheatah @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
Mine works wonderful, played 24 hours straight not even as hot as my desktop PC IDLE. Played Kameo, PDZ, Condemed and King Kong also played that Geometry Wars freaking SWEET game, streamed music flawlessly it even categorizes it for you and everything totally awesome!
Jason @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
I never planned to get an Xbox 360 anyways, but this is the reason why I wouldn't camp out at a store waiting to get it the second it's available.
funkbass @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
hahahaha! At the end of the day they are still Microsoft. They will never create something that won't crash in a short amount of time.
Viva la Playstation 3!
JinKazama @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
Quote:
---------------------------------------------
The Playstation 2 had similar problems on launch.
---------------------------------------------
...it did...? What were the PS2's issues? The only thing I remember is the DRE thing...I thought that came about about a year or two after launch?
...most products have issues at launch 9 times out of 10 it's uber critical techies like us making a mountain out of a mole hill...i.e PSP dead pixels. I had a couple dead pixels and was pissed, now I can't even find them on my PSP unless the screen is a certain color and they don't bother me at all...
What is being described sounds like more than a passing annoyance though, hope it isn't widespread among 360's or MS is in for it.
John Doe @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
Quite a few of these problems have been caused by user error. Some people weren't connecting the power cords properly, resulting in the "red flash of death" that comes from the ring of light.
HAHAHAH! How the hell do you not connect the power cords correctly. Do I need a degree in electrical wiring?
Wow arent we a bunch of antimicrosoft fanboys over here.
And calling people fanboys doesnt change the fact that MS is running some shit hardware. I friend got his yesterday. I was up at 3AM this morning and hes IMing me pissed as hell. He was thinking Gotham was glitchy as hell but since he didnt have another game to try it out on he couldnt check if it was just the game. I guess know we know.
This sounds pretty damn widespread. And before someone screeches like a baboon that MS will release a patch. Going to be pretty damn interesting to see how they do that consider the base unit doesnt come with a hard drive.
MrHoju @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM
Are these crashes associated with extended amounts of play? I mean if you have the thing on for 24+ hours... then it is going to get hot. Or are these crashes happening earlier?
Also - Buy all three next gen consoles - that way - you don't have to worry about missing out on anything.
Fanboys suck - buy all of them