Microsoft gets RRoD at GDC

Just days ago, we heard that Microsoft's Xbox 360 failure rate was at a staggering 16-percent. Not helping Redmond's cause in making you believe otherwise, one of the hand-picked machines used at the 2008 Game Developers Conference was actually suffering from the infamous Red Ring of Death. Comedic gold? Yes, indeed. Check the video after the jump!

[jared @ Feb 19th 2008 2:41PM]

hehehe, too funny.

[Jherez @ Feb 19th 2008 5:50PM]

That must be thoroughly embarrassing

[lyndon @ Feb 19th 2008 8:45PM]

yes embarassing but still xbox 360 is still the best choice for gaming

[Blackstar @ Feb 19th 2008 6:29PM]

It's a feature!

[Scott @ Feb 20th 2008 9:30AM]

@lyndon

I don't know what kind of gaming you do, but the kind I do requires a working device.

[James @ Feb 20th 2008 6:34PM]

@Scott

It's a joke!

[James @ Feb 20th 2008 6:48PM]

@Scott

It's a joke!

[jared @ Feb 19th 2008 2:41PM]

hehehe, too funny.

[Jamma @ Feb 19th 2008 3:00PM]

You seem to find it TWO funny. Maybe Engadget should include an editor in their comments system

[Andir3.0 @ Feb 19th 2008 3:06PM]

Wouldn't that be "two too funny?"

[Blaktornado @ Feb 19th 2008 3:24PM]

what about "two to funny"?

[Jamma @ Feb 19th 2008 3:36PM]

@ Andir and Black tornado

Whats wrong with what i said?

[Blaktornado @ Feb 19th 2008 3:42PM]

Nothing, lol. I was just killing a chain of using "two" in multiple variations... :(

[jared @ Feb 19th 2008 3:54PM]

I love it when the screen hiccups, and posts twice. It definitely needs an edit/delete feature.

[Mike @ Feb 19th 2008 2:41PM]

Um...use an image of the Xbox in a RRoD state for the blog post. The current image makes it look like the Xbox is fine.

[Kiwi616 @ Feb 19th 2008 2:43PM]

I think they snapped the picture when the lights blinked off. Video shows it better.

[Mike @ Feb 19th 2008 2:46PM]

I know, the video shows the RRoD very well. Doesn't matter anyway, the post image has been updated.

[Kiwi616 @ Feb 19th 2008 2:42PM]

Was the xBox upright and in an air tight plastic case....that might be the issue.

[SWK595 @ Feb 19th 2008 2:44PM]

They should have known better.

[phanbouy @ Feb 19th 2008 2:46PM]

that could be it. it's hard to be O2-deprived when you already have emphysema

[Kiwi616 @ Feb 19th 2008 2:50PM]

@ phanbouy

Not to mention I have seen numerous PS3s fail in these cases (without a RRoD) from Heat Exhaustion.

I would love to see someone run until they can't breath and be put in a plastic case. I don't think they'll display a RRoD warning at all!

[Jlivengo @ Feb 19th 2008 2:54PM]

Maybe they should have removed the hard drive and unplugged all cables before powering on...

Does anyone have their address, we can send a sympothetic console coffin and replace the unit within 2 to 6 weeks.

[r0n @ Feb 19th 2008 6:49PM]

Stop apologizing for poorly designed hardware.

[Abuzar @ Feb 19th 2008 2:44PM]

Haha, that's Hilarious.

After eleven break downs, I still like my 360 over my PS3 and Wii!

[wootman @ Feb 19th 2008 2:46PM]

11?!
wow.
i thought 5 was bad.
im still waiting for someone to get over 9000 RRODS.

[Andir3.0 @ Feb 19th 2008 3:12PM]

Glutton for punishment? I guess I should have known with the Zune icon, and the 11 XBox refurbs. I'm sure you upgraded to Vista on day one as well? You'd think that people would learn faster than that.

[Abuzar @ Feb 19th 2008 3:15PM]

Nope, on XP SP3, OSX Leopard and Ubuntu! I don't like Leopard much though, it just sits there on my HDD.

I'm not a blatant MS fanboy. I just happen to enjoy COD4 with rumble and Halo 3. I like resistance, but as much as those games. Also the Zune is a solid player, much better than a iPod. I know, I used to have one.

[Geoffrey Sperl @ Feb 19th 2008 3:17PM]

@wootman: Why, does 9,000 RRODs open an Xbox Live achievement?

[Kamokazi @ Feb 19th 2008 3:23PM]

Youtube "over 9000" and you get your answer, whether you wanted it or not:

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=over+9000&search_type=

[Brian @ Feb 19th 2008 4:12PM]

I don't believe you have had 11 xbox 360's. Unless you leave them running 24/7 and cover the air intake with saran wrap there is just no way. Between 4 people I know (in the real world) with 360s, all of which have heavy usage, only one has got the rrod. (It was me, using a launch console that was used extensively for 13 months)

Other than that, the Zune is a fantastic music and video player. I love mine, and I wouldn't trade it for any ipod nano or classic... but the touch is pretty slick.

[Ihar `Philips` Filipau @ Feb 19th 2008 4:45PM]

> I don't believe you have had 11 xbox 360's.

His sanity is under question: anybody who likes Zune over iPod cannot be considered safe for society.

[Mr Deeds @ Feb 19th 2008 4:58PM]

Bought mine in 2005. No problems here.

[jordan @ Feb 19th 2008 5:36PM]

re: brian

while, obviously, your sample size is too small for any meaningful statistical data, do you realize that's a 25% failure rate?

it's ridiculous that ms doesn't appear to be making any changes in the manufacturing process to lower the failure rate (as most of the RRoD's seem so to be hardware-related, bad solder joints, etc). i think they need to go ahead and say that there's a huge problem and that they're going to address it. until they say they're changing for the better, i would assume the 16% failure rate is fairly close to representing the (360) population's failure rate, and that's just way too high to risk me spending a large amount of money on.

having said that, i do enjoy playing my roomate's 360 w/rock band (i have it for ps2/3 *without a ps3* and we just play it on 360 to keep up band records, etc).

[Jeff @ Feb 19th 2008 9:36PM]

Myself...launch console, rrod after 13 months, been a year since, and i love my zune! by the way running vista home premium on a laptop (replaced the ram) that was "designed" for xp, and i haven't had a single problem (yet)

[Abuzar @ Feb 19th 2008 9:36PM]

I like XP just fine. I mean I have a pretty nice PC but still, no reason to take the performance hit in games just yet.

[Jeff Tracy @ Feb 19th 2008 2:44PM]

For the second time in about 2 years my 360 has failed with the RRoD! I believe MS replaced the original with a refurb unit. We'll see what they do this time if anything, it still falls in the updated 3 year warranty of the original box.

[Joe @ Feb 19th 2008 4:31PM]

they havent been out 3 years have they?

[TEG @ Feb 19th 2008 2:44PM]

Do they not realize that if the machine is laid flat, the connections can't come apart.

Exactly zero of the systems I've seen, used, and my friends have used laid flat have had zero failures, every one where they tip it up on its side has failed.

TEG

[Drew @ Feb 19th 2008 2:54PM]

Not true. Mine, which has laid on it's side from the day I got it, RROD'd yesterday.

[Jonathan @ Feb 19th 2008 2:59PM]

Is this actually true? Mine is up on it's end right now, but I'll go walk to the family room and put it on its side.

(I've seen stores with the RROD and now that I think about it, I have seen messed up Zunes on display (although I personally own and and happy with both). MS should probably send out a "if a display unit breaks on the floor, REMOVE IT" release to its retailers)

[gotee12 @ Feb 19th 2008 3:00PM]

Well just to throw my two cents in...

Mine stayed horizontal, but when used was elevated by two pieces of networking raceway to allow for air flow completely around the unit (think "U-shaped" strip of plastic). It was brought out of the entertainment center when played so that heat wouldn't build up inside the cubby it was stored in when not in use. It was only used 3 to 4 hours a week.

Estimated time of RRoD: 5:15pm EST on 12-24-07
Age: 8 months

[Cory @ Feb 19th 2008 3:12PM]

Drew, you said "not true". How is it not true? You just proved his point further (yours was on its side, it RRoD'd). If its on it side = more likely to fail

[Abuzar @ Feb 19th 2008 3:17PM]

So he meant if they are laid on the side they WONT get RROD. TEG just happened to contradict himself, but we were smart enough to get what he was saying.

[EdgeOne @ Feb 19th 2008 4:04PM]

TEG - any technical merit to back up this claim?

My fist two were horizontal and RRoD. A friends RRoD was used on its side. The demo unit at Target, horizontal, RRoD. That's always impressive for would-be shoppers by the way... lol

I don't think it really matters which way it is, just the luck of the draw. My third is vertical for now, but just because of space.

Still great service, no cost repair, 3yr warranty now, and best gaming/online experience!

[TEG @ Feb 19th 2008 8:23PM]

From my technical knowledge (and people actually doing repairs) the processor is too heavy for the tin-only solder used on the board. The chip also gets far warmer in vertical mode than horizontial mode (the heat dissapates on one side with gravity, instead of evenly with the heatsync), which can loosten the solder. Ether with the elapse of time or a minor bump can cause pins to fry.

Other RRoD causes have been attributed to "Tin Wiskers" and ESD at the time of manufacturing, but statistically, those should account for 1% of failures in total.

TEG

[computer.dude.28 @ Feb 19th 2008 8:42PM]

Sorry, TEG, but I just can't trust information from someone who says "heatsync".

[stupidmonkey @ Feb 20th 2008 12:37AM]

My 360 died 4 weeks back. I've always had it placed horizontally since that's a natural position for the console. It just got back from repair and works great. If I can get good value for it, I'll get a Wii or a PS3 instead. Worrying about another RROD isn't something I'd like to have when I turn my 360 on everytime.

[guerilla779 @ Feb 20th 2008 5:33AM]

tell me one thing , when u spend 400 bucks on a product which is " designed" to be kept both vertically and horizontally , why cant a person keep it vertically.

If a product it designed that way then it should be able to handle it without any debates.

The reason why Microsoft still has shitty manufacturing is because of fanboys like u who support them in every thing. Cuz of fanboys like u Microsoft doesnt need to change their quality...cuz ull just keep buying em One RRoD after the other.

[Anthony @ Feb 19th 2008 2:44PM]

Not quite as embarrassing as your OS crashing while giving a presentation at Comdex.

[Simon @ Feb 19th 2008 2:44PM]

i saw a rrod 360 in a futureshop display case lol.