Engadget http://www.engadget.com Engadget http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif Engadget http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[New study finds close to one quarter of Xbox 360s fail within two years]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/04/new-study-finds-close-to-one-quarter-of-xbox-360s-fail-within-tw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/04/new-study-finds-close-to-one-quarter-of-xbox-360s-fail-within-tw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/04/new-study-finds-close-to-one-quarter-of-xbox-360s-fail-within-tw/#comments
Sure, it's not exactly news to hear that the Xbox 360 is the most unreliable console of the big three, but just how unreliable is it? Now there's a point of contention. The good news for Microsoft, of sorts, is that a new study from SquareTrade found that just 23.7% of Xbox 360 consoles failed within the first two years of ownership, which is actually a fair bit better than some of the previous numbers that topped 50%. The study also found that 10% of PlayStation 3 users reported a system failure, compared to a mere 2.7% of Wii owners. The Wii actually fared the worst when it came to power and remote control issues, however, while the most common problems with the Xbox 360 and PS3 were disc read errors and output issues. For its part, while Microsoft hasn't responded to this particular study, it has previously pointed to its "best warranty in the industry" to reassure its users and, of course, to its more recently-produced consoles, which are less likely to buckle under the pressure of a marathon Call of Duty session.

[Via InformationWeek]

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New study finds close to one quarter of Xbox 360s fail within two years originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>consoleconsole problemsConsoleProblemsnintendonintendo wiiNintendoWiips3red ring of deathRedRingOfDeathsonysquaretradestudywiixboxxbox 360Xbox360Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:43:00 EST<![CDATA[Survey finds Xbox 360 is played five times as often as Wii, five times more likely to fail than PS3]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/18/survey-finds-xbox-360-is-played-five-times-as-often-as-wii-five/http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/18/survey-finds-xbox-360-is-played-five-times-as-often-as-wii-five/http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/18/survey-finds-xbox-360-is-played-five-times-as-often-as-wii-five/#commentsSurvey finds Xbox 360 is played five times as often as Wii, five times more likely to fail than PS3Ready for some numbers this morning? Some scary, scary numbers for Xbox 360 gamers? Game Informer, current king of the smoldering ruins of the print gaming magazine empire, polled about 5,000 of its readers to get a feel for their gaming experiences, including just how many of them had unlocked the fabled "Red Ring of Death" achievement. We'd heard estimates ranging from 16 to 30 percent, but even the most pessimistic guesses don't line up with the survey's findings of a staggeringly high 54.2 percent failure rate. That's five times higher than the PS3's 10.6 percent, with the Wii coming in at 6.8 percent. Mind you, the Xbox 360 was the most played console, with over 40 percent of Xbox gamers button mashing for three to five hours a day, compared to 37 percent of PS3 gamers, and less than an hour's worth of gaming per day for 41.4 percent of Wii owners. However, game consoles should be designed to shrug off marathon sessions and just keep on spewing polygons, something that the first revisions of Microsoft's baby obviously couldn't manage.
That said, there are some problems with this survey; as far as we can tell there was no verification made that respondents actually own the consoles that they indicated they did, and we all know how people like having fun at Microsoft's expense. Also, the survey was naturally only of readers of the magazine itself, who don't necessarily line up with the gaming world at large. But, it's impossible to deny there's truth in these numbers. Indeed, it's hard not to think they're too low, as you'll be hard-pressed to find an original Xbox 360 that hasn't thrown up the three-light salute. Even so, there's nothing to be proud of in Sony's 10.6 percent failure rate, or even Nintendo's 6.8, particularly given that system's relative lack of attention. All are much higher than the three percent most consumer electronics companies strive for -- and that Microsoft initially (incorrectly) claimed its console was managing.

[Via TG Daily, The Consumerist]

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Survey finds Xbox 360 is played five times as often as Wii, five times more likely to fail than PS3 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Aug 2009 07:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>failure rateFailureRategame informerGameInformernintendonintendo wiiNintendoWiiplaystation 3Playstation3ps3red ring of deathRedRingOfDeathsonsonysony playstation 3sony ps3SonyPlaystation3SonyPs3surveywiixboxxbox 360xbox 360 failure rateXbox360Xbox360FailureRateTue, 18 Aug 2009 07:42:00 EST<![CDATA[Poll: Has your Xbox 360 been dealt the E74 error?]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/20/poll-has-your-xbox-360-been-dealt-the-e74-error/http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/20/poll-has-your-xbox-360-been-dealt-the-e74-error/http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/20/poll-has-your-xbox-360-been-dealt-the-e74-error/#comments Move over RRoD, it looks like there's a new Xbox 360 hardware failure in town. According to anecdotal data collected by Joystiq as well as Google Trends, there's been a steady rise in reports and discussion of the E74 error since mid-October, with no apparent correlation between any specific model or year of purchase. From what we can tell, the E74 error is related to video problems caused by either a faulty AV connector or, more often, a loosened ANA / HANA scaling chip. Symptoms include visual glitches like random lines or snow and a single red light on the console in the lower right quadrant (see picture). The time frame for the rise in issues makes NXE and its November debut a suspect, but it's worth noting that the uptick started just before that launch, so perhaps it has more to do with hiccups caused by spurred interest in turning on the console after a long period of dormancy. We're curious to know how the issue has affected the Engadget readership. Has your Xbox 360 gotten the Red Arc of Death? Let us know in the poll below.

View Poll


Read - Joystiq Survey
Read - Google Trends [Via Negative Gamer]

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Poll: Has your Xbox 360 been dealt the E74 error? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Mar 2009 00:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>microsoftnew xbox experienceNewXboxExperiencenxepollpollsred arc of deathred ring of deathRedArcOfDeathRedRingOfDeathrrodxboxxbox 360Xbox360Fri, 20 Mar 2009 00:31:00 EST<![CDATA[Xbox 360 red ring of death problems (finally) solved?]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/01/xbox-360-red-ring-of-death-problems-finally-solved/http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/01/xbox-360-red-ring-of-death-problems-finally-solved/http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/01/xbox-360-red-ring-of-death-problems-finally-solved/#comments
Is your Xbox 360 red in the face? No, not that kind of red, but facing that painstakingly loathsome red ring of death? Well, if group product manager Aaron Greenberg knows anything about the situation -- and we'd imagine he does -- then it looks like the guys at Microsoft have finally found a solution to many gamers' worst nightmares. In an interview with Edge Online, Greenberg said that through repairs they've done as well as updated technology, the guys in Redmond are pretty confident that afflicted consoles should be nonexistent in the not so distant future and that they've "put the worst behind us on this." So, breathe easy obsessive gamers, you needn't worry about getting an infected console any more -- we hope.

[Via Yahoo! Games]

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Xbox 360 red ring of death problems (finally) solved? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 01 Mar 2009 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Back for more, eh? Well you've come to the right place -- the Engadget Podcast! Join Josh, Paul, and Nilay as they take you on a magical journey through the trials and tribulations of the BlackBerry Storm, investigate the legal situation of the Apple-cloning operation known as Psystar, dish on the latest Zune and Xbox happenings, and lament the forthcoming death of FireWire as it cedes its high-speed throne to USB 3.0. And just think, access to this treasure-trove of information is yours free of charge!

Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Paul Miller, and Nilay Patel
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Music: Paranoid

00:02:25 - BlackBerry Storm review
00:32:35 - Psystar's antitrust claims against Apple dismissed
00:53:59 - Microsoft revamps Zune Pass: keep ten tracks per month forever and ever
01:02:43 - Microsoft ratchets down pricing on flash-based Zunes
01:02:39 - NXE hitting 360s with red ring, freezing and sorta-sexy-avatar issues?
01:06:45 - Goodbye, FireWire 400

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Engadget Podcast 119 - 11.21.2008 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>95009530appleblackberryboldengadget podcastEngadgetPodcastfeaturefeaturedfeaturesfirewireiphonemicrosoftnew xbox experienceNewXboxExperiencenxepodcastpodcastsred ring of deathRedRingOfDeathresearch in motionResearchInMotionrimrrodstormsubscriptionusbusb 3usb 3.0Usb3Usb3.0verizonzuneFri, 21 Nov 2008 14:30:00 ESTEngadget Podcast 119Josh Topolsky, Nilay Patel, Paul Miller01:10:10podcasts<![CDATA[NXE hitting 360s with red ring, freezing and sorta-sexy-avatar issues?]]>http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/20/nxe-hitting-360s-with-red-ring-freezing-and-sorta-sexy-avatar-i/http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/20/nxe-hitting-360s-with-red-ring-freezing-and-sorta-sexy-avatar-i/http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/20/nxe-hitting-360s-with-red-ring-freezing-and-sorta-sexy-avatar-i/#comments
If you wouldn't mind looking up from that avatar creation screen for a second -- yes, we're aware of how much that t-shirt selection means about you as a person -- you might notice that your Xbox 360 is dead. At least, a few hapless souls on the Xbox forums seem to think NXE is to blame for such atrocities. Numerous folks are reporting variously bad red ring configurations, random freezing and a huge pile of blockbuster titles that won't just play themselves. The biggest problem is that Microsoft isn't universally treating problems caused by NXE as an "oh, our bad" sort of situation, and at least from anecdotes we're seeing has charged quite a few folks $100 to fix their freshly-out-warranty Xbox 360s -- not to mention separating them for weeks from their precious murder simulators.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

View Poll

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NXE hitting 360s with red ring, freezing and sorta-sexy-avatar issues? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>microsoftnxered ringred ring of deathRedRingRedRingOfDeathxboxxbox 360Xbox360Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:18:00 EST<![CDATA[Dean Takahashi completes chronicles of Xbox 360 red ring of death]]>http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/08/dean-takahashi-completes-chronicles-of-xbox-360-red-ring-of-deat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/08/dean-takahashi-completes-chronicles-of-xbox-360-red-ring-of-deat/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/08/dean-takahashi-completes-chronicles-of-xbox-360-red-ring-of-deat/#commentsRed Ring of Death
By now we have all heard of (or experienced) the infamous Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death, and we also pretty much know what causes it. Heck, we've even seen ways to avoid it by spending more money on fixes instead of going through Microsoft's replace / refurbish / replace process. In what he calls his final chapter on an extensive bit of investigative journalism, Dean Takahashi uncovers the early quality control-absent rush to market that resulted in a massive number of Xbox 360s being sent to market despite known design flaws. Dean goes on to propose that all this has kept Microsoft from winning this round of the console wars, as costs to keep the consoles working crippled Microsoft from aggressive marketing measures such as price cuts. In the end, he concludes (via an anonymous quote) that Microsoft treated the Xbox 360's launch like a software company would, as if some future patch would cover up the inherent problems with the console's design.

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Dean Takahashi completes chronicles of Xbox 360 red ring of death originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Sep 2008 10:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dean takahashiDeanTakahashired ring of deathRedRingOfDeathrrodxbox 360Xbox360Mon, 08 Sep 2008 10:26:00 EST<![CDATA[Microsoft gets RRoD at GDC]]>http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/19/microsoft-gets-rrod-at-gdc/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/19/microsoft-gets-rrod-at-gdc/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/19/microsoft-gets-rrod-at-gdc/#comments
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!

Continue reading Microsoft gets RRoD at GDC

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Microsoft gets RRoD at GDC originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Feb 2008 14:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>errorgdcmicrosoftmishapproblemred ring of deathRedRingOfDeathrrodvideoxbox 360Xbox360Tue, 19 Feb 2008 14:36:00 EST<![CDATA[Commercial X-clamp fix for red-ringed 360s: mostly new screws]]>http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/30/commercial-x-clamp-fix-for-red-ringed-360s-mostly-new-screws/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/30/commercial-x-clamp-fix-for-red-ringed-360s-mostly-new-screws/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/30/commercial-x-clamp-fix-for-red-ringed-360s-mostly-new-screws/#comments
Warranty extension or not, the widespread nature of Xbox 360 failures pretty much guaranteed that it was only a matter of time before a third party stepped forward with a commercial fix. The X-Clamp Fix from Next Generation seems to the be first of these solutions available, although it's certainly not as simple as we would have expected. Consisting of some replacement screws and washers, the $15 kit helps you tighten down your GPU heatsink, possibly resetting your GPU in the process, a strategy modders have been using to escape the red ring of death for some time now. Probably worth a look if you're unable to get warranty service and the other wing-and-a-prayer fixes don't work for you, but the kit looks like it involves pretty significant disassembly -- we'd recommend picking up the phone and begging for an RMA first. Check the world's most boring installation video after the break.

[Via MaxConsole]

Continue reading Commercial X-clamp fix for red-ringed 360s: mostly new screws

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Commercial X-clamp fix for red-ringed 360s: mostly new screws originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Aug 2007 22:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>360moddingmodsred ring of deathRedRingOfDeathrodrrodx-clampxboxxbox 360Xbox360Thu, 30 Aug 2007 22:13:00 EST<![CDATA[Extreme PS3 "stress test" garners praise from Sony]]>http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/15/extreme-ps3-stress-test-garners-praise-from-sony/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/15/extreme-ps3-stress-test-garners-praise-from-sony/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/15/extreme-ps3-stress-test-garners-praise-from-sony/#comments
Clearly due to the current heat on Microsoft concerning the Xbox 360 RROD, disk scratching, and overheating scandals, Sony's Dave Karraker is mooning on the company's official blog over a recent PS3 Vault "stress test" called "How to kill a PS3 console" which showed the company's game system to be surprisingly resilient in the face of extreme conditions. "A lot of noise has been made recently about the reliability issues of one of our competitor's systems," Karraker said, then went on to kick some sand in Redmond's eye by adding "Did it fail? Nope. Like the Energizer Bunny, it kept going and going and going." Admittedly, the tests -- which included running games and Blu-ray movies for 108 hours in a typical "living room" environment, placing the console in a freezer van then lowering the temperature from 50 degrees to zero, and powering the PS3 in a sauna where heat increased from 100 degrees to 120 degrees over a nearly three-day session -- were quite extreme. In the end, however, the testers say besides being "extremely hot" after coming out of the sauna, the system is running fine and back in regular use. Microsoft, the ball's in your court.

[Via DailyTech]

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Extreme PS3 "stress test" garners praise from Sony originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Aug 2007 13:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amidst all of this not-exactly-forthright price cutting going on with the Xbox 360, it looks like Microsoft has finally launched a more organized method of detailing and tracking the process of sending your faulty US-based Xbox 360 back in for repair. Reportedly, the new web portal allows American console owners to register their machine, attach a Windows Live ID, schedule a repair, and track the status of said mending. Additionally, users who register will supposedly receive a five dollar credit towards out-of-warranty repair service should they need it, but considering that the warranty was just extended to three full years, you should be covered for a good while yet.

[Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]

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Microsoft launches US Xbox 360 service website originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Aug 2007 01:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>microsoftred ring of deathRedRingOfDeathrepairwarrantyxbox 360xbox 360 serviceXbox360Xbox360ServiceMon, 06 Aug 2007 01:17:00 EST<![CDATA[Xbox 360: refused repairs, and really high failure rate?]]>http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/03/xbox-360-refused-repairs-and-really-high-failure-rate/http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/03/xbox-360-refused-repairs-and-really-high-failure-rate/http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/03/xbox-360-refused-repairs-and-really-high-failure-rate/#comments
It looks like Xbox 360 users in the UK suffering from the dreaded Red Ring of Death now have once less option to get their console fixed, as repair specialist Micromart recently announced that it'll no longer fix the consoles, calling the problem "endemic." While it will apparently still perform other repairs on the console, it says that the most common of all problems just isn't feasible for them to undertake, stating that it would end up costing them around $200 for each repair and still leave them unsatisfied with the result. In related news, DailyTech recently conducted a poll of retailers in an attempt to find out just how high the Xbox 360's failure rate was, one of which reportedly pegged it to be as high as 33 percent. That number comes from a former EB Games employee, who also said that the company was forced to nearly double the price of its over-the-counter warranty prices as a result. According to DailyTech, a Best Buy manager also claimed that the failure rate was "between a quarter to a third" of all units sold, although it seems that those numbers are based only on personal experience.

Read - DailyTech, "Console Service Center Refuses to Repair Xbox 360 RROD"
Read - DailyTech, "Retailers Estimate Xbox 360 Failure Rate High as 33 Percent"

[Photo courtesy of AnandTech]

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Xbox 360: refused repairs, and really high failure rate? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Jul 2007 22:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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