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Unsealed docs suggest Microsoft knew about 360's disc scratching
It's been some time since we've heard about any lawsuits against Microsoft over the Xbox 360's disc-scratching issue. A document in one pending suit was unsealed last week and asserts that Microsoft discovered the problem prior to launch and had multiple options to fix it, all of which the company rejected at the time. We've heard the argument before, but there are a few new alleged details here. The three options listed were increase the magnetic field of disc holder (rejected because it would interfere disc opening and closing mechanism), slowing disc rotation speed (would have slowed game loads) and installing small bumpers (would cost an additional $35 to $75 million). According to the document, Microsoft's solution of appending the manual and offering a disc replacement program was deemed insufficient by company employees via an internal email. The plaintiffs are still seeking class action status while Microsoft hopes the courts will end up disc-arding the whole issue (har).[Via X3F, SeattlePI]Read - Plaintiffs' Motion for Class Certification (PDF File)
Lawsuit: Microsoft knew about 360 disc scratching issue
The Seattle Tech Report ... reports that a motion (PDF link) filed last week in a Seattle, Washington lawsuit claims that Microsoft was aware of the widespread Xbox 360 disc scratching issues -- the console will severely scratch discs if tilted or moved during play -- before the console was launched in 2005. The motion, which seeks class action status for the lawsuit, cites quotes from a (currently sealed) document in which Microsoft employees claim that they were aware of the problem before the console was launched. The document quotes Microsoft program manager Hiroo Umeno who stated that the problem was discoverd in "September or October" 2005.Microsoft supposedly considered several solutions to the problem prior to launch and rejected them all. Three solutions were considered, including increasing the disc holder's magnetic field, slowing disc rotation speed and installing "bumpers." The first was rejected because it would "interfere" with the disc loading mechanism, the second because it would extend game load times, and the third because it was too expensive (to the tune of $35 to $75 million). The only action taken by Microsoft, apparently, was to add a warning to the Xbox 360 manual. The company later applied a warning label onto the disc drive itself and established a program to replace scratched discs (for a fee).Perhaps most damning, an outside consultant for the plaintiffs stated that both Sony and Nintendo's designs typically account for the possibility that a console will be moved while a disc is spinning.
