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Lawsuit targets MS and Bungie for 'faulty' Halo 3
A new lawsuit has been filed by a San Diego resident against Microsoft and Bungie concerning Halo 3. According to Information Week, the suit alleges the game "consistently causes the Xbox 360 to crash, freeze, or lock up while the game is being played." The plaintiff, Randy Nunez, also asserts the problem is widespread and that Microsoft and Bungie "have failed to recall Halo 3 or otherwise remedy its failure to function on the Xbox 360." He is seeking class action status and unspecified damages.We're not lawyers, but we don't think the problem is inherently Halo 3 so much as hardware issues that Microsoft has tried to address (to the tune of over $1 billion). Of course, he could be talking about scratched Legendary Edition discs, which Microsoft also took action to fix. It's hard to tell how these fancy schmancy legal proceedings will play out; perhaps the whole mess can be resolved over a friendly game of capture the flag.[Via GameDaily]
Man returns gutted Xbox 360 for cash
We all know stealing is not only easy and fun, but it's also very cool. But did you know that sometimes, stealing can go too far? Take, for instance, this tale of an unassuming store clerk who opened up a returned 360 to find that the console had been gutted, the controllers were missing, and the HDMI cables had been replaced with printer cords. Sure, we know what you're thinking, because we're thinking it too: That's very funny and not at all immoral. But where we have to draw the line is what was stuffed into the 360 to make it seem weighty enough: An old medical textbook. Gosh, otherwise-pretty-successful thief, don't you have any consideration? Stealing is fine, but shoving a giant hunk of flammable material into a console known for capturing the sun's heat and using it to play DVDs and eventually, inevitably die? That's just dangerous.[Via CVG]
Microsoft talks Xbox 360 lifespan, fails to see irony
Speaking at a BMO Capital Markets conference on interactive entertainment (as covered by Reuters), a Microsoft executive has pointed to the PlayStation 2 as highlighting the benefits of stretching the Xbox 360's lifespan beyond the "typical" (depending on who you ask) five years. "Look at the PS2; they've gone long-time and seem to have pretty good legs on what they are doing," said yes that's her real name Mindy Mount. "If we were able to do that, as CFO I think that's great, because every year you draw it out you increase profitability." While the chief financial officer for Microsoft's entertainment division may see dollar signs in a longer lifespan, obnoxious and overly literal bloggers see the telltale red lights that signal many an individual system's inability to make it past five months, let alone five years.Mindy Mount went on to cement the Xbox 360's technological prowess, noting that its innards are good enough to last until the next big breakthrough. "Right now there aren't that many things on the horizon that you think, wow, that's going to be a game-changer." After the unceremonious -- but necessary, in hindsight -- dropping of original Xbox support, both developers and publishers would stand to benefit from a longer Xbox 360 lifespan, though longterm success would hinge on a demonstrable and obvious increase in the system's perceived physical lifespan. If the system is to be supported by consumers for years to come, it will have to outlive the dubious aspects of its reputation.[Thanks, Patrick]
GameStop halts 360 replacement plan sales
If you're going to plunk down your hard-earned cash on a product replacement plan for a game system, it's got to be for the Xbox 360. You don't have be a statistics major to figure out that you've got a good chance for troubles with the system and if you don't want to be out a console for a few weeks or out some money, the replacement plan on the 360 is probably the only one that's not a rip-off.Perhaps realizing that they were inadvertently offering the consumer a good deal (and losing a fair bit of coin in the process) GameStop has halted sales of the product replacement plan on all 360 models, according to a memo gathered by GamersReports. If you were among the smart kids who already had a PRP though, don't worry though: Yours is still in effect until it expires.
Got the Red Ring of Death? Have a condolence card
The Red Ring of Death may not be making as many headlines as it used to, but that doesn't mean it's not still out there, lurking in the shadows, and waiting to strike down your beloved 360. In the not terribly unlikely even that this should happen to someone that you know, you might think about sending them one of these condolence cards. Handcrafted by Etsy user bsangel, the cards feature a red ring formed by glued on crystals on the front. The inside contains a simple message with a sneaky play on the word "console."You'd better hurry though, there's only one left at bsangel's store as of this writing. Then again, you could probably make your own without much effort at all. Just make sure whoever you give it to has a sense of humor.[Thanks, Paul Strauss. Via Joystiq]
Red Ring of Death condolence cards
If you know someone who recently experienced the loss of an Xbox 360, show some support by sending a Red Ring of Death condolence card. Created by Etsy user BSAngel, the card has the dreaded red ring design on the front, made from red crystals adhered by industrial strength glue. The card says inside: "May this card help console you during this difficult time. I am very sorry for your loss." Get it? Console and console -- it's a heteronym.The card is $4 plus shipping and because it's handcrafted we're thinking not too many are available. Thankfully, the card seems simple enough to make with just a quick trip to your local crafts store. We actually think Microsoft should buy this concept off of BSAngel (she definitely deserves to be compensated for the idea) and send a card to every person who's gotten the RRoD (they have all the addresses). It would actually be a really nice PR gesture. If Nintendo can spend $18 million on Wii prophylactics, the least Microsoft can do is send out some cheeky cards of apology.[Thanks Paul, Via Technabob]
Red Ring of Death T-shirt
Anyone who has witnessed the dreaded Red Ring of Death can tell you, seeing it first hand is a chilling sight. At first you smirk and chuckle with disbelief. "Just a hiccup," you say to yourself, "I'll power it off and on and it'll be fine." Once you see the wretched thing for a second time, it all sinks in. Well, guess what? Now you can commemorate that memory with the Red Ring of Death T-shirt from SplitReason. Taking a cue from 2001, the shirt features a particularly malicious (and smooth-voiced) Ring of Death. It's made of 100% cotton and it's pre-shrunk, so it should keep you from overheating (ba dum bum).A word to the wise, if you're considering getting this for a friend who received the Ring, you might want to wait until after they get their 360 back.[Via Joystiq]
The RRoD T-shirt
Having experienced another Red Ring of Death on staff recently (this time it was McElroy's Xbox 360, Orland was two weeks ago), we were quite amused by SplitReason's T-shirt and their tip of the hat to 2001: A Space Odyssey's HAL. Yes, we can't help but wonder what the Xbox 360 would say once it goes RRoD if it had the capability to speak.Now before you go all crazy that SplitReason is all anti-Microsoft, they're also responsible for the "Achievement Locked" women's underwear (We're still desperately waiting for the men's version of those). They also just came out with the mana mug you drink out of -- something WoW players are sure to appreciate. We are amused.
Commercial X-clamp fix for red-ringed 360s: mostly new screws
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]
Red Ring of Death visits Orland for lunch
When our own Kyle Orland isn't writing around this joint, he's either doing something with NPR, scribbling about the media, or keeping up with his own website; where he tries to play a game every weekday during lunch and write about it. Today's piece is a tragic one where he chronicles what happened minute by minute:0:01 I put BioShock in my disc drive and turn the power on.0:02 The TV is still black. I look down and notice three red lights surrounding the power button.0:03 I desperately try to reset the system. No change.0:04 - 1:00 Soft weeping.Yes, our dear Kyle got the RRoD. We've actually had quite the little epidemic going on around staff lately of general Xbox 360 failures -- three in two weeks. Our luck on Joystiq may be bad, but our sister-site Xbox 360 Fanboy (X3F) isn't immune. They had two of their three writers have a system die on them (one of them twice). Just remember that you're covered under warranty for the most part and to tell your system you love it every day, because it may be the last time you ever see it alive. Now, please pardon while we go get the lasagna out of the oven and sit shiva at Orland's place for the afternoon.
G4 makes Red Ring of Death metal music video
We've given G4 a hard time in this very space before, but when they get one right, we've got to give it to them. And this is one of those times. We're not sure if we're alone in this, dear reader, but we got some chuckles out of their new "Red Ring of Death" music video by Distended Warranty (disclaimer: We doubt that's a real band).So, yeah, they're just a touch late to the party on this this one. But come on, "console's hotter than a dragon's breath"? That's funny. ... Well, it's funny if your 360 never broke. If you're among the unlucky more-than-a-few who've rode the ring you're probably pumping your fist in the air with the tragic sincerity of a new father listening to Creed's "Arms Wide Open" in the late 90s. Put your hand down, man. You're depressing us.
Extreme PS3 "stress test" garners praise from Sony
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]
NY Times combines Halo 3 and RROD in volatile mix
As the Xbox 360 gets ready to fulfill the purpose of its existence as a Halo delivery device to the masses, the New York Times takes the two most prominent things about the Xbox 360 and mixes it into one brew: Halo 3 and the Red Ring of Death. The NYT essentially gets a bunch of fanboys to talk about how the system fails on them, but all will be fine if they just get Halo 3. Speaking of fanboys, did we mention Richard Mitchell at sister-site Xbox 360 Fanboy (X3F) is chronicling his repair experience following his visit by the RROD? Like we said before, we're not going to tell you about every RROD we have within a degree of separation from us because we'd be writing one every couple weeks -- but anecodtally, the number has gone up quickly recently. Despite the wait in the turnaround, at least the repairs are free now.The NYT piece basically gives a mainstream audience the condensed version of the last few months. They still couldn't get an answer from Microsoft to what's actually wrong with the system. One of the more interesting parts of the piece is they speak with Richard Doherty, an analyst for Envisionneering Group, a technology assessment and market research firm who says consumers (not fanboys) are getting frustrated with the system's reliability and their waning patience and stories is turning off potential Xbox 360 buyers. He also says the situation "is going to get worse before it gets better."
Red Ring Chronicles Pt 2: the Coffin
And so, the Red Ring Chronicles continue with that fateful second step: the coffin. Having called Microsoft customer support last Wednesday (Aug. 1), the coffin was on my doorstep on Monday (Aug. 6), three business days after I called, which seems pretty standard. After hearing so much about 360 coffins, I had imagined a more specialized container (specifically, something that looked a little more like this). Instead, I got a cardboard box, some heavy duty packing foam, a plastic bag, and some instructions. After snickering at the morbidly funny picture on the plastic bag, I proceeded to package the once proud beast. If you've never returned an Xbox, you should know that all Microsoft wants is your Xbox. No hard drive, cables, or anything like that.
Cheapy D fixes red ring with towel in video
You want proof that Cheapy D isn't just a clever name? The lord of Cheap Ass Gamer proves it with this video, demonstrating his personal spin on the red-ring-of-death-repairing towel trick. It's an interesting process to watch if you haven't seen it, vaguely reminiscent of our college days when we would watch, enthralled as our stoner friend Rusty would turn his PlayStation completely upside down so we could all play Tony Hawk.What makes this such a moving tribute to cheapness is not that Cheapy D will go to these lengths, it's that Cheapy D will go to these lengths every four days or so to avoid buying a new 360. Now that's a man who hates spending money.
Microsoft settles individual Xbox 360 bricking
Next-Gen reports that in mid-July Microsoft settled with Kevin Ray, a California resident, regarding his Xbox 360 lawsuit. Ray originally filed a class action lawsuit against Microsoft saying that their Oct. firmware update bricked his system. The case was settled out of court and dealt individually instead of a class action suit. Ray originally sought $5 million when it was a class action suit and Microsoft has since repaired his Xbox for free.Although the October update may have killed Ray's system, it was probably just coincidence and the straw which broke his Xbox 360's already calcium-deficient back. In time we may learn what kills Xbox 360s, but for now it could be anything.
Microsoft launches new Xbox 360 repair web site
If your 360 should ever throw up that crimson gang sign of eternal sleep, the red rings of death, you will be very, very angry. But your anger won't stand a chance against the sheer convenience of Microsoft's new online effort at service.xbox.com. That's right, repairing your broken system just got automated. In addition to registering your console, you'll also be able to schedule repairs and keep track of them once you've sent your baby into that long, dark night. Now, how can you still be mad?This site also gives you a $5 discount for out-of-warranty repairs, a nice perk completely out-shined by the fact that we won't have to wait on hold to deal with Microsoft's crack customer service team.[Thanks Hansi]
Xbox division has $1.9 billion loss, blame red rings
For Microsoft's fiscal year ending June 30 the division which includes the Xbox posted a $1.9 billion loss -- $1.2 billion of that was from the fourth quarter alone when Microsoft owned up to the Red Ring of Death issues. The division actually climbed 28% over the year and may even be profitable soon according to Microsoft entertainment division lead Robbie Bach, who sold millions in stock just as the Red Ring of Death warranty issue broke -- but, that's just a coincidence.Microsoft says it shipped 6.6 million units of the Xbox 360 and now has a base of 11.6 million and manufacturing costs for the Xbox 360 continue to decline. They also say that revenue in games increased 19% to a total of $650 million. They're also expecting a blockbuster holiday with that little game called Halo 3 coming out along with some other highly anticipated titles. If it weren't for the RROD debacle Xbox wouldn't have actually had such a bad year. Now we wait for the price drop.
Peter Moore tells Joystiq about the new warranty program
After reading about Microsoft's admirable decision to extend their warranty coverage for those suffering from the Xbox 360's Red Ring of Death error, we were given an opportunity to speak with Peter Moore about the move.When asked why this move -- a sort of mea culpa of a growing failure rate -- has taken so long, Moore replied that it was important to "gather data and weigh the financial implications" in addition to "preparing logistics and identifying problems." While it may have seemed like a long time for those of us in the grips of the hyperkinetic blogosphere, Moore assures us that, for a multi-billion dollar mega-corporation like Microsoft, they acted with some celerity. So, they've identified problems? What exactly has been killing these Xbox 360s? Moore said there were "a number of issues" that they discovered from collecting data. When reminded of the great job they've done in servicing 360s to date still hasn't stopped some people from having to get their console serviced numerous time, Moore said that they've put "fixes in place" to address them. He pointed out that Joystiq was a great conduit to that very community and extended (what sounded to us like) a sincere apology. They're fixing these systems because the level has been unacceptable of late ... and no, Microsoft has "no intention" and sees "no value" in sharing what percentage of failure there is.
Microsoft expands Xbox 360 warranty for red ring sufferers
Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse, Microsoft stands up and takes some responsibility for what appears to be an epidemic amongst Xbox 360 owners: the dreaded Red Ring of Death! Announced today in both press release and open letter formats, Microsoft has pledged to extend the warranties to three years from date of purchase for those who suffer from RROD, and will reimburse those who already paid to have it fixed. Seeing as how the 360 hasn't even been out for two years, that means everyone is covered. This is after they already extended the warranty from a puny 90 days to the more reasonable one year warranty that consoles are still covered under, unless they specifically suffer from the Red Ring of Death (marked by three blinking red lights). Xbox exec Peter Moore also published an open letter to the "Xbox Community" addressing hardware failure and promising "policy changes intended to keep you in the game, worry-free." Whether or not these policy changes include actually fixing the underlying hardware issue or just improving the support after the fact is unclear, but Moore finishes saying, "If we have let any of you down in the experience you have had with your Xbox 360, we sincerely apologize. We are taking responsibility and are making these changes to ensure that every Xbox 360 owner continues to have a great experience." Classy show, Microsoft. Real classy. Let's hope this move is coupled with hardware revisions to keep your customers -- and shareholders -- happy.Read – Microsoft Expands Xbox 360 Warranty Coverage (press release)Read – Open Letter From Peter Moore (Xbox.com)Read – Expanded Xbox 360 Warranty Coverage FAQ
