Coopz
Retired Footballer
- 27 April 2002
Which is Rounders
-
Major upgrades completed! Please report any issues you spot in here
Microsoft Xbox 360
- Thread starter jpred88
- Start date
Which is Rounders
jonneymendoza
Legend
- 1 January 2004
- Team
- Arsenal
haha rounders ftw LOL
Bingham67
Champions League
- 17 July 2005
Xbox 360 defects: an inside history of Microsoft’s video game console woes
http://venturebeat.com/2008/09/05/x...istory-of-microsofts-video-game-console-woes/
Really long read but great article worst part Microsoft knew console was poor quality yet they still went ahead and released it.
Some quotes from article
http://venturebeat.com/2008/09/05/x...istory-of-microsofts-video-game-console-woes/
Really long read but great article worst part Microsoft knew console was poor quality yet they still went ahead and released it.
Some quotes from article
Last edited:
D
DagsJT
Guest
Xbox 360 defects: an inside history of Microsoft’s video game console woes - Sponsored by Jonneymendoza
When his fourth Xbox 360 video game console died in April, Chris Szarek wasn’t surprised.
The Chicopee, Mass. gamer was accustomed to the hardware failures that became known throughout the Internet as RROD, or the “red rings of death” which flash when the console becomes inoperable.
A 40-year-old photographer, Szarek was a hardcore Microsoft fan who spent more than $1,000 on his games. But each time one of his Xbox 360 consoles failed, he had to spend time convincing Microsoft’s tech support that they should send him a new console. Each time he got a refurbished console as a replacement (a machine that had been returned to a repair center in Texas, fixed as much as possible, and then shipped back out). When he complained on the Internet and to the media about the shoddy product and poor customer service, people branded him a cry baby and wrote him off as a statistical anomaly. But by the spring of 2008, Szarek was vindicated. There were at least a million or two other people like him.
Szarek’s fourth machine lasted almost two years, experiencing the same short life that many other Xbox 360s suffered. Microsoft replaced these machines for free under the warranty that it announced on July 5, 2007, for defective Xbox 360s exhibiting what it more politely called the “three flashing red lights.” That warranty program cost Microsoft up to $1.15 billion, but the loss of face and loyalty among gamers in the fierce console war with Nintendo and Sony has been immeasurable. Szarek, who became a spokesman for dispossessed defective Xbox 360 owners, played a part in making Microsoft acknowledge its console quality problem.
This is the unauthorized tale of how Microsoft lost its chance to become the leader in the biggest market it has attacked beyond its twin monopolies in Office and Windows software. Rival game console maker Nintendo out-thought the larger players Microsoft and Sony by designing the Wii game console with a clever, intuitive game controller. Even so, Microsoft could have captured more gamers during this product generation, yet the RROD problem held it back. The Xbox 360’s defect problem will go down as one of the worst snafus in consumer electronics history.
Its own worst enemy
Microsoft knew it had flawed machines, but it did not delay its launch because it believed the quality problems would subside over time. With each new machine, the company figured it would ride the “learning curve,” or continuously improve its production. Even though Microsoft’s leaders knew their quality wasn’t top notch, they did not ensure that resources were in place to handle returns and quickly debug bad consoles. There were plenty of warning signs, but the company chose to ignore them. The different parts of the business weren’t aligned.
It reminds me of the German war machine just before World War I, as chronicled by Barbara Tuchman in the classic history book, “The Guns of August.” The German generals were intent on keeping their trains on time; but the leaders overlooked their chances for stopping the war altogether. The Schlieffen plan called for them to strike first. Once the Russians and French mobilized, the Germans had to move into action. They marched off blindly into tragedy.
Likewise, Microsoft’s strategy depended on beating its rivals to market. It couldn’t afford to stop and delay the launch in order to solve its quality problems, or so upper management believed. What Microsoft’s leaders didn’t realize was that getting to market first with a flawed machine would only win them a battle; and it risked the loss of the war.
“They got enamored with the idea of the Microsoft army rolling everything out at the same time,” said one knowledgeable source who asked not to be identified.
The quality problem negated much of the advantage of going first, and it has delayed the company’s plan to aggressively market the console and slash its prices. (Microsoft disputes this point; it cut the price of all three versions of its Xbox consoles by $50 to $79 on Wednesday. And the company believes it will sell more boxes than Sony will. But prices ought to be lower still during this stage of the console life cycle). That has stopped the company from reaching the broader market of consumers that Nintendo has won over. It has lowered its ambitions, hoping instead just to get a clear edge on third-placed Sony. The future profits that the company once hoped for are now likely to wind up in Nintendo’s pockets.
Microsoft’s top game executive, Robbie Bach, president of the Entertainment & Devices group, said at a dinner in July that Microsoft’s own research shows that gamers have largely forgiven the company for defective Xbox 360s. Microsoft has still sold more Xbox 360 consoles than Sony to date. But there is no doubt that the company has lost considerable good will among gamers. Before Microsoft offered free replacements, connsumers grumbled that they had to turn to forums, such as those on Ars Technica, to vent and to find solutions to problems that the company didn’t openly discuss. And for a couple of months now, Sony’s PlayStation 3 has been outselling the Xbox 360 in the U.S. for the first time.
“Fundamentally, their thinking shows that they are a software company at heart,” said one veteran manufacturing executive. “They put something out and figure they can fix it with the next patch or come up with a bug fix.”
The terrifying part of the story is that this kind of problem — where technology fails and no one knows what to do about it — can happen to any company.
About this story
I asked Microsoft to confirm or deny 35 different facts contained in this story. Instead, I received a formal statement from a Microsoft spokesperson, saying the company had already acknowledged an “unacceptable number of repairs” to Xbox 360 consoles and responded to the hardware failures with a free replacement program. The statement also said, “This topic has already been covered extensively in the media. This new story repeats old information, and contains rumors and innuendo from anonymous sources, attempting to create a new sensational angle, and is highly irresponsible.”
I don’t think this story is sensational. I have tried to verify the facts over several years. I view this story as the last chapter for my book on the making of the Xbox 360, “The Xbox 360 Uncloaked: The Real Story Behind Microsoft’s Next-Generation Video Game Console.”
The facts revealed themselves slowly, emerging from the day-to-day stories that I wrote about the game business. Some people might consider this post mortem to be ancient history. But the reverberations are still playing out today. They help explain why Microsoft isn’t being aggressive with its price cuts and why gamers aren’t getting bargains on hardware as they did the last generation. While I talked to many people for this story, few were willing to let me use their names. As you will see, not every source is anonymous, and we have included the viewpoint of Microsoft executives from past interviews.
The details are interesting because they offer a deeper look into how the console business runs than is otherwise available. Microsoft, for instance, still hasn’t perfected its Xbox 360 manufacturing process. In the absence of a precise chronology from Microsoft, some anonymous sources have tried to describe what happened. But the history of the decision making and inside story of what happened on the RROD has never been told, until now.
When his fourth Xbox 360 video game console died in April, Chris Szarek wasn’t surprised.
The Chicopee, Mass. gamer was accustomed to the hardware failures that became known throughout the Internet as RROD, or the “red rings of death” which flash when the console becomes inoperable.
A 40-year-old photographer, Szarek was a hardcore Microsoft fan who spent more than $1,000 on his games. But each time one of his Xbox 360 consoles failed, he had to spend time convincing Microsoft’s tech support that they should send him a new console. Each time he got a refurbished console as a replacement (a machine that had been returned to a repair center in Texas, fixed as much as possible, and then shipped back out). When he complained on the Internet and to the media about the shoddy product and poor customer service, people branded him a cry baby and wrote him off as a statistical anomaly. But by the spring of 2008, Szarek was vindicated. There were at least a million or two other people like him.
Szarek’s fourth machine lasted almost two years, experiencing the same short life that many other Xbox 360s suffered. Microsoft replaced these machines for free under the warranty that it announced on July 5, 2007, for defective Xbox 360s exhibiting what it more politely called the “three flashing red lights.” That warranty program cost Microsoft up to $1.15 billion, but the loss of face and loyalty among gamers in the fierce console war with Nintendo and Sony has been immeasurable. Szarek, who became a spokesman for dispossessed defective Xbox 360 owners, played a part in making Microsoft acknowledge its console quality problem.
This is the unauthorized tale of how Microsoft lost its chance to become the leader in the biggest market it has attacked beyond its twin monopolies in Office and Windows software. Rival game console maker Nintendo out-thought the larger players Microsoft and Sony by designing the Wii game console with a clever, intuitive game controller. Even so, Microsoft could have captured more gamers during this product generation, yet the RROD problem held it back. The Xbox 360’s defect problem will go down as one of the worst snafus in consumer electronics history.
Its own worst enemy
Microsoft knew it had flawed machines, but it did not delay its launch because it believed the quality problems would subside over time. With each new machine, the company figured it would ride the “learning curve,” or continuously improve its production. Even though Microsoft’s leaders knew their quality wasn’t top notch, they did not ensure that resources were in place to handle returns and quickly debug bad consoles. There were plenty of warning signs, but the company chose to ignore them. The different parts of the business weren’t aligned.
It reminds me of the German war machine just before World War I, as chronicled by Barbara Tuchman in the classic history book, “The Guns of August.” The German generals were intent on keeping their trains on time; but the leaders overlooked their chances for stopping the war altogether. The Schlieffen plan called for them to strike first. Once the Russians and French mobilized, the Germans had to move into action. They marched off blindly into tragedy.
Likewise, Microsoft’s strategy depended on beating its rivals to market. It couldn’t afford to stop and delay the launch in order to solve its quality problems, or so upper management believed. What Microsoft’s leaders didn’t realize was that getting to market first with a flawed machine would only win them a battle; and it risked the loss of the war.
“They got enamored with the idea of the Microsoft army rolling everything out at the same time,” said one knowledgeable source who asked not to be identified.
The quality problem negated much of the advantage of going first, and it has delayed the company’s plan to aggressively market the console and slash its prices. (Microsoft disputes this point; it cut the price of all three versions of its Xbox consoles by $50 to $79 on Wednesday. And the company believes it will sell more boxes than Sony will. But prices ought to be lower still during this stage of the console life cycle). That has stopped the company from reaching the broader market of consumers that Nintendo has won over. It has lowered its ambitions, hoping instead just to get a clear edge on third-placed Sony. The future profits that the company once hoped for are now likely to wind up in Nintendo’s pockets.
Microsoft’s top game executive, Robbie Bach, president of the Entertainment & Devices group, said at a dinner in July that Microsoft’s own research shows that gamers have largely forgiven the company for defective Xbox 360s. Microsoft has still sold more Xbox 360 consoles than Sony to date. But there is no doubt that the company has lost considerable good will among gamers. Before Microsoft offered free replacements, connsumers grumbled that they had to turn to forums, such as those on Ars Technica, to vent and to find solutions to problems that the company didn’t openly discuss. And for a couple of months now, Sony’s PlayStation 3 has been outselling the Xbox 360 in the U.S. for the first time.
“Fundamentally, their thinking shows that they are a software company at heart,” said one veteran manufacturing executive. “They put something out and figure they can fix it with the next patch or come up with a bug fix.”
The terrifying part of the story is that this kind of problem — where technology fails and no one knows what to do about it — can happen to any company.
About this story
I asked Microsoft to confirm or deny 35 different facts contained in this story. Instead, I received a formal statement from a Microsoft spokesperson, saying the company had already acknowledged an “unacceptable number of repairs” to Xbox 360 consoles and responded to the hardware failures with a free replacement program. The statement also said, “This topic has already been covered extensively in the media. This new story repeats old information, and contains rumors and innuendo from anonymous sources, attempting to create a new sensational angle, and is highly irresponsible.”
I don’t think this story is sensational. I have tried to verify the facts over several years. I view this story as the last chapter for my book on the making of the Xbox 360, “The Xbox 360 Uncloaked: The Real Story Behind Microsoft’s Next-Generation Video Game Console.”
The facts revealed themselves slowly, emerging from the day-to-day stories that I wrote about the game business. Some people might consider this post mortem to be ancient history. But the reverberations are still playing out today. They help explain why Microsoft isn’t being aggressive with its price cuts and why gamers aren’t getting bargains on hardware as they did the last generation. While I talked to many people for this story, few were willing to let me use their names. As you will see, not every source is anonymous, and we have included the viewpoint of Microsoft executives from past interviews.
The details are interesting because they offer a deeper look into how the console business runs than is otherwise available. Microsoft, for instance, still hasn’t perfected its Xbox 360 manufacturing process. In the absence of a precise chronology from Microsoft, some anonymous sources have tried to describe what happened. But the history of the decision making and inside story of what happened on the RROD has never been told, until now.
embraceuk1
Original Member Since 2001
Rumor: MS planning five hour long New Xbox Experience media blitz
In rumor news that could probably be filed under the sub-category "too good to be true", word on the street is that Microsoft is planning a huge New Xbox Experience blowout later this month. A five hour long G4TV "console re-launching" event that's said to be full of new Xbox 360 game announcements.
According to forum poster Dodece over on VG Chartz.com, Microsoft will hold their five hour long New Xbox Experience re-launching event on September 25th beginning at 7:00PM eastern and unleash an all out media blitz. Rumored to be announced during the event is news regarding free Halo 3 DLC, new Mass Effect DLC, the first of two chunks of GTAIV DLC and info regarding Portal. Also, during the event, six Xbox Originals will be released for free. There is also mention that MS will announce a Sirius Satellite Radio partnership, a new music download service and something called "Mad Lib" of which isn't explained. As if that wasn't enough, Microsoft will be announcing twelve new game titles exclusive to the 360, all of which are codenamed, but the rumor source confirms Assassins Creed 2, Mass Effect 2, a new Conker title, a new Rare shooter and two new Halo games are in the mix. Phew!
Sound too good to be true? Yeah, sounds that way to us as well. Then again, if Microsoft wanted to march into the holidays with their guns a blazing, holding a five hour long 360 media frenzy would generate a bunch of buzz. Try not to get your hopes up though.
In rumor news that could probably be filed under the sub-category "too good to be true", word on the street is that Microsoft is planning a huge New Xbox Experience blowout later this month. A five hour long G4TV "console re-launching" event that's said to be full of new Xbox 360 game announcements.
According to forum poster Dodece over on VG Chartz.com, Microsoft will hold their five hour long New Xbox Experience re-launching event on September 25th beginning at 7:00PM eastern and unleash an all out media blitz. Rumored to be announced during the event is news regarding free Halo 3 DLC, new Mass Effect DLC, the first of two chunks of GTAIV DLC and info regarding Portal. Also, during the event, six Xbox Originals will be released for free. There is also mention that MS will announce a Sirius Satellite Radio partnership, a new music download service and something called "Mad Lib" of which isn't explained. As if that wasn't enough, Microsoft will be announcing twelve new game titles exclusive to the 360, all of which are codenamed, but the rumor source confirms Assassins Creed 2, Mass Effect 2, a new Conker title, a new Rare shooter and two new Halo games are in the mix. Phew!
Sound too good to be true? Yeah, sounds that way to us as well. Then again, if Microsoft wanted to march into the holidays with their guns a blazing, holding a five hour long 360 media frenzy would generate a bunch of buzz. Try not to get your hopes up though.
Placebo
Ԁlɐɔǝqo
Got an Email that my Xbox live Gold is about to expire (October 9th), so now I have a decision to make:
Do I get an Asian one and continue with my current name/points and be limited to the Asian marketplace, or do I buy a Euro one and start from scratch with a new name and 0 points?
Really shitty that I can't continue with the same Xbox Live name and just change my location and apply an EU gold card and start using the EU marketplace. Will I end up somehow using Asian servers for gaming rather than EU ones because the console says I'm in Singapore?
Do I get an Asian one and continue with my current name/points and be limited to the Asian marketplace, or do I buy a Euro one and start from scratch with a new name and 0 points?
Really shitty that I can't continue with the same Xbox Live name and just change my location and apply an EU gold card and start using the EU marketplace. Will I end up somehow using Asian servers for gaming rather than EU ones because the console says I'm in Singapore?
Milanista
Mangiamoli!
My brother has a Canadian XBL in Thailand, and it seems to attract North Americans. Occasionally he gets the odd Hong Kong or Singapore server. So I'm afraid it could be region locked. Its ridiculous that one can't change their country.
jonneymendoza
Legend
- 1 January 2004
- Team
- Arsenal
Placebo
Ԁlɐɔǝqo
Yes it is. I emailed them:
Milanista
Mangiamoli!
They will ask you to create a new Gamertag, like with mine. Bastards.
jonneymendoza
Legend
- 1 January 2004
- Team
- Arsenal
who cares about achievement points 
sucks still that you cant change location
sucks still that you cant change location
Placebo
Ԁlɐɔǝqo
Yep I know, well I have until October 9th to make some sad sack in India have to reply to 100 whining emails from me, make him earn his 75cents an hour or whatever the mega rich companies like MS pay for their customer support slaves.
Milanista
Mangiamoli!
who cares about achievement points
Not only that, you lose your friends lists and your reputation.
kobashi
Champions League
- 19 May 2004
so I got Battle Fantasia and Tales of Vesperia today. Fifa 09 demo out on Thursday and what happens. 3 Red Lights!! Pissed!!!
embraceuk1
Original Member Since 2001
Xbox 360s Flying Off The Shelves After Price Cut
Coming off the heels of the console price drop last week, Microsoft Xbox 360 sales have surged, with retailers reporting over 100% sales lift for all Xbox 360 models compared to the previous weekend. Additionally, retailers are reporting that between Friday, Sept. 5 and Sunday, Sept. 7, some Xbox 360 models were selling at six times the rate they were the weekend prior.
At $199, Xbox 360 is now not only the most affordable next-generation console available, but it also packs more entertainment punch per dollar than any other consumer electronics device connected to your TV. Xbox 360 invites you into a limitless world where the best games, movies and TV shows live side by side with your personal pictures and music library, and the experience is ready to share anytime with friends in your living room or across the globe through Xbox LIVE.
Coming off the heels of the console price drop last week, Microsoft Xbox 360 sales have surged, with retailers reporting over 100% sales lift for all Xbox 360 models compared to the previous weekend. Additionally, retailers are reporting that between Friday, Sept. 5 and Sunday, Sept. 7, some Xbox 360 models were selling at six times the rate they were the weekend prior.
At $199, Xbox 360 is now not only the most affordable next-generation console available, but it also packs more entertainment punch per dollar than any other consumer electronics device connected to your TV. Xbox 360 invites you into a limitless world where the best games, movies and TV shows live side by side with your personal pictures and music library, and the experience is ready to share anytime with friends in your living room or across the globe through Xbox LIVE.
jonneymendoza
Legend
- 1 January 2004
- Team
- Arsenal
pissed!!
matt1288
B4MF
Placebo, I'm in your situation as well. When I download games off the marketplace it can take years, (at the moment I'm downloading Fifa09 4 hours and 26%). However, I don't want to lose my gamer points, friends, and reputation. So I'm in a situation where you gain/lose, lose/gain.
I really hope Xbox can figure a way for us to change where we're from, instead of completely making us lose all of our achievements and etc.
I really hope Xbox can figure a way for us to change where we're from, instead of completely making us lose all of our achievements and etc.
Bingham67
Champions League
- 17 July 2005
Woolworth's to cut Xbox 360 console prices in the UK?
http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/390628105/
http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/390628105/
Bitter Rivals
International
- 24 January 2005
£130 for an xbox 360 is a bargain really
jonneymendoza
Legend
- 1 January 2004
- Team
- Arsenal
sell ya 360 now and get that
D
Dead Man
Guest
This is really ugly. And unnecessary.
Optional tho but yea totally not needed
Coopz
Retired Footballer
- 27 April 2002
Is anyone selling a 360 VGA cable?
I got rid of mine and need one again
I got rid of mine and need one again
- 6 October 2001
- Team
- Liverpool
I have one knockin about
Coopz
Retired Footballer
- 27 April 2002
How much do you want for it?
shieldslfc
League 1
- 25 April 2004
Anyone know if the dashboard update been dated yet. I know they said the fall, but when's the f*$kin fall, no forget that I dont even want to know when the fall is, does Microsoft think everyones American!!
Coopz
Retired Footballer
- 27 April 2002
Quick check of Wiki says the Fall is Autumn but i should have known the anyway because fall as in leaves falling which is Autumn 
ok to much information
ok to much information
Coopz
Retired Footballer
- 27 April 2002
Thanks for the confirmation Tim 