XBox 360 problems

On November 22, 2005, electronics stores all over the United States opened their doors to a human flood of breathless gaming enthusiasts. Many had been waiting for hours, some for days. All of them had one thing in mind: getting their hands on the brand new Xbox 360, Microsoft's revolutionary "next generation" gaming console. Preceded by months of ardent fan anticipation and a flurry of publicity, the massive-scale US launch of Xbox 360 was, at first glance, a stunning success. Many retailers, such as Wal-Mart, were sold out of the $300-600 console within hours of opening. Despite a shortage of the product, sales were off the charts, and everything seemed to be going as planned. Thrilled gamers all over the country got home with their 360s and began to play, only to find that a product shortage was only the first, and probably the least of Xbox 360's problems.

Within half a day of its launch, Microsoft was already plagued with customer complaints about the Xbox, the most common of which was total system crashing and rampant overheating. In the months following, the criticisms and complaints haven't died down, as Xbox's customers grow increasingly frustrated. Users claim that their brand new consoles are freezing, sometimes in as little as 15-30 minutes of gameplay, putting them face-to-face with a cryptic error message or simply a blank screen. This is plausibly due to the fact that the console seems to run unusually hot, and unless kept in a wide-open space with plenty of air circulation, it easily overheats and shuts down. Users have further bemoaned the bulky, 160-watt-consuming power supply which, in itself, is almost as large as Nintendo's GameCube console and draws a massive amount of power. Smaller technical issues have arisen, including temporary problems with disc playback and discs getting heavily scratched or even ruined while playing.

In response to the fan uproar, Microsoft has insisted that the technical issues experienced by Xbox 360 users are totally normal for a new product, especially one rushed out for such a large-scale launch. Additionally, the user manual for Xbox 360 does contain instructions regarding keeping the system cool and ventilated, and Microsoft spokesperson Molly O'Donnell insists that "the 360 runs hotter than other consoles, but still well within safety limits." As far as the disc-scratching issue goes, only a few customers have found that the Xbox scratches any discs while sitting perfectly still, but rather when the user moves the console from a vertical to a horizontal position, or vice versa. Microsoft claims that only 3% of consoles sold were defective, but online polls have suggested that up to 16% could be flawed, according to disgruntled customers.

Technical issues, however, aren't the only ones hounding 360. Some customers simply expected more from the first next-generation console, which was touted as "the ultimate media machine." Customers have been generally underwhelmed by the available games, and some have gone as far as to say that they can't tell the difference between 360 and its earlier counterpart, the first Xbox. Additionally, if a customer wants to save their game or enjoy backward compatibility with older Xbox games on their new 360, one can't simply buy the $300 XBox 360 "core" system, which comes only with the console, a wired controller, and a composite AV cable. In fact, one must either buy a $30 memory unit and a $100 hard drive, or spend $600 or more to get the "fully loaded" Xbox 360 set, which includes a wireless controller, Xbox Live headset, two cables, and a hard drive that allows game saving and backward compatibility.

In the months following the controversial American launch, Microsoft has experienced more complaints, disappointing sales (as the retail prices rise), and even a lawsuit from a Chicago man who claims that the company knowingly rushed faulty hardware to the market to beat competing consoles with fast-approaching launch dates. International sales for 360 have proven to be profoundly disappointing and many dissatisfied Xbox customers have been forced to send their console to Microsoft for repair or replacement. As Playstation 3 and Nintendo Revolution loom on the horizon, one has to wonder if the system will regain its status as one of the most beloved and respected consoles on the market...or if 360 will turn out to be a fatal misstep for Xbox.

Thank you to Desiree Dufresne for this X box 360 problem article

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