Microsoft fires game tester who revealed Xbox 360 defects information

[Zeus]

A short while ago, you may well remember reading an article by Dean Takahashi of VentureBeat in which he revealed loads of insider information regarding the Xbox 360 defects. Some of the information included that MS knew all about the defects from the start of production but didn't want to delay the launch and initially 68 percent of Xbox 360's were defective. Now Microsoft has gone and FIRED contract worker Robert Delware who revealed insider information which contributed to the Xbox 360 defect exposure story by Takahashi. MS out rightly told Delaware that he has been fired due to the article and he is now expecting civil charges but he doesn't seem worried, commenting "I don't regret it, I'll fight it, if they want to come after me, bring it on."


Robert Delaware was the only named Microsoft worker (a contract employee) who talked — without permission — to VentureBeat for our story last week on the Xbox 360 defects.

Microsoft had him fired on Wednesday. Delaware worked as a game tester at Microsoft but was employed by the temp agency Excell Data. He reported directly to a Microsoft manager, who told him he was being let go because of the VentureBeat article.

Delaware, a 29-year-old Seattle resident, expects to face civil charges from his former employer VMC (which tests games for Microsoft) and Microsoft as well. He will likely have to hire a lawyer. Microsoft spokesman David Dennis said the company does not talk about personnel issues.

“I don’t regret it,” he said in a phone call on Thursday. “I’ll fight it. If they want to come after me, bring it on.”

Delaware bravely decided to come forward and talk on the record for our story about the many problems associated with the launch of the Xbox 360. He talked to me about how he learned about problems with the hardware while working as a game tester for VMC. He worked there from 2005 to the fall of 2007. He left to join a start-up, Whrrl, and then returned to the game testing job at Excell, working for Microsoft, this summer. During his time at VMC, he saw how Xbox Live updates embedded in retail games could turn working consoles into worthless hulks. I found his remarks to be refreshing and candid.


News Source: <A href="http://venturebeat.com/2008/09/12/microsoft-fires-game-test-contractor-who-talked-to-venturebeat/" target="_blank">Venturebeat</a>

[Knives]

Yay@!!!!!:d

[msanchez]

This guy is either really brave, or really stupid. I hope he'll be ok.

[yusky03]

I loose more respect for this company every day.

[MaxSay]

its been nearly 3 years & they still haven't fixed the xbox360.shame on them.

[1337evan]

this is why Nintendo always wins.

[Robotron]

this is why Nintendo always wins.

Well it seems no one is winning this gen.
The Wii software selection has gone to crap. The PS3 is losing everything to the 360 and 360 users are lucking if their system works.
It's like russian roulette everytime you try to play games on the thing.

This guy should have been fired, but not sued. Suing him is just going prove in court that the 360 is defective.

[wpc]

Hey trashcat and illness whats your excuse? LOL The truth hurt doesnt it. Better hide and go attack other thread like ??? requires #mins mandatory install on the PS3:D

[nolifeking]

I am so unimpressed with ALL of the "Next Gen" consoles, I hate the idea of giving my money to ANY of these companies until they make better software/hardware. I would rather give $299 for a 360 to this guy to pay for his lawyer and to file a counter suit against M$!!! There has to be some laws broken when you knowingly sell defective ****, cover it up and terminate anyone who speaks a single iota of truth about the matter.

[Maxfanboys]

WHat? the 360 has a 68% defect rate *Gasp*... NO WAY!

Where are all the Maxfanboys now!

[cinten99]

WHat? the 360 has a 68% defect rate *Gasp*... NO WAY!

Where are all the Maxfanboys now!

I wonder who this recently banned Ps3 fanboy is. ;)

[grayjo]

Did he say that 68% of shipped xbox were defective or 68% manufactured were defective?

No company release the loss rate at the manufacturing plant, and as long as all the xbox that were shipped out stood up to rigorous tests they didn't knowingly ship defective goods.

If he is talking about the manufacturing rate, he might be being sued for break of confidentiality, and or slander/libel as I don't think he expressly said that. He gave the impression that it was shipped rate.

Of course if he did mean shipped rate and it's true then Microsoft are stupid fools, and wont win their case and lose even more credibility in the public eye (is that even possible?)

[yourM0M1]

im guessing he signed an NDA when being contracted??

[yusky03]

Well it seems no one is winning this gen.
The Wii software selection has gone to crap. The PS3 is losing everything to the 360 and 360 users are lucking if their system works.
It's like russian roulette everytime you try to play games on the thing.

This guy should have been fired, but not sued. Suing him is just going prove in court that the 360 is defective.

I don't completely agree.
Wii software has always sucked IMO and PS3 have not sold more consoles then 360 total yes but the PS3 has been outselling the 360 every month since Jan. I believe. The 360 can barely even outsell the PS3 in America.

[QrafTee]

He did a very honorable thing by telling us the truth about Microsoft's shady actions, but he's going to find it hard to get back in the business now that companies know that he can "spill the beans." Confidentiality is very important to businesses which is why Nintendo made a mistake of even cutting third-party members out of their whole Motion Plus device.

[dwrecording]

its been nearly 3 years & they still haven't fixed the xbox360.shame on them.


WTF are you talking about my 3-360s are running great NO RROD for over 1 1/2 years. And no i am not a fan boy check out my set up.

PS my PS3 is not all that great but it plays movies great.

And also he will go down you sign all kinds of wavers when you work for some one like MS and he can not prove any thing on his report. He is just pissed off for some reason and went nuts like most people do at there jobs when they are pissed. :mad:

[el username]

He is so boned, not smart to up against MS's legal team of pitbulls.

[msanchez]

WTF are you talking about my 3-360s are running great NO RROD for over 1 1/2 years. And no i am not a fan boy check out my set up. The issue here is that not everybody can say the same thing..... why does everyone have multiple 360s anyways? No wonder there's so many of them sold. Anyways they have vastly improved reliability, but it's not error free, as I always say in these kinds of arguments, my ORIGINAL phat ps2 is still hooked up to my tv and getting play time with NO PROBLEMS, does that mean that all those people complaining about ps2 problems are lying?


And also he will go down you sign all kinds of wavers when you work for some one like MS and he can not prove any thing on his report...

I think the issue here is that as someone said, MS has to be careful about what they do if they decide to pursue this guy. They might basically admit that they were aware of the problem, and that now they want this guy to pay, but that would probably invite more trouble for MS than it would do them good. Money hungry consumers might band together and do some suing of their own, and worst case scenario they'll get investigated by all kinds of governmental consumer agencies and such. If they proceed with the argument of slander and such, then I guess is anybody's guess. Whoever can probe their point better I guess would win..... and since MS' legal team can probe in court that Billy Gates is actually Jesus in disguise this guy might be in deep doo doo. Not that I know crap about laws, that's just what I would assume, so if anyone cares to point out holes in my theory by my guest.

[nolifeking]

im guessing he signed an NDA when being contracted??

My guess is probably... Although I worked for a company called 20/20 labs that beta tested for Mattell, Audi, Activision, Ubisoft + others and my NDA was only verbal (which wont hold up in court) LOL! :p Now I personally won't talk about certain things there out of integrity, BUT if there was truly a "conspiracy" to push defective software I would let the public know.

He is so boned, not smart to up against MS's legal team of pitbulls.

He might stand a chance of some fair trade lawyers to represent him pro bono. If he's smart he'll make a paypal acct so ppl can donate for his legal defense.

[Attitude]

Can quite understand why they fired the guy, but can't see anything other than more bad headlines for M$ if they do go ahead and sue the bloke. Only other reason i can see fo M$ to wanting to take him to court is apart from breaking his contract is that the guys story isnt as true as he says (can't see it myself as too many other storys kinda confirm his).

[Maxfanboys]

I wonder who this recently banned Ps3 fanboy is. ;)

The 360 Xbot has spoken!

[pezjono]

The 360 Xbot has spoken!

Do you get joy from coming back over and over again? Nobody thinks you are clever, and nobody likes you! Someone IP ban this idiot, I know it won't stop him, but maybe it would bore him if it happens enough?

[mcmanic]

he's not worried because he's correct and who can blame he making a stand. MS will just probably pay him off to shut him up like everyone else that has a legit claim

[QrafTee]

WTF are you talking about my 3-360s are running great NO RROD for over 1 1/2 years. And no i am not a fan boy check out my set up.

PS my PS3 is not all that great but it plays movies great.

And also he will go down you sign all kinds of wavers when you work for some one like MS and he can not prove any thing on his report. He is just pissed off for some reason and went nuts like most people do at there jobs when they are pissed. :mad:

That's great that you have 3 Xbox 360s that work. Not sure why anyone would own 3 of those, I mean with PS3s it is because they're Blu-ray players too.

By the way, don't be ignorant like some fanboys and think owning all three consoles make you unbiased by default because it is not true.

[K405]

I loose more respect for this company every day.

It's a shame you had any to start with.. ;)

[Punyetta]

That's great that you have 3 Xbox 360s that work. Not sure why anyone would own 3 of those, I mean with PS3s it is because they're Blu-ray players too.

By the way, don't be ignorant like some fanboys and think owning all three consoles make you unbiased by default because it is not true.

So it is OK to have 3 PS3s but not OK to have 3 Xbox360s. You are the ignorant fanboy. STFU.

[cory149]

It's a shame you had any to start with.. ;)
0-100 = (-100)
:eek:

[mcmanic]

he had to buy 3 incase 2 broke

[dalezer]

I bought a $50 2yr extended service contract after my warranty was up. Also covers all accessories.

[DEDDOA]

He is a contractor so they could have just not renewed his contract, after reading a few stories on that site I am inclined to believe the blogger does go for sensationalism a fair bit ( the last story was writen as if it was all breaking news as opposed to a rehash of 18month old news)

If MS do prosecute him for breach of an NDA then he won't have aleg to stand on. His information would need to have evidence to back him up and as MS have the evidence then he is just guilty of breach of contract in a way that is harmfull to the company.

I personally think he was more or less right, but as they say, no good deed goes unpunished.

On a side note, if MS do intend to prosecute him, then they may be forced to actually reveal the true extent of the first years batch of 360's faliures. That alone may be enough to make MS let him of with a warning, unless they can by some unlikley sequence of events, prove he was wrong, which then means they can sue him for liable as well. That said, no major firm would touch him now with a 10 foot pole,a even tho he has done right by the public, he would be viewed as a dangerous liability.

I fell sorry for the guy, does the right thing and now he is up sh!t creek without a paddle however it turns out for him with MS.

[Maxfanboys]

Do you get joy from coming back over and over again? Xbots don't think you are clever, and Xbots don't like you! Someone IP ban this idiot, I know it won't stop him, but maybe it would bore him if it happens enough?

fix'd.....

[yusky03]

It's a shame you had any to start with.. ;)

0-100 = (-100)
:eek:

As I was typing that is exactly what crossed my mind:p No joke. I would say M$ and EA are on the same level. Seeing as they both release beta software/hardware as final product on a daily basis.

[Claxiux]

Do you get joy from coming back over and over again? Nobody thinks you are clever, and nobody likes you! Someone IP ban this idiot, I know it won't stop him, but maybe it would bore him if it happens enough?

What was his last username?

[phallius]

Did he say that 68% of shipped xbox were defective or 68% manufactured were defective?

No company release the loss rate at the manufacturing plant, and as long as all the xbox that were shipped out stood up to rigorous tests they didn't knowingly ship defective goods.

If he is talking about the manufacturing rate, he might be being sued for break of confidentiality, and or slander/libel as I don't think he expressly said that. He gave the impression that it was shipped rate.

Of course if he did mean shipped rate and it's true then Microsoft are stupid fools, and wont win their case and lose even more credibility in the public eye (is that even possible?)



Dude, are you just another lemming working for M$? You actually think that M$ rigorously tested the 360,,,you gotta be joking. I've had 4...I got sick of dealing with them, and sick and tired and saying a prayer everytime I wanted to play DIRT. I got a PS3 and love the system. It's rock solid. I also told this group that a class action is starting this year...this litigation is just the beginning. :D With the commercials they have been doing, it's like they want to lose everything. Did you see the Vista commercial? If they lie to people and tell them it's another OS, they seem to like it,,,wait until some moron puts Vista on their AMD 3000+ with 512 RAM, it's like wading through molasses. Then they have to buy a whole new system just to run a overburdened OS. If you want Vista, ya the home version is 100.00, but it will cost you 1,000.00 to buy a system capable of handling Vista. Another SNAFU by M$. Hey MAC, get a clue and put out an OS for the PC that runs windows programs.

[benny32]

Another scumbag corporation. EA knows how to shut their employees up, maybe MS should learn from them. Otherwise we would have all the insider stories at EA how they hype trash and release betas as final product.

I would buy a book that explains the Spore debacle. Spore is now as legendary as ET.

[grayjo]

Dude, are you just another lemming working for M$? You actually think that M$ rigorously tested the 360,,,you gotta be joking. I've had 4...I got sick of dealing with them, and sick and tired and saying a prayer everytime I wanted to play DIRT. I got a PS3 and love the system. It's rock solid. I also told this group that a class action is starting this year...this litigation is just the beginning. :D With the commercials they have been doing, it's like they want to lose everything. Did you see the Vista commercial? If they lie to people and tell them it's another OS, they seem to like it,,,wait until some moron puts Vista on their AMD 3000+ with 512 RAM, it's like wading through molasses. Then they have to buy a whole new system just to run a overburdened OS. If you want Vista, ya the home version is 100.00, but it will cost you 1,000.00 to buy a system capable of handling Vista. Another SNAFU by M$. Hey MAC, get a clue and put out an OS for the PC that runs windows programs.

Hmmm... I thought this was a thread about a fired employee, not an overview of a specific companies mistakes.

I guess being vaguely on topic makes me... a topicbot?

And I don't know if how thoroughly Microsoft tested their machines. Do you? Were you there? You can't prove they weren't tested by their abysmal fail rate. For all you know, Microsoft so rigorously tested them they shorted the life of the console and caused half the problems of today.

All I was saying, is that if the true story is that Microsoft was negligent they are idiots and deserve all the scorn on this board, if not then they have every right to sue.