Retailers estimate Xbox 360 failure rate as high as 33%

[Zeus]

DailyTech has been privvy to some top secret information regarding the failure rate of Xbox 360's. They heard through the grapevine that EB Games once held conference calls for its Canadian stores informing them of the alarmingly high failure rates of the Xbox 360. A former employee stated that the real failure rate was in the region of 30 to 33 percent with this percentage being even higher for launch consoles. Out of 35 Xbox 360's at launch, mroe than half broke within the first six months and two were simply dead on arrival.


No piece of technology, no matter how well designed, should be expected to completely free of failure. The key metric is whether or not a product falls within industry standards of acceptable failure rates – and from findings based off retailer-supported warranty returns, the actual rate of failures could be six to ten times greater than what Microsoft is letting on.

Regardless of what the actual failure rate is, there is consumer perception that the Xbox 360 is a less reliable machine than its competitors. That fact alone should encourage Microsoft to do more than just avoid all comments on failures and only preach on the wonderful experience of its consumer base.


News Source: <A href="http://www.dailytech.com/Retailers+Estimate+Xbox+360+Failure+Rate+High+as+3 3+Percent/article7892.htm" target="_blank">DailyTech.com<a/>

[martin.ca]

That's a pretty high failure rate.

[johnhummel]

And this is no longer just "Oh, my 3 buddies had returns" - this is a major retailer that is having so many problems, they're increasing the price of the warrantee!

This is a problem for Microsoft - yes, I know, "Oh, they've just got more units out for 1 year" - 30% is a huge failure rate!

Personally, I'm waiting until sometime in 2008 before I pick up a PS3 or a 360. At the rate things are going, the two of them are going to sabotage themselves - PS3 by being too damn expensive and the 360 by falling apart all the time.

[ku16610]

wonder what affect having to repair/replace that many consoles is having on the microsoft losses

[Jongamer]

And this is no longer just "Oh, my 3 buddies had returns" - this is a major retailer that is having so many problems, they're increasing the price of the warrantee!

This is a problem for Microsoft - yes, I know, "Oh, they've just got more units out for 1 year" - 30% is a huge failure rate!

Personally, I'm waiting until sometime in 2008 before I pick up a PS3 or a 360. At the rate things are going, the two of them are going to sabotage themselves - PS3 by being too damn expensive and the 360 by falling apart all the time.


And Wii will emerge and conquer all!!!!! YAY!

[tommasi]

where i work i think we gettin almost 2 everyday and the rate i think is 50 or 60%

[sexycommando]

Jeez, RLOD is the new BSOD.

[KainXS]

i really hate ms

they went from blue screen of death to black screen of death and they still deny that any product they make has a flaw

even windows me

[stop_loading]

33%? that's a bit low

because it's 100%!!!!!

all x360 will die without x-clamp mod

[phallius]

I high failure rate for electronics is around 10%. Anything over this is considered bug-ridden and unusable. Xbox 360 has shown to be highly unreliable. It's remarkable how slow they are to react. I'll bet the wii and Ps3 failure rate is 10% combined. There is no denying that M$ screwed this up. Question is,,,what's the next move. Does the consumer start retaliating, or does M$ sneak under the radar long enough to be unscathed. Only time will tell.
Phallius

[mystic54]

It's remarkable how slow they are to react. I'll bet the wii and Ps3 failure rate is 10% combined. There is no denying that M$ screwed this up. Question is,,,what's the next move.
I don't disagree that they are slow to react but I will say that are at least finally acting. They are putting on the new heatsinks with newly returned 3ROL's which should slow the problem down substantially, but I am not sure if it will be a permanent fix or not. We will have to see...

[Covert Knight]

Well see here is one of the big problems. I don't think that this counts for every NEW xbox 360. See when you send in your xbox 360 they either send you the same one "repaired" or someone else's refirbished one that went through the same problem. But something that has been damaged by heat can't really be repaired, just patched until the patching wears off, which will EVENTUALLY happen when it comes to eat damage. So what happens is you get johnny boy who's had one bad luck getting one that goes bad he tells EB games, and they get him to send it in or do it themselves. He gets back the same one "patched up" but then a month later it dies again. Once again he sends it to EB Games and goes through the same process. So while I understand that the failure rates are probably and most likely not acceptable, at the same time you have to consider that these rates are definitely warped. Because remember the people at EB games are not going to bother to remember that "oh thats the same xbox 360 he just got it sent back five times" instead they just count those as 5 different incidents when really it was just one xbox going in circles. So what Im trying to say is at least think everything through a bit, remember they dont just throw out over-heated xbox 360's, its really them just poorly patching it up trying to save themselves money.

Oh and no I have not modded a single one of my consoles, I don't need an x-clamp mod, I think my 360 is doing just fine, with the occasional disc read error which I get once every 2 months I'm not really worried.

[SOLDIER [X]]

Well see here is one of the big problems. I don't think that this counts for every NEW xbox 360. See when you send in your xbox 360 they either send you the same one "repaired" or someone else's refirbished one that went through the same problem. But something that has been damaged by heat can't really be repaired, just patched until the patching wears off, which will EVENTUALLY happen when it comes to eat damage. So what happens is you get johnny boy who's had one bad luck getting one that goes bad he tells EB games, and they get him to send it in or do it themselves. He gets back the same one "patched up" but then a month later it dies again. Once again he sends it to EB Games and goes through the same process. So while I understand that the failure rates are probably and most likely not acceptable, at the same time you have to consider that these rates are definitely warped. Because remember the people at EB games are not going to bother to remember that "oh thats the same xbox 360 he just got it sent back five times" instead they just count those as 5 different incidents when really it was just one xbox going in circles. So what Im trying to say is at least think everything through a bit, remember they dont just throw out over-heated xbox 360's, its really them just poorly patching it up trying to save themselves money.

Oh and no I have not modded a single one of my consoles, I don't need an x-clamp mod, I think my 360 is doing just fine, with the occasional disc read error which I get once every 2 months I'm not really worried.

The story you elaborated on doesn't work like that. When an object is returned as damage their serial is scanned into the system so it can be logged for service. You can't just take it in a chalk it up as a new system. You have to have a way to keep it logged to know it's location. Therefore there are actually the reported percentages reported as failing since they are unique serials.

[MaTiAz]

Good thing my 360 is still fine :3

[Xenogears V]

The message you have entered is too short. Please lengthen your message to at least 10 characters.

[cafevincent]

I would buy a 360 if I would get the system for 300€ and a 10 year warranty for extra 100€. Even then I would wish for an another 10 year extension to that warranty but 10 years is a good minimum. Any shorter warranty for 360 and
I wouldn't touch it with a stick.

[anh_duong]

xbox 360 got more red rings than a whorehouse full of ladyboys...

[Adopted]

not sure why but i really love the front page image.

[cloporte]

I really wonder , if M$ can be sued for selling a non finished
defective product who will have the guts and the $$$ to do it

we should fill this petition

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/XBOX360/

[cafevincent]

33%? that's a bit low

because it's 100%!!!!!

all x360 will die without x-clamp mod


100% sounds about right. Consider this, how many 360s work after say 5 years of use? Thats about 1% or less. Just a prediction.

[willizm]

100% sounds about right. Consider this, how many 360s work after say 5 years of use? Thats about 1% or less. Just a prediction.

I have had my original from December of the release year and the thing works with no problems. I only play it maybe once a week for a couple of hours, but the thing never gave me any issues. I have since sold it to my sister and bought an elite and all seems happy smiley so far. Is it prolonged use that is causing the ring of death here or what? 3 buddies and I must be lucky to be that 1%, ehh.

[ammmmn]

And Wii will emerge and conquer all!!!!! YAY!

no wii is for girls and gay people

[Jongamer]

no wii is for girls and gay people

Wow you make so much sense! *Sarcastic*

Ps3 fuckboy, oops I mean fanboy.

[Covert Knight]

']The story you elaborated on doesn't work like that. When an object is returned as damage their serial is scanned into the system so it can be logged for service. You can't just take it in a chalk it up as a new system. You have to have a way to keep it logged to know it's location. Therefore there are actually the reported percentages reported as failing since they are unique serials.

Yes that is true but however you are going by word of mouth here. They are asking employees, therefore it can be their error. If the percentage rate REALLY was 33% I think we would hear much more noise about it on news sites, and larger news sites such as IGN or Gamespot. I think this site tends to over-report things to the point where it seems greater than it is, and not just for xbox 360 I mean for everything. And it isn't their fault its just things tend to, or seem to be more profound if you repeat them over and over. :p

[Jongamer]

Yes that is true but however you are going by word of mouth here. They are asking employees, therefore it can be their error. If the percentage rate REALLY was 33% I think we would hear much more noise about it on news sites, and larger news sites such as IGN or Gamespot. I think this site tends to over-report things to the point where it seems greater than it is, and not just for xbox 360 I mean for everything. And it isn't their fault its just things tend to, or seem to be more profound if you repeat them over and over. :p

Microsoft still needs to pull their head out of their deep asses and fix the damn problem.

God the Systems are acting up like it was launch day.

[iratasan]

xbox 360 got more red rings than a whorehouse full of ladyboys...

hahahahahaha. that's genius! thanks man. :D

I really wonder , if M$ can be sued for selling a non finished
defective product who will have the guts and the $$$ to do it

we should fill this petition

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/XBOX360/

well, i guess they just bought the government right after those problems came to surface. :D

no wii is for girls and gay people

that is true. i am a gay girl and i bought two of them.

[*StoneCold*]

no wii is for girls and gay people

Dude you are a loser, and not just cause i say you are its because it runs through your veins!

Your supporting a failing console you fucking pansy, your a fanboy to the lowest degree, not because you are supporting a failing console but because of that pansy ass, no life signature you have.

The wii is turning the competition into its bitches.

Gone out and get a life you pansy.

By the way i like the PS3

[untime]

no wii is for girls and gay people

And this guy gona vote one day...

[nimbus]

LMAO! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

WTF?!?!!?!

30%%%%???

DAtZ liikEE, 3 MILLION!!!!!!

FOR ALMOST EVERY PS3 that WORKZ, there is a BUSTED 360!!!!


LMAOAMAOMAOMAOMAOMA
:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: