I tried to buy an Xbox 360 and God doesn't want it to happen.
January 30, 2007 11:14 AM Subscribe
This story of Xbox 360 woe isn't unique, but it does come with a great video. (last is a youtube link)
Gizmo reliance will break your heart.
posted by kuujjuarapik at 11:44 AM on January 30, 2007
posted by kuujjuarapik at 11:44 AM on January 30, 2007
I bought one over Christmas, along with Gears of War of course, figuring all of the kinks had been worked out.
After a few hours of Gears, disc unreadable. Pull out the brand new disc, it's scratched. Return to Best Buy for a new copy, get a couple more hours in, disc unreadable. Return both the XBox and Gears back to the store and get replacements for both.
The new XBox has worked fine since. It was built a couple months newer and had a different DVD-ROM, which I imagine was the source of the issues in the first one.
And now there's rumors of MS putting out a new one with an HDMI port? I'm about ready to give up (but Viva Pinata is too damn fun, *sigh*).
posted by kableh at 11:48 AM on January 30, 2007
After a few hours of Gears, disc unreadable. Pull out the brand new disc, it's scratched. Return to Best Buy for a new copy, get a couple more hours in, disc unreadable. Return both the XBox and Gears back to the store and get replacements for both.
The new XBox has worked fine since. It was built a couple months newer and had a different DVD-ROM, which I imagine was the source of the issues in the first one.
And now there's rumors of MS putting out a new one with an HDMI port? I'm about ready to give up (but Viva Pinata is too damn fun, *sigh*).
posted by kableh at 11:48 AM on January 30, 2007
Based on this story it sounds fundamentally like a WalMart problem moreso than an issue with his 360.
I'm going to regret saying this, but for what it's worth, I've had a 360 since launch, played untold number of hours worth of games on it, updated its firmware, attached iPods and chatted with friends and, through it all, no problems.
Of course, I do for it what I do for any of my sensitive electronic items: keep it dust free, give it lots of exhaust space, leave it in one orientation and, when moving, take extra care not to jostle or manhandle it.
posted by owenkun at 11:48 AM on January 30, 2007
I'm going to regret saying this, but for what it's worth, I've had a 360 since launch, played untold number of hours worth of games on it, updated its firmware, attached iPods and chatted with friends and, through it all, no problems.
Of course, I do for it what I do for any of my sensitive electronic items: keep it dust free, give it lots of exhaust space, leave it in one orientation and, when moving, take extra care not to jostle or manhandle it.
posted by owenkun at 11:48 AM on January 30, 2007
FWIW owenkun, mine was horizontal the whole time and I never moved it. Hell, I never took Gears out of the drive. MS put some shitty hardware in some of those boxes.
posted by kableh at 11:52 AM on January 30, 2007
posted by kableh at 11:52 AM on January 30, 2007
So this guy had to run around in circles to get his xbox 360?
posted by srboisvert at 11:54 AM on January 30, 2007
posted by srboisvert at 11:54 AM on January 30, 2007
Weird, kableh. I hope it doesn't give you any more trouble.
Of course, now that I've mentioned how I haven't had issues I fully expect to come home and see Xbox innards strewn about, unlocked achievements and gamer tags stuck to the walls.
posted by owenkun at 11:57 AM on January 30, 2007
Of course, now that I've mentioned how I haven't had issues I fully expect to come home and see Xbox innards strewn about, unlocked achievements and gamer tags stuck to the walls.
posted by owenkun at 11:57 AM on January 30, 2007
how in the hell can they restock defective consoles in the first place? I mean, technically, how does that happen?
posted by matteo at 12:11 PM on January 30, 2007
posted by matteo at 12:11 PM on January 30, 2007
Thanks owen. This one has been solid, and I even stressed it by playing games for a solid weekend to make sure it wouldnt fail. Seems like the new drives they're using (the first was August 2006 build, the new one was Oct 2006) did the trick.
Good question matteo. I imagine they just throw a piece of tape on there and throw it back on the shelf? I was at Wal-Mart looking for a cheap HDMI cable and they'd obviously put one of those back on the shelf (the blister pack was crudely taped up, cable dangling out). Given that his first one didn't come with a _controller_ I think that is the only explanation.
I often see boxes in stores that have obviously been closed back up with packing tape. And promptly avoid those boxes...
posted by kableh at 12:38 PM on January 30, 2007
Good question matteo. I imagine they just throw a piece of tape on there and throw it back on the shelf? I was at Wal-Mart looking for a cheap HDMI cable and they'd obviously put one of those back on the shelf (the blister pack was crudely taped up, cable dangling out). Given that his first one didn't come with a _controller_ I think that is the only explanation.
I often see boxes in stores that have obviously been closed back up with packing tape. And promptly avoid those boxes...
posted by kableh at 12:38 PM on January 30, 2007
Either the customer lies or the returns desk can't be bothered to follow the correct returns process, so they reseal it or put it through the shrink-wrap.
I used to work in a department at a large hardware store. When we'd be called up front to reclaim returned stock you'd be amazed what kinds of things we took back under the guise of customer satisfaction.
One guy came back with a truck toolbox (the kind you'd put in the back bed) that was clearly run over, presumably by the truck they'd planned to install it in.
Each time they'd ask that I put it back on the shelf.
This kind of things happens all the time, actually.
Gamestop is notorious for selling games marked 'new' that have obviously been opened. I've been asked not to come back to one of my local ones because I'll make them go through several packages before I get one that's unopened.
posted by owenkun at 12:40 PM on January 30, 2007
I used to work in a department at a large hardware store. When we'd be called up front to reclaim returned stock you'd be amazed what kinds of things we took back under the guise of customer satisfaction.
One guy came back with a truck toolbox (the kind you'd put in the back bed) that was clearly run over, presumably by the truck they'd planned to install it in.
Each time they'd ask that I put it back on the shelf.
This kind of things happens all the time, actually.
Gamestop is notorious for selling games marked 'new' that have obviously been opened. I've been asked not to come back to one of my local ones because I'll make them go through several packages before I get one that's unopened.
posted by owenkun at 12:40 PM on January 30, 2007
Yes, that particular Wal-Mart was definitely pulling something funny here. The first Xbox 360 he hooked up to the TV in the store? The disk tray cover was the same "chill" color as the rest of the system. This is a big deal because the "core" system is the one that comes this way, and the core doesn't come with a hard drive. Yet he was clearing going for the premium system, and the machine being tested had a hard drive on it. The premium system has a chrome disk tray, like the one that was hooked up in the store and worked.
Meaning that at least the first 360 he bought was definitely not the one that was originally in that box, and I wouldn't be surprised if some of the others were the same way.
posted by evilangela at 1:05 PM on January 30, 2007
Meaning that at least the first 360 he bought was definitely not the one that was originally in that box, and I wouldn't be surprised if some of the others were the same way.
posted by evilangela at 1:05 PM on January 30, 2007
Selling a used item as new is fraud. If he'd acted a little more carefully in terms of filming, he'd probably have a nice case against WalMart on his hands.
Fry's used to be one of the worst offenders of that kind of fraud. You had to be really careful with what you purchased. This was compounded by people working in returns who either didn't care or were ignorant of what they were doing, because people routinely purchased a big ticket upgrade (say, like a new 3D card), then returned their crappy old one in the new box. Ka-ching, Fry's gets robbed. Then a Fry's droid reshrink wraps the box and if they get to it, might put a refurb sticker on it, but otherwise it goes right back on the shelf for the next poor slob.
posted by plinth at 1:18 PM on January 30, 2007
Fry's used to be one of the worst offenders of that kind of fraud. You had to be really careful with what you purchased. This was compounded by people working in returns who either didn't care or were ignorant of what they were doing, because people routinely purchased a big ticket upgrade (say, like a new 3D card), then returned their crappy old one in the new box. Ka-ching, Fry's gets robbed. Then a Fry's droid reshrink wraps the box and if they get to it, might put a refurb sticker on it, but otherwise it goes right back on the shelf for the next poor slob.
posted by plinth at 1:18 PM on January 30, 2007
That's what you get when you buy electronics from a store that also sells toilet paper.
posted by emelenjr at 2:56 PM on January 30, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by emelenjr at 2:56 PM on January 30, 2007 [1 favorite]
kableh writes:
And now there's rumors of MS putting out a new one with an HDMI port?
wait, so the 360 doesn't connect to HDTVs with HDMI?
posted by phaedon at 3:04 PM on January 30, 2007
And now there's rumors of MS putting out a new one with an HDMI port?
wait, so the 360 doesn't connect to HDTVs with HDMI?
posted by phaedon at 3:04 PM on January 30, 2007
I've had my 360 since March of last year and I've not had any problems, though it does make a hell of a noise when playing Gears of War. I know the blame Microsoft first crowd is all ready to point fingers, but I have a feeling Walmart was putting defective units back on the shelf.
posted by MegoSteve at 3:38 PM on January 30, 2007
posted by MegoSteve at 3:38 PM on January 30, 2007
Xbox 360... more like X-box-three-SUX-ty! PWNED! Am I right? Up top... don't leave me hangin...
posted by yupster at 3:45 PM on January 30, 2007
posted by yupster at 3:45 PM on January 30, 2007
I bought mine last May, I only handled her with sterile kid gloves, sang her to sleep every night, kept her horizontal and rarely changed discs. Yet the dvd drive would hardly eject for me from day 1 and about a month ago she locked up. I tried the towel trick for a couple of days, but she just got worse and worse, eventually crapping right out. I'm convinced that the hardware is shite. But this site made me feel marginally better about the whole thing.
In next gen gaming, Vectrex is still where its at.
posted by isopraxis at 4:07 PM on January 30, 2007
In next gen gaming, Vectrex is still where its at.
posted by isopraxis at 4:07 PM on January 30, 2007
but she just got worse and worse, eventually crapping right out. I'm convinced that the hardware is shite. But this site made me feel marginally better about the whole thing.
Microsoft recently extended the warranty on all units to a year, so you shouldn't have any issue getting the unit repaired or replaced, assuming you held on to the receipt.
posted by The God Complex at 4:17 PM on January 30, 2007
Microsoft recently extended the warranty on all units to a year, so you shouldn't have any issue getting the unit repaired or replaced, assuming you held on to the receipt.
posted by The God Complex at 4:17 PM on January 30, 2007
wait, so the 360 doesn't connect to HDTVs with HDMI?
VGA, component, RGB Scart, s-video, composite. Annoyingly, it doesn't do 1680x1050, despite supporting most other common monitor/TV resolutions.
posted by ArmyOfKittens at 4:19 PM on January 30, 2007
VGA, component, RGB Scart, s-video, composite. Annoyingly, it doesn't do 1680x1050, despite supporting most other common monitor/TV resolutions.
posted by ArmyOfKittens at 4:19 PM on January 30, 2007
I know the blame Microsoft first crowd is all ready to point fingers
And finding any information at all on the problems I was having or a potential fix was near impossible, because of forums full of blithering idiots going "OMG stop shaking your xbox" and "sony suxxors teh coq" "no M$ is for lusers", etc.
If the failure rate is anywhere near as bad as stated in that article, it's abnormal for consumer electronics, and ridiculous for a product this expensive coming out of Microsoft. Yes, I realize how absurd the last part of that sentence is.
posted by kableh at 6:57 PM on January 30, 2007
And finding any information at all on the problems I was having or a potential fix was near impossible, because of forums full of blithering idiots going "OMG stop shaking your xbox" and "sony suxxors teh coq" "no M$ is for lusers", etc.
If the failure rate is anywhere near as bad as stated in that article, it's abnormal for consumer electronics, and ridiculous for a product this expensive coming out of Microsoft. Yes, I realize how absurd the last part of that sentence is.
posted by kableh at 6:57 PM on January 30, 2007
I bought my 360 from Game in the UK and they informed me that whilst they are happy to replace any game disc that is defective, they will not replace a game disc that has been damaged by the console. Brilliant. :(
posted by Talvalin at 4:40 AM on January 31, 2007
posted by Talvalin at 4:40 AM on January 31, 2007
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I would have used his name as well--unnamed sources are useless--but that doesn't make it less hilarious.
posted by JeremiahBritt at 11:25 AM on January 30, 2007