Jeremy Charette
05-01-2006, 08:30 PM
http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/xbox360glitch.jpg
About a month after finally getting my hands on an Xbox 360, I started having some serious problems with it. Turns out I wasn't the only one (http://forums.xbox.com/1/2878208/ShowPost.aspx#2878208). While playing PGR3, I've seen vertical blue lines, framerate slowdowns, freezes mid-game, and freezes while accessing my friends list. Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter just locks up whenever it feels like it. Need for Speed: Most Wanted was running great...now the DVD drive periodically stops, and the game hangs while trying to load new scenery. The DVD drive is as loud as hell when playing games, and sounds like it's just a few RPM from self-destruction. I've put off returning it until now, since I've been trying to qualify for the PGR3 World Tournament. (I didn't want to be without a system to play on if I somehow managed to make it into the semifinals...looks like I'm going to be close, but no cigar.) So, tomorrow I'll be calling Microsoft to request a "coffin" (pre-paid return shipping box), and we'll see how many refurbished systems it takes before I get one that works.
Now if this was an isolated incident, I wouldn't mention it. But I've had problems across every game, and my symptoms are similar to those of hundreds of other gamers I've read about or talked to. At least one person on my friends list has been through 5 consoles, and finally has one that seems to be relatively stable. Dean Takahashi just wrote an article (http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/business/technology/14471400.htm?source=rss) on one consumer who has been through four consoles in the quest for one that works properly. The problems I've been having don't seem to be isolated. I just wish Microsoft would belly up and admit that they've been having some reliability issues, then tell us what they're doing to fix them. That might be the best PR of all.
About a month after finally getting my hands on an Xbox 360, I started having some serious problems with it. Turns out I wasn't the only one (http://forums.xbox.com/1/2878208/ShowPost.aspx#2878208). While playing PGR3, I've seen vertical blue lines, framerate slowdowns, freezes mid-game, and freezes while accessing my friends list. Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter just locks up whenever it feels like it. Need for Speed: Most Wanted was running great...now the DVD drive periodically stops, and the game hangs while trying to load new scenery. The DVD drive is as loud as hell when playing games, and sounds like it's just a few RPM from self-destruction. I've put off returning it until now, since I've been trying to qualify for the PGR3 World Tournament. (I didn't want to be without a system to play on if I somehow managed to make it into the semifinals...looks like I'm going to be close, but no cigar.) So, tomorrow I'll be calling Microsoft to request a "coffin" (pre-paid return shipping box), and we'll see how many refurbished systems it takes before I get one that works.
Now if this was an isolated incident, I wouldn't mention it. But I've had problems across every game, and my symptoms are similar to those of hundreds of other gamers I've read about or talked to. At least one person on my friends list has been through 5 consoles, and finally has one that seems to be relatively stable. Dean Takahashi just wrote an article (http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/business/technology/14471400.htm?source=rss) on one consumer who has been through four consoles in the quest for one that works properly. The problems I've been having don't seem to be isolated. I just wish Microsoft would belly up and admit that they've been having some reliability issues, then tell us what they're doing to fix them. That might be the best PR of all.