Microsoft’s Xbox 360 gaming system is arguably the most popular game console out there, consistently rated highly by users, but paradoxically, the Xbox 360 is legendary among those same users for its chronic hardware problems. The 360 is well known to over heat and crash with the locked up display accompanied by the infamous “red rings of death” on the console.
The the console’s power button displays a the green light at the center which is replaced by glowing red light when the device locks up. The red light, affectionately referred to as the “red ring of death,” has been a familiar if unwelcome sight to many Xbox gamers, as they watch their display freeze and their system become unusable. One folk remedy reported on twitter is place the device in the freezer for a few minutes. There are no statistics on how well this remedy works, but it is known that large numbers of systems have required more conventional repairs. Although their track record is fairly poor, the XBox 360 customer services is widely considered to be good.
This makes it all the more remarkable that, after having badmouthed the system for years, Xbox gamers remain a remarkably steadfast group. Based on the most recent statistics the Xbox console is still one of the most popular items around. With 438,000 Xbox 360 consoles in September Microsoft grabbed 42 percent of the market, netting Microsoft $534 million in sales of the Xbox gaming system, peripherals, and Xbox games, (including a number of exclusive titles which no doubt contribute to the devices’ popularity) Xbox is outpacing Microsoft’s closest competitor by two to one.
Nevertheless, according to data collected by PCMag for their reader’s Choice Awards, the Xbox, even after improvements in it’s hardware design, still needs to be repaired more often than any of its competitors. According to the People’s Choice survey, around 10 percent of respondents needed to send their Xbox 360 to the repair shop in the previous year, a rate which, like its sales rate beats its competitors by two-to –one. Nevertheless, Microsoft can claim some credit for improving the system, since the number of systems needing repairs in 2010 was 26 percent.
Overall it seems that the new version of the XBox is a great step up and, at a lower price, the XBox is selling more than ever. Although great for Microsoft, it seems odd that the system has been considered top of the line for almost 7 years now. Could we be seeing previews of the XBox 720 soon? Let’s keep our fingers crossed.
Carmena Santiago is an avid gamer, raised by parents of the tech field in Silicon Valley. She is primarily an XBox user and promotes uk business phone numbers.
Related posts:
WYSIWYG! I'm a simple person trying to live the simplest life possible - it seems to be the most difficult thing to achieve! I'm an internet enthusiast and I've been a webmaster since early 2007. I like: blogging, developing sites using open source software, social media, computer games, '80s music, comedy & horror, animals, crunching on M&Ms peanut and Smarties!
