By Ryan Parsons | Image property of Microsoft, Variety.
Xbox 360
Gamers that have had an Xbox 360 for longer than a year have a higher frequency of what is being called the 'red ring of death'. Microsoft claims to have the issue solved -- making me wonder if I have this to look forward to with my Xbox 360 Elite -- but it's going to cost them.
A lot.
Red Ring of Death Handled... Kinda
When the Xbox 360 first hit shelves it only came with a 90 to guarantee. When early problems began to surface, Microsoft extended the warranty to a year. Well, it turns out that a couple other bugs are appearing after the one-year mark. One such bug is the 'red ring of death', a console error that causes the power button to glow red instead of green. Though a different color light would normally not be a problem, the red light signals what can only be called an electronic version of cardiac arrest.
To capture errors such as the 'red ring of death', Microsoft has again extended the 360's warranty from one to three years. It is estimated that this move will end up costing the company $1.05 to $1.15 billion.
Note to self: before you sell something, better make sure the product is crystal.
"The number of repairs to consoles has been unacceptable to us," said Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft's entertainment and devices division, which includes the Xbox business.
Bach goes on to claim that Xbox engineers have discovered what was causing the 'red ring of death' and all new models will be without the defect.
With Halo 3 coming out exclusively for the gaming console, Microsoft can't afford the bad press.
Add to Heffee!
