X360 failure rate is 54% according to GI survey

So 53% of the respondents experienced 1 hardware failure and at least 41% experienced at least two, but fewer than 1 consumer in 25 regarded the failure rate as a reason to avoid future Xbox purchases.

Hopefully despite the lack of consumer pressure, next gen MS won't spare all expenses when designing the X720 (which I will wait a year or three before purchasing). Sony didn't pay much of aprice for the failure rate of the PS2 (which wasn't as bad, but at the time was the worse seen) but they still radically improved the build quality of subsequent systems.

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/101/1014486p1.html

A new survey published in Game Informer's print edition indicates the Xbox 360 failure rate has climbed to a shocking 54.2%. The magazine surveyed nearly 5000 readers, asking them about their experience dealing with broken consoles.

Here are their findings:

Console failure rate

Xbox 360 - 54.2%
Playstation 3 - 10.6%
Wii - 6.8%

Percentage of console owners who suffered a second hardware failure after the original repair.

Xbox 360 - 41.2%
Playstation 3 - 14.7%
Wii - 11%

Percentage of people who rate their customer service experience "very helpful"

Nintendo - 56.1%
Sony - 51.1%
Microsoft - 37.7%

Percentage of respondents whose friends have had console hardware failures.

Xbox 360 - 69.9%
Playstation 3 - 12.4%
Wii - 6%

The magazine also makes a few notes about their results:

The reason the Wii has the lowest hardware failure rate could be because console is played the least of the three. 41.4% of Wii owners surveyed said they play the console less than one hour a day, meanwhile the majority of Xbox 360 (40.3%) and Playstation 3 (37%) owners say they play their console on an average of three to five hours day.

Also, only 3.8% of respondents said they'd never buy another Xbox system because of the failure rates.

Why is this in the general games discussion? More appropriate in System wars. =/ Besides, any gamer would already know that the 360 has the biggest failure rate, so why even make a thread about it?

What disturbs me is that consumers are fine with the failure rate. Are gamers just naturally stupid or are they just all rich?KHAndAnime

The warranty is good enough that it doesn't bother me too much. I had a failure, called it in, and received my replacement in about a week. It's comaparable the service I've had with my laptop, which has had its video card fail on me twice in the past three years. It's a slight inconvenience in terms of time, but that's about it.

My PS3 on the verge of breaking bother me more, because I know I'll have to pay for it out of my own pocket. If I get another red ring on the 360, it's covered.

edit - also, I think I've sort of been conditioned to expect things breaking. I've never had a computer that went more than a year or two without needing a part (or two, or three) replaced, under warranty or not. I went through three PS2s, paid to get one fixed and bought a new one the second time.

Microsoft needs to really think long and hard before they start working on their next console. 54% failure is extremely unacceptable, as this kind of thing would usually head straight for a recall.

I remember getting a one month XBL gold after getting my 360 fixed. Some compensation that is >___>

Why is this in the general games discussion? More appropriate in System wars. =/

MadVybz

What disturbs me is that consumers are fine with the failure rate. Are gamers just naturally stupid or are they just all rich?KHAndAnime

*Shrugs* Don't look at me, I got rid of my X360 when tried to make me eat the cost ofa defective (but out of warranty) $100 wireless modem, and read the riot act to the customer service rep who initially told me the repair of my PS2 (which stopped working after 3 years) would cost me money (they then decided to repair my system for free).

A lot of people just seem to feel that if they can afford it, no big deal, but on principle I'm not going to pay/reward a company for fixing a defect that shouldn't have been there in the first place and if a company refuses to stand behind its hardware, that's something that will guide my purchasing decisions (I've always been an early adopter, but no way I'm getting the X720 out of the gate, or even within the same year of the opening of the gate).

Not a very scientific/accurate way to determine a failure rate, or anything else for that matter. More accurate to say "360 failure rate is 54% among a select group of GI readers, IF they were all being honest, which we can't be sure of". But this thread title is more attention grabbing, which was likely the whole point.

This is the reason why I held off on buying a 360 for a long time. I always wanted one, but nothing feels worse than having your console crash on you while playing a game.

But the games still make it worth it. Where else can we play great online match-ups with friends and family and games like Shadow Complex or Gears of War? It took a lot of convincing for me to finally get one. If it wasn't for my bro and cousins wanting me to join in on their online party, I probably would've avoided the console. But at the end, it's still worth it.

It's still, IMO, the best console of this gen (sorry Nintendo and Sony owners), yet at the same time, it's the worst. Of course I'm referring to the hardware failure.

Also, the survey doesn't add the fact that latter 360 models could've decreased the failure rate.

What bothers me more is that the PS3 failure rate is up from less than 1% in 2007 to 10% in a matter of two years. It bothers me more because at least the broken 360s are fixed for no cost. Each of those 10% PS3 owners had to pay $150 to get their PS3s fixed.

I'd rather be one of the 54% 360 owner, have my xbox fail on me and get it replaced for free than having to pay $150 for something that's not even my fault.

What disturbs me is that consumers are fine with the failure rate. Are gamers just naturally stupid or are they just all rich?KHAndAnime

They aren't stupid, they are gamers. The 360, just like the PS2 did last gen, has constantly put out great software month after month.

I used to sit infront of my PS2 for 10-15 minutes cleaning and resetting everyday before my it would finally start the game, and it was worth it. I did that everyday for an entire year before my brother gave me his Slim. I personally didnt buy a new PS2, but I can totally understand why the 360 owners are somewhat ok with this. It's all about the games.

What bothers me more is that the PS3 failure rate is up from less than 1% in 2007 to 10% in a matter of two years. It bothers me more because at least the broken 360s are fixed for no cost. Each of those 10% PS3 owners had to pay $150 to get their PS3s fixed.

I'd rather be one of the 54% 360 owner, have my xbox fail on me and get it replaced for free than having to pay $150 for something that's not even my fault.

S0lidSnake

Sony repaired my PS3 out of warranty for free without any cadjoling on my part, so everybody hasn't had to go into their pockets, but some people aren't so lucky and consumers shouldn't be asked to pay for the mistakes of companies.

[QUOTE="S0lidSnake"]

What bothers me more is that the PS3 failure rate is up from less than 1% in 2007 to 10% in a matter of two years. It bothers me more because at least the broken 360s are fixed for no cost. Each of those 10% PS3 owners had to pay $150 to get their PS3s fixed.

I'd rather be one of the 54% 360 owner, have my xbox fail on me and get it replaced for free than having to pay $150 for something that's not even my fault.

CarnageHeart

Sony repaired my PS3 out of warranty for free without any cadjoling on my part, so everybody hasn't had to go into their pockets, but some people aren't so lucky and consumers shouldn't be asked to pay for the mistakes of companies.

[QUOTE="CarnageHeart"]

[QUOTE="S0lidSnake"]

What bothers me more is that the PS3 failure rate is up from less than 1% in 2007 to 10% in a matter of two years. It bothers me more because at least the broken 360s are fixed for no cost. Each of those 10% PS3 owners had to pay $150 to get their PS3s fixed.

I'd rather be one of the 54% 360 owner, have my xbox fail on me and get it replaced for free than having to pay $150 for something that's not even my fault.

S0lidSnake

Sony repaired my PS3 out of warranty for free without any cadjoling on my part, so everybody hasn't had to go into their pockets, but some people aren't so lucky and consumers shouldn't be asked to pay for the mistakes of companies.

Communication between my PS3 and the controllers suddenly went south. First, avatars started drifting to the left if I didn't touch anything, but when I pressed a button my input superceded the error, later the error was stronger than the wireless signal (a problem I solved by plugging in the controller), later even the input of a plugged in controller was ignored by the PS3. The minute I started speaking about the error I was told 'Your warranty has been extended and your system will be repaired for free'.

Not a very scientific/accurate way to determine a failure rate, or anything else for that matter. More accurate to say "360 failure rate is 54% among a select group of GI readers, IF they were all being honest, which we can't be sure of". But this thread title is more attention grabbing, which was likely the whole point.

ViewtifulScott

I noted 'according to GI survey'. What more do you want?

The sample size of 5K is huge (most national polls survey a little over a thousand people). Not even MS knows the exact failure rate (pre-extended warranty, some people paid for repairs, others bought new systems) so even if they weren't inclined to lie (and they clearly are) a survey is the best option.

[QUOTE="KHAndAnime"]What disturbs me is that consumers are fine with the failure rate. Are gamers just naturally stupid or are they just all rich?DJ_Lae

The warranty is good enough that it doesn't bother me too much. I had a failure, called it in, and received my replacement in about a week. It's comaparable the service I've had with my laptop, which has had its video card fail on me twice in the past three years. It's a slight inconvenience in terms of time, but that's about it.

My PS3 on the verge of breaking bother me more, because I know I'll have to pay for it out of my own pocket. If I get another red ring on the 360, it's covered.

edit - also, I think I've sort of been conditioned to expect things breaking. I've never had a computer that went more than a year or two without needing a part (or two, or three) replaced, under warranty or not. I went through three PS2s, paid to get one fixed and bought a new one the second time.

Microsoft isn't going to honor these warranties forever. Sure - they claim to have improved their latest 360 chips, but I'd have to pay another $300 to get my hands on one. And there's still fatal errors going around on these systems! This means that no matter what, in a few years, your Xbox 360 will be a paperweight. With failure rates this high, it's not a matter of "Will it?", it becomes a matter of "When will it?".

What's even nuttier is that I built a PC in 2003 and overclocked the hell out of it. Every single component in that system has been pushed to the limit. An AMD 2400+ and something like an NVIDIA 6800. That PC still works to this day and has been on roughly 24/7 ever since I built it.

I don't want to turn this into a System War, but the PS3 is looking better every day. Blu-ray, built in Wi-fi, free online, and developers are actually beginning to utilize the system's hardware. And their failure rates are much, much lower.

Well, I got the RROD once, but it was repaired for free, so no bother.

my warranty ran out, but even if in the future my 360 fails me, getting it repaired will still be cheaper than buying a PS3. It's a matter of convenience and whether or not you can go a week without your 360- I could

The reason the Wii has the lowest hardware failure rate could be because console is played the least of the three. 41.4% of Wii owners surveyed said they play the console less than one hour a day, meanwhile the majority of Xbox 360 (40.3%) and Playstation 3 (37%) owners say they play their console on an average of three to five hours day.

CarnageHeart

Surprised eh?

Not surprising. That is why I went with PS3. It sucked at first but by fall of 07 it really did rock and has continued to rock all the to now and probably will continue. A system fails constently is no good no matter how great the games are. I own all 3 systems and if the xbox breaks then that is it. I am not going to bother getting it repaired. I didn't buy the warranty because a system shouldn't fail after awhile of using it. I could see something being defective from the get go and you just got a dud but I shouldn't have to worry about it breaking down the road. I must say that I did play my 360 for 8 hours one day and I didn't have any problems so the newer models must at least be somewhat better.

The reason why the Wii has the lowest failure rate is because Nintendo always makes sound hardware each generation. The only Nintendo that was faulty was the NES and that was the American side's fault. They didn't want to sell the famicom like model because they thought people would think it was a baby's toy over here. So they went with the big crap and the stupid loader.

Between me and 2 friends, we went through 7 360's in about 2 and a half years. SEVEN. I have been gaming nearly 20 years and never had a console that gave me as many problems. 2 of us bought PS3s and haven't looked back with thus far no problems (crashed twice on Uncharted at the same place on two playthroughs for me, the disc i think) *touch wood* The other? Recently lost every game save on his 360 when trying to upload his profile, 3 years of gaming gone. I felt dreadful for him, but i had to laugh :P

Shame really, the 360 has some great games and many i would like to have played since getting rid of mine like Fable 2 and Halo Wars but i refuse to have a console that was that unreliable especially as my warrenty was almost up...

[QUOTE="CarnageHeart"]The reason the Wii has the lowest hardware failure rate could be because console is played the least of the three. 41.4% of Wii owners surveyed said they play the console less than one hour a day, meanwhile the majority of Xbox 360 (40.3%) and Playstation 3 (37%) owners say they play their console on an average of three to five hours day.DoomZaW

Surprised eh?

[QUOTE="DoomZaW"]

The reason the Wii has the lowest hardware failure rate could be because console is played the least of the three. 41.4% of Wii owners surveyed said they play the console less than one hour a day, meanwhile the majority of Xbox 360 (40.3%) and Playstation 3 (37%) owners say they play their console on an average of three to five hours day.CarnageHeart

Surprised eh?

[QUOTE="DoomZaW"]

Surprised eh?

I know that MS made concessions in the past in regards to warranties, which is all well and good, but whatever happened to pride in one's works?:? This gaming generation is just one big parody. Articles like this must have Sony reps up in arms when they see the latest NPD reports. Imagine falling further behind to a product that doesn't work.

10-year generation indeed.:lol:

Recently lost every game save on his 360 when trying to upload his profile, 3 years of gaming gone.

AzelKosMos

Wait, an update corrupted the console? Was it just a bad HDD?

[QUOTE="KHAndAnime"]What disturbs me is that consumers are fine with the failure rate. Are gamers just naturally stupid or are they just all rich?S0lidSnake

They aren't stupid, they are gamers. The 360, just like the PS2 did last gen, has constantly put out great software month after month.

I used to sit infront of my PS2 for 10-15 minutes cleaning and resetting everyday before my it would finally start the game, and it was worth it. I did that everyday for an entire year before my brother gave me his Slim. I personally didnt buy a new PS2, but I can totally understand why the 360 owners are somewhat ok with this. It's all about the games.

Which reminds me, one wonders if MS merely adapted Sony's strategy from last gen? The PS2 hardware was pretty bad, not as terrible as the X360, but still bad, but what won the last generation for them? The games. The PS2's second gen model in particular was terrible, to the point of landing them in a class-action lawsuit. I went through three of those, before Sony shipped me a refurbed earlier model.

I have had failure 3 times and I avoid microsoft now I bought a PS3 and its never broke

What bothers me more is that the PS3 failure rate is up from less than 1% in 2007 to 10% in a matter of two years. It bothers me more because at least the broken 360s are fixed for no cost. Each of those 10% PS3 owners had to pay $150 to get their PS3s fixed.

I'd rather be one of the 54% 360 owner, have my xbox fail on me and get it replaced for free than having to pay $150 for something that's not even my fault.

S0lidSnake

This is pretty typical for Sony's corporate culture. Humility certainly isn't the way of Sony's corporate heads (they're hardly unique in this regard **cough**telcos**cough**). Remember the infamous comments from the head of Sony BMG regarding rookits?

I can believe it. My XBOX 360 crapped on me twice and I'm expecting 2 or 3 more failures before this generation ends.

This is the reason why I held off on buying a 360 for a long time. I always wanted one, but nothing feels worse than having your console crash on you while playing a game.

But the games still make it worth it. Where else can we play great online match-ups with friends and family and games like Shadow Complex or Gears of War? It took a lot of convincing for me to finally get one. If it wasn't for my bro and cousins wanting me to join in on their online party, I probably would've avoided the console. But at the end, it's still worth it.

ASK_Story

You could always just build a gaming PC. There's more cross-platform stuff between consoles and the PC these days, and some are even better on PC (e.g. the superior versions of Gears of War and Mass Effect are on PC--I assume the same will be the case with RE5). Additionally, you can get better AI, graphics, and physics if you get the right components. Crysis and Crysis Warhead are too much for this gen's consoles to handle (though maybe CryEngine 3 would make them possible if they had been built with it). You also get access to mods galore and you don't have to pull out another hunk of hardware to play older games. Oh, and because Rise of the White Wolf was practically canceled, you can only get The Witcher on PC.

I decided to upgrade my graphics card and RAM instead of getting an inevitably dead 360.

I've had one RROD and one YLOD. The RROD occured after about a year and a half and the YLOD happened within two months of purchasing the PS3 brand new. Both were replaced free under warranty - but at least with the replaced 360 I have the three year warranty. I'm afraid to turn on my PS3 (since it was replaced with the same apparently flawed model) because of the one year warranty. At the end of the day - this generation all around sucks for hardware reliability and it really feels like it's just a matter of time before they both break down again.

One advantage the 360 has is that you don't lose all your data when your system dies (if you have a hard drive) whereas with the PS3 - unless you backed it up - you are screwed.

What bothers me more is that the PS3 failure rate is up from less than 1% in 2007 to 10% in a matter of two years. It bothers me more because at least the broken 360s are fixed for no cost. Each of those 10% PS3 owners had to pay $150 to get their PS3s fixed.

I'd rather be one of the 54% 360 owner, have my xbox fail on me and get it replaced for free than having to pay $150 for something that's not even my fault.

S0lidSnake

No. I got mine replaced for free in March 2008.

[QUOTE="smerlus"][QUOTE="Skylock00"] I'm just wondering how 40% or 37% can be construed as the 'majority' of any sector of people.

Skylock00

[QUOTE="S0lidSnake"]

What bothers me more is that the PS3 failure rate is up from less than 1% in 2007 to 10% in a matter of two years. It bothers me more because at least the broken 360s are fixed for no cost. Each of those 10% PS3 owners had to pay $150 to get their PS3s fixed.

I'd rather be one of the 54% 360 owner, have my xbox fail on me and get it replaced for free than having to pay $150 for something that's not even my fault.

gbpackers94

No. I got mine replaced for free in March 2008.

I got mined repaired for free outside of warranty too, but Sony really ought to do some sort of formal extension of their warranty. Five year warranties (the lifespan of the average generation) should be the norm.

I knew the failure rate was high, but this is such a shocking statistic. Shouldn't be too surprised--I had my two year old 360 red ring on me a few weeks ago. I'm ok with putting up with the failure rate, though, because I like the system so much. When things are well it has so much to offer me, so as long as the repair isn't costing me anything I'll deal. Still, shocking and this is costing Microsoft a ridiculous amount of money to make all these repairs. Hopefully next go round they'll be more careful with their hardware instead of rushing it out in the least expensive format possible.SkylinePigeon

That is my position.

It wasn't the RRoD which made me get rid of my X360, it was the fact my $100 wireless adapter died (and MS refused to repair (or replace it) for free. I decided 'that's it' and tossed the wireless adapter in the garbage and traded in my X360 (which had recently been repaired for free after RRODing) and its library.

Contributing to my 'fedupness' (its not a word, but it should be) the year before one of my brother's defective X360s (he is an X360 only guy and has gone through several X360s, at least two of the replacements were defective out of the box) burned nearly imperceptible rings into his copy of Madden and my copy of Bioshock (I once bought a used copy of Burnout X360 with a similar ring burned into it, something that made me leery of buying used games). MS told us since the games weren't first party, they wouldn't replace them (?!). I gritted my teeth and ate the loss but it factored into my later decision.

I never sent mine in I got the 3 rings though, but all I did was take off the plastic casing put in the oven for 320 degrees and it was all better...until I spilled soda on it

Ya thats the only thing I do not like about the 360. Im on my 3rd one right now and from my experience with previous two 360's each one got RROD in 8-10 months... Friends from school also tell me that they are on their "x" console and its issue with many people

I think the hardware giants picked the wrong generation to declare that they are going to support their systems for 10 years. Especially when these systems have no chance in hell of lasting 10 yearssmerlus

That's why there are hardware revisions being made.

I wonder how the new Jasper models are turning out. From my understanding, its supposed to be the very model that is RROD proof.