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360 Disc Scratching Serious Problem
Though Microsoft has previously stated that a reported problem where Xbox 360s may be scratching game discs was relatively rare, it's apparently common enough that rental agency GameFly has an official policy on the problem. From Gamasutra: "We have received reports that certain XBOX 360 consoles have caused damage to GameFly videogames. Unfortunately, we have been notified that you recently returned a damaged XBOX 360 game. As a precaution, we have removed all XBOX 360 games from your GameQ. Please contact Microsoft at 1-800-4MY-XBOX. Please do not rent XBOX 360 games until you have resolved this issue. In the future, should GameFly receive XBOX 360 games from you that have been damaged, you will be charged a replacement fee."
Just make a copy of it first, and play the copy inste... ah. silly me.
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...I could fuck up things as often as Micro$oft and still pull in metric tons of money...
If I could, I'd destroy you all.
...to wait at least a year after launch before buying a new console. In addition to the cost savings, a chance to check out the competition, and developers learning to fully use the power of the new system.
All drives can do this when you turn them quickly during highspeed disc reading. It is the same thing that happens when you try to turn a spinning wheel from a cycle.
People should learn not to move their hardware through various positions when using it.
IMO, it's fair enough to request that the loaner replaces the damaged disc, if they are properly informed about it before they rent a game.
-JaL
Because positive stories ("Man very happy with Xbox 360 technical support") don't make good news.
10 PRINT "LOOK AROUND YOU ";
20 GOTO 10
Insightful?
It doesn't matter what angle the unit is at so long as you're not moving between horizonal and veritcal while the disk is spinning. The potential for damage is when the disc is spinning fast enough for gyroscopic physics to try to torqe the disk at a right angle from the direction the console is moving, pushing the disk into things it really shouldn't come into contact with.
Otherwise, gravity pulling from one direction instead of another in and of itself wouldn't cause damage to the disk. If anything, having the console horizonal would be worse as gravity would be pulling the data surface (rather than the edge) down onto the disk tray.
From what I've heard, the lack of success in Japan comes from the games available for the 360. They tend to be more interested in strategy/rpgs rather than first person shooters.
Yeah. Don't you just love how nobody mentions the massive flaws and return rates for the launches of the Playstation 1, the Dreamcast, and the Playstation 2?
Vintage computer games and RPG books available. Email me if you're interested.
My sources tell me that the discs get scratched when people decide to change the orientation of their XBOX 360 while this disc is spinning. So lets say that they have a game in the XBOX 360, they hit pause and suddenly decide, "I don't like how this thing looks horizontal, let me sit it vertically and see how it looks". During that transition, the spinning disc will actually collide with the tray and cause extreme damage to the disc rendering it useless. Oh and there is also a loud grinding noise.
Anybody stupid enough to damage their game this way probably deserves to pay for the replacement fee as it is. This information has been relayed to me and confirmed by a regional manager at Gamestop and given the number of stores he manages, I'm quite willing to take his word for it.
I love idealists not because I am one, but because they make life bearable for pragmatists such as myself.
The console manual quite clearly states that "do not move the console while it's operating a disc".
If someone managed to wreck their rented disc, all they can blaim is themselves, and pay the repair fee.
Some home insurances might even compensate the destroyed disc, if you claimed it as an accident.
There are no atheists when recovering from tape backup.
What about posting a story about the majority of Xbox 360 users that don't have any problems, instead of the (vocal) small percentage who do? Or maybe a story about the fast turnaround time of Xbox 360 tech support? (5-7 days for a brand new / fixed console, for a friend of mine)
I can honestly say that I have not had a single problem since I got my Xbox 360 on release day. (I am waiting on some games to push the hardware to its max, but that's a separate issue.)
So, until it happens to you, the problem doesn't exist?
I've heard about the scratching problem on X-Box 360s from more places than this article. If a "majority" are okay, it doesn't mean it's not a problem. If any systems are scratching disks then it's a risk. The question is, is it an *acceptable* disk? If just 5% of X-box 360s scratched disks so they became unplayable, then that's bad enough that Microsoft deserves more than just a black eye for it.
Microsoft needs to acknowledge the problem, issue a statement on it, and offer to replace any affected X-box 360s *and games* with a minimum of fuss. The systems should be under warrenty at the moment so that shouldn't be a problem right now, but what about the games affected? And what if the problem only shows up after the system is out of the warrenty period?
Didn't some rumors like this start floating around, something about failing optical drives, when the PS2 was released?
...How do you explain to an 11 year old that it sucks now.. but may get better by next year?
You go out and get a baseball and a couple of mitts, and take him to the park and have a catch.
...Rob
The American Dream isn't an SUV and a house in the suburbs; it's Don't Tread On Me.
I guess it all boils down to the fact that the old CD advertising line of "Lasts forever!" is simply bad for business.
No, its not a moot point.
If you are only renting/buying content use, then the disk should be almost zero cost to replace when one is damaged. In this case 'consumers' should be getting disks 'at cost' for replacement. ( this includes gamefly since they 'bought' it )
If you are buying *both* content use and the actual media then it sort of upsets the entire concept of fair-use backups that the media industries are fighting against.
---- Booth was a patriot ----
Agreed. My first-run XBOX lasted for three years before finally giving out (which I suspect was due to the abuse of being transported back and forth to several different locations in a poorly-protected backpack). My first-run 360 has not given me any over-heating, disc scratching, or crashing issues (*knock on wood*).
The failure rate of original-design PS2s was much higher than the 360 from what I have been able to see. The only reason failures are getting so much attention is because of the very limited supply right now combined with a general anti-Microsoft hysteria that plagues Slashdot. Sony was getting trashed pretty thoroughly a few weeks ago though for rediculous copy-protection schemes. It would appear the only gaming company immune from this is Nintendo.
Optical drives were designed to be layed horizontal. They were not made to be moved around while in use. Keep those things in mind and I'd bet money that this disc scratching issue goes away.
Some home insurances might even compensate the destroyed disc, if you claimed it as an accident.
Kids, don't try this at home. Filing a home owner's insurance claim over a $50 game is just plain stupid. Depending on the insurance company's policy, they may count actual dollar amounts, or number of claims. But if you get enough of either or both, you run the risk of getting black-listed. Basically, the insurance company happily pays your claim, then drops you next year. When you go to find new home owner's insurance, every company will ask if you've been dropped in the last five years. Since saying no is fraud, you have to say yes. And they turn you down. No one will give you home owner's insurance. But your mortgage company requires it. So when you can't get it, you're force-placed, meaning the mortgage company goes out and buys a policy for you, then charges you for it. Can you guess how much that will cost compared to your current insurance? File a home owner's insurance claim when your house burns down, or when a drunk driver crashes through the wall and into your living room, or when a hurricane tears the roof off and it rains in your bedroom, not for stupid stuff like this.
Disconnect your television. Do your own research. Draw your own conclusions. They're probably lying. Don't be a sheep.
You know, I wonder(and we will see) if HD-DVD might win by default if the so called rom-mark has issues.
I wonder if both Blu-ray and HD-DVD are destined to fail. For many people, DVD quality is good enough, and the restrictive DRM on both formats is going to be a huge turnoff for even the Joe Sixpacks of the world. If the studios keep producing standard DVDs and price them cheaper than the HD/Blu-ray disks, I would say their fate is sealed for sure.
Plus 100 on games, 50 on a second wireless controller.
But it does verily rock!
One nice thing about being classified as an adult is that I have the money to blow on kid stuff.
"However, anyone who buys an X-Box is supporting a company that wants to harm their rights, so it's a non-issue for me either way. Make your bed, lie in it." Oh, and I suppose that doesn't go for PS2, Gamecube, PSP, and eventually PS3 games either, right? No it's Microsoft, not anyone else... and it's those filthy xbox owners that are idiots for supporting such DRM, not the other consol-making companies as well...