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Microsoft Giving Xbox Live Users a Free Game

Posted by Soulskill on from the angered-texans-inconsolable dept.

Earlier this week we covered the Xbox Live outages over the holidays. Several users have pointed out that Microsoft has acknowledged its lack of performance, and is now offering a free game to compensate its users. Unfortunately for Microsoft, disgruntled patrons have already filed a class action lawsuit over the recent difficulties. Quoting the PC World article: "Xbox Live general manager Marc Whitten said that the problems with Xbox Live downtime were caused by an influx of new users who had gotten an Xbox 360 over the holidays. It's been a record-setting season for Xbox Live. 'This included our largest sign-up of new members to Xbox LIVE in our 5 year history and just yesterday you broke the record for the single biggest day of concurrent members ever on the service,' said Whitten."

5 of 265 comments (clear)

  1. Microsoft Blasting by sporktine · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    I come to slashdot after a long time ignoring the crap flinging here and lo and behold I see Microsoft attempting to act responsibly and try to give something back to the users they acknowledge they did not serve properly, and people still waste their time writing trash.

    1. microsoft is apparently doing something about it on their own EVEN THOUGH SOME DOUCHE is trying to get free money from them because their game didn't work for a couple days. Waah waah waah.

    2. you accept an agreement that says if the service doesn't work all the time, you give up responsibility.

    3. Xbox live is one of the few services that actually has a customer service line. IN THE US. Your dell, dude, doesn't even have that.

    4. go outside and play.

    5. They don't have to do a DAMN thing about it and most people would still accept it.

    6. Lemme guess, if Google had a game console, it would always work perfectly.

    7. Did you notice that nintendo shipped thousands of wiis with faulty video cards? I have one, it sucks, i'm sending it back, but thems the breaks. Are you telling me that you have never bought a new complex electronic item and had it not work properly and had to replace it? is that unique to microsoft?

    8. I think that it's obvious that they realize that they need to serve their customers to keep them, and that xbox and live are a big part of that. if it wasn't they wouldn't even bother.

  2. Re:pretending they didn't see this coming? by robotbebop · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    It's not like this was a SURPRISE to them. They SELL the units, the have absolute control over how many units are sold. If your netgame people say the current network can support 80,000 users, you DON'T SELL 200,000 UNITS until you have upgraded your network. (numbers fabricated but you get the idea)
    That's assuming that their maintenance team for Xbox Live even said there would be a problem, that's also assuming that all 200,000 of those sold units will go online. ALSO assuming that all the users on Xbox Live over the holidays were new users altogether and not a large number of people with time off and new games to play. It's one of those "shit happens" things sadly. And all of these "paying" customers are just trying to gouge a big wallet; I pay a whopping $6/mo for my subscription, or I could've paid $50 for the whole year. I don't really have a lot of sympathy for anybody griping over Xbox Live outage over the holidays: God forbid that they should have to spend time with their family or go outside.

    This was entirely their responsibility, and I cannot believe they did not see this coming. What it came down to is they wanted to do a money grab for the holidays so they made as many units as they possibly could, to hell with the network until we get past christmas then we'll divert resources from production to upgrade the net so they can USE the product.
    It was their responsibility, they've acknowledged it was a problem, their compensation may be lacking but when you pay almost nothing for a basic service what do you really expect? Also, it's entirely possible that they didn't see it coming, the install base for the Xbox 360 is already pretty large so I don't think it's inappropriate for maintenance to expect proper coverage.
  3. Re:pretending they didn't see this coming? by Trailwalker · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Perhaps Microsoft could out source their XBox server division to a firm that has long, successful experience in maintaining massive server operations. Google, perhaps.

  4. Re:Same old story... by davidsyes · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    I think Whitten's excuse is a BULLSHIT excuse. With ALL the technology at microsoft's disposal, they have to stoop to or lie that the holiday season is the reason.

    So, I, microsoft, call BULLSHIT on you. What happened to the virtualization capabilities msoft claims it has? Couldn't they have simulated an influx of 500 new Xbox 360 users? Besides, even if it is 25,000 new users, they should have known in advance there'd be this problem, and they could have pre-warned users about it. (Or, did they pre-warn the users?)

    --
    Previously: "Linux... Toward the Sunrise..." Now: "Linux... Toward the-- No, now, part of Every Sunrise"
  5. Re:Problems still not resolved as of last night... by Ryan+Mallon · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Man you really lucked out, with a score of 1.5 million and two achievements the girls would have been all over you. But with no way to prove that it really happened, I guess you are doomed to die alone. Microsoft really does have a lot to answer for.

    Tounge firmly in cheek ;-)