Microsoft Extends Xbox 360 Warranty To E74 Errors

Last month we discussed reports that Xbox 360 consoles were experiencing an increased number of "E74" errors. Now, Microsoft has announced that they're extending the three-year warranty originally designated for "general hardware failures" (read: Red Ring of Death) to include E74 repairs as well. From the support page post: "... we are aware that a very small percentage of our customers have reported receiving an error that displays 'E74' on their screen. After investigating the issue, we have determined that the E74 error message can indicate the general hardware failure that is associated with three flashing red lights error on the console. ... Microsoft will refund to customers the amount paid for an out of warranty repair due to a general hardware failure associated with the E74 error message."

Comments

Pinto of console

[rarel]

This has got to be the Ford Pinto of consoles. I can't believe people are still spending their hard-earned cash on such a badly designed piece of go-se.

It's one thing to understand your console may be bricked at some point during its lifetime, but when you know it will, and it could very much be when you open the box...

Warranty or not, I don't get it. The whole 360 mess is a shame of epic proportions.

Re:Pinto of console

[Renraku]

Most of my friends are 360 owners. 10, maybe 15 people, in person.

I'm pretty sure that every single one of them, with the exception of one of of them, have had to send their 360's back for repairs.

Multiple times.

The people I know that have PS3s (about 7) have never had to send their system in for repair. Nor have the people that own Wii's (about 5).

Microsoft may have the most market penetration, but I have to wonder how much its costing them to replace 80% of the original 360's with new hardware.

Re:Pinto of console

[RogueyWon]

The reason why people are still buying 360s is because it has the games. Of the three consoles, the 360 has, for the moment, the best all round coverage of genres and styles to satisfy most people who consider themselves to be gamers. The PS3 is slowly making up lost ground here, with a few genuinely excellent exclusives like Valkyria Chronicles, but right now, it has no racing game to match Forza 2, no Western RPGs to match Mass Effect and no Japanese RPGs to match Lost Odyssey. Gran Turismo 5 and Final Fantasy XIII will probably go some way to closing those gaps, but neither is due for imminent release.

But yes, the hardware situation is pretty dire. My 360 red-ringed on me the other week, just outside of the 3 year warrenty. I didn't make a big fuss out of this, as I'd been considering buying an Elite anyway. But what really did frustrate me is how, for a console known for catastrophic rates of hardware failure, the process of transferring all of your content to a new console is still an absolute pain in the backside. You either send off... via *snail mail* to Microsoft for a transfer kit, or you transfer your Xbox Live account manually, redownload your XBLA games via the most hideous, user-unfriendly interface imaginable and then try to transfer your saves by swapping back and forward between hard disks and using a memory card. Except that some games have restrictions on their saves that don't let them be moved to a memory card (presumably to prevent people from cheating in *single player games* by downloading saves off the net).

A couple of changes are badly needed here - first, a simple, one-button "redownload all of my previously purchased content" option on the Xbox Live interface. Second, a complete lifting on any restrictions regarding the copying and transfer of save games. Oh, and while you're at it MS, add an online form for requesting the free transfer kits. Because they way you do it at the moment, one might almost get the impression that you were actively trying to discourage people from sending off for them.

Re:Pinto of console

[Bert64]

You get screwed by buying a flakey console that has died on you outside of warranty, and you punish the company that screwed you over by... buying another console?

Get a third party RROD fix kit and see if that works, chip the box at the same time so you can make backups of your games in case the machine decides to shred them (as some have)... And complain, no company who sells you sub standard products should be rewarded with another purchase to replace the original failed product.

Re:Pinto of console

[V50]

I own all three consoles, and, interestingly, only my Wii has had to be sent in for repair. My PS3 had a small issue with filesystem corruption, but that was easily fixed with the recovery menu (with no data loss, I may add.)

Oddly enough, my 360 (green Halo 3 edition) has been the only system of mine to never have had a problem. Certainly, my experience is an exception though, I know far more people who have had their 360s RROD than anything else.

Actually, I'm the only person I know who has ever had a problem with their Wii. The laser got stuck and wouldn't go up all the way. It could only read Gamecube discs, and Wii games up until the laser had to move.

To be fair, Microsoft has been reasonably good about fixing 360s, and it's cost them quite a bit. I do wonder if MS partially anticipated this, and accepted it in order to get the 360 out a year early.

Re:Pinto of console

[Xest]

I know there's probably not much point saying this to you seeing as you've decided to troll about the console without seeming to have actually ever owned one, but when it comes to I find it's still the better console for the games I like (I have a Wii and also a PS3 as well now - I finally caved despite the lack of price drop).

When repairs are free and fast I don't see the big deal, yeah we shouldn't have to be without our consoles for a couple of days, but it's still the console I find that I keep going back to regardless and I figured I'd rather be without a console I enjoy for a few days now and then but keep playing it a ton when I do have it than it is to have something like the Wii sat gathering dust because you can only play so many party games, and a lot of the other games simply aren't as good on the Wii (FPS games, arcade games for example).

The PS3 is a more solid piece of hardware for sure, but I've only had it a few months now and have long completed all the games I wanted to play on it (MGS4 etc.). The PS3 would have more longevity for me if I didn't also have a 360 because of the cross-platform games, but I'd rather buy them on the 360 due to often getting the option of better DLC, getting Live integration and achievements etc.

Bitch all you want about the fact the console fails, the fact it inconveniences you for maybe a few days in 2 to 3 years is really not a big deal when it keeps you coming back the rest of the time.

It's for this reason that Microsoft will continue to keep increasing it's lead on the PS3 at least.

FWIW, I've had my 360 since 2006, prior to the v2 consoles I had to get mine replaced due to the RROD issue 3 times, but here in the UK it was in statutory warranty each time so I could just return it to the shop, get it replaced there and then and come home with a brand new console with fresh new controllers. I've not had to get a replacement since the v2 consoles and I've not even heard of this E74 error so I'd wage a bet the majority of problems are resolved now judging from personal experience and that of friends with 360s. It was a pain having to get the licenses for my DLC transferred back then but that's a process you can do now automatically (meaning you can move content to a different console now if you wish). When I did have to phone up though I was given 3200 MS points each time which was nice. Effectively the failure left me with a net gain when the only inconvenience was a 10 minute journey to the retailer for a swap over and a quick phone call to an MS free phone number in the worst case. In all honesty, personally, and I mean personally, due to the experience I've had I'm not even sure I'd have been happier if my consoles hadn't failed - I'd have worn controllers and would be down about £80 worth of Microsoft points.

I'm not totally defending the failures and I realise in other countries where consumer laws are less helpful meaning you actually have to send the console away it must be more of a pain but I really find the hardware failures a relatively minor fault when you look at it objectively. I've not found having downtime with the console any worse than say paying for an MMO subscription and having the servers bugger up for a few days (or weeks in the case of the old European Dark Age of Camelot servers), I've also not found it any worse than having to deal with crippling DRM on PC games which has prevented me playing some of them despite being legitimately purchased when I've wanted to.

The thing is, despite the failures, the 360 is still the best console for many. It doesn't have the following of the Wii but it still has a hefty userbase and is increasing it's lead week on week on the PS3 quite well right now. For me, right now, the 360 and the DS are definitely my two favourite gaming systems.

Re:Pinto of console

[Spazztastic]

I have no friends:

:(

Re:Pinto of console

[scot4875]

Hmm, yeah, your one data point means that everyone reporting 360 issues must be trolling. Thanks for pointing that out to us.

You should have gotten that message to Microsoft sooner though -- before they allocated $3 billion in extended warranty repairs to resolve this fabricated non-issue.

--Jeremy

They Forgot To Add....

[BJ_Covert_Action]

"The repair procedure will deprive you of your overpriced gaming console for more than two weeks which, though you legally paid for and own, you are not allowed to unscrew and open in order to clean out the excessive amount of obfuscated legal BS that came with the interior of your purchase. Have a nice day...."

Another 2 Billion?

[assemblerex]

It cost 2 Billion to cover the RROD, how much to cover E74??
As a SHAREHOLDER I am very angry. What are we, a piggy bank?

The E74 error was kb article

[SpazmodeusG]

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/941377
Only cause listed: "This problem occurs when the Xbox 360 console experiences a general hardware failure."
So the original warranty covers general hardware failures and Microsofts kb article acknowledges E74 as a general hardware failure.

So aren't they simply covering this under warranty because they have to?

Re:The E74 error was kb article

[assemblerex]

This was always covered in consoles under one year warranty.
After that you were SOL
By increasing it to 3 years, they triple their liability
and costs.
Please think before you type.

Re:The E74 error was kb article

[Bert64]

By releasing a console with such a high instance of problems compared to all the closest competitors they have already increased their repair burden, increasing the warranty period to 3 years just made it even worse.
Does anyone have figures for the relative failure rates of consoles from Sony/Nintendo and their associated repair costs?

Sale of Goods act

[DrScotsman]

At least for us Brits, it's time we stopped relying on these warranties and go back to the good ol' Sale of Goods act, where goods must last "a reasonable length of time" and the liability is with the retailer. My brother keeps bringing his consoles back to GAME, and they just give him a new one except the hard drive (annoyingly meaning he has to be signed in to live to use content downloaded on a previous Xbox, but IIRC MS don't always give you your exact console back). Quick and easy. If enough people do this, it will eventually become infeasible for many retailers to actually stock the Xbox, and THEN Microsoft may actually do something.

Okay that's wishful thinking and isn't going to happen, but considering it's usually a lot easier and quicker to take it back to the retailer than send it to MS, you should do it anyway.

Re:Sale of Goods act

[Crizp]

We have something like that in Norway. An item is generally under one year warranty from the manufacturer (some items like washing machines come with a three-year warranty) but in cases where the product is "supposed to last longer" than the warranty you can demand to have it fixed for free -- mention the consumer ombudsman when talking to the company. Like a TV - if it fritzes after a year and two months, you CAN get it fixed for nothing still.

Re:Sale of Goods act

[Sockatume]

You may want to tell him to use this site to transfer his licences, so he no longer has to be signed in.