Warning for those considering buying a 360

[ExtremeGamer]

Re: Warning for those considering buying a 360

I was just talking about this with Sully the other day. Lately, the 360's online implementation has been feeling clunky to me. XBL is full of laggy kinds of delays, games suffer from noticable hitching and splashy controls online....the whole online implementation just doesn't feel smooth to me. If the PS3's online interface and implementation feel smooth and don't have the same, "Gee I hope this works" feeling that the 360 has been giving me lately, I'd gladly switch over to the PS3 as my online gaming console.

The problem, however, is that like you said maybe 5% of my friends list (if that) will be taking the PS3 plunge. I've built up my friends list on XBL with people I enjoy playing with and if almost none of them are going to make the jump to the PS3, it's kind of hard to adopt that console as my online gaming machine of choice.

But like I said, I've been very underwhelmed with the 360's online performance lately. EA's football games are clunky, NBA is clunky, even navigating the friends list and the marketplace is clunky. The games that work smoothly like COD3 and SCDA are few and far between, and even SCDA has had its share of server problems for us lately. Hopefully this new round of shooters will be more like those games, but I'm not getting my hopes up too high. It's just a shame that so many of the sports games are dead to me on XBL right now.

I agree with this 100%. XBox Live has gotten worse and worse, and if PS3 online is free, and if it's even the same lag-ness of XBL lately, what is my $50 going for? A gamertag?

This will appeal to PK, but I've walked around my house with my DS online with Mario Kart and I've never had lag or anything.

[rudyjuly2]

Re: Warning for those considering buying a 360

What bothers me more than anything -- reality or not -- is that we're expected to buy a warranty for a console as standard operating procedure. That burns my azz, for two reasons. One, these things should be built to endure "normal" use. Two, extended warranties are HUGE profit generators for retail companies and console manufacturers and are pushed harder than clean needles to heroin addicts for that reason, not because they "good" for the gamer.

Take care,
PK

That's what I hate too. Much like buying "tape/dvd insurance" when renting a video. Its just a money grab.

Have fun with the DS Lite PK. My wife is addicted to Trauma Center right now.

[USF11]

Re: Warning for those considering buying a 360

I agree with this 100%. XBox Live has gotten worse and worse, and if PS3 online is free, and if it's even the same lag-ness of XBL lately, what is my $50 going for? A gamertag?

This will appeal to PK, but I've walked around my house with my DS online with Mario Kart and I've never had lag or anything.

If you think that Sony's online service will be on par with microsofts and be free to boot then I believe you just fell off a turnip truck. My dealings with microsoft custumer support have been great up into recently with the fall update media sharing. I got charged $35 by them and they didnt resolve the problem, I did however get a refund.
We all know that while sony service will be free it will be plagued by cheaters, stability problems. Not that XBOX live is perfect by anymeans.

[pk500]

Re: Warning for those considering buying a 360

This will appeal to PK, but I've walked around my house with my DS online with Mario Kart and I've never had lag or anything.

Bitchin!

Take care,
PK

[dagger55]

Re: Warning for those considering buying a 360

I bought a one year warranty last year at launch at gamestop.... do i have any options for extending that warranty?

[USF11]

Re: Warning for those considering buying a 360

I bought a one year warranty last year at launch at gamestop.... do i have any options for extending that warranty?

I would take your 360 back to gamestop before the warranty expires for a brand new one myself. Its what i did with my PSP.

[ExtremeGamer]

Re: Warning for those considering buying a 360

I would take your 360 back to gamestop before the warranty expires for a brand new one myself. Its what i did with my PSP.

Yep, that's you only option.

[PlayaHataSupreme]

Re: Warning for those considering buying a 360

At Gamestop/EB Games, do you just go in and swap 360s when you bring it in under warranty? Or does the old one have to be shipped off somewhere before you get a new one?

[ExtremeGamer]

Re: Warning for those considering buying a 360

At Gamestop/EB Games, do you just go in and swap 360s when you bring it in under warranty? Or does the old one have to be shipped off somewhere before you get a new one?

Just swap out for a new one, and get a new warranty. The'll let you keep your HDD as well.

[aholbert32]

Re: Warning for those considering buying a 360

You move to another console instead of supporting a manufacturer that cranks out crap.

If you had three Ford Focuses break in 18 months, would you continue to buy a Focus? I don't think so. I would bet you would look at Chevy, Toyota, Honda, etc.

Put it this way: If someone's third 360 broke next spring and the PS3 was reliable at launch (fat chance, I know!), I would give serious consideration to spending the extra cake on the PS3 instead of supporting Microsoft's shoddy workmanship, parts sourcing or build quality.

This is what backbreaker is getting at, I think. People are just so accepting of failures that it's depressing. I agree with backbreaker, 100 percent.

Take care,
PK

Here is the problem with that: People are making it seem like 360's are guaranteed to break. They arent. There are plenty of people still happily gaming with their launch 360s.

What you are suggesting is that its better for someone to spend over $1000 (360 and then a ps3 if your 360 keeps breaking) instead of just spending the 450 or 500 it would cost to just have a 360 with a warranty. I'm not that big of a gamer that I cant wait 1 week or 2 weeks for MS to replace my 360. Shoot, come january we may have reports that the ps3 has no quality issues and most people are happy with the quality but that doesnt mean that I wont be the one guy who happens to get one that breaks outside of the manufacturer's warranty. With a warranty, I can guarantee that I wont have to spend hundreds of dollars to replace my console for the next few years.

[aholbert32]

Re: Warning for those considering buying a 360

True, in reality. But in theory, shouldn't the stuff be built to last exiting the factory? That's the way it used to be. I owned an Intellicast -- zero problems. I owned an NES -- zero problems. I owned a Gameboy -- zero problems. I owned a PlayStation -- zero problems. I owned a Dreamcast -- zero problems. I owned a PS2 -- zero problems. I owned an Xbox -- first one crapped out within three months, total failure. And now I read all about the 360 failures.

So it seems quality is sinking in the gaming hardware business while we're expected to pay two and three times more than we ever have for that hardware.

What bothers me more than anything -- reality or not -- is that we're expected to buy a warranty for a console as standard operating procedure. That burns my azz, for two reasons. One, these things should be built to endure "normal" use. Two, extended warranties are HUGE profit generators for retail companies and console manufacturers and are pushed harder than clean needles to heroin addicts for that reason, not because they "good" for the gamer.

Take care,
PK

You are basing you opinion on quality solely on your experience with consoles. If I did that Nintnedo would be the worst out of the three companies since I had to replace 2 NESs and 1 SNES during my younger days. Sony would be second worst because I had to replace one PSX and 2 PS2s. MS would be the best because I only had to replace my 360 and never had an issue with my Xbox.

As you can see, my experience doesnt fit with the majority of gamers when it comes to console quality. Thats why I chalk up most of my bad luck with consoles to just that....bad luck and some shoddy workmanship. Also, why the hell would I care if warranties are big profit generators for companies or not? This is the same thing as insurance to me. Sure I'm paying for car insurance every month and I havent been in an accident for years. Yes, the car insurance companies are making a ton of money off of me. But I would still have car insurance even if it was legal not to have it. Why? Because things beyond my control happen and I like to be protected. Same goes for any major electronic purchase.

[Money99]

Re: Warning for those considering buying a 360

If you think that Sony's online service will be on par with microsofts and be free to boot then I believe you just fell off a turnip truck. My dealings with microsoft custumer support have been great up into recently with the fall update media sharing. I got charged $35 by them and they didnt resolve the problem, I did however get a refund.
We all know that while sony service will be free it will be plagued by cheaters, stability problems. Not that XBOX live is perfect by anymeans.

Exactly! Sony has said their online service will be free. But what they kind of muttered under their breath is that they aren't forcing 3rd party developers to use their free service. Which means that, for example, if the developer of the upcoming DC Comics MMORPG game decides they're going to house their game internally and charge a monthly rate Sony won't do squat about it. Which means, instead of paying $50.00/year to play 100's of online games under Xbox Live, you could be paying anywhere from $10.00 to $100.00 A MONTH to play a handful of games with the PS3. Seriously.

So if you're thinking of purchasing a PS3 because the online service will be free, please, please do some research first. Your wallet could be biting off way more than you it could chew.

Nothing is given for free. Especially when there are literally millions of potential online users. Would you give that away for free??? Of course not. Why would Sony or their 3rd party developers do the same?
And like several people here have mentioned, you get what you pay for. And considering Sony hasn't given anyone on this planet a look at their online service yet, I highly doubt it's anything to brag about.

Back on topic. Stats have shown that 3% of all consoles break. And the 360 is no better or worse than the other consoles before it. The only difference is we now have the internet so everyone that's ever had an issue can rant and rave over it.
I've had my 360 for a while now and I haven't had any issues. 3 colleagues of mine have had one for over a year and none of them have had one problem with it. In fact, I know at least 9 people that own a 360 and I haven't heard of one bad thing from any of them.

[pk500]

Re: Warning for those considering buying a 360

This is the same thing as insurance to me. Sure I'm paying for car insurance every month and I havent been in an accident for years. Yes, the car insurance companies are making a ton of money off of me. But I would still have car insurance even if it was legal not to have it. Why? Because things beyond my control happen and I like to be protected. Same goes for any major electronic purchase.

Come on: Comparing something that protects a five-figure investment that is vital to most people's livelihood to something that protects a $500 toy? And comparing something with an incredible amount of uncontrollable external variables -- traffic, failing vehicles, drunk drivers, bad weather, sloppy driving, to name a few -- to something that basically has only three external variables -- design, parts sourcing and manufacturing?

That's a bungee stretch.

Take care,
PK

[burnwood]

Re: Warning for those considering buying a 360

Come on: Comparing something that protects a five-figure investment that is vital to most people's livelihood to something that protects a $500 toy? And comparing something with an incredible amount of uncontrollable external variables -- traffic, failing vehicles, drunk drivers, bad weather, sloppy driving, to name a few -- to something that basically has only three external variables -- design, parts sourcing and manufacturing?

That's a bungee stretch.

Take care,
PK

What parts on the 360 does Microsoft actually make? Isn't everything outsourced these days?? This would include Sony's stuff too.

Hey, I had to buy 3 PS2's because they were bad but I didn't scrap them to buy an XBox instead. It happens with every console.

Remember back in the day with the NES and game freezes? Did I go out and buy a Genesis because of that? Heck no!

[mike01]

Re: Warning for those considering buying a 360

So apparently about half of us are completely fine with companies putting out $400 products that we basically have come to expect to break. People are scared to use the products in fear of it breaking. I would say at least 35-45% of people who bought 360's in the first 6-8 months of launch have had to replace at least one time, some have had to replace several times.

Maybe we just shouldn't put up with the bullcrap these companies pull, selling expensive but ****ty products.

I for one will never pay a dime for a replacement product such as a 360 if it breaks in an unreasoable period of time (probably around the 1 year mark for the 360). I would kick some serious *** at MS, and I would definitely get a free replacement.