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[bob_arctor]

Deader than a doornail. Sleeping with the fishes. On the next episode of 6 Feet Under. *Sigh*

It all started early last morning. Me and the wife are cleaning the apartment, so I throw on my Xbox to listen to some tracks while we work. All is well and good until Track #42 of my No Doubt collection. That's when the song starts skipping as if it were a real CD with a real scratch on it. No big deal, I say. I stop it after listening to my beloved Gwen spit out the ominous lyric "Don't tell me cuz it hurts" over and over. "What the hell is that?" the wife asks. "Ain't a goddamn thing" I replied, secure in the knowledge that there is no one on this planet as meticulous about keeping consoles, nay, entire gaming areas tidier than a newborn's thoughts. So that was it. I turned off my Xbox and went about my business, no worries. Until that night.

Last night, 2 of my good friends come over, we do the usual bullshit--talking games, drinking some Coronas, and eventually, I throw in Rallisport Challenge 2. Keep in mind that this game has a history of giving people the DDE message since release with instances of complete freezing. For the record, my copy wasn't particularly tempermental with only about 4 DDE's in all the hours I had played (about 22). When I saw that the game was acting a bit wonky I assumed I would get that telltale screen. Instead I saw this horrible, horrible message, displayed in 4 different languages(!), all telling me
the same thing: "Your Xbox Hates You"

Then the indicator LED went from calming green to blood pressure-red, there was a great whirring and clicking, sounds you might hear from a robot's innards, and then, just like that, the cumulative gobs of sweat and tears that was my MotoGP2 profile ceased to exist.

Suffice it to say, I am still in shock.

 

[Dr.Guru of Peru]

Yes. It happened to me. If you still got your warranty, go replace it. If not, then .

 

[Gattsu25]

buy a PS2

 

[Blimblim]

Looks like your hard drive died. If your Xbox is still under warranty it will be exchanged for a new one. If it's not then you can get another one and use a modchip to reinstall everything and then lock it so it can be used with a modchip.
Your saves are lost that's for sure, but at least it wouldn't cost you as much as a new Xbox (and you get all that nifty modchip stuff )

 

[bjork]

Someone will most likely recommend a Wal-Mart swap, so let's get that out of the way now.

 

[bob_arctor]

buy a PS2

HA! I got one just last week. It murdered my Xbox, I just know it. They sat side by side and you just know the PS2 was all like "Bitch, watch your back" when I was sleeping. I figured with its great girth, the 'Box would just crush it, like if Shirl fought Rog on "What's Happening". How wrong I was.

 

[COCKLES]

My Xbox died yesterday as well.



So took it apart, gave it a good dusting, reseated Modchip and stuff and voila. Working OK again. Phew!

 

[shuri]

Doing wallmart swaps is basically fraud, and people who actually really need that stuff gets owned because of abusers.

 

[Ranger X]

AGAIN?

damn Microsoft and Sony.... they should sell us a console that last AT THE VERY LEAST 5 years so you don't have to buy 2 consoles on the same generation....

After that they go "we've increased our sales" --- hell yeah mutherfuckers.

You gamers aren't you pissed?? I'm tired of seeing this. We are screwed guys.

 

[Ripclawe]

My Xbox died yesterday as well.



So took it apart, gave it a good dusting, reseated Modchip and stuff and voila. Working OK again. Phew!

mine died as well a couple of months ago, but it will cost 100 bucks to have it repaired and this is the second time I have to send it in. So a good dusting might help?

 

[Suikoguy]

AGAIN?

damn Microsoft and Sony.... they should sell us a console that last AT THE VERY LEAST 5 years so you don't have to buy 2 consoles on the same generation....

After that they go "we've increased our sales" --- hell yeah mutherfuckers.

You gamers aren't you pissed?? I'm tired of seeing this. We are screwed guys.

Yep, I see it all the time at work.
Both systems, about even on the complaint side.

I feel bad for MS owners though, cause I know MS won't do squat.
PS2 owners should be able to get help, but beacuse Sony does not want to admit there is an issue, you might get some asshole customer service rep. But, they are a step further along.

I guess its only a mater of time till someone files a class action suit against MS like they did sony for faulty hardware.

 

[seismologist]

I never had a problem with Sony consoles. Except for my playstation after 5 years of sitting on the carpet started to get picky reading some disks.

 

[jedimike]

Did you check the fan? It almost sounds like your system overheated because your fan went out.

 

[Brofist]

These consoles aren't meant for 8 hours use a day. They need rest too

 

[jedimike]

I never had a problem with Sony consoles. Except for my playstation after 5 years of sitting on the carpet started to get picky reading some disks.

With over 100 million consoles in current circulation, a percentage of them are going to fail. They all have mechanical mechanisms (optical drives, fans, hard drive for Xbox) that will eventually fail. No console is exempt.

It sucks, but there isn't much the manufacturers can do. There are still lots of us that have fully functioning launch consoles *knocks on wood*.

 

[Suikoguy]

These consoles aren't meant for 8 hours use a day. They need rest too

Thats true too, even though you were being sarcastic.
If your system is in use that many hours a day, it will eventually fail...

This might explain the lack of broken gamecubes zing!

 

[Ecrofirt]

My Xbox died yesterday as well.



So took it apart, gave it a good dusting, reseated Modchip and stuff and voila. Working OK again. Phew!

I had a modchip scare two weeks ago. the thing came unseated somehow, and it wouldn't boot with the modchip. Needless to say, I took it part and reseated the chip.

Then I kept getting an Error 12, which is something about the DVD. I didn't know that at the time, and thought I fried my motherboard with some static or something, as the damn flubber bootup kept freezing/glitching.

Found out after taking it apart three more times that the yellow power cord to the DVD came undone from the mobo. Thank god.

 

[Mr. Lemming]

My second xbox is now dying.

My first one developed a problem with the sound chip I think because every game except Halo has horribly distorted/broken sound. The drive still works perfectly though... unlike Xbox #2 which is developing a serious case of dirty disc errors. It's very annoying when it happens in the middle of a Halo or Crimson Skies match.

The first one I wrote off as a fluke, but the second one really annoys me.

 

[Blazing Sword]

It probably could'nt stand listening to No Doubt anymore, and put itself out of its misery.

 

[COCKLES]

Helps to keep Xbox well ventilated as well. Right from the first on-switch that sucker is pumping out some hot air.

 

[bob_arctor]

I can attest that I've played less now than at any other point in my gaming life simply due to being father of 2. If I put in 3-4 hours a week that's too much. I did play more before my son was born (MotoGP2 time frame), but nothing near the madness of my pre-responsibility life and definitely nothing like those 8 hour marathons I so miss. *sniffle*

Also, I had the Xbox in a great spot with plenty of ventilation--I mean, you don't understand how anal I am w/ my game/electronic stuff (well, this being GA, of course you all do). This is some sort of cruel ironic joke the gaming gods have pulled but only my PS2 is laughing.

 

[belgurdo]

buy a PS2

Actually, buy three, since PS2s are only built to last four months

 

[The Main Event]

Buy a GC or a GBA SP. Will people ever learn?

 

[DrEvil]

There are still lots of us that have fully functioning launch consoles *knocks on wood*.

First Generation GameCube hardware right here. No problems, never froze, never once got a disc error.

Even took it apart to repaint it, put it back together, everything runs perfectly. It's been on a plane to Los Angeles and back, runs perfect. I guess I'm a lucky one

If nintendo does one thing right, it's making durable hardware and long lasting systems.

 

[goodcow]

With over 100 million consoles in current circulation, a percentage of them are going to fail. They all have mechanical mechanisms (optical drives, fans, hard drive for Xbox) that will eventually fail. No console is exempt.

It sucks, but there isn't much the manufacturers can do. There are still lots of us that have fully functioning launch consoles *knocks on wood*.

Yes, but the systems are more poorly built now. I have a Sega CD from 1993 that still works, and it has optical parts and whatnot. ALL of my systems still work, not to mention the Saturn is built like a friggin' tank. I expect my PlayStation 2 and XBox to die long before my Sega CD, Saturn, or Dreamcast.

 

[DrEvil]

Yes, but the systems are more poorly built now. I have a Sega CD from 1993 that still works, and it has optical parts and whatnot. ALL of my systems still work, not to mention the Saturn is built like a friggin' tank. I expect my PlayStation 2 and XBox to die long before my Sega CD, Saturn, or Dreamcast.

Yeah, funny you should mention that -- When a console first comes out, it's more expensive for a reason - the hardware is what they designed originally, or very close to it - so it'll have the highest quality parts that that given console will ever have. As the hardware gets revised (look at the Xbox's different disc drives) through it's lifecycle, it goes to the lowest bidder. Thus making it crappier and crappier as the generation progresses.

Moral of the story? Buy your system at launch, fork out the extra fifty bucks, it's worth it in the long run.

 

[bob_arctor]

The Saturn is like a friggin' brick. The Gamecube is really well built as well--short and stocky and runs nice and quiet. And yes, I have one already. The PS2 was my last console--got it just last week. Hopefully it lasts at least 3 times that. The way I figure it, if it does break down, I wouldn't bother again till GT4. On top of that, the only reason I have one now is because it was given to me out of the blue by a guy I helped rent an apartment to here at work.

 

[AndreasNystrom]

havent had a problem with my playstations either...

only problem i had was my NES 8bit cartridgereader gave up, but i bought a new one for
$8, and it works like new again.. and yeah, my original gameboys gamepad is slowly
diying.. not bad after almost 14years of use!.

its like i hear ppl with FF-wheels and they actually BRAKE them!.. i had no idea how
that could happen, since my ff-wheels works like a charm years after i bought them.
Then i let a friend play, and i understood quickly why they break for some ppl..
he was pulling it like it was built of titan / carbonfibre.. the wheel actually snapped off
the board..

 

[jedimike]

Yes, but the systems are more poorly built now. I have a Sega CD from 1993 that still works, and it has optical parts and whatnot. ALL of my systems still work, not to mention the Saturn is built like a friggin' tank. I expect my PlayStation 2 and XBox to die long before my Sega CD, Saturn, or Dreamcast.

Not really... All the consoles I've had break on me.

Atari 2600 - 2
NES - 1
SNES - 1 (power supply, so it was cheap fix)
N64 - 2 (lots of use and got moved a lot)

Consoles I've owned that didn't break

Genesis
DreamCast
GameCube
Xbox -2 (one is launch and still works fine)

Doesn't really prove anything except that things break. Most of the time they break from improper or heavy use, but sometimes it's just that a component fails.

 

[TekunoRobby]

It worked for me, might work for you.

Call up Microsoft tech support and bitch, complain, and ask to see the manager. Of course don't be rude about it, try to emphasize to the people how wrong it was to happen to you, etc. etc. It took a bit of work but I managed to get a free replacement system from Microsoft (with the new CD drive too). I'm just telling you it can be done and if it doesn't work with the current manager call again at a later time and hopefully you'll be able to talk to a different one.

I'm just going to warn you that it might take more than a week (it did for me). They will try to exhaust any possible solution before swapping out a console for free.

 

[btrboyev]

My GC started giving me disc errors a few mins after palying any game..i just sent it to get fixed for $40

 

[Chi-Town]

One of the big differences between current optical based systems and older ones is that since the drives are faster, more and more games use them to stream data(for example:the commentary in sports games). I also think that this type of activity works the drives a lot harder than they've ever been worked in game systems previously.

 

[goodcow]

One of the big differences between current optical based systems and older ones is that since the drives are faster, more and more games use them to stream data(for example:the commentary in sports games). I also think that this type of activity works the drives a lot harder than they've ever been worked in game systems previously.

The 32-bit systems streamed data too... Metal Gear Solid, Burning Rangers, etc.

 

[AndreasNystrom]

in some certain game (i dont wanna spoil), on the psx. you had to change the joystickport
while playing.
I always was afraid that this have damaged my psx in some sort of way.. hope it doesnt!.

 

[Tenguman]

All these dead xboxen....
just in time for Halo 2 i see

 

[Baron Aloha]

Buy a Gamecube (with free Metroid Prime) next month.

 

[----]

What percentage of good Xbox games are on Gamecube, not a lot. Nor vice versa, so it's not like the systems are interchangeable. Plus I don't think you can listen to 42 tracks of No Doubt or play Rallisport Challenge 2 on a Gamecube.

I had two Xbox hard drives die on me. Hard disk drives aren't reliable. If you're saying songs playing off of the hard drive were skipping, that's probably what happened to you. I say just buy a new hard drive and mod the thing. Get a 7200 RPM 8MB cache drive and you'll have better load times and game performance than you ever did.

 

[Ranger X]

Whatever we say, it's pretty clear that the PS2 and Xbox are just NOT tough like the previous consoles in general and that's what i think is unacceptable.
I don't give a shit about "oh well you know, laser eye blablabla," this is no reason. Whatever the reason they comes with it's no reason.

 

[Gahiggidy]

Would a dancing-purple-bannanna be inappropriate right now?

 

[Ranger X]

In fact, those dancing bananas are like today's consoles engineers doubles.

 

[wipeout364]

Whatever we say, it's pretty clear that the PS2 and Xbox are just NOT tough like the previous consoles in general and that's what i think is unacceptable.

I wouldn't call the PS1 tough.

 

[Fatghost]

The only system I have ever had fail on me is my Xbox. It died after only 4 months of use, and the assholes at Microsoft wouldn't repair my system despite being only a few weeks out of warranty.

My problem with MS is not that the hardware failed, its that MS customer service was by far the shittiest of the three console manufacturers when I dealt with them.

 

[goodcow]

I remember pretending to cry when I was 13 or so and somehow fucked up a Windows installation, and they gave me a free courtesy call.

 

[jobber]

My box is doing that click and re-reading the disk noise ALOT. I'm too lazy to call MS and tell them, but I've heard from several people that MS will replace your drive for free if you ask nice enough. I want to do it, but I want to keep my HD due to my PSO saves.

 

[Bauer Action Hour]

My old PS2 died twice and I had to get it serviced twice (for free of course). After I got it back the 2nd time I rarely used for a little while and then traded it in for credit in anticipation of the PS2 price drop (took a month to happen). I wasn't going to chance it failing again and I wanted the newer proscan model. Basically I payed $50 bucks for an upgrade, not bad IMO.

 

[BuddyC]

My box is doing that click and re-reading the disk noise ALOT. I'm too lazy to call MS and tell them, but I've heard from several people that MS will replace your drive for free if you ask nice enough. I want to do it, but I want to keep my HD due to my PSO saves.

Can't you back those up on a memory card?

 

[jobber]

Can't you back those up on a memory card?

Nope. Sega did that to stop cheating. Only way to back it up is to ftp.

 

[Hellraizah]

Buy a GC or a GBA SP. Will people ever learn?

There's a lot of broken GameCubes around, but people don't know that their machines are broken. You have to use something to realize it's not working right.

 

[jobber]

Well, I just got off the phone with Xbox "Support" who was trying to see if I was abusing my box. Asking me to move and molest it. Then he broke down and said I would have to send it in or the small fee of $99.96. WTF? What happened to doing this for free?

 

[Tabris]

There's a lot of broken GameCubes around, but people don't know that their machines are broken. You have to use something to realize it's not working right.

Haha, to coin that popular phrase, snap!