Microsoft doesn't deny Xbox 360 failures

August 24, 3:40 PMSF Gadgets ExaminerAdam Mills

If you have friends who own an Xbox 360 or if you own one yourself, you are probably aware of the ‘red ring of death’ and either you or they have experienced the death of a console.

Game Informer took a reader survey that revealed that Xbox 360’s had over a 50% fail rate yet people still keep on buying them. Have people just accepted the fact that they do this and buy them anyway? Does Microsoft even care?

Apparently not.

In response to the claims that Xbox 360’s have, and this is according to the survey so the number could actually be quite higher, Microsoft had this to say:

“Microsoft stands behind the Xbox 360 as a superior entertainment console with one of the best warranties in the industry. We are constantly improving the design, manufacture and performance of the console through extensive testing of potential sources of any problems. Xbox 360 is pleased to maintain the title of 'most played console' and the vast majority of Xbox 360 customers have enjoyed a terrific gaming and entertainment experience since their first day, and continue to, day in and day out.”

No denial, in fact, they say absolutely nothing of substance. They know they have a huge problem and they say they are doing things to improve the system, yet here we are years after release and it still plagues the system and its owners.

And while that number might be inflated or accurate, there is no denying that it is a complete liability to own one of these things. It may not be true for some people, but for a majority, these things fail more than they don’t and that is a serious problem.

How can they not take any sort of responsibility and just go on and say that people still enjoy playing it? Well, they can, because it is on the consumer to take action. If people keep buying it, they aren’t going to do anything about it. What if the iPhone had a 50% fail rate? You think people would keep buying it, keep investing into Apple? They would probably move on to next best thing.

In this case, it doesn’t seem to matter because Microsoft will still be putting out the Xbox 360 and people will keep buying, red lights or not. But maybe with the Playstation 3 price cuts and the Slim debut, people will wisen up.