A recent poll by CNet UK showed that Microsoft’s Xbox 360 failed way more than Nintedo’s Wii and Sony’s PlayStation 3. The poll found that “60% of the respondents indicating that their 360 had failed at some point. Sony’s PlayStation 3 broke for 16% of those who took part in the poll, while the Wii stopped working for just 6%.” Here are some other interesting results:
- 32% said their Xbox 360 console broke twice
- 19% claimed Xbox 360 broke three or more times
- The 360 failure rate fell to 34 percent for respondents who had purchased a console since January 2008
It’s important to note that 1,128 people took the poll, with 591 owning a Wii, 562 owning an Xbox 360 and 473 possessing a PS3. The sample is very small and hardly random. While Microsoft has certainly improved the reliability of newer Xbox 360 models, the figures are still pretty severe. Besides, it’s always fun to look at poll results like these.
As some of you know, my Xbox 360 Elite red ringed twice. My other systems have been fine. How about you? Any of your consoles break down?
Hooray! I'm in the 19th percentile!
You know, if you stare at the green power light in the middle of the red rings, it starts to morph into a little middle finger.
-M
I hear about all of these failures, and I'm not denyig them. But I remember reading about the PS2 habit a 50% failure rate in the begining of it's life, which many people apparently don't remember. So I find it interesting how most people attack Microsoft for having a high fail rate (according to some shady polls with plenty of room for error).
On another note, I have 3 xboxes that have never had a problem. They are newer (one of them
is new, and I'm about to sell it to a friend, and the others are almost 2 years old). So whenever I see articles like this I would just like to remind people that there are those of us who have never had a problem with their xbox(es).
I'm in the 32%, Still a great system in my opinion though.
@Rpad Nice ViVa Pinata faceplate lol
@Insomniacswaltz I actually need to find it. I don't know where any of my faceplates are since I've moved to LA.
Bah don't get me started. My PSone and 2 have both outlived my 3 lol. As well as every other console and handheld we have! But I've had that sucker practically since launch and it was on from the time I got home from work til I went to bed and weekends it stayed on12+ hours. Mostly gaming but it's also replaced our DVD player lol.
Ahhh, the old "bu, bu, bu, but the PS2" defense.
I think the PS2 defense is a bit different then the old RRoD. I had a PS2 that died… after 4 years of use with the occasional laser sputter. It was a first run of the console, so I knew, especially after about 2 years, that it was going to eventually konk out with the laser. What made the PS2 issue different was that, if you were slightly technical and didn't mind getting your hands dirty, you could adjust the laser yourself and fix your problem. No such luck with the completely poor design of the 360.
I don't own a 360 myself, but my roommate does. His RRoD on him once, and while he sent it in he borrowed his brother's, which then promptly RRoD on him. Luckily so far, we haven't had any problems with the send back… but it gets a lot less use then my PS3.
ah, the old RROD. you don't hear about the E74 as much.
I had 3 PS2's die. I had 2 XBOX's die. I've had 2 360's die (1 RRoD, 1 Disc Drive). Game systems die at an alarming rate in my household. I hold both companies accountable for some shoddy manufacturing.
My PS2 broke about 5 years after I bought it. My Xbox broke 3 times before I had it one year. There's a big difference there. The Xbox failure rate is the worst in consumer electronics history. Stop bring up the PS2 as a defense for the Xbox 360 failure rate. The Xbox 1 didn't have cross game chat and party system like the PS3 doesn't. See how stupid that sounds.
@RRoD: I bring up the PS2 because my experience with the hardware was pretty crappy. My first PS2 lasted 4 years. The next two both went in the next 18 month and Sony's tech support was crap at the time. I had to buy a 4th PS2, which thankfully still works but it also doesn't get a lot of use anymore. That's a pretty piss poor record.
As a side note, my first PS2 was actually used, and it lasted the longest. But it was probably refurbished, which may be why it lasted longer.
@Shockwave
Big difference. The 360 was rushed to beat Sony to the punch and was released with shoddy hardware and M$ knew all about it but released it anyway. That's a new and unmatched level of shadyness right there.
@Nightshade
That's cool dude. I wrote that response for the people who use the PS2 from 10 years ago as a defense for the 360 having the highest failure rate in consumer electronics history.
@RROD – I guess so. rushed and shoddy or finished and shoddy. I still hold the PS2 and the original 360 in the same regard. crap
@Shockwave
Also, that warranty only covers RROD and E74(many believe they are the same). All other failures are not covered.
@nightshade – surprisingly my first PS2 lasted the longest as well. at least 2 years I think. maybe that's a bad omen for my PS3
@RRoD: I don't care what the reasons for one failure rate vs the other are. Take off your Sony logo Underroos for a while. Both companies have a history of a bad failure rate and neither is acceptable.
true… what does the 3 year PS3 warranty cover?
I remember doing the math a long time ago and the failure rate was equal based on units sold. The PS2 of course has 100 million plus compared to the xbox having considerably less. Probabilities. I hate stats.
There are 3 lies in this world…Lies, damn lies, and statistics.
The sad thing is that the system that no hardcore gamer wants to touch has the largest install base and statistically the lowest failure rate of the 3 current gen systems. Could that be because none of us have turned our Wii's on for months to know whether or not they even still work? I wonder….
@nightshade – probably, lol. I mean you gotta figure how many thousands or hundreds of thousands of Wiis go untouched for months at a time
@Shockwave
That's fine and understandable but why is it that when the 360(right now) failure rate is mentioned, the PS2(10 years ago) is always brought up as a defense when Sony has fixed this problem with the PS3 that has a very low and acceptable failure rate? Once again, it's like saying "the Xbox 1 didn't have cross game chat and party system as a defense to the PS3 not having it but the current Xbox does". Don't that sound stupid to you?
I can see it from your side RROD. I think both companies botched their second consoles and it seems both have learned a valuable lesson. I think with all the money it has cost MS they wouldn't dare rush the next system and we can already see how PS3 has corrected many of the PS2s problems.
The reason I get annoyed with this RROD stuff is that like you say it was the PS2 which is not relevant today. but when you think about it "RROD" went away with the new consoles in 2007 and nobody really talks about E74 that much. all my friends with release consoles from 05 and 06 have had a RROD, sure. but I know not one person who has had an E74
@Nightshade
I could have sworn the PS3 is out and not have a high failure rate.
@Shockwave
Why does the PS3 need a 3 year warranty?
@RROD
You can argue that a 3 year warranty could become an industry norm based on MS having one for the 360. It's good business if you think about it. If you offer a long warranty, then the probability of someone to continue using your console and digital services increases accordingly.
@Shockwave
Are you saying that the E74 replaced the RROD?
@RRoD: Even in this highly unscientific poll the PS3 had a 16% failure rate. 16% isn't high? Sure it's not the 60% that this highly unscientific poll has the 360 at, but anything over 5% is pretty much bull.
And I've yet to see any sort of scientific poll posted anywhere on this subject. I'm not saying the 360's rate isn't really bad, but it'd be nice to see someone do a proper study on the subject as opposed to just posting random reader polls.
even with a failure rate the size of the wii all consoles are facing problems. maybe 3 years for something like YLOD, RROD, or wii whatever should be industry standard.
no console should fail in less than 3 years. and if it does it should be fixed no matter the failure type for free. but that's my opinion. I also don't think TVs should fail that soon either. computers are another thing because hardware failure has a lot to do with software. people destroy their own computers if you ask me
@RROD. unless if I'm mistaken RROD no longer happens on consoles. it is now E74. I'd like to see a poll of how many people have gotten that.
I am to understand MS removed RROD so people would stop calling it that. hence E74 was born
@Smartguy
First of all, l don't know if you know this but M$ didn't offer that warranty because they cared about their customers. They were forced to offer that warranty because they were up to their eyeballs in lawsuits and risked everybody abandoning the 360. Most people think that M$ was just being nice by issuing that warranty. My experience is that my Xbox 360 broke 3 time in less than 1 year but my PS3 had given my no problems in 3 years. You tell me who was forced to issue a 3 year warranty? If it makes you guys feel any better, my PS2 broke once.
The horridness of statistics. Fewer units will inevitably lead to either a very low rate or a very high rate. Low because the sample size is small…high if there are a few duds (which inevitably happens) in the sample.
As far as the Wii is concerned, I guess Nintendo learned their lesson from the shoddy gamecube. I went through 3 of them. Most of any console in any generation.
@RROD. I don't care if companies are nice. I want them to be fair to the consumer. and no console should break in 1-3 years if you ask me.
and when I say no console should break I mean 1% of the units, 5% 16% or 60%
if 5% of the 30 million consoles broke in that time that's 1,500,000 people who are just SOL because they got a bad roll of the dice
@Nightshade
Yes 16% is too high too and yes polls are not fact. As far as "scientific polls" go, use the 3 year warranty that M$ was forced to issue as evidence of an extremely high failure rate. It's quite common to here "my 360 broke 3 times" but you never hear "my PS3 broke 3 times". It's also common to hear "my PS2 broke 3 times" though.(had to throw that in so no one would get mad)
@RROD
Not here to argue with you. I know why MS did the 3 year warranty. Now let's face reality here…that warranty was a HUGE selling point for their machine. Good PR spin combined with sleazy marketing. Sony has had to cut the price of their machine 50% in order to spike sales. I'm not playing the fanboy here. I love/hate each of my consoles equally.
Did you get a dud? Yes. Were you the only one? No. That happens with mass production. Everything I have had that has Sony stamped on it fails on me though. I'm just waiting for my BluRay drive to fail on me and for Sony to overcharge to fix it. What sucks is that Sony can't replace MY console. It has BC.
A long warranty, no matter the reasons, is always better for the consumer. That doesn't matter whether you like the company offering the warranty or not. I personally wouldn't drive a KIA or Hyundai…but their warranty is a hell of a lot better than what I got with my Chevrolet.
@Shockwave
I agree with you 1-3 year no console should fail. 5% is legally acceptable even if it's 1.5 million consoles. As far as tvs go, you'd be lucky if your HDTV lasts 3 years.
Let me get one thing straight. I'm not arguing with anyone. My PS2 broke once in 5 years and after 5 years I feel that was a good run for an electronic device so I wasn't too mad. Once again, my 360 failed 3 times in less than one year and that's completely unacceptable to ME. That's MY experience and the 360 has lost a customer with ME. MY PS3 has given ME no problems in 3 years. Call me what you want but I don't take kindly to paying $400 for something that don't hardly works. That's MY experience. YOUR"S is different. If my PS3 broke 3 times in less than one year then I would feel the same way about the PS3 as I do the 360.
PS2 failure rate = approx 12%. = 16,560,000 (138million units)
360 failure rate = approx 23.7% = 7,347,000 (31 million units)
PS3 failure rate = approx 10% = 2,700,000 (27 million units)
Wii failure rate = approx 2.7% = 1,350,000 (50 million units)
I hate stats. There is a relationship between units sold and the probability…but there are so many reasons why this stuff happens it's useless to argue.
RROD has a point though, they did rush the machine. However when compared to the others, the number isn't so bad. Let's face it, those machines were insured and insurance proceeds don't calculate into Gross Income when filing taxes. I think it was a clever way for MS to make some tax free money. (we actually discussed this in class the other day)
@Smartguy
You made a good point about the warranty being a selling point. You just gave a bad example. I believe the Kia warranty covers everything if I'm not mistaken but the Xbox warranty only covers RROD and E74. If your Blu-Ray drive goes in your PS3 you will have to pay for it but if your DVD drive goes in your 360 you will have to pay for that too.
I hear you RROD but I have frustrations with both my consoles. they are both far from perfect but they get their job done of delivering my games which is the sole purpose for which I bought them. I'll be just as pissed about a YLOD as I will an E74 but if it's out of warranty I'll mozy on over to the store to get a new one.
as far as TVs are concerned I'm on number 3 in 3 years so let's see if I manage to keep a TV long enough for that to happen. although to my understanding LCD TVs should have a lifespan of about 60,000 hours. 6 hours per day would give me over 20 years before it reaches half it's original brightness. 3 years seems a bit short to me
@RROD
My bluray is alot more expensive than a dvd drive. I understand that I will pay to have either fixed, but if my xbox were to crap out, I wouldn't replace it.
Main reason I mentioned the bluray is because everything that has Sony stamped on it that uses a disc, goes out on me. I'm just waiting on my PS3 to croak.
@Smartguy
See, that's a perfect example of everyone's experiences are different. I have a Sony 8.1 megapixel camera, Sony camcorder, Sony Vaio laptop, and a PS3 and none of them have given me any problems yet but everything wit Sony on it has failed you. The Sony name means nothing to you but it means quality to me.
@RRODisHere #16 im not really trying to use the PS2 V xbox 360 comparison as a defense for having a high failure rate, more to say that other systems have had problems in the beginning of their life (i used the ps2 because at first they were both reported to have about a 50% or so fail rate) and the PS2 came back and is the longest selling console with the largest game catalog, etc…did well for itself. I believe that the 360 can now do about the same thing and really stand out from its RROD history. sorry to not make that more clear at first. I also completely agree with #40 when you said that it is about the personal experiences with the different systems, and like i stated, my Microsoft experiences have been good. Not trying to argue or pull down another good system (i had a lot of good times playing with my friends on the PS2) just trying to present a positive side which i feel is sometimes lost.
i do have a personal vendetta against some of the polls and statistics used sometimes though, but that is due to me trying to go into the field of media related research after college and having an understanding of what constitutes poor research, which I have found a lot of people do not often realize.
@RROD
I still buy Sony though. I don't boycott them. Bought a new Sony XBR, PS3, Sony monitor for girlfriend's computer.
@RROD amended
Sony makes the best LCD in the business as far as I'm concerned by the way. Their name means quality to me as well, but I also know that everything breaks.
@smartguy – definitely. I wouldn't save money just to get another brand when I could have the Bravia. best tv imo.
@bsukenyan
The PS2 went on to be the most successful console ever even with a high failure rate because it had no competition. If the Xbox 1 was relevant back then, the PS2 would not have been so successful. The PS3 is here now as a great alternative to someone tired of the 360 failures.
@RRODisHere yes I would agree to that, the PS2 had almost no competition. For a while there it was the PS2 and the N64 head to head. I think that even if the xbox 1 had been around a little earlier the PS2 still would've done very well for itself, maybe not quite to the extent that it has, but still very well for itself.
LOUD NOISES!
@LarcenousLaugh
Then turn off your Xbox. jk
for the love of god, larcenous, DONT MOVE IT!!!
@RROD and Thundercraker – well played.
@LarcenousLaugh
You left yourself wide open for that one, I couldn't resist.
@Nightshade386 Wow, consoles must fear going home with you. Ha! I think you've had a pretty unusual set of experiences. The first console failure I ever had was with the Xbox 360.
@RROD – well to be fair this is the Xbox 2 and it was the Playstation 2. I think it is fair to say both companies had a failed second attempt.
I had to buy 3 PS2s. and none of mine were covered under warranty. I think the Xbox has done poorly too but second console is definitely an issue for these companies. not sure why
@Ray: ELECTRONICS fear coming home with me. I also had a 36" flatscreen that burnt out in less than 2 years, and my PC randomly one day decided to stop reading my disc drives (making it good for nothing aside from email and web browsing). Perhaps I am Magneto….
"The world will suffer my wrath!!"