Square Trade reports on Xbox failure rates...

[heruamon]

WereKitten said:

I'm sure that recent models are more reliable, but isn't it obvious that the chart would point down? After all a machine bought in Q109 is only about 6 months old.
Shouldn't the comparison be something like "percentage of RROD after 3/6/12 months of use" to make proper sense?

The methodology you are suggesting leave far too much leeway to manipulation of the data, and there are far too many variables involved with you using those metrics.  The way chosen presents raw data, and you can extrapolate a general trend, based on it, especially given all the unknowns.  Some problems with your methodology:

1. This amount of 360s involved are not in a controlled group, so let's say someone bought there 360 several people bought their 360s 12 months ago, and only played it scarcely, while somebody bought their's 3 months ago, and logged more hours than they did.

2. What was the titled released during that period, and how did that impact failure rates?

3. How did updates and features, like NXE, Netflix, etc effect failure rates?

4. What and how is your Xbox configured? ie...laptop cooling device? Intercoolers? Space ventilation? How clean is your power source? 

These are just some unknown variable that make it worthless to use a 3/6/12 month usage chart, since you DON'T know the usage, and the only way to have used your method, would have been for someone to buy a large sample say of 360s, set up a "sterile" lab environment, and measure the data.  When these guys get a Xbox in for repairs, they know 2 things for certain...the manufactured date, and the date it was sold...trying to model usage based on that is terrible engineering analysis to determine any kind of MTBF for the console.