Before someone accuses me of trolling or being a fangirl, I'm not. My brother has a 360 and I enjoy playing on it. It has some awesome games and I very nearly bought one myself. Three things stopped me: firstly the RRoD, secondly the DRM issues when Microsoft fixes your console which mean that you can only access your downloaded content when signed into XBox Live and thirdly the fact that they've banned innocent people from XBox Live and told them that they can't be reactivated and they have to buy a new console! Microsoft are clearly taking steps to address the first issue and later models appear to be more reliable (but still not completely RRoD free). Unfortunately they don't appear to be doing anything about the second and third issues. DRM first came up when consoles had to be repaired so they've had plenty of time to address is. The article below shows that they haven't really done anything about it.

My question to you 360 owners is why do you stick with it? I'm not asking that in a nasty or attacking way, I genuinely want to know. I'm one of those people who never uses a company again if they annoy me (I switch banks a LOT!) so I appreciate other people may have higher tolerance for these things. What keeps you from selling your 360 when Microsoft appears to treat its customers so poorly? Is it particular great games? The XBox Live community? A lack of games you want to play on the other consoles?

I'm looking forward to replies in the spirit they were asked for

http://consumerist.com/355519/microsoft-has-no-answer-for-their-broken-xbox-live-drm

Microsoft Has No Answer For Their Broken XBOX Live DRM

Reader Kevin's XBOX 360 suffered the usual Red Ring of Death, so he sent it in to be repaired. He got back a different XBOX 360 with a different serial number. That would be no big deal, except Kevin has purchased a bunch of content through XBOX Live... content that is no longer fully functional due to Microsoft's broken DRM.

Here's a quick summary:

• November 2007: Kevin's XBOX 360 is replaced, causing his content to lose full functionality. He calls Microsoft.
• Microsoft keeps Kevin on the phone for an hour trying different methods of restoring functionality to his content. Nothing works. They say they will call him back in two weeks.
• They do not call him back, so he calls them. Microsoft makes him repeat the steps he tried the first time he called. They tell him they will call him back in two weeks.
• This cycle repeats twice more before Kevin gets a call from Frank at XBOX escalations. It's now the second week of January.
• Kevin periodically speaks to Frank. Frank has no answers for him.
• February 7, 2008: Frank tells Kevin that there's nothing more he can do and, when Kevin asks when he can expect a resolution, Frank says "hopefully sometime in 2008."

Kevin writes:

I just wanted to drop you a line about my recent experience with Microsoft's horrible customer service for their 360 consoles. First a bit of background for folks not familiar with the 360's problems and it's DRM system.

It's well known that Microsoft's 360 console has an unusually high failure rate resulting in many users suffering what has been coined the 'Red Ring of Death' and being forced to send in the console on warranty. While Microsoft has extended the warranty on these systems for 3-years against this problem they are refusing to fully repair the devices. While they are happy to replace the device if you are an Xbox Live Marketplace user your box will not be fully functional on return. If you have purchased any content through their Xbox Live service which sells full games, movies, tv shows and add-on content for various titles you will find that it no longer works properly on your replacement console.

When you purchase content on Xbox Live it's linked to two things. The Xbox Live ID of the original purchaser of the content and a secret 'code' of some sort inside the Xbox 360 itself. You can use your content on any Xbox 360 anytime your are signed into Live using the original purchaser's Xbox Live account. You can also use the content offline or with any profile signed into the 360 the content was originally purchased on. This is particularly good for families who have multiple gamers with separate profiles. Any content purchased on the system is available to everyone who signs into the box online or offline. Well, that is until your box red rings.

In October of 2007 my 360 experienced a hardware failure and the red ring of death. I sent it in for replacement and after waiting over a month I was shipped a new replacement console. This new replacement console has a different serial number and as a result all of my downloaded content only works now when the purchasing profile is signed into Xbox live. Additional profiles on the system can no longer access the content. I can no longer access the content when I'm not signed into Xbox Live. So any internet issues with my system or Xbox Live (which experienced serious problems for most of last month) means I can no longer use the items I have purchased. As far as I'm concerned since the functionality I had before is now crippled my console has not been repaired.

I immediately contacted Microsoft when I noticed this a day or two after I received my system back in November of 2007. They had me try a few things in the system blade and redownload one of my items. This did nothing to resolve then issue. At that time they put me through over an hour of providing them with serial numbers, reference numbers, UPS tracking numbers and all sorts of other information while they located the information about my repair. Somehow they had apparently lost it. After this frustrating episode was over they escalated me to a supervisor. He informed me this had to be reviewed and that someone would call me back in the next two weeks.

Two weeks go by, I call back. I first get a Xbox Live rep who doesn't know what to do with my reference number from my previous call and makes me go through the whole process again of giving serial numbers and items from the previous ticket. I get escalated to a supervisor who thankfully can use my original reference number. He tells me he has nothing new to tell me and that I should expect a call back in the next two weeks.

This cycle repeats two more times until I get fed up with constantly being told 'two more weeks!' and I email a different contact address in Microsoft. This seems to get things moving since I'm contacted very quickly by a representative who only calls himself 'Frank' from "Microsoft Xbox Escalations" he assures me that he is going to follow the issue to resolution. But he has nothing to tell me at this time but promises to give me weekly updates until the issue is resolved. It is now the 2nd week of January.

The next week he calls up asking me to give him the serial number for the console so he can pass it along to whoever is working on the issue. He says he doesn't have anything new but hopes this will help. The next week he calls up to report that he has nothing new to tell me yet. Still no ETA. This continues weekly until February 7th.

Yesterday, February 7th, Frank calls to tell me he will no longer be working on my case because there is nothing he can do. I ask if he is passing me onto someone else who will handle it and he says he is not. I ask if there is anyone I can call for status updates on my issue and he says there is not. I ask him when I can expect it to be resolved and he says I quote: "hopefully sometime in 2008." I ask to speak to a supervisor and he refuses assuring me there is nothing that can be done. Apparently my issue is being handled by the "Live Team" but whoever this team is they do not talk to any department outside their own, they do not give ETAs. Essentially I'm being told that since my console suffered a widespread hardware failure, was serviced by Microsoft under warranty, that now I'm supposed to wait for a call back from Microsoft some day in the next year or more for the system to be fully functional again. Furthermore I have nobody I can contact or speak to regarding the status of my problem.

Let this be a warning to anyone considering making purchases on Xbox Live. Microsoft does not stand behind their product in regards to this service and failures of their own systems. They are happy to take your money and give you the run around until you simply give up and go away. This is honestly the worst customer service experience I have ever had with any company.

I saw that and sent an email to each of them and one to Major Nelson who runs Microsoft's official Xbox Live blog.

As a result of those emails, Frank called me again.

He confirmed for me the following:

* That he can give me no ETA for when this issue will be resolved.
* That there is nobody I can call for status updates since the team that does 'relicensing' does not give updates.
* That they will only provide me with resolution when all my content is relicensed not partial.
* That there is no compensation for the fact this has taken and will likely take months more to resolve.
* That there is nothing more he can do.
* That he 'hopes' that it will be resolved shortly.

I'm expected to accept this as the resolution and basically "don't call us, we'll call you."

Worst Customer Service Ever.

Kevin

I got one to tide me over till the PS3 and Wii came out. I didnt expect the Wii to have shortages, and the PS3 to be so expensive. But really the 360 is fun and has great niche games that the PS3 doesnt have yet (until Disagaia (sp?) 3 comes out in english). From what ive been reading on these threads, MS will be releasing a new system soon, so maybe we will be using the PS3 to tide us over till we can get one of those :)

I would of ask for Ms points to buy the stuff back. They should have some log of everything you have downloaded on Live.

Why do I stick with my 360? Because:
1. I like the games.
2. I dont personally like the Wii or PS3.
3. I didn't pay for it anyway.

This is ironic because no one on these forums has ever had an issue as such with the Xbox 360.

I had mine RRoD in March, and got a replacement unit 2 weeks later.

Did my content, which I had bought via XBL work? No. What did I do? Go online, and re-download it.

Even if your X360 changes serial numbers, you still have the content - it's locked into your HDD, not your X360. So all you have to do is go online, and it'll show that you did indeed purchase the full version. So you just have to go re-download it (which is instantaneous, by the way), and play it. Regardless if it's online or offline. I do not have XBL. I have to goto my girlfriend's house to use is, so if this DRM issue was indeed the case, I wouldn't be at home playing my old Arcade games like Symphony of the Night or Outpost Kaloki X like I do.


ferret - the reason people buy and keep Xbox 360's is:

#1. Better games
#2. Better games
#3. These horror stories are very, very rare. For every horror story as such, you have people like myself, or KN that get RRoD'ed (or in kn's case, DVD issues), get new units, and take 5 minutes to re-download content, and it works fine. Maybe I'm seeing the DRM issue differently, but I have yet to see how there's an issue that I'm not encountering, and everyone else is for some reason.

So the problem presumably arises when you get a different hard drive back for whatever reason?

I am truely unsure where the root problem is - Microsoft tells you flat out NOT to send your hard drive to them, as it causes problems (and most likely, said issue).

So I really don't understand what the issue is. I did not have downloadable add-on content purchased when mine died, but I fail to see how it's any different than Arcade games.