Xbox 360 Truth: Rushed, Compromises and RROD

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/nov/13/xbox-truth

Why The Xbox 360 Failed

http://www.smarthouse.com.au/Gaming/Console/L3R2T2S6?page=1

Yeah, but that was also because you either couldn't find 12 PS2's or didn't want to buy 12 PS2's.  I don't know the failure rate for PS2's in the first year, but everyone I knew who got one in the first year had at least one die on them.  Yeah, it's anecdotal, but it's still something.

I know some people who still have working launch units. So that's 8 years and counting and most issues of users could be easily fixed by themselves (fastening a screw, a bit similar to the well known c64 data recorder issues).

Do exchanged dead Xboxes 360 count twice in the total sales??

Yeah, but how many people actually have the know how to fix that screw?  Even I know how to do that kind of stuff but I dread taking electronics apart (though I probably would if it meant saving a few hundred dollars).

Not everyone knows to go looking on the internet for possible fixes when their console breaks.

And hey, I still know people with launch XBox 360's that work fine in poorly ventilated spots, does that mean the 360 doesn't RRoD?

And since we're still talking anecdotal, I got my PS2 about two years after launch and it always worked fine.  The moment I started watching DVD's in it (I moved it down to my office at home since I had a PS3), it's getting more and more red screens at startup.  Hmm....

I believe that replaced (as opposed to refurbished) units count in the "total shipped" numbers MS likes to put out, but VGChartz tracks retail sales only, as far as I know.  So the answer to your question is... "no and yes".  "No" here on VGChartz, I think.  "Yes" in some MS press statements, I believe.

I have heard that well over half of the Xenon/Zephyr models ever produced have been replaced by MS, which correlates well with MikeB's statement that the "~33% fail rate" of those models was 1st-year, and not lifetime.  The policy has been to replace them with refurbished Falcons, although perhaps its cheaper to just hand out new Jaspers now, I dunno.

Contrary to popular belief, the Falcon models are only slightly less prone to RRoD than the original Xenon/Zephyr was, according to leaked MS numbers.  I imagine that, since it was the GPU that was the real issue, the problem should hopefully vanish with the new Jasper models.  Ben Heckendorn has confirmed on his site that the new Jaspers even have gone back to using liquid capacitors (cheaper, more heat), as opposed to late-model Falcons, which used solid caps (more expensive).  Apparently MS themselves believe the Jasper is RRoD-proof enough that they can skimp on the other, non-GPU components.

Probably not.

Early PS2's were likely very close.

In the end though the PS2 failure rate is likely to be lower due to the PS2 being more popular and selling more backend consoles... and there were really bad stock supplies when the system was crappy.

I don't know anyone with a broken NES.... to this day.  I had a friend with a poor temper who threw the thing a couple times...

@ twesterm

I think an average console life expectancy of over 5 years is perfectly fine, by now for those who still are on launch PS2s it may make better sense to just go out and buy a new one in addition (they are sold for about 77 Euro - 109 Euro, for a nicer slimline model), instead of having it repaired once it fails.

I have a 360 from 06 thats never red ringed or anything. And I live in Australia where it can get quite hot and dry. On the other hand I know someone thats on his 3rd 360. Everyone on I know has had the ps2 die on them at least once. All consoles break, some may be worse then others but a lot of it has to do with how often and long you play and how you look after your console of choice. Beyond that some console are just more faulty then others (and some people just have rotten luck). My brothers wii for example must have broken at least 4 times whereas my 360 is rock solid (oh the irony lol).