Microsoft extends Xbox 360 warranty coverage to 3 years; Will reimburse customers

Microsoft has announced that it's extending its Xbox 360 warranty coverage from 1 year to 3 years, following numerous reports of system failures.

"The majority of Xbox 360 owners are having a great experience with their console and have from day one. But, this problem has caused frustration for some of our customers and for that, we sincerely apologize," said Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft's Entertainment & Devices Division. "We value our community tremendously and look at this as an investment in our customer base. We look forward to great things to come."

[nice_cuppa]

so i get my 360 fixed for free.

360 failure rate is no longer a problem.

free 3 year warranty.

sweet.

[Whoooop]

Failure rate still is a problem, now you just will get it fixed for free instead of paying money you shouldn't be paying.

This is good news I guess if they decide not to fix the problem they are having, but it's still a problem IMO.

3 years warranty is good news nevertheless, but you have to see the big picture. Maybe this 3 years of warranty and reimburse is a way of MS saying there is a problem with the hardware and it won't get fixed soon..

[DrRage77]

actually, i believe the reason microsoft is extending their warranty to 3 years is that the majority of problematic 360's can be attributed to the consoles produced in the first 12 months. This is when microsoft was using 3 manufacturers for producing the 360...it wasn't until the first quarter of this year that microsoft had announced it had "mutually" cancelled it's contract with one of the manufacturers, which was rumored to be the one that most of the bad 360's came from.

but in regards to the 3 year warranty, if you think about it, it may take almost 3 years for most of the first and second batch 360's that will fail, to do so. this gives microsoft and it's customers the time needed to finally weed out a majority of the bad consoles and replace them with the newer production consoles (which i think we will see will now include that new heatsink and cooling pipe that has come in newly refurbished 360's).

overall, i think this is one of the best things microsoft could have done to help with the growing problem of failing 360's. also, people should realize that most of the failing 360's were the ones from the first year of production, and the reason people have been getting multiple failures, is the people that were getting multiple failed 360's were getting them with refurbished 360's.

if you compare the numbers of reported failures on newer produced 360's to the first year of 360's, the failure rates have gone down due to better quality manufacturing. problem is that it will take yet another year for those first year 360's to fail, but at least microsoft finally stepped up AGAIN, and is now providing 3 years of FREE repairs.

if anyone starts flaming microsoft for providing free repairs for 3 years, they can go jump in a hole and never come back since ms is doing MORE than other companies have in the past when big problems arose (aka Sony and ps2 faulty dvd drives)

[Whoooop]

I agree with you.. 3 years warranty is good news for 360 owners looking for a breath..

It is a good way to compensate all those affected by the RROD soo yeah no matter the reason is a good deal for everybody.. agree. rest my case

[tehcellownu]

The defective rate must be really high, high if microsoft goin to extended it for 3 years..so the problem does exist...they not goin to make money at all.no profits for them .if they usin it to fix all the thousand of xbox360 that is suffering from the three red lights of death..i mean how many people is goin to take advantage of this and make their 360 bricked so they can get the extended warranty?? lol..microsoft screwed themself..

[FreeMonk]

what about the guys that have had to repair it themselves when the warrenty went out of life?

My X360 died about 6 months after the warrenty ended, and MS wanted to charge me nearly £80 for a repair. For around £50-£60 more, I could of bought a new Core console.

So I got someone else to fix it for me for £30, a fraction of the cost, and it's working fine.

Now obviously, if it breaks down again, I can't send it to MS because it's been opened by someone else than a MS repair man, which voids the warrenty.

It's just a shame that they didn't do this from the beginning, instead of trying to brush the problem under the carpet!

[jromao]

Isn't the extended warranty that will fix the problem, 3 years will just extend the period where gamers will have the console working 1 day, crash again and then 1 month waiting for another box. Its seems "NICE" ???? Its just sand trowed to our eyes.

[BubblesDAVERAGE]

They are handling the failure rate finally..

edit : Well not really...

[toughluck]

Glad they're handling it... shouldn't have happened in the first place.

[kspraydad]

How does taking a +1 billion dollar charge affect MS ability to drop price in tandem with PS3?

[BIG49]

wont effect them at all price drop will happen

[AnDy FrOm MiAmi]

This shows that Microsoft is not ignoring whats happening and are taking action.

[Chibs]

That's true, but after over 18 months since the launch of the console?
That's a slow pace considering the overall initial life of xbox1 which is an indication of how long the 360 will be staying on M$'s Marketing Lips.

[Mr_Kuwabara]

Nice to see them finally helping us out.

[Lacarious]

i've been saying time and time again that the only way M$ can continue in the console business is too give a 3 year warranty... well... good to know that I am once again right.

[chasegamez]

lol lol 2 xbox360

[ronscrote]

lol lol lol lol at you!

[kevoncox]

always trying to spin something as bad. COuld it be that Ms thinks it's fixed the problem and are extending th 3 yrs warrenty because it know it has a good fix for it. When a car has major issues, car companies extend warrenties only after they know the fix to the problems. This is great news. Not only do we have a year but now some of us even have 3 years.

PS. I didn't read the link. Is it true.

[kspraydad]

You will have a 1 year warranty except for ring of death issues which are covered by 3 years.

The 3 years covers new or from time of purchase for current owners.

If you paid for a repair in the last 3 years...MS pays you back.

[PS360WII]

Okay come on. So instead of making a statement about the faulty manufacturing of said product they just increase the warranty...

eh why not really it's like a bandaid. Doesn't do anything other than those who were mad look the other way. Good politics right there

[khsmooth]

There's an open letter from Peter Moore on Xbox.com apologizing for everything and saying something to the effect that they're going to take responsibility for all of this.

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/s...

[Pain70]

i'm glad they're at least owning it! i've bought things in the past (other consoles, tvs, cars.....) that have had serious issues. my 3 yr old tv is starting to die on me right now. that thing hasn't moved since a bought it and the one i had before this one lasted 15 freakin' years. i own a 360 and have never had a problem, but others have. its sad that it takes a boatload of problems before something is done. if i buy something and it prematurely dies, i feel like the company owes me; however, one person is easy to ignore. ask the auto industry. good job MS, just make it right and i'll be there to the end. hope the Sony crowd has better luck. OUT!!!!!

[Sven Benoit]

yea this is definitely good for MS...i had a 360 go on me... while this is a big deal.... me personally i really wouldn't care if 20 xboxes go out on me because i know that i would be getting a new one for free anyway... it is a little of a hassle but i would keep replacing them a thousand times because i love the system and it has great and will get many more great games....

[ThaGeNeCySt]

"New users, and users who have not experienced these problems will continue to fall under the 1-year warranty plan."

So does that mean that since my launch 360 hasn't caught the RROD, that i'm out of warranty until I do get the RROD?

[kspraydad]

All Xbox's will continue to offer a 1 year warranty. There is a specific 3 year warranty for only the ring of death issue.

[razer]

It is not covered by the 3 year warranty. But if you have the 3 Red Lights anytime for the next 3 years it will be covered.

This is great news that MS is stepping up and admitting some problems. I don't see much else they could do? He didn't sound like he was sugar coating it, he said the hardware failure rate was "unacceptable". Sounds about right.. Nice job MS!

[DrPirate]

That billion dollars won't make the problem go away. That 1 billion dollars should have been spent on a recall. So that means, with the three years, it's three years of RRODing and going through the refurb process, but the problem is still not fixed.

Until a hardware revision that is.

However, it's nice that Microsoft admitted to it, and apologized. That took courage and is commendable.

[razer]

The problem has been corrected. They added a new second heat sync and are afixing the GPU and CPU to the mobo more securely. I would think the last thing MS wants to do is a recall.

[ronscrote]

I think the problem will be fixed, if it hasn't aready. The 3 year warranty just helps lift consumer confidence out of the gutter in time for the big summer releases.

About time they admitted the problem though. I've owned my 360 for over a year now without any problems, but even I was starting to lose confidence in the system, and Microsoft's commitment to their customers.

[ElementX]

WOW! At least MS is doing something about the problem for those people who have defective units. MS isn't such an evil corporation after all if they're willing to spend a billion to extend warranties.

[Squeely]

Shill much?

[ElementX]

WTF does shill mean?

[SofaKingReetodded]

is because sales have hit a wall for the 3FIXME, they realize they're idiotic ignore the problem attitude has scared ALOT of gamers away.

too little too late IMO

btw in this instance shill would mean someone who started out an xbot, went to PS3 and now starts licking the 3FIXME's nuts again.

[pwnsause]

finally!!!!

[Squeely]

Next it will be a five year warranty. How about this MS? Build a reliable system!!

[BIadestarX]

They already did... consoles having problems are old consoles... or let me guess you think that microsoft can generate hardware via software download?
The only thing that microsoft can do about the older consoles is wait until they die so they can add, change or fix the new compontents that the newer consoles have. How can they do that? People have to send it. That means we will continue to hear people having problems with their xbox 360 until all those fail and are addressed.
How else do you sudgest?

[i Shank u]

Hell yea man, they def. are avoiding a lawsuit, and this move will make it tougher for one to go through against them. this move is meant to appease customers and improve their image, but its still a good move.

[BIadestarX]

Thank you Sony fanboys! thank you for b!tch!ng all day and night! Look at what you just did for us! 3 years warrantee! plus reimbursement to those that had to pay since their 1 year warranty expired!
So, Microsoft does not care? ehh?

"Maybe this 3 years of warranty and reimburse is a way of MS saying there is a problem with the hardware and it won't get fixed soon.. " ehhh... no... did you know that the elite comes with 2 heat sinks and for the most parts only xbox 360 released during the launch window are the ones having problems... I am sure that if they have a problem and they know what it is they will fix the hardware problem instead of continuing manufacturing the consoles with problems. Why would they spend billions fixing the same consoles over and over?
The fact that they upgrade the warranty to 3 years simply tell consumers that if their xbox 360 dies after 2 years they still can get it fix. That's a good thing. It does not mean that microsoft will continue to manufacturer the consoles with a problem that they know how to fix.

@Squeely, it's not that I don't trust you.. but I don't trust you. Can you prove have an xbox 360? Gamertag? Pictures of your 2 xbox 360 side by side... or let me guess... you didnt use your warranty and rang to the store and buy a 2nd one.. instead of sending it to microsoft for repair... please excluse my inability to believe something that comes out of someone who's 100% of his comments are bashing the xbox 360. di you know everyone in this site owns 4 PS3 each? LOL.

[big_tim]

I think that the "b!tch!ng all day and night!" came from those who actually had the problem. I was extremely pissed when I had it happen on two machines within the first six months. Since then, I have been extremely happy. Now I am more relieved that I will be covered for their mistakes.

They realized that there was a problem and this is their way of fixing it with out admitting a design flaw directly. All of us who had the problem know that it was a design flaw.

I give them props for at least having the balls to extend the warranty.

[Squeely]

So the 2 broken 360's i bought this year were old? Thanks for clearing that up.

[i Shank u]

YES! well the 360 is still going to have failures, but this is going to appease everyone with a broken console or who paid for repairs. i know im happy im getting a free repair now; still wish it neer needed repair tho. now if they do a good revision job with the 65nm chip console, they may be able to put this issue to rest; it wont be for awhile, but they could do it.

[FordGTGuy]

They have already fixed(or atleast made a huge improvement on it) the overheating and RoD in the newly refurbished and new Xbox 360s. This way it allows them to get rid of the bad eggs and replace with the improved ones. In affect improving the overall quality and also the quality rating of the console. Its a very smart idea and will help in the long run.

[DrRage77]

this is exactly what i have been trying to tell people. the first year of 360's is where a majority of the bad 360's were manufactured, so now with this warranty it gives microsoft a chance to weed them out when they do fail, and it gives us loyal customers ACTUAL support and FREE repairs on something that has caused more than the typical failure rate..

if only sony had done the same with the ps2 and it's faulty dvd drive.....remember that one sony fanboys?

[Kaneda]

mine PS2 still works fine...

[SofaKingReetodded]

ummmm haven't they been caught REPEATEDLY replacing broken 3FIXME's with REFURBS??

doesn't sound like any type of improvement to me.

it sounds more like the problem made it's way to the top(gates), he asked what the outlook was and decided to crap out another huge wad of cash so his xbox division wouldn't go down like the titanic. IMO they can't sustain this business model for long and will eventually fold up their tent and call it a day for the box.

[big_tim]

Now I will be covered for 5 years with the extended warranty.

Edit:

How can anyone disagree with that? It is awesome.

[JIN KAZAMA]

they just extend the warranty. Hmm, lets say your 360 breaks again after the 3rd year? What then?
So, they are not fixing the issue, they are just prolonging the warranty, and hoping after the 3rd year, that people will buy their xbox720, and they will discontinue the 360.
LOL.
Thanks Microsoft.

EDIT:
Right, they are replacing them with new cooling fans....hmm thats why so many people have sent them for repair MULTIPLE TIMES!!! Right, they got the problem solved right? Many people have sent them back more than once, you idiots. But Enjoy your 3 year warranty, and on the 4th, GET THAT xbox720!

[FordGTGuy]

Haven't you seen the new heatsinks and motherboards being put in the newly refurbished and new Xbox 360s? They have to be returned to Microsoft to be fixed so yes by doing this they are fixing the Xbox 360.

[WafflesID]

Jin, if you can't keep up with the conversation then don't chime in with such ignorant comments.

As just mentioned above me, they ARE changing the cooling system in repaired/new(?) systems.

Steps are being taken. Question is, are they enough. I haven't had any problems yet, so I would have to assume so.

[MoonDust]

Add this one to the list.

[WafflesID]

Wow, ok, guess the clueless wonder doesn't understand that the new heatsinks are only about a month/2 months old.

Enjoy your bubble.

[Bullseye]

To all those people that keep harping on about constant failures, which i suspect is not the case, except for a few particular batches of early machines.Microsoft are saying o.k we will give you 3 years warranty,but i'll bet after six months the true picture of far less than claimed number of 360's will actually go for repair or replacement! They are basically trying to stop the over zealous few people trying to give 360 a bad name for reliability.It is a good exercise in damage control for a small problem that has been blown out of all proportion by people of a certain persuasion.There was undeniably a problem early on, but i really don't think it exists to the extend claimed by some,of course i can only base this on my own 360 which has been perfect from day one.

[highps3]

once again just got screwed. Nice to know that if I walk into a store im now covered for 3 years without paying anything additional...

Really pays off to wait with consoles. Buying one first is just flat out dumb

[ThaGeNeCySt]

"So all the people that have had failures and had to pay
once again just got screwed. Nice to know that if I walk into a store im now covered for 3 years without paying anything additional...

Really pays off to wait with consoles. Buying one first is just flat out dumb "

but those who have paid are being reimbursed because of RROD

[kspraydad]

MS is paying back the cost of the repairs.

[WafflesID]

I don't know why I bother responding to one bubble wonders...

"The company will also reimburse all users who had to pay for repairs and shipping costs under the old warranty plan. "

[Syko]

The company will also reimburse all users who had to pay for repairs and shipping costs under the old warranty plan.

Microsoft also says that the number of repairs they've had to make was unacceptable, which led to the company to investigate new ways to compensate their customers.

[razer]

HighPS3.. If the name doesn't tell you which side of the fence this person is on then I don't know..

You see right now all the Sony fanboys are spinning in circles with confusion as they try to come up with a new way to spin this negative or come up with a new reason to hate on the 360.

I agree with this new policy MS is calling the bluffs on the whiners and loud mouths who claim their systems are dying by the dozens..

[EggFiary]

Thats googd that they finally made it fromm 1 year to 3 years.

[sticky doja]

I have had multiple red rings of death but am still a diehard 360 fan because of the great games/service. I might have been tempted to trade it in on my last failure but MS sent me a free launch game of my choice for my troubles so they got back on my good side. Now that I know my ring problem is covered for 3 years I can rest easy. I mean I had 2 PS2's stop reading discs in less than 3 years, no warranty there. Thank you MS.

[MoonDust]

This is great news, now with the new heatsink it should be all good :) Hopefully.
I'm good until 2009!

[ElementX]

I'd rather have a 3 year warranty and a defective unit than have a 1 year warranty on a unit that breaks after the 1 year is up. I mean, if your 360 is going to break due to manufacturing, it'll happen within 3 years.

I own the PS3 also, but I didn't buy an extended warranty. I guess time will tell how the PS3 holds up to extended use past a year. Anyway, I think MS is making the right move to extend the warranty.

[dale1]

its only for the first year failures outside that your toast but its better than a kick in the head

[Komrad]

what a mess that was, heres your 3 yr warranty... nothing to see here... carry on.

[JIN KAZAMA]

the 360 is doing that quite on its own. Its a shame that they know the failure rate is so bad, that they have to extend their warranty. Xbots, i feel so sad for you guys, because you are just fine with sending your crappy hardware to get it fixed, and its happened so much, that you guys are thinking its normal to do.
It like a child that grows up in a abusive home, kinda like Thammer1, who would get abused all day and everyday by his mom and dad. Growing up, he would think its normal, and part of life. But to a kid that grew up in a non-abusive house, it would just be shockingly bad to see that kind of abuse.
Xbots are just a bunch of abused little kids, getting abused by MS.
They even got you believing that its your own fault when the hardware fails, thats the "battered wife syndrome" basically what Thammer1's wife and Bladestar's mother has.
PLAY B3YOND.

[sticky doja]

To make your analogy more acurate I would say that the 360 is like a great dad that you have fun with. He plays with you and takes you to more places than other dads do. The only thing is he has to take a buisness trip from time to time that lasts 2 to 3 weeks, but when he returns he is still the same great dad that treats you right.

I know its cheesy but its definatly more acurate than your analogy.

@Whoooop: Don't worry, its in the works, and the screenplay will be comming soon after ;)

[Whoooop]

You should write a book about that or make a movie.

sure would beat the hell out of The Notebook...

[razer]

blah blah blah.. I service Sony daily.. blah blah blah..

Why are you even commenting in here Sony shill?

This is a great thing! Now people need to put aside their hardware failure worries and Jump In!! Come on Jin you know you want too!! You put so much energy into bashing the console, give it a try and I think you will change your tune.. (i know fat chance)

[sjappie]

It's just that whole 360 experience is so great, we just put up with it. I can honestly say I'd rather send 4 broken xboxes back, than having no xbox at all, or going for ps3, wich, as of yet, does nothing to me. But that's just my opinion. I mean some people are on their 8th 360, and would still go for the 9th, that does mean something.

[Kaneda]

"29.1 - Your analogy is pretty off
To make your analogy more acurate I would say that the 360 is like a great dad that you have fun with. He plays with you and takes you to more places than other dads do. The only thing is he has to take a buisness trip from time to time that lasts 2 to 3 weeks, but when he returns he is still the same great dad that treats you right. "

After 3 years of happiness, your great dad might never return from business trip...so you will find a new great dad...and his name is Mr. Wii...he is MOTION fun...

[THAMMER1]

JIN is on the bottom.

[bababrooks]

people go back because the 360 has something realy good going for it, i'm on my second, and most of the people i know that got it within the first half year have had the system replaced(not good) within a week (good)jin if you were not a fanny you would get the point of game enjoyment.

could i ask you if you pay for internet usage in your home or do your folks, you should watch what you say about peoples personal lifes fudface.......you get your looks from your mum!

[WafflesID]

re #29.1

HAHAHAHA! Oh jesis man...that was great.

Bubble!

[BIG49]

PLAY B3YOND WHAT? YOU DONT HAVE ANYTHING TO PLAY NOW, THATS WHY YOU ARE ON A 360 THREAD

[Killer B]

It better fall under the "you get a refund" category!!! It was $139 for the fix, an extra year, and 1 month of live.

[FordGTGuy]

If so then yes you need to call and get a refund.

[sjappie]

and a smart pre E3 move, cause the RROD were MS' biggest problem, now people will feel secure buying one. So this, together with the upcoming E3 showings, will mean good bussines for MS, I think.

[masterg]

I assume this only applies for consoles sold from now on.
Meaning the 12 millions already sold only has 1 year right?

[sticky doja]

"Microsoft has announced that they're extending its Xbox 360 warranty coverage from 1 year to 3 years for users that have suffered a system failure indicated by 3 red rings."

This means anyone who has purchased one already

"New users, and users who have not experienced these problems will continue to fall under the 1-year warranty plan."

Will also apply to new users if they experience the RROD, but unlikely since they say they have fixed the issue in new boxes.

[DrRage77]

no, it is ANY console that has had the 3 red rings of death gets the 3 year warranty coverage

[SlyDark Star]

Mine hasn't broken yet and it's from launch *knock on wood* but I can rest a bit easier now.

[AnDy FrOm MiAmi]

Jin dont you mean WAIIT B3YOND, LMFAO!!!!! And dont come with the poor half assed excuse the games are coming soon, or wait till E3, cause you know what, we dont need to wait and we are still getting preety sick exclusives, Fable 2, Pgr4, Halo 3, Mass affect, Too human, Alan awake, Huxley, Blue dragon, Lost odyssey, Left 4 dead, Ng 2, gow 2, and Halo wars,

[bootsielon]

But still, it's annoying. Xbox fanboys can't use this as an excuse for the failure rates. The failure rates are NOT a moot point because of this. So, it's great that i'll get repairs for free... and that in three years, a redesign might be available in case my 360 fails by then. But still, Microsoft call center is annoying; especially when they leave you without your console for up to a month sometimes.

They should do what Lexus does... when your car needs service, they send you one to replace yours while the service is being done. Once the service is done, the borrowed console returns to the company, while your console is back. Either that or simply leave you with a new console while they refurbish the old one or whatever; that is, send the console immediately when yours breaks instead of making you wait so much, that's the point.

[sticky doja]

There would be alot of people trying to get free 360's, people not sending the loner back, etc. Even if MS sent out a new 360 the day they got your broke one in they could find out the console was a bricked one because the customer tried to mod it. Your scenario is just a little to good to be true. But I supposed if the 360 costed 30,000+ like a Lexus then they wouldn't have a problem with a loner.

[power of Green]

WoW this is good news for people with problem 360s. PS3s will start breaking before the 360 warrenty is up.

[Tabasco]

if my ps3 breaks which is highly unlikely i could use my 3 year warranty i have on it. So to relate more to your post, ps3's don't break dude face it.

[Antan]

"PS3s will start breaking before the 360 warrenty is up."

Though its good they have not started "breaking" after a healthy 8 months aint it?

Who are you again POG?

[XENOCIDE]

I've sold both my 360's n' gotta get another before Sept. This (article) insinuates that the newly manufactured 360's have the added heatsinks just as the newly repaired 360's, I hope that's correct (for my sake). If it is true then I think we can assume they're positive they've solved the problem. Because from the article, they wont repair new 360's even if they do RROD. Seems like they've finally stepped up to the plate, it was a shame they weren't admitting n' completely ignoring this problem (tho I never experienced it in over a year, nor have any of my family or friends who own 360's). If this new 3 year RROD warranty (n' that's all you need to be covered anyway, what else breaks on these things) doesn't make you happy then nothing will.

[ThaGeNeCySt]

How can anyone attempt to spin this news into a negative one?

[dale1]

just a thought if they disconnect one of the neons in the light sequence then they aint got to fix it under there terms, no 3 rings sir no free repair now f*ck off

[Squeely]

Seriously, you guys have to get paid well to kiss this much a$$ Here this will be my resume...

" Xbox 360 is the best console this generation. All reports of defective systems are all Sony lies!! We just extended the warranty out of love of our customers. There is absolutely no problem at all with the system, no sir-e."

Is that good enough?

[sjappie]

because you know now, there's no reason for interested people not to buy a 360. And you guys lost your biggest anti 360 battlecry: OMFG..RROD..HAHA...RROD

[BIG49]

GO SUCK SONYS GROIN POLE

[VirusE]

They are backing their product and taking a lose by doing so. I personally am impressed.

[Squeely]

It was rather extend the warranty and hope it pacifies people or face a class action lawsuits or FTC investigation, which would have cost them a lot more in fines and negative PR. The bad thing about this also is that it shows people that they have no confidence in their product. Oh well, we all know this is just a big show right before E3 anyway.

[VirusE]

Riiiiight, why do you want to bash the system so bad? Ms is doing something that few companies do these days. I have a car made by GM and I would love it if they decided to up the warranty to "pacify me" as you say. They are even reimbursing people which is extremely rare for a company to do. It’s a good thing for 360 owners.

[sony4life]

im trying to call them right now and ive been waiting for 30min. my 360 is on its way to these dudes

[sjappie]

oops

[Blankman]

i for 1 think this is excellent. With the rate of failure i am glad msoft is extending the warranty instead of shrugging it off or blaming it on the consumer. Kudos Msoft now i am not so scared of ma 360 croaking cus i knw i wudnt pay 140 to fix it

[Captain Tuttle]

But at least they're standing by the customers. Bad things always happen in business and it's how a company handles them that's telling.

Thumbs Up Microsoft.

[FeralPhoenix]

Well of course they never should have had a problem in the first place, but hindsight is 20/20, and like I've always said the only thing a company can do about failures is to take steps to fixing the problem, and this is exactly what M$ has done, they're adding the new heatsinks and they are extending the warranty for those with defective consoles. This will at least be a good sign to their fans that they care and don't want them to pay for something thats not their fault.

I think the warranty will be limited only to those problems which are directly related to 360's overheating/red rings issues because if you think about it some people do actually make mistakes and break their own 360's one I know spilled beer on it, and still insisted it was defective, although I do understand the vast majority do take care of their stuff and they just bought it defective but again some actually do make mistakes so I can understand them not wanting it to be a "free for all" kind of thing. Either way this is going to cost them alot of $$$$$, but when you're M$ you can afford it, but in the long run fans will appreciate M$ at least stepping up so that they don't have to pay. Say what you want but M$ is at least trying to fix the problem, you Sony only fans who suggest a recall are full of BS, its fixable, you guys just don't want them to fix it because you NEED a reason to continue bashing the 360. This is a step in the right direction to eventually weed out the bad 360's and its good news for those 360 owners who have experienced the problem.

[MetalProxy]

Extended to 3 years!?!? There must be something wrong with...

[THAMMER1]

MY 360 broke 2 - 3 weeks ago. I just got off the phone and got completely free repairs. Free shipping and everything the works. The process will take about 1 - 2 weeks. Sweet on top of this you will get an extended warranty.

[HaKeRsCanRotINHEL]

launch console freezes up not matter which game/s, cds, dvds you try too play its not covered unless it shows the three red rings of unlife, thats fu<ked-up! X~(

I might go get his useless console & call 1-800-4my-xbox and see what the future holds.

[ronscrote]

Your brother should try running his console with the vents blocked. Leave it running for long enough and it WILL fail with the RROD.

[ronscrote]

http://assets.xbox.com/en-u...

[Whoooop]

AND READ THIS..

Transformers (movie) is AWESOME.. Great popcorn movie with IMPRESSIVE CGI.

keep on flaming guys.

[TheMART-sucksdick]

It was amazing!!!! woop:)

[WafflesID]

hahaha

I agree. I loved that movie.

[Pika-pie]

Respect to MS for finally acknowledging there is a problem.

I would be really miffed if it happend to me and I feel bad for gamers on any platform that this happens to.

[tk]

Bravo MS. There might be hope after all.

[Charlie2688]

Hold on a sec looks like the 3 year extended warranty is a step into admitting the 360 failure rate O.o ...or at least keeping some people happy so they can pretend their 360 never died in the first place >.>

well looks like I fit the extended 3 year warranty requirements YAY! ^^

now back to more Dead Rising

[Covenant]

*applause*

I love my 360, and I think it's the best overall system this gen (yes, I know some of you disagree...which you have a right to do).

BUT, quality control for the 360 has, quite frankly, been horrendous. I think part of the reason that MS has seen slower sales of late has been due to people hesitating to purchase it, based on what they've heard about its spotty reliability record.

This is what they've needed to do for a while now: Acknowledge the problem, and then fix it.

This will hurt their bottom line, no doubt about it, but the goodwill and positive press that will come from this will help offset that.

Good job, MS. At least you've finally admitted there's a problem.

[Covenant]

Apparently, it's going to hit their bottom line to the tune of a billion dollars. Ouch. But they FINALLY admitted it.

P.S. I don't think that this being announced a few days before E3 is coincidence.

[Covenant]

I'm honest, sincere, and fair, and I still get negative feedback and lose a bubble on this comment. That's 2 bubbles lost in less than a week.

Nothing satisfies fanboys except slavering devotion to their console of choice, I suppose.

[i Shank u]

you seem rational so you shouldnt loose bubbles; fanboys suck.

new 360 warrenty policy owns. would have been nice if there was no problem with them, but this makes MS look alot better. woohoo. now if only they can get someone who speaks american on their support lines......

[SofaKingReetodded]

the box's failure rate should not be surprising, I build computers as a hobby and sometimes for friends and relatives( i try to stay away from it as they tend to think tech support comes with the package) and one of the first rules for custom PC builders is that when a new hardware platform comes out for PC you NEVER TOUCH IT!!!! for the first year as they are ALWAYS flawed and will mostly likely fail on you. Once the second and sometimes even third hardware revision rolls out it's usually safe to buy. How this plays out for MS remains to be seen.

[ALLGAMER]

is doing something right by extending the warranty. Although, this type of failure shuold not be tolerated, but atleast its something.
JIN, I liked your anology about the abusive kid, but why make it personal, and include Thammer1 and bladestar in it.
You make sense in your posts, but they are mostly wrapped up in a very agressive tone, and personal attacks, so people dont want to listen. Just take the personal attacks out, tone it down a bit, and you'll be better off.

[tonsoffun]

For finally doing something about the RROD problem. While is in no way a fix, it definatley helps all those effected.

My question is though: is it only offered to our North American brethren, or is this going to be rolled out worldwide?

[ronscrote]

Peter Moore said "This will take a few days to roll out globally, and I appreciate your continued patience as we launch this program."

[tonsoffun]

thanks bud - rep for you.

[Whoooop]

It's still a problem despite the 3 year warranty extension for users who experienced the RROD. BUT

It is a step forward.. Is better than doing nothing, yeah they are not giving a straight solution to the problem, but at least they are giving RROD victims something to feel good about their purchase.

Is not as bad as everybody think.. Now let's just hope they do this with the intention of fixing the problem in mind.

[khsmooth]

And from the open letter from Peter Moore on Xbox.com it says so.

Check it out:

Open Letter From Peter Moore
To our Xbox Community:

You've spoken, and we’ve heard you. Good service and a good customer experience are areas of the business that we care deeply about. And frankly, we've not been doing a good enough job.

Some of you have expressed frustration with the customer experiences you have had with Xbox 360; frustration with having to return your console for service after receiving the general hardware error message on the console.

The majority of customers who own Xbox 360 consoles have had a terrific experience from their first day, and continue to, day in and day out. But when anyone questions the reliability of our product, or our commitment to our customers, it's something I take very seriously.

We have been following this issue closely, and with on-going testing have identified several factors that can cause a general hardware failure indicated by three flashing red lights on the console. To address this issue, and as part of our ongoing work, we have already made certain improvements to the console.

We are also implementing some important policy changes intended to keep you in the game, worry-free.

As of today, all Xbox 360 consoles are covered by an enhanced warranty program to address specifically the general hardware failures indicated by the three flashing red lights on the console. This applies to new and previously-sold consoles. While we will still have a general one year console warranty (two years in some countries), we are announcing today a three-year warranty that covers any console that displays a three flashing red lights error message. If a customer has an issue indicated by the three flashing red lights, Microsoft will repair the console free of charge—including shipping—for three years from the console’s purchase date. We will also retroactively reimburse any of you who paid for repairs related to problems indicated by this error message in the past. In doing so, Microsoft stands behind its products and takes responsibility to ensure that every Xbox 360 console owner continues to have a fantastic gaming experience.

If we have let any of you down in the experience you have had with your Xbox 360, we sincerely apologize. We are taking responsibility and are making these changes to ensure that every Xbox 360 owner continues to have a great experience.

This will take a few days to roll out globally, and I appreciate your continued patience as we launch this program. I've posted an FAQ that should address some additional questions, and we'll update it over the next few days.

I want to thank you, on behalf of all us at Microsoft, for your loyalty.

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/s...

[Da Ghostdog]

MS is taking responsibility for their product.

[ApocalypseShadow]

it's just spun to make you think it was only the launch systems.gamers have bought the system after launch and got RROD.and adding heatsinks is just another admition to the problem.good job microsoft for avoiding a class action lawsuit.

so the system has to be covered for pretty much the entire next generation of gaming for RROD.because they rushed the system to market.it's good gamers are covered.but now you have to wait over and over for weeks sending in your units.

oh,and check the news tips.microsoft didn't hit 12 million in sales.awwwwww geeeeee..............no more fastest selling.more like fastest breaking............

[PS360PCROCKS]

fuc* you Microsoft! I broke my seal cause mine broke MONTHS ago...so F YOU!!!

[Tsalagi]

I took my whole system apart when it died too. Sucks that we can't get them fixed now.

[Bathyj]

First of all, Bravo to M$ for finally saying something. It's long FKN overdue and they still are just putting a bandaid on the cut instead of treating the cut itself, but hey, at least were underway now. And good for Pete for admitting "And frankly, we've not been doing a good enough job."

Now I hate to be negative on this good move, but really, is it that good a move. Its great we'll be covered, but its still not a fixing the problem to start with. Tell us what you're going to do about that.

My reason for wanting to know more is, they extended the warranty in the first place because everyone was complaining, great. Now they've done it again so you're covered even longer. Awesome, and for now it will shut us up again. But they may have just slashed their own wrists. I have yet to own a 360 that reached its first birthday. They must be pretty confident (or delusional) that they're going to last 3 years. Frankly I cant see any 360 lasting 3 years. It just seems too unlikely to me it will happen let alone lots or the majority lasting that long. In 2 years time, with this rate of breakages M$ could be in for a disaster, and obligated to fix/pay for it.

I am not saying this to flame or be alarmist so please dont give me a hard time, but just think about it, Xbox fans. We will all enjoy the extra cover in the meantime but could this be a killing blow for Xbox in the future? They're say it will cost them a billion and thats as it stands NOW. No one can know what it will cost in 2010 and it looks like 360 is never going to make profit either, just like Xbox1. Will X720 ever see the light of day?

PS
Please leave my bubbles alone but disagree all you like. I only ask that you explain why you disagree. I'd really like to talk about this issue and where it might be going.

[PS360PCROCKS]

Bravo homie...bravo... bubbles up for you.

[JokesOnYou]

I knew no matter what micro does to fix the problem you sony kids like this Bathy guy would complain, yes its you brainwashed poo-ray3 loving sheep who complain the loudest. Lets just be real, you yes you Bathy kid, you are not concerned with micro addressing or fixing the real problem because if you were you would know that they have made changes to the design even before adding the heatsink, and if you bothered to read Moores comments then you would see they have admitted its a problem and are apologizing and trying to do the right thing for their customers, but the truth is you and the rest of your sony friends don't want them to fix it because its the only weapon you have left to bash the 360, and now your options for justifying buying a poo-ray3 player with inferior games because of an inferior GPU is now getting much thinner. your comments are full of BS weaksauce, you and DJ, Jin, and crew are just a bunch of haters. no matter how much you hate and act as a wolf in sheeps clothing while saying you own a 360 just so you can bash it, you are transparent, you come here to spin this as bad news for your sick agenda because you believe anything with a ps logo on it is better, the only problem is we have eyes and only loyal sony sheep can see sony's mysterious 4D quality games so just STFU and go watch a poo-ray movie sony kid. I tried hard to give you sony kids a break, but it seems only the truth will shut you guys up. once again sony kids=

JOY

[kewlkat007]

I think this move, by extending the warranty to 3 years, is great move, you know why?

1. Early on why you started hearing about the complaints, I don't think MS took it as serious, and treated it as a tiny percentage of isolated cases. Because of that, I think they extended the warranty to like a year and thought they could get away since it might of been just a bad batch or something.

-But they continued to ignore it and the cases started adding up, so now MS had to really take step back and see exactly what is causing the RROD. While they were doing that more cases of failures were being reported, so now it is a serious issue.

-They have 10 million+ gamers out there, now how do you cover the consoles that might over heat? while you continue to treat the consoles that are reporting the RROD?

A. MS can replace over 10 million consoles, which would be gazillion dollars, and really would be taking 5 steps back with every step forward.

B. They can extend the warranty for 3 years, for users that have experienced the RROD, as there are a lot out there. If it is every xbox360, that is susceptible, then in three years they will know. If not, then they don't have to replace the given console, as if they would of gone with PLAN A, spending unnecessary money.

Plan B, does not cover gamers that have not experienced the RROD , because it just might not be every xbox360. So MS is playing it by "the red ring ear" hehe. But if you think the Xbox 360's can't last 3 years then we all will know, as all 10 million+ will eventually fail.

With extending the warranty, they don't have to replace every xbox 360, even if it has not experienced the RROD, which saves money. If they have isolated the issue and found a viable fix, then in the long-term, those xbox 360's hopefully will break down before the 3 year and get replaced or fixed with the new solution, by then eradicating all the bad Xbox 360's.

Then if you xbox360 last 4 years , then you have nothing to complain about, just like a computer/component that might fail after 3+ years. Well lets hope that is not the issue, but Xbox360's will be like $250 by then.

[fenderputty]

I don't see how anyone can twist this into a negative. I personally think they should have owned up sooner but, it's still nice to see them finally do something about it.

[unsunghero28]

I completely agree, and whoever disagreed with you is a douche...

[dazed808]

for finally admitting the problem and compensating ppl for it...just wondering what there gonna do for the ppl whos box die from other causes (freezes, constant trashing of discs etc) that seem to be a big problem (altho not to the same scale as RROD)should they not also benefit from extra warrenties and have these problems been resolved with the new revised hardware?

[retro]

Microsoft has done the right thing and acknowledges the reality that Xbox 360 has a quality problem.

They really need to work on their image to regain customers' trust and I think this is the right way - late yes, but just in time before it got really ugly.

[Short1e55]

This is GREAT news for me! My system got the ring fo death Sunday, and I was not happy with the $139.90 I had to pay. And now I get that money back :). (sorry, I am not always this selfish)

[Primetimebt]

When I owned a Junk Box my problem was this tazer sound coming from the DVD drive. Myself and a couple other guys I knew had the same problem where is our comp? I guess thats what you get when you have a software company trying to get into the hardware using the cheapest Chinesse company to build hardware.

[CrazzyMan]

Atleast now they are trying to do something, and not bullsh1ting about 3-5% of dead x360. :)

[Mikey_Gee]

... all fanboys did was piss and moan about MS not covering repair costs for RROD and how MS was putting buys in the dark. Now that MS has stepped up and taken the hit and are willing to do what is right and fix the RROD for a period of "3 FRICKEN YEARS" (nobody else covers for 3 years on anything for free) folks are now finding more to b!tch about.

Get over yourselves. Yes, the 360 has some other issues, but 99.9% of the time it is the RROD, so now you can sleep well for 3 years knowing you are being backed FOR FREE by MS.

Go buy a 360, see why folks love it so much and move on !!

[BIG49]

AMEN BROTHER

[gnothe1]

I'm still upset with MS. I called an the 3 years warrenty is for the 3 red rings only. well.... my system has 1 red ring an its not covered. 3 red rings ONLY!! but they did drop the repair cost from 139.99 to 99 dollars. but I still fell that I shouldnt have to pay for this!!back to play RFOM

[Bathyj]

You should leave it turned on until it gets three red rings. Use a towel a if you have to. I'm not trying to be smart, I'm serious. If its broken, its broken. Tell them your other 2 red rings are even broken.

[JasonPC360PS3Wii]

Service :-)

[cookiemonster]

seriously wtf 133 comments and the story is only 430 degrees

[Douglasp]

I would purposely overheat it, till I get the 3 red lights and call again.

[gnothe1]

I wish I knew how, I would make that sukka burn!! but unfortunate for me I have to pay!!

[Foulacy]

so how about they reimburse the people who bought the 2 year warranty.

[Mikey_Gee]

The first year covers EVERYTHING from front to back, the extra two years only covers the RROD. SO ... I have payed for the extra two year warranty, but what does it cover ... well .... my last 360 had the DVD drive crap the bed on me ... so ... since I PAYED FOR the extra two year warnty that cover my machine from FRONT TO BACK ... I am fine and covered. If I had NOT bought the exta two years and after the first year my DVD drive crapped out (NOT A RROD ISSUE), I would have to pay to have it fixed.

So to sum it up for those not interested in reading it all.

=============================
360 Warranty:
- First year coverage from FRONT TO BACK on EVERYTHING
- Next two years covers "ONLY" the Red Ring Of Death issues.
- If you want your machine to have coverage from FRONT TO BACK on EVERYTHING .... pay for the extra two years of warranty.
- You will only be re-imbursed "IF" you payed for a repair that was RROD related if you are within the three years from date of purchase.

And since the 360 came out 22 November 2005 ... my math skills tell me EVERYONE with a 360 is covered until at least 22 November 2008.

Pretty simple really
=============================

For me the $60 Canadian was well worth it and I sleep better knowing I have it. Trust me when I say ... the sick feeling you get in your stomach if/when your 360 has an issue .... well .... really not much fun at all. At least now if it happens ... worse case I am without a machine for a week or two but then back up and running with no large fee to pay.

Cheers

[AzaziL]

I JUST CALLED CUSTOMER SERVICE THIS MORNING, AND WAS TOLD MY WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED AND I MUST PAY $99 DOLLARS FOR A REPAIR, BUT SINCE THIS IS THE SECOND TIME, I GET A LOUSY 25% OFF AND WOW, FREE SHIPPING!!!! EXTENDED WARRANTY MY A**, WHO THE HELL POSTED THIS BS ONLINE, MICROSHAFT? UNLESS THIS PLAN WENT INTO EFFECT RIGHT AFTER I CALLED, THERE IS NO THREE YEAR WARRANTY, END OF STORY.

sorry for caps but i'm just really pissed off to see this article after being told i had to pay for repairs not even a year and month since i got a 360(and this is the second console that didn't even last a year). since i had no way to pay for it at the time, i just got a repair reference number which will get me 25% off a repair, wow big deal. now i see this and i just have this bad feeling i'm going to call tomorrow and be told i'm still SOL. if that is the case, as much as i love GTA, i will hate microsh** forever and buy a PS3 just to say **** you.

all i know is that ps3 didn't have to sell the most consoles to win this war, in fact, microsoft committed suicide since i know i won't bother getting a next gen console from them again. ps3 may lose, but ps4 has already won. sorry, i have to give praise to the console that lasts longer then a year and doesn't tell you to **** yourself if it doesn't.

[SofaKingReetodded]

while the die-hard fanatics who left Reality,USA a long time ago hold hands and skip, those of us with more sober business minds KNOW that this spells huge trouble for the box. A 3 year warranty on an item that normally carries a 1 year wanrranty will be a BIG RED FLAG to most consumers. I wonder how happy MSFT shareholders are about a move like this. I don't care how rich a company is, bleeding out $1 billion dollars because you have 10+ million poorly designed consoles out there will always end up bad.

[AzaziL]

I take back my previous comment of this warranty deal being BS, but I don't take back anything else I've said. I'm guessing MS didn't want to extend the warranty because of the headline news they made by offering a three year warranty which kills consumer confidence almost immediately. Sure, you can rest assured that if something happens, you'll get it fixed, but a three year warranty is just a guarantee that sooner or later, you'll be glad it's three years and not one. That said, I will be calling MS tomorrow to check my repair quote and see if I'll still be getting charged, stay tuned.

[Jeremy Gerard]

The Xbox division of MS is an outstanding group of people, this is great, Sony would NEVER have done something like this, hell most companies would not have, not without a few law suits. This is why I prefer an American company leading in the video game industry, our standards are far higher than the rest of the world when it comes to customer satisfaction and corporate responsibility. Just look at how user friendly the 360 is compared to the ass backwards PS3. Compare the time it takes just to do an update on each system, then tell me who is thinking about the user experience. No HDMI cable included, gimmie a break.

[Bathyj]

Sony had a one year warranty from the start. The only reason Xbox got one later was to stave off lawsuits and shut us up. Pretty much the same reason theres a 3 year warranty now because those outcrys didnt go away, they got worse.

If your standards are so high, why would you even need a 3 year warranty? That just screams "band-aid" to me and you'll see in 3 years time when not one person on the planet still owns a launch console.

And stop whinning about HDMI cables. Do you really expect Sony to supply a composite, component and HDMI cable in every PS3 when only one will ever be used? The only reason you get one with the elite is because its the "HDMI Model" so if you're buying it you obviously have HDMI or a black fetish. At least Sony brought HDMI to consoles, M$ said you didn't need it even though its the best possible connection available today. And yes I know Sony said they didn't need rumble. They were in the middle of a court case. M$ were just being cheap.

Edit.
I'm sorry for the rant.It is a good thing for 360 owners, but I cant help but think what the repercussions might be for M$.

[Why o why]

Anyway this is good news not just for 360 guys but for all us little people against the corporations, ms, sony, tescos, apple whoever. Enough noise was made on sites like this which then became news for the normal people on the street via normal media. Well done all the 360 owners who didn't keep quite like some fanboys were hoping. Ms couldn't bury its head under the sand forever. Getting your money back for repairs is another HUGE HUGE score for the little people. Rest assured ms and/or any company looking to manufacture gaming consoles will put more effort into R+D and testing from here on in. WELL DONE PEOPLE, eff corporations (a little) Good day.

[tudors]

I just sent a mail to Microsoft to find out if I qualify for the new warranty, I should do because my current console is as a result of the 3 red rings.

I will let you know how I get on.

[dale1]

just hope they dont mod the console so it doesn,t show 3 rings its a easy mod to do on the returns then it will be a hole new can of worms and more lies again from microsoft
theres a few people in europe that will confirm this if it happens

[xbox360elitegamer]

Great, three years of problems free for my 360.
P.S. I never had a problem with my 360, it's still new, but you never know, when those 3 red lights of death can show up?