At last, a good explanation of what went wrong with MS re: RROD (1 Viewer)

[The Mongoose]

http://venturebeat.com/2008/09/05/x...istory-of-microsofts-video-game-console-woes/

Good article.

Some quotes:

So what exactly was wrong with the machines? As time would reveal, there was no single reason for the failures, though many of the problems could be blamed on the ATI graphics chip, which could overheat so much it warped the motherboard. This put stress on bad solder joints, causing them to fail early in the machine’s life. Sometimes the heat sinks on top of the GPU were put on the wrong way, resulting in heat problems. Finally, games would sometimes crash because of sub-par memory. Infineon had been brought aboard as the second supplier behind Samsung for the GDDR3 memory used in the Xbox 360. This new kind of memory chip was specified for 700 megahertz, but the Infineon parts were falling short of that target. Microsoft had to set up a line for sorting through the good parts and the bad parts, contributing to a shortage of consoles.

The yield problem was only discussed internally, and so the public at large was left wondering whether Microsoft was intentionally creating a shortage of consoles by making just a small number of machines. The truth was that Microsoft had to produce a lot of units — many of which failed — to get working consoles that it could ship. It was trying to get as many machines to the market as it could.

In August, 2005, as Microsoft was gearing up production,....The defect rate for the machines was an abysmal 68 percent at that point, according to several sources. That meant for every 100 machines that Microsoft’s contract manufacturers, Flextronics and Wistron, made at their factories in China, 68 didn’t work.

D'oh!

Microsoft decided to shut down manufacturing of the Xbox 360 in January, 2007. Between January and June, it didn’t build any new machines. The reason was partly because it made too many machines earlier, but the other reason was to track down the source of its quality problems.

Such are the consequences of rushing to be first in the market. Did the move payoff? Who knows where MS would have been without these problems, or more importantly, where MS would have been if not for a stellar line up of games while all these problems were occurring.

 

[whodatfever]

Outta here before the PS3 fanboys attack....here they come. :roadrunner:

 

[The Mongoose]

Meh, let them attack if they so choose. This is just more info on a problem everybody knew existed anyway. I'm just happy to finally know the answers.

It's no secret that MS rushed the console to market. Even with the problems, I think it was a shrewd move by them to gain market share.

This is video game board newsworthy, and everybody knows that I'm a most impartial mongoose. **looks around for impending lightning strike***

 

[whodatfever]

chirp.....chirp.....chirp.....







Goose, I gotta say, I think the PS3 fanboys might all be Saints fans. I think they're all over on the SSF. Quiet around here. No sir, I don't like it.:wallA:

 

[buzd]

Meh, let them attack if they so choose. This is just more info on a problem everybody knew existed anyway. I'm just happy to finally know the answers.

It's no secret that MS rushed the console to market. Even with the problems, I think it was a shrewd move by them to gain market share.

This is video game board newsworthy, and everybody knows that I'm a most impartial mongoose. **looks around for impending lightning strike***

Thanks for posting that. I'm PS3 loyal, but I find that interesting, whether MS or not.

 

[antipop]

Even with the problems, I think it was a shrewd move by them to gain market share.

lolz.....i can only imagine how you would react if sony was the company that put out faulty machines to gain a market share

 

[Dave Worth]

As a consumer (and 360 owner from day 1) it aggravates me. As a businessman it seems like a good move. In my company one of the things we preach is taking market share. I'm not sure what the financial hits were to replace/repair versus revenues gained. It's worth giving up profit short term to build Market Share that leads to bigger profit later. Time will tell the big picture on this case.

I've had more 360 failures than anyone I know with 3. My total time without a 360 since launch day is about 4 weeks. If someone had told me when I was standing in line that I had to choose one of the following options:

1) get the 360 that day and know there will be 3 blocks of about 1.5 weeks totalling a month where I won't have access to it. And I don't get to choose the times.

or

2) wait 2 months or more for a machine that works perfectly...

then I would choose 1 everytime. Bottom line is I've gotten more use out of the machine even with the failures. The fact that Microsoft is covering the repairs means I'm not out any money.


I'm not trying to seem like a fanboy. Historically I've owned Sony and Microsoft. The 360 came out first so that's what I got. As I've gotten older and have less free time I can't justify spending another chunk of money on another system for a few exclusive titles I don't even care about. I play mostly sports games (and lots of GTA IV) available on both systems. If the PS3 came out first that's what I would have bought and probably been just as happy.

 

[The Mongoose]

lolz.....i can only imagine how you would react if sony was the company that put out faulty machines to gain a market share

Well, I would probably use it against them, knowing me and how much I hate them.

The thing that makes me not hate MS is that they took the billion dollar hit and made it right. If they had just left our cheese hanging out in the wind, that would be grounds for me to hate them.

But really, as a 360 consumer, they minimized their problem to just some delays. So, I can understand their move without too much angst.

 

[City Champ]

they did offer to fix everything (they fixed both of my damn 360s)...

 

[cdogg]

I must've just gotten lucky, I have had 0 problems at all with my 360. My friend has had to return his twice though...

 

[jackers]

Have there been any problems with the Elite units?

 

[kcirdor]

market share or not, the smart consumer waits to see the reviews then makes an investment. I know I made the right choice.

 

[kcirdor]

http://venturebeat.com/2008/09/05/x...istory-of-microsofts-video-game-console-woes/

Such are the consequences of rushing to be first in the market. Did the move payoff? Who knows where MS would have been without these problems, or more importantly, where MS would have been if not for a stellar line up of games while all these problems were occurring.

I can guarantee if microsoft had fixed the issues before rushing the market, I and many others probably would have purchased the product on the sheer fact that it is/was much cheaper than the PS3. Thus dominating the market share. But the RROD came along and ruined any chance of me purchasing the 360. Why buy a 360 when any "exclusive" title will end up on PC with much better controls 6 months later, and when you can just buy the multi purpose PS3.

I like my media center/ PC/ TV/ Super awesome Geek Throne.

 

[antipop]

rodrick = troof speekah

other than that PC gaming nonsense

 

[kcirdor]

rodrick = troof speekah

other than that PC gaming nonsense

so kcirdor = hakeeps foort?