Microsoft sued over alleged Xbox 360 glitch

[kumquatq3]

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A Chicago man who bought Microsoft Corp.'s new Xbox 360 has sued the world's largest software maker, saying the new video game console has a design flaw that causes it to overheat and freeze up.

 

The proposed class action claims that in Microsoft's bid to gain share in the $25 billion global video game market, the company was so intent on releasing the Xbox 360 before competing next-generation machines from Sony Corp and the "super awesome revolution*" from Nintendo Co Ltd. that it sold a "defectively designed" product.

 

Robert Byers, who brought the suit, said the power supply and central processing unit in the Xbox 360 overheat, affecting heat-sensitive chips and causing the console to lock up.

 

Microsoft spokeswoman Molly O'Donnell on Monday said the company does not comment on pending litigation.

 

Complaints about the problem surfaced quickly on gaming enthusiast Web sites after the Xbox 360 debuted on November 22.

 

Console owners reported that some systems had crashed during regular use as well as during online game play using the Xbox Live service. Problems included screens going black and the appearance of a variety of error messages.

 

At the time O'Donnell told Reuters: "We have received a few isolated reports of consoles not working as expected."

 

She declined to say how many reports Microsoft had received and said that calls reporting the issue to the company represented a "very, very small fraction" of units sold.

 

The lawsuit, filed on Friday in federal court in Illinois, seeks unspecified damages and litigation-related expenses, as well as the replacement or recall of Xbox 360 game consoles.

 

* Words added, but I believe the intended context remains. "

 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051205/tc_nm/media_xbox_dc

[Judge Hades]

Kickarse!

 

If they do force Microsoft to do a full recall I wouldn't want to be a developer for that system.

Edited December 5, 2005 by Hades_One

[Darque]

* Words added, but I believe the intended context remains.  "

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

At the rate you're going, you're going to make people hate that console

[Volourn]

What a joke! Just return the thing if it doens't work properly. Definitely not worth a lawsuit. It should be thrown out.

[ShadowPaladin V1.0]

My common sense says the bloke is fishing for a settlement. Of course if that is the case it opens the floodgates for every other 360 owner to do exactly the same thing.

 

That may end up costing more than a recall would.

 

You would have to prove that there is a design flaw though and its not just a case of faulty manufacturing. MS outsourced the PSU to a number of different manufacturers.

[kumquatq3]

At the rate you're going, you're going to make people hate that console

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I know, but I can't stop

[ShadowPaladin V1.0]

What a joke! Just return the thing if it doens't work properly. Definitely not worth  a lawsuit. It should be thrown out.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

If it's a design flaw then it is worth a fishing trip. I'd have liked to have seen their tests since in a normal home system you get a lot of heatbuild up from the close proximity of the TV/Video/DVD/Console etc.

 

Computers may idealy need to be kept in rooms that feel like bloody fridges, but not home consoles.

[Darque]

What a joke!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Well said.

 

You were talking about Microsoft... right?

 

[Azure79]

Are these malfunction rumors actually substantiated?

 

I don't know anyone who owns a 360. Anyone on the boards have one?

[ShadowPaladin V1.0]

Are these malfunction rumors actually substantiated?

 

I don't know anyone who owns a 360. Anyone on the boards have one?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

http://gamershell.com/download_11625.shtml

 

MS released a statement to the effect of it's your fault if you dont keep it cool enough. There was also a funny story about a guy hanging the PSU from a piece of string to keep it cool.

[Surreptishus]

If there are genuine faults then fair play to those that sue. There was a class action against apple over crappy battery life when the ipod mini was released. I think they the claimants got replacemnet ipods as compensation and the the battery life was improved.

 

I think earlier this year MS replaced all xbox power cables - so they are wiling to remedy a fault.

Edited December 5, 2005 by Surreptishus

[kirottu]

I don't know anyone who owns a 360. Anyone on the boards have one?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

They don

Edited December 5, 2005 by kirottu

[Surreptishus]

Is finland a key market?

[kirottu]

:D I

[Kaftan Barlast]

Petty lawsuits are bad but if its M$ that are being sued... go right ahead! :D

 

 

 

I would absolutely love it if the 360 became a flop because the less games are "exclusiveized" to that evil piece of technology, the more for us honest PC users

[alanschu]

I'd like it to get a kick in the teeth pretty much only because of Epiphany

[Laozi]

I've been playing my roomate's 360 a bit, and it hasn't overheated or anything. Sometimes the controller won't work during my patented rad couch jumps, and my other roomate has complained a couple of times that it won't play his "bootlegged" pron. But overheating hasn't been a problem, yet.

[SteveThaiBinh]

If the thing doesn't work, fine, get a refund, but damages? For what? And more to the point, why can't I sue Microsoft every time Windows crashes?

[Sarjahurmaaja.]

I... agree with Volourn.

 

How queer.

[Darque]

I'd like it to get a kick in the teeth pretty much only because of Epiphany

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Speaking of Epiphany... where has he been?

 

I needed to hear that this was all a marketing ploy to get people to buy two or three units each

[Gabrielle]

What a joke! Just return the thing if it doens't work properly. Definitely not worth  a lawsuit. It should be thrown out.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My thoughts as well. The judicial system in this country is a joke. Petty lawsuits over petty crying.

[Judge Hades]

Like I said, I think this is a good thing. If Microsoft's lil' console is a big flop that would give the PC market a big push. I mean if X Box 360 is a complete flop that would force developers to drop the platform. That would either mean drop the current projects or transfer them to the PC market. Either way its a win win.

[Gabrielle]

They need to stick with computers not kiddie consoles. But a lawsuite is still stupid and lame.

[Laozi]

Like I said, I think this is a good thing.  If Microsoft's lil' console is a big flop that would give the PC market a big push.  I mean if X Box 360 is a complete flop that would force developers to drop the platform.  That would either mean drop the current projects or transfer them to the PC market.  Either way its a win win.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

That's pretty optimistic for you, likely alot of games would never get made and then never be ported over to computer.

[alanschu]

Like I said, I think this is a good thing.  If Microsoft's lil' console is a big flop that would give the PC market a big push.  I mean if X Box 360 is a complete flop that would force developers to drop the platform.  That would either mean drop the current projects or transfer them to the PC market.  Either way its a win win.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

That's pretty optimistic for you, likely alot of games would never get made and then never be ported over to computer.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

It would depend of course on the level of investment, as well as how much additional investment it would take to make it work for the PC.

 

If there's already been a huge financial investment, a release on the PC could be very viable, even if it just meant cutting their losses rather than making an actual profit.