Lawsuit Against Microsoft Reveals Company Knew the Xbox 360 Would Scratch Discs
By Stephany on Tuesday, December 16th, 2008 at 7:33 AM PST In Game Related Laws, Gamer Life, Games Industry, Hardware, Microsoft, Microsoft
A class action suit against Microsoft in regards to the Xbox 360 scratching discs if the consoles is tilted had some the documents presented in court unsealed and the contents revealed that Microsoft knew of the problem but pushed the console out the door anyway.
The document contains a quote from Microsoft Programmer Hiroo Umeno, that states:
“This is … information that we as a team, optical disc drive team, knew about. When we first discovered the problem in September or October (2005), when we got a first report of disc movement, we knew this is what’s causing the problem.”
Because of this, Microsoft sent some engineers out in the field to “investigate complaints that the Xbox 360 was routinely scratching discs during demonstrations” at retail stores. This is when Microsoft admitted that if tilted, discs inside became “unchucked” and subsequently would collide with the drive’s optical pickup unit. This would lead to deep circular gouges on the discs. In light of this news, Microsoft considered three different possibilities of fixed the problem, but decided against all three because all three would cost the company too much money.
Instead, Microsoft started a disc replacement program which would give customers a new disc should they become damaged for any reason–but only if it was a Microsoft title and you were willing to pay $20.00 for the service.
An engineering consultant who issued a statement in the case, mentioned that Nintendo, Sony and other electronics makers always incorporate the possibility of a disc getting moved around inside when they are designing and making the product. What this basically means (like with the Red Ring of death issues) that Microsoft was more concerned with being the first to bring their new console to the market instead of delaying the launch to solve quality issues– or at least that is what some “upper management” people over at Microsoft believe.
If you want to read all the sordid details, Seattle Post Intelligencer (Seattle PI) has the goods over on their website. This is just one of many different suits that have been brought against the company since the Xbox 360 was released.
There is a warning in the manual not to tilt the console while a disk is in it.
Yes there is, and a sticker on the console as well. This was stated in the lawsuit.
the older ps2 started doing this when the new blue tinted disks started coming out, my brothers copy of lego starwars had the exact same looking ring around the middle, so this is nothing new.
Yes Moneysoft you owe me a copy of Rainbow Six Vegas. i had filed a complaint to MS, talked to tech support. but they blamed the disk on the problem, all excuses. it was a ubisoft game so they couldn’t do anything on it.
i hope there’s a lawsuit for this. I don’t care on the game, i have another one, but its the useless design of the 360 which they were aware of and ignored.
If your dumb enough to tilt your 360 while its running you deserve to have to go buy a new game.
Fail.
For those people stupidly defending Microsoft on this the ’tilting’ which damages disks also includes using the console in the upright position
http://www.freewebs.com/360elite4rfree/4328-xbox360elite.jpg
http://www.tendancehightech.com/blog/images/game/Xbox-360-Elite-2.jpg
This has nothing to do with some idiot tilting their Xbox. It has to do with Microsoft knowing of this defect and ignoring it.
My Gears of War disk got scratched but I used one of those Skip Dr. things and fixed it. Disk works just fine now. Seriously anyone who has a scratched disk for whatever reason….those Skip Dr. things really do work.
I leave my Xbox on it’s side next to the PS3….they fight a lot and sometimes just for giggles I’ll put the Wii in between them to run interference.
Go Marlins!!!!