Jasper Xbox 360 to conquer Red Rings?

By Tom Bramwell Published 29 November, 2008

Could do, says Xbox chronicler Takahashi.

VentureBeat reporter and renowned Microsoft digger Dean Takahashi has said that the new 'Jasper' version of Xbox 360 hardware could do away with the Red Ring of Death forever.

Jasper introduces a 65nm version of the graphics chip among other tweaks. "With the new design, Microsoft has a chance to rise above the problems associated with the Red Ring of Death," Takahashi wrote, then hedging: "We'll see if the systems prove reliable."

"The graphics chip will likely consume less power than previous versions, allowing it to fit snugly into its motherboard socket. That should lead to fewer system failures due to the graphics chips coming loose."

Takahashi summarised his previous reporting on the Red Ring of Death to explain Jasper's potential. Old models has 90nm chips that overheated thanks to thermal fatigue, he said, which Microsoft previously attempted to off-set with improved heat-sinks.

Jasper also comes with 256MB of internal flash memory, allowing Microsoft to bundle New Xbox Experience without relying on a hard disk or external memory card.

It's not yet known how you will be able to distinguish a Jasper 360 from its predecessors without ripping it open, but once current retail inventory has been exhausted the new model should take over, and has already appeared in the wild judging by illustrated Xbox-Scene posts linked by the VentureBeat reporter.

Once we get our hands on Jasper, expect Eurogamer's technical guru Rich Leadbetter to rip it apart to get some answers. Check out our Xbox 360 Elite hardware test feature to see what he made of that back in June last year.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (94) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • FOE #1 3 years ago

    first

  • Xerx3s #2 3 years ago

    I HAVE 22 XBOXEN AND THEY ALL WENT RROD! THE LAST 5 WHERE THOSE NEW ONES!

  • Xerx3s #3 3 years ago

    "It's not yet known how you will be able to distinguish a Jasper 360 from its predecessors without ripping it open"

    Er yes it is, research much? It's on your own forum in case you where wondering...

  • Psychotext #4 3 years ago

    Stupid... unless they've literally removed the error light functionality then machines will still get RRoD. It's just the code for the general hardware failure.

  • jonsaan #5 3 years ago

    Make it really fecking obvious that it's a new breed on the box and I might buy number 5. Might.

    Just read Xerx's post. Erm, second thoughts, no thanks.
    Edited by 2 at 29/11/08 @ 12:06

  • Skywise #6 3 years ago

    Don't assume that you'll get the new version though:
    I bought a 360 Halo 3 bundle 3 months after the release of the Falcon version and it still was the old model. So far no RRoD *knocks on wood*, but if it would RRoD, I'd never buy a MS console again.

  • Sid-Nice #7 3 years ago

    You won't get a RROD with the Jasper chipset; now you’ll get a carrot coloured orange glow.

  • MilkYMoO #8 3 years ago

    My euro launchday 360 finally got the RROD last night. Great timing, about a week after the warranty was up.

  • BastoJ #9 3 years ago

    My launch day Xbox is still fine, so far. However it's good to see that when / if my current one does die I should, hopefully, be getting a nice new one.

    The other positive of this is that the next console MS releases SHOULD be much more reliable. A baptism of fire for MS might be good for them, at least they'll test it in extreme conditions more next time :p.

  • barchetta #10 3 years ago

    But it wasn't really a baptism was it? The original Xbox was far more reliable. Mine is still going strong serving as the kids DVD player! Wouldn't dare let them use the 360 for the same purpose - I treat mine with extreme care and yet I find myself on No. 6. >:(

    I will definitely be part-exing my horrendously noisy Premium for a bona-fide Jasper as soon as I can.

  • StooMonster #11 3 years ago

    Yes we can recognise the boxes -- batch number/team/manufacture date and whether it lists 256MB onboard -- but where do we find them?

    After years of high-end PC gaming, with Wii for the kids, I've decided to take the console plunge and have opted for 360 over PS3; but I've been waiting for the Jasper model for months.

    Who turns over the most consoles in the UK -- I'm thinking they will get newer inventory first -- it's obviously not Woolies, but is it physical retail (e.g. Game) or is it online merchants (e.g. Play)?

  • drumbaby #12 3 years ago

    Monkeys may fly out of Takahashi's butt.

  • Tweakmonkey #13 3 years ago

    So how many hardcore users will sell their current model and buy this instead?

  • makeamazing #14 3 years ago

    Not sure about this news report... doesnt help when you see this The graphics chip will likely consume less power

    "likely" that suggests someone making "Maybe" suggestions as in they dont really know.. not accurate reporting is it.

    I would have probably got an Xbox by now... but not until I feel comfortable with the fact the hardware isnt going to go belly up on me. I hate things breaking and reliability is something that is a must for me. Perhaps I'm becomming a grumpy old man, but I certainly would not have put up with 4, 8 or more going wrong. I just cant stand messing around sending things back and forth to get repaired (I got very angry when my broadband goes down for a day @_@.

    Anyway I hope they do solve it, but believe it when i see it. Certainly wont buy one until I could be sure of getting a Jasper and not an old style one.
    Edited by 1 at 29/11/08 @ 13:42

  • Domovoi #15 3 years ago

    "It may or may not fix the problem." I wish I was a blogger, then I could make money by saying nothing too.

  • IneptPercy #16 3 years ago

    I do find it hard to believe anybody can ahve got through so many consoles, I had a release day console and as expected it died.

    I got a replacement and all has been fine since, I would say mine probably gets used well within the averages.

    Maybe its just PS3 fanboys who have never owned a 360? so Maybe I should say I am on my 25th PS3 just to balance the equation?

    Ok I admit it I have never owned a PS3...

  • coojam #17 3 years ago

    I don't think anyone can argue that in terms of hardware component quality, the 360 is the ropiest games console and one of the worst home electronics products in history.

    However, that people continually buy replacements is testament to the quality of the machine itself and its games. Personally, I'm on no. 3.

  • aphexstwin #18 3 years ago

    im on my 2nd xbox, but only coz i traded the 1st toward my ps3. bf2mc was and still is the main reason why i got another one. just love that game. gears of yawn and gaylol3 were not on my radar im afraid (tried gow1 and traded it not long after). my first one was on its last legs i felt. my 2nd, although just over a year old, its not a hdmi model, and i wont install, tried bf2 but the drive really made a lot of noise so cancelled it out of fear of drive failure. but as someone else says, if it rrods i wont replace, just out of sheer anger that its a badly designed piece of electronics and should have been better designed like the ps3 is with its turbine.

  • Calgon #19 3 years ago

    jonsaan lol... ok what he was getting at is people are incorrectly identifying "The RROD" with an overheating/bad chip error... when thats not true at all, theres alot that can go wrong with all the current gen consoles(look around the forums plenty of PS3s break too "OMG teh peice of shit!";), RROD is a general error flag to show that somethings gone wrong, it doesnt tell the repair centre exactly what that is on its own.

    The majority of the RRODs were due to overheating for a long time but with the Falcon and now Jasper it's looking more likely that majority of RRODs(which will be far fewer to begin with) will be because of something else entirely. No doubt the FUD will continue as fanboys worry about the impact a more reliable(and already currently outselling PS3) 360 will have on the PS3's "bright future".

    edit: Doh confused Xerx3s with Psychotext there... sorry for the confusion.

    Edited by 4 at 29/11/08 @ 16:58

  • Xerx3s #20 3 years ago

    "Just read Xerx's post. Erm, second thoughts, no thanks. "

    You do realise that it was tongue in cheek right? ;)

  • Xerx3s #21 3 years ago

    "lol by the time RROD is fixed (if ever) ... a new xbox will be launched. Glad I got a ps3 ...I can play it in the middle of a saharan desert and it still wont overheat."

    Yeah but that's because of other reasons.

  • makeamazing #22 3 years ago

    @evilfoxhound, obviously any hardware can fail and I am sure there are some PS3's that do, but when you look at E.G's website 99% are Xbox failures (and usually people have multiple failures). As people are already aware the failure rate is very high in comparrison.. too high for me right now.

  • Calgon #23 3 years ago

    Zero_Cool you can pretty much bet all of it has moved over to China now(happens in most generations... starts off in multiple countries ends up in the cheapest as they drive costs down)... use your head.

    360 > PS3 where it counts.
    Edited by 2 at 29/11/08 @ 17:24

  • Calgon #24 3 years ago

    Zero_Cool lol dont cry about it... I know a damn sight more than you about both these consoles, I'd bet money on that.

    You know MS must be doing something right when you get reactions like this from Sony fanboys, smell that fear lol.
    Edited by 6 at 29/11/08 @ 18:41

  • Calgon #25 3 years ago

    Zero_Cool do you not realise how obvious your game is?

    Im pretty sure nobody is going to avoid the 360 based off any amount of FUD you pathetically try and conjure up to defend your favoured corporation, anyone who does come here is likely already a gamer and probably knows more than you do about it to begin with.

    Your stupidity is approaching amusing now, still slightly annoying mind you.
    Edited by 2 at 29/11/08 @ 17:49

  • Khanivor #26 3 years ago

    Do you get a special badge when you achieve your level of fuckwitedness zero?

  • Calgon #27 3 years ago

    Zero%Cool more like... :/

  • makeamazing #28 3 years ago

    @Calgon, your not helping the situation... with your Xbox > PS3 comments. Its pretty apparent to anyone with common sense that there are things for and against each machine. All you do is make yourself look like a fanboy and goad the Ps3 fanboys into saying how crap the Xbox is... thereby creating a stupid situation of claim and counter claim :(

  • Velios #29 3 years ago

    I have an original XBOX360, which I bought one month after they released the console. I play it every day and must have had it for approaching 1000 + hours of game time now - Never had a RROD, the console plays perfectly - so am I in the minority?

    I always have kept the XBOX on the glass shelf underneath the TV, never on carpet.

  • metalnut #30 3 years ago

    RRoD is a serious problem but *way* overhyped by vested interests. I have a number of 360-owning friends and I only know one (launch-day machine) that has had a RRoD so far. I honestly wonder what the people who claim to have gone through 5-10 machines are actually doing with them. No machine should be as prone to overheating as the 360 is, but still, with those odds every one of my friends should have had a RRoD by now if that's 'normal'. Maybe we've just been lucky.

  • Bitkari #31 3 years ago

    Really, they could have done with a proper hardware revision rather than a minor tweak and die shrink.

    A svelte, quiet, reliable Xbox SKU would do wonders in the marketplace.

  • Calgon #32 3 years ago

    makeamazing: @Calgon, your not helping the situation... with your Xbox > PS3 comments. Its pretty apparent to anyone with common sense that there are things for and against each machine.

    That statement was in response to the one he made before it and it still doesn't imply that there aren't things for and against either machine.

    Also this is the 360 board, has it gotten so bad that you can't state you think the 360 is better than the PS3 on its own board without upsetting the PS3 fanboys? What has become of EG, it's been ruined because the Sonybots want to control everything it seems, when they can't they kick and scream.
    Edited by 2 at 29/11/08 @ 18:37

  • bonker #33 3 years ago

    "lol by the time RROD is fixed (if ever) ... a new xbox will be launched. Glad I got a ps3 ...I can play it in the middle of a saharan desert and it still wont overheat. "

    'Enjoy'.

  • Calgon #34 3 years ago

    Bitkari you mean a new look slimmer model? Id expect that in a year or more's time(might be two considering how long they took with Jasper) when they integrate the CPU and GPU... I dont know if that would be worth waiting for though.

    As far as the internals go I dont know how much more they could change, they could use quieter fans IMO(but I admit I dont know what the cost woud be for totally quiet ones, maybe its unreasonable to expect for the selling price) and DVD drives if they exist at those speeds. They could atleast attempt noise reduction now its cooler though, there are materials out there that are relatively inexpensive, that could improve that.
    Edited by 2 at 29/11/08 @ 18:39

  • makeamazing #35 3 years ago

    @Calgon its all about context... I'm not saying you cant like your Xbox in a Xbox thread, but this is a general news item about the Xbox, doesnt mean that its locked out to everyone else... hey Ive already said there are many PS3 idiots too. But it does seem that its worse on PS3 threads than Xbox ones (Destroy all humans being one).

    If you are comfortable with the machine you've got you dont need to get into mine is better than your's type conversations... but lets be honest, none of the current crop of machines are perfect by any means.


  • Calgon #36 3 years ago

    this is a general news item about the Xbox, doesnt mean that its locked out to everyone else

    It should be to to the PS3 trolls though, why you are even trying to argue against that I dont know and before you try and spin it Zero_Cool was blatantly trolling.

    makeamazing no Im sorry my arguement has always been with the trolling... Ive always said be happy in your own communities with your own opinions at the very least if you are not ready to behave in way that wont end in arguement for arguements sake.
    Edited by 2 at 29/11/08 @ 19:09

  • citizenHUNTER #37 3 years ago

    Good news then I hope, was going to get me a new box in the new year cos mine has been playing up for a while (and scratched my Forza disc randomly). I'll make sure I get the newest and best update of this hardware line whenever I do but my new Xbox. it seems like a very bad thing that I'll have needed to own 2 consoles to get the best of this generation, but I remember my DC playing up and getting a second one, cos what the hell, I needed it. Same with PS2's, plenty of people went through at least one or more cos it kept dying. Also, my great headphones I've had for a couple of years are now beginning to show some wear and tear and might stop working soon, so I'll buy a new one of those

    It's not nice when things fuck up and the 360 has definitely been worse than many other pieces of consumer tech (although how many phones fuck up after a while, purely they get run into the ground, keypads stop working, OS gets buggy and overloaded.. it's not a new thing people buying replacements for something they already have cos it stops working at it's peak).

    But I digress, I'm looking forward to getting a nice shiny new Xbox again, and I'd be happier with a replacement of my Xbox than a brand spanking new PS3 to be completely honest, I really would, I love my Xbox which is why I shall buy a newer, better functioning one. MS have done good on everything minus some serious hardware glitches, but overall their offering, to me at least, is far more compelling than either of the two competitors they are facing, and the hardware faults can be blamed at their rushing to the market first, but so what, everything else they've done has been pretty successful and I love the 360, long may it and MS's good run continue. I want Sony to perish from their continued over confidence and they're doing a good job of achieving that.

    From a bitter Sega Saturn and Dreamcast fan loving the relative downturn in Sony's fortunes, muahaha. Revenge is sweet :p Proves the saying 'what goes around comes around'.

  • Velios #38 3 years ago

    I own both a PS3 and xbox360..

    Basically my PS3 rarely gets used as all of the big games that come out are consistently better looking on the XBOX. GTA4, Fallout to name just two titles that I have opted to buy in XBOX before 360 (the games are also cheaper) £29 for fable in Asda! STII HD Remix - also got this on the XBOX as quite simply, that's where most my mates are.

    Overall, I'm disappointed in my PS3 - It definitely has not turned out to be the console I had hoped it would. I expected to be utterly spoiled for choice with AAA games that offered an experience better than anything else available on other formats. That has not been the case, and as time goes by I doubt it ever will.

    I hope Sony leans from it's mistakes in time or the next round, but I get a definite feeling that Microsoft is becoming a dominant force in the online console world - it's XBOX live is just so much more "live" than the detatched feeling I get everytime I use the PS3.

    All I have to look forward to on the PS3 now is FFXIII which will probably turn out better on the PS3 as it has been designed for that system all along. It will be a HUGE shock if that title also proves to be better graphically on XBOX360 when it is launched, and will just about confirm my decision to get the PS3 on eBay.

  • Collymilad #39 3 years ago

    first off marron, go fuck yourself.

    Sony POS.

  • Widge #40 3 years ago

    @Velios

    don't forget about FFXIIIversus if you want the full package...

  • technofranki #41 3 years ago

    I got the RRoD here the other day, again. This is the fourth Xbox that has died on me. But it's over two years since last time.

  • lockload #42 3 years ago

    "It's not yet known how you will be able to distinguish a Jasper 360 from its predecessors without ripping it open"

    The power supply is 150w just look on the box...

  • lockload #43 3 years ago

    ^^

    Well ive had two RROD but ive only bought one as its replaced for free

    Ive also had my PS3 die on me (drive error)
    Edited by 3 at 29/11/08 @ 21:32

  • JDub #44 3 years ago

    Had never seen it in the flesh until today - My mate's near euro launch model one went titsup!! Not nice.

  • bonker #45 3 years ago

    "The power supply is 150w just look on the box... "

    I'm not sure that's the case - I've read that the contents listing on the back simply says "256MB" rather than "256MB included" for the Arcade SKU - that's American packaging of course, no idea if that's different here ...

  • ArcMonkey #46 3 years ago

    What kind of name is Jasper anyway? Couldn't it be called something cooler? Like Ted??

  • jonbwfc #47 3 years ago

    It occurs to me - wasn't Falcon supposed to 'cure the RROD'? Until it actually hit the shelves and people started having it with that too. Seems to be experience would suggest at least waiting until there's a significant number of the new revision out there being played with before announcing the problem is fixed.

    The thing about the RROD was never that it was a particularly unusual problem, just that it had an unusual frequency of occurrence. If they can get the failure rate down to comparable levels to other consumer electronics (say less than 5%) then fair enough but I doubt you'll ever get it to go away entirely.

    Jon

  • Bangaioh #48 3 years ago

    I have had three 360s, two are still at home: one that I use on a regular basis and a spare one, just in case. I gave the first one to a friend and had RROD for the first time a week ago since euro launch date.
    Considering that the PS3 has such a pathetic line up I don't think theres much of choice... that is if you buy a console for gaming and not watching blu rays.

  • NotSoSlim #49 3 years ago

    Ah the crappy stereotype that you only buy a PS3 to watch films lmao. I guess i mist be 1 in a million as i have no blu rays & 7 PS3 games.

    Also the whole PS3 pathetic line up is a pathetic comment...it may not suit your needs but 17million people seem pretty happy with it. I swear do fanboys get bored?

  • Hobo #50 3 years ago

    I'm assuming you must actually mean 17 million people actually OWN ONE, not are certified HAPPY with it...unless there was a customer base-wide survey that i missed?

  • Doctor_What #51 3 years ago

    @ Metalnut: RRoD is a serious problem but *way* overhyped by vested interests. I have a number of 360-owning friends and I only know one (launch-day machine) that has had a RRoD so far. I honestly wonder what the people who claim to have gone through 5-10 machines are actually doing with them. No machine should be as prone to overheating as the 360 is, but still, with those odds every one of my friends should have had a RRoD by now if that's 'normal'. Maybe we've just been lucky.

    I think you have been very lucky indeed. Everyone I know with a 360 who I've asked (about a dozen people) has had to send back the machine due to RROD. I bought mine in November 2006 and after very light use for seven months it got the RROD. I had to remove a shelf in my open-fronted cupboard to give it extra space just to keep it well ventilated, and kept the power-brick outside the cupboard, but even with those precautions it still died on me.

    Maybe the NXE's HDD install will make the machines last longer due to the reduced drive-heat, but the installs take ages. I'd rather just play the game on the PS3 and hope my eyes don't explode if I notice the few frames per second slower that the games (apparently) run at. Even running from the HDD, the 360 is still a noisy and hot machine. I like whisper-quiet machines, so the PS3 wins for me, but that's just my personal taste.

    @ Bangaioh: The 360 does have a great software line-up, but you're just buying into 360 fanboy crap if you believe that the PS3's is 'pathetic'. Uncharted, Wipeout HD, Ratchet & Clank, SingStar, Buzz, LBP, Resistance 2, Burnout Paradise (the best version of it graphically and with the smoothest online feature set), the PixelJunk games, EchoChrome, Linger In Shadows, and Super Stardust HD. And yes, I do like watching blu-ray films, as well as using the PS3 for streaming media from my PC, and it works as my house's stereo when my girlfriend and I have friends over, usually before we spend the night playing SingStar.

    It's not just for watching blu-ray films, it actually has a hell of a lot of decent games on it too - it can, y'know, do both things really well.

    It's down to what you want from your machine, and it's fine if none of those PS3 games appeal to you. I'm not trying to tell you that you should suddenly start enjoying singing your heart out with your loved one after a bottle of wine on Friday nights. Personally the prospect of playing Gears 2 bores me senseless after the onslaught of tedium and bad writing that was Gears 1, but I happily admit that for many gamers it's a great title. I'm just getting very bored of this stereotype that the PS3's range of titles is rubbish, because it clearly isn't. The 360's set of gams is very good, and it almost certainly has a greater number of highly-rated titles, but I'd say that they are in a more limited set of genres than those on the PS3. It certainly has a more limited range of functions that I want from a box under my telly - I like my streaming music and films as well as my games, and I like the nice quiet system fan so I can hear them properly. I play on my 360 lots, but I use my PS3 every day; sometimes for games, sometimes for media stuff, and often for both.

    Apologies for the rant, but these tired and non-factual clichés about the PS3 are always trotted out whenever the factual hardware issues of the 360 are brought up. I'm all for genuine debate about the merits of the machines (I was genuinely stumped when someone recently asked me which they should buy, and I ended up giving them a lengthy questionnaire about what they wanted from their machine as an answer!), but the perpetuation of myths don't help rational discussion.

  • BartonFink #52 3 years ago

    My launch machine died this evening ... Fable II killed it the murdering bastard ... I guess being all kinds of ebil was the last straw for it :(

    Right at the end of th 3 yr warranty period too.

    The upside it by the time it gets back I will be able to buy Fairfax castle, get the gargoyle and ruler of Albion achievements \o/

    It's heading off for major surgery on Monday.

  • Skywise #53 3 years ago

    Zero_Cool wrote:
    "It's pathetic that the 360 is still getting the RROD after 3 years. Jasper model isn't going to change this. Let's face facts, the 360 is a piece of shit.

    I've got no sympathy for gamers who are on their 3rd/4th/5th 360 because their dumb ass will never learn. "

    I couldn't agree more. I've stopped buying multiplatform releases for 360 already so the eventual migration to PS3 won't be too much of a pain. I just hope that I can manage to finish Fable 2 before my 360 goes tits up.
    Edited by 1 at 30/11/08 @ 02:13

  • tnt_2008smum #54 3 years ago

    @Zero_Cool

    you are such a cock!

  • Skywise #55 3 years ago

    @tnt_2008smum: your spelling is improving. Stop learning from Amoeba and go back to your roots :p

  • NotSoSlim #56 3 years ago

    @ Hobo

    Yea 17m that have one, sorry i wasnt clear. My point wa saying the PS3 line up is pathetic is a equally pathetic comment. Al i know loads of people who dont play the 360 they own yet the 360 is gaming heaven.

    Dont know when fanboys will learn that certain console suit the players taste & needs more. I sold my 360 because i didnt play it...great machine just bored me senseless.

  • GamesConnoisseur #57 3 years ago

    We should be able to have healthy debates, though I admit get annoyed with the the 'I m on my 15th RROD' or those with the intention of driving consumers to buy PS3 instead because X360 is OH MY GOD SO UNRELIABLE! I and my local circle of regular X360 players have only 2 RROD between 6 of us and between us we have gamerscore of 160k approx and that give you a good idea of the hours spent on the machine.

    Fair enough if its because we all are damn lucky or living where we are (55 degree North - Newcastle) which may be more suitable climate for X360!

    I acknowledge that X360 is badly designed to allow the faults to occur with such frequencies, but based on my 'real world' experience I find it hard to swallow those on their 9th or so!!

    I also own PS3 and thinks its a great kit, but so far up to Christmas I would say X360 is doing better and the respective AAA titles such as PS3's Resistance 2 is not comparable to X360's GoW2 in my own view. But would expect next year PS3 to be doing better.

    What with PS3 exclusives to come such as Hard Rain, The White Knight Chronicles and so on, still a good console to own as well as X360 is for its gaming jewels. I m not going to start to say I really dont like PS3, when I do or to make up comments such as 'my PS3 has gone to shop for the third darn time'!
    Edited by 1 at 30/11/08 @ 13:47

  • Skywise #58 3 years ago

    @GamesConnoisseur: this link seems to indicate that you and your friends have been lucky idd.

    http://ww w.ntsc-uk.com/feature.php?featu...

  • GamesConnoisseur #59 3 years ago

    @GamesConnoisseur: this link seems to indicate that you and your friends have been lucky idd.

    http://ww w.ntsc-uk.com/feature.php?featu...

    Thanks for this, not suprised that there would be numbers reported, as the earlier build of X360 that arent Falcon based or the soon to be Jasper build are walking timebomb. Mine have gone off after 16 or 17 months of hard gaming.

    But it is much more surprising that PS3 does also have failure rate and from the stats its seem pretty high for PS3 to escape much of the attention or scorn?!

    More interested if can get poll of those with the X360 falcon build and see how much the problem has been resolved from the earlier unrealiable X360.

    My PS3 or Wii hasnt failed me yet and refitted X360 doing well....so far!

  • metalnut #60 3 years ago

    "Fair enough if its because we all are damn lucky or living where we are (55 degree North - Newcastle) which may be more suitable climate for X360!"

    Hehe, maybe that is actually part of it, I'm in the wet & chilly UK too and failure rates in my group of friends is way lower than the numbers claimed by the headlines. Another part of it (for my gaming group) is that most of us are Falcon owners, and perhaps not so hardcore (~3-4k gamerscore), so we're probably less susceptible.

    Reliability *was* a factor I considered when I chose between the PS3 and 360 a year ago (I ummed and ahhed about it for ages), but in the end there were simply more games I wanted to play on 360 (and cross-platform titles I wanted were getting better reviews), more friends I knew with one, and it was cheaper (even before the price cuts this year). So, on balance I was willing to take the risk of failure in return for getting the kind of game experience I wanted and so far it's paid off in spades. I wouldn't trade in my access to Geometry Wars 2 or early access to Rock Band 1/2 personally. People who are terrified of the RRoD and therefore would never buy a 360 are entitled to their opinion, but I think it's overreacting.

  • metalnut #61 3 years ago

    The other thing is that the article linked here with failure stats linked is *very* unreliable, since it's a tiny sample (< 200) and because it's opt-in, people with failed consoles are much more likely to opt in. That's why the PS3 failures are way higher than reality (there's no way 18% of PS3's fail, any more than 70% of 360's fail).

    A much better source of numbers is this one: http://ww w.8bitjoystick.com/archives/jak... - comes from an insider who has access to real, across the board numbers. Average in January was about 30%, which is *really* high for electronics but not the kinds of figures being quoted. According to this person Falcon's have around a 10% failure rate, still more than double what it should be but the odds aren't *that* bad. These numbers certainly look more representative of my personal experience.

    This wasn't written by a fanboy either, he's rightly very critical about the design flaws. But even so, 360 failure rates are often exaggerated for extra dramatic effect. Your chances of getting a failure with a non-launch 360 are much worse than should be the case for a console, but it's not like you're guaranteed to have yours fail like some people claim.

    Edit: actually the 10% for Falcons is likely to go up over time obviously. Still, among my friends it's still at 0% so far.
    Edited by 1 at 30/11/08 @ 15:53

  • Razorus #62 3 years ago

    Ooh! Ooh! I've got it!
    Jasper The Friendly Console.

    Oh snap!

  • Strac #63 3 years ago

    My launch-xbox360 actually had the video output garbled (first colors, then everything black). No rrod however. I bought an arcade unit (150 euros in the benelux) to replace it. Not too fuzzed about it, i had pc's breaking down over the years too (and the msx2+ before that)
    I really like it and that's why I bought a new one. Even if the xbox sales look inflated due to other people buying new xboxes, I'd see that more as a testimony to its line up & functionality than as a bad thing? *shrugs*

    Anyway: for some reason I first read Zero_Cool's "The Wanker Talks!!!" as "The Tanker Walks", but that might be a WOW-acid flashback I guess haha

  • orenishii #64 3 years ago

    Well I'm no stranger to the RRoD, I'm currently without my 360 as I write this. This will be my 5th one.. 3 RRoDs and a disc drive fault. Yet despite this I still love my 360 and feel that it's probably the best all round choice (at least in my opinion). The old crap about the 25 million sales of the xbox360 being down to existing users replacing shagged machines is nonsense. Why the bloody hell would I buy a new xbox when I have a 3 year warranty covering the existing one?

    Let me make one thing clear I am not an xbot, quite the contrary. As of the 25/12 I will be the owner of a shiney new PS3 with MGS4, LBP and Uncharted (that I know of), thanks to my lovely wife! I think there is enough quality games on it now to justify the plunge. The worrying thing is that when I told my mate at work, whom has had his PS3 since launch, about my new addition. His response was a bit damning..... He simply replied "Why? You mug"! I'm hoping he's over exagerating.

  • Skywise #65 3 years ago

    @MetalNut: thanks for the link, it makes a good read.

  • Dizzy #66 3 years ago

    My launch 360 is still up and running without any probs. Thermal fatigue my ass.

  • smelly #67 3 years ago

    The problem is - if you send them a broken old machine.. they dont send you back a newer model with the problem fixed.. they send you back a "repaired" old machine.

    Thus the reason i'm on my FUCKING SEVENTH FUCKING XBOX!

    Fucking cunts

  • smelly #68 3 years ago

    Well im gonna think LONG AND HARD before buying the xbox 3..

    I've never had a playstation die on me (although i hear they go wrong too).. so i might go back to sony next gen..

    Or maybe i'll just stick with nintendo next gen...

  • youhavenomail #69 3 years ago

    There's a lot of 'should' in this article. So yeah, the new version 'should' bring about the end of the RRoD epidemic, but so 'should' the original have.

  • SilentScream #70 3 years ago

    Couldn't they have just taken off the ring?

    No more Red Ring of Death!

  • Kbone28 #71 3 years ago

    I think half the problem was that MS gave the hardware error an iconic symbol. 3 Red lights! Thats not to say without it, its not going to happen, but it was easily recognizable and everyone starts screaming about it as soon as they get them.

    There is no doubt the 360 reliability does suck arse, but MS have certainly not helped their cause. The people that came up with that RROD concept should be lynched!!

    On the subject of PS3, clearly well made - more so than the 360, but it doesnt come close in games. Thats why were all here right?
    Until Sony release some decent titles that make me wanna switch, ill keep the 360.

    On the 2nd 360 now - the only thing thats annoying me is the drive making weird noises when i turn it on/exit a game - no scratches fortunately.

  • BonzoBanana #72 3 years ago

    I'm on my fourth 360. The first one had disc problems but no RROD, replacement first switched on with RROD, next one had disc problems and RROD and then I got a refund from HMV. Then I missed the 360 and got another from Boots. The drive is a bit iffy on that and it occasionally freezes but not RROD. Strangely the drive reads brilliantly for about 1/2hr then starts to play up. I'm now using the hard drive to install one game at a time. Fallout 3 used to give disc errors after a while but now no problems at all. I can work around its POS build quality. My original 60gig PS3 has been absolutely faultless in operation except for crashing twice with Timeshift. Also Timeshift crashes on the 360 with about the same frequency. I'm guessing it might be the game itself. A bug in the game engine. PS2 compatiblity isn't brilliant on the ps3 so that can lead to issues sometimes. Generally though with the ps3 if I run a ps3 game on it I know its going to play without issues. However as general rule 360 games are little bit better but they are also more hassle. I'd like ps3 reliability with 360 game quality and perhaps the jasper 360 will offer that.

  • mazzl #73 3 years ago

    launch box stlll going here :)

  • mingster #74 3 years ago

    12.1A anywhere on the box confirms a Jasper console. If Amperage information isn't on the box, look at the power brick. 150W, 12.1A is what you're looking for. The only lot that you find this on (so far) is 0843 FDOU & 0842 CSON.

  • onyxbox #75 3 years ago

    My Euro launch unit lasted 2 and a half years I sent it off (just in warranty). I bought a brand new one last weekend (Gamestation GoW1+2 pack) and the first one wouldn't read disks... I took it back and got another one and that one had a wierd video problem... I'm now on the third (new one) and my old one has come back from Germany and the drive vibrates like crazy and makes a hell of a noise (worse than before).

    I know PS3 has had some issues with Blue Ray drives but the 360 is a complete joke when it comes to reliability and MS really sh!t on us because of it. Sorry I had to say it.

  • StooMonster #76 3 years ago

    Are there any sightings of Jasper in UK yet?

  • mezzomorto #77 3 years ago

    The main issue I've had with X360 has been the DVD drive. I had to get a replacement one year after purchase as the drive refused to read any kind of disc.
    MS sent me a replacement but I still get the unable to read disc error every so often (but not enough for me to send it back to MS). Since NXE, I just install any game I play as a workaround.

    @GamesConnoisseur - not sure I buy into to your theory, I'm in Madrid (where summers are *pretty* hot) and never had overheating issues :)

  • chrisjm #78 3 years ago

    only console ever to die on me so far is PS1. 360 6 months after launch model still going strong.

    If huge number of people are buying multiple consoles each it doesnt seem to of harmed the game sales figures and attatch rates compared to other consoles.

  • Fab4 #79 3 years ago

    "The RROD was fixed with the Falcon. But the reason we hear of some Falcons getting it is because there are retarded kids who keep their consoles switched on for days. Then they wonder why it overheated. Retards."

    My linux media centre and firewall have been 'on' for over 6 months now and it hasnt overheated once. Bizarre.

  • SteveB #80 3 years ago

    The Xbox 360's build quality is a disgrace. They should have redesigned the console and done a full recall.

    I've owned every console in the previous 2 generations and never had an issue. With the 360 I've had 2 break, 1 RROD and the E74 error this weekend. Neither have lasted more than a year.

    Like a mug, I’ve bought an arcade 360 so I can play it while I wait for the repairs. It will mean I will have a backup for when it inevitably breaks again and having 2 Xboxes is still cheaper than one PS3 !


  • Calgon #81 3 years ago

    chrisjm exactly some people just make shit up to pretend their precious PS3 isnt clearly behind, alot of people who do buy a new arcade sell their repaired one on, so it still grows the userbase.

    Also nowadays when you send your 360 in for a repair you get a new Opus motherboard back more often than not = Falcon.

    There deffinately will be plenty of bullshiters for every genuine case... so I take all the forum talk with a big pinch of salt, simply because I know what sad ba****ds fanboys can be.

  • AllenSpawn #82 3 years ago

    One hundreth!!!

  • onyxbox #83 3 years ago

    I think 360 game sales and attach rate is so high because 360 owners rush to play everything while it lasts (while the machine still works). It's a bit like buying everything from the supermarket because it might not be there tomorrow !

    :-D

  • Skywise #84 3 years ago

    I'm dissatisfied with the unreliability of the 360 hardware, but I like the 360 software. Reading these comments a lot of people feel the same way.

    I'm curious how this will affect the sales of the first model of the next Xbox. I think MS won't be a player next-gen anymore, but that's just my personal opinion ofc :p

  • BartonFink #85 3 years ago

    Can't see why it wouldn't be a player next time Skywise.

  • Skywise #86 3 years ago

    Well it depends if Nintendo and Sony are giving them a headstart again or not. If they don't I can see some troubles.
    Most xbox fans might take a wait and see approach on day one, so initial sales could be bad.

    Also they don't have as many first party studios as they did before. The 360 launch was carried by Bizarre Creations and Rare. I don't think Rare alone will be enough.

    MS has the weakest first party development atm, if initial sales of the next xbox are bad the 3rd party support could be less than it is with the 360. I'm sure Gears of War will remain an xbox-exclusive series, but that doesn't prevent Epic from making games for other consoles. Relying on 3rd party is a big risk.
    Edited by 1 at 01/12/08 @ 18:49

  • Fab4 #87 3 years ago

    I dont give a fuck whether I sound like a fanboy or not, but I'm now on my 3rd 360, and about 90% of another forum I'm a member of (with about 250 members) are in the same boat. In terms of reliability, that's a fucking joke.

  • Fatnick #88 3 years ago

    "I dont give a fuck whether I sound like a fanboy or not, but I'm now on my 3rd 360, and about 90% of another forum I'm a member of (with about 250 members) are in the same boat. In terms of reliability, that's a fucking joke."

    My fourth Xbox died the other week and, because MS refused to repair it, I'm now a reasonably happy PS3 owner: I couldn't be bothered to wait and see whether or not jasper solves the problem. Quite frankly it's shocking that we're having to look forward to hardware revisions to begin with.

  • tnt_2008smum #89 3 years ago

    @Skywise

    Hey I’ll have you know that with the exception of one post that was intentionally full of mistakes my spelling is pretty much spot on! You are so mean!

  • Skywise #90 3 years ago

    I just want the old tnt_2008smum back :D

  • Bremenacht #91 3 years ago

    I don't think Microsoft will have any problems next time around because the software base is quite decent. Quite a lot of highly-rated stuff in there too. This helps make up for the awful hardware, as the people who post about being on their 3rd or 4th 360 indicate - they keep going back for the games. If people think the games are worth having, they'll buy in again. I'm assuming the next-gen hw won't be even worse than the first 360's, of course. You'd think they'd have learnt something from that.

    I think they've done well enough not to need a headstart next time. Given the high attach rate on the 360, they've got even more reason to stick with it and make hay while the sun shines.

  • Fab4 #92 3 years ago

    I'm on my 3rd one because they've all failed within their warranty period. If they hadnt I wouldnt be buying the bloody thing again. If anything its the friends I made on XBL that would keep me there, but more and more are already moving to being dual console owners.
    Edited by 1 at 02/12/08 @ 14:29

  • BonzoBanana #93 3 years ago

    Lets face it the RROD issue would have destroyed any other console company. Didn't they write off something like a billion because of it. That would have destroyed most companies. Microsoft has been a total disaster with their consoles but its still the best console for games. Quite satisfying for me to know they are massively subsidising my gaming experience as I hate Microsoft as a company, too many years dealing with their terrible operating systems. When I gave up with Acorn Risc OS and went to Windows it was like going from a modern car into a Model T it felt all wrong but that was the consumers choice and Acorn Risc OS had become too much of a niche. Sony's original playstation was a brilliant design and easy to program but the playstation 2 and 3 have been abysmal requiring a lot more effort than should be necessary to get great results. At least Microsoft haven't failed on that level both xbox and 360 have been superb for developing on.

  • Calgon #94 3 years ago

    BonzoBanana erm except Sony spent even more than 1 billion, more than MS, coming into this generation... money that most are now predicting they will not beable to break even on. MS on the other hand do have a chance of breaking even on what theyve spent on this gen. They aren't making money on hardware sales but they arent taking losses on it either... they break even at these prices, Sony on the other hand are taking losses for every hardware sale.

    Also the original Playstation started out as a joint project between Nintendo and Sony as Im sure you know already, so it looks as though the reason the first Playstation got it right is because it was mostly Nintendo's work(probably designed the controller too), the only thing we can give Sony credit for sure is the CD-Rom drive which to be fair was also an important advantage the Playstation had.