The fail rate of Microsoft's Xbox 360 could be as high as 33%, Daily Tech reports. Nevertheless, it has been the most successful gaming console in recent years.
The data comes from retailers, which differs markedly from Microsoft's own officially-claimed fail rate of 3-5%. Daily Tech polled retailers to get a clearer, grass-roots picture; the results were stark: Xbox is possibly the most unreliable gaming machine of its generation.
Some Xboxes were DOA – a not uncommon phenomenon in consumer electronics, but one retailer claimed that 'more than half' broke inside six months. Microsoft repaired all dead Xbox 360s manufactured in 2005 – the initial production run – for free, and refunded the money of consumers who had paid to have their Xbox fixed.
An anonymous Best Buy rep also confirmed the high failure rate, claiming that one quarter to one third of all Xbox 360s died. Microsoft has increased the warranty from 90 days (reminiscent of the old Macs of the 1980s) to 12 months. But does this signal a more reliable product?
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