Beyond Gaming

Xbox 360 Bamboozle

I've been on the road for the last three weeks, but I did get my Xbox 360 back via UPS as expected on July 31 -- four weeks, instead of the promised three, not too bad.

What is bad that I didn't get my original system back.  Having saved my serial number from the 360 I sent in, I checked the back of the console to find that I was sent a different refurbished system.

What I sent to Microsoft was one of the original 360's from November 2005, and what came back was a console built in April 2006.  And, what is irritating about it is that the new system gets a lot hotter than my old 360, so I expect to go through the Red Ring of Death within the next six months.

My question is that since Microsoft sent me a new 360 with a later manufacturing date, does my three year warranty end in November 2008, or in April of 2009?  I'm guessing the former, but what's the difference?  I'm also guessing that the new system will break long before then and I won't have to worry about it. 

Now I'm going to go crack open Madden 08 and see what improvements were made over last year's game, and next week I'll be picking up Tiger Woods 08.  I should have reviews of both games in the next couple of weeks.

Week Late, $140 Short

My Red Ring of Death Saga is nearing an end ... UPS called last night to let me know that they were bringing a delivery today.  Unfortunately, my wife couldn't commit to staying home during the UPS delivery window of 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. 

It should be easier tomorrow, with the delivery expected between 2:00 and 5:00 p.m.  I get home this weekend, and will compare serial numbers to make sure they sent back the same system I sent in for repairs, and to see if the console actually works.

So, the whole turnaround took four weeks instead of the promised three weeks ... which isn't too bad.  With the large number of repairs I assume the Microsoft team has to make, I guess the week delay is understandable.

What's more disappointing is that I still have six to eight weeks to wait for the $140 I was charged for the repairs  One day after I made the call the warranty was extended to three years, making my repairs free, but rather than cancelling the charge we're waiting for a check.

I'm keeping track of my experience, so that others who go through it know what to expect.  I should have an update next week on how the system is performing.

Red Ring of Death Saga Continues

Well, the three-week turnaround date has come and gone and I still haven't received my fixed Xbox 360.

I called the Microsoft repair facility on July 2, and their customer service representative told me that from the time of the call it would take three weeks to get my Xbox 360 back home.  That was Monday, and I haven't heard anything from Microsoft or had a delivery from UPS.  I figured that the three-week window was too good to be true, but I'll wait until next Monday before I get too angry.

The one thing that was easy for them to do -- pre-charge my credit card for the repairs -- was taken care of within a day.  To get the money refunded (due to the warranty extension), it will take ten to twelve weeks -- which took us 45 minutes to find out on the customer service line.

So far, not a great case study for customer service.  But, if I get the system back in working order by this Friday, I'll be satisfied.  Stay tuned to Beyond Gaming as this exciting story continues to unfold!

Update on my Ring of Death

So far so good  with my Xbox 360 and its Red Ring of Death.

After getting through to customer service, I was told that my box to return the 360 to Microsoft for repairs would get here in seven to ten days, and seven days later it arrived right on time.

Tomorrow marks the second week since the process started, so my console should be back in another eight days -- a little late for this week's release of NCAA Football '08, but I think it will be worth the wait.

Here's hoping that the process goes as well as Microsoft said and I get the system back on time ... I'll keep you posted.

Microsoft Makes Good on Ring of Death

Perfect timing ... just as my Xbox 360 experienced hardware failure, Microsoft has announced that they are extending the warranty for all Xbox 360s that have suffered from the Ring of Death to three years.  This includes machines purchased in the past, and Microsoft is even refunding those who have paid for repairs in the past.  Here's the full story from 1UP.com.

Kudos to Microsoft for stepping up to the plate!

Struck by the Ring of Death

Well, I'm the latest victim of Xbox 360's ring of death.  My system succumbed last night, and it sounds like I'm going down the road of all too many Xbox 360 owners.

2K Sports Hits Homerun with MLB 2k7!

After 18 long years, SNK's Baseball Stars finally has some competition for the best console baseball game ever thanks to MLB 2K7 from 2K Sports.

A few minor problems with the fielding mechanics and a high ratio of home runs-to-runs scored hurts the overall rating, but this is still a must buy for fans of console baseball games.

EA Delivers Slam Dunk With March Madness

                 

EA continues to be panned by critics for their basketball offerings, but their first NCAA March Madness game for the Xbox 360 is a winner.

'Swiit' Victory

The final numbers are in, and Nintendo can claim victory as its Wii sold more units than the PS3 and Xbox 360 during their respective launches.

Play Ball!

2k Sports might have a winner on its hands with MLB 2k7.  IGN has posted a video of the gameplay from the Consumer Electronics Show on its site, and the game looks fantastic.