Poll claims 360 failure rate at 5x greater than PS3, Wii
By Triston McIntyre
Life as a 360 owner is swell…until your console displays what has become known as the “red ring of death.” Though poll results and estimates have been topsy turvy regarding the 360’s failure rate, a new poll claims that the 360’s deplorable failure rate is 5 times greater than that of the PS3 or Wii.
Squaretrade, a company that negotiates consoles and electronics warranties, recently divulged poll results on the failure rate of the 3 most popular consoles of the moment. The 360 failure rate, which has scored as high (or low) as 1 in 3 consoles (roughly 33%), was revealed to have a 16.4% failure rate. That failure rate is more than 5 times greater than the failure rates of both the PS3 and Wii, which sauntered across the finish line at a respectable and moderate 3%.
Personally, I’m not inclined to believe these poll results for a couple reasons: First, the consoles in question that were incorporated in the survey were those that participated in Squaretrade’s warranty service; that doesn’t take into account the millions of consoles that are only relying on Microsoft warranty. Why would anyone want to go through a third party company anyway, when Microsoft has allowed a 2 year warranty extension on existing 1 year warranties?
Second, I find it highly suspect that most commenters on game or game blog sites consistently report having to replace their consoles multiple times; some report 4 to 5 console replacements for a unit that has only been on the market a few years! That is utterly absurd; personally, I’ve only had to replace mine once, but I don’t get to use my console as much as I would like.
I find it hard to believe that these pole results are accurate on those grounds. I believe if a poll composed of consoles that were reported faulty directly to the manufacturers were taken, all consoles would score higher than the results that Squaretrade reported. With gamers reporting multiple console replacements on every blog worth its salt, there’s a good chance a 1 in 3 failure rate is a little closer to reality.
That being said, how about that discrepancy between PS3 and Wii failure rates and that of the 360, eh? That is something to write home about. I still don’t consider the Wii to be a competitor in the console war, but kudos to Sony for making an advanced console that doesn’t require users to budget a few weeks at a time every now and again to replace a console that should work unfailingly until the next iteration hits the market.
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February 14th, 2008
Yep, this is an epic fail. And now MS are saying there is a supply shortage ahead of February NPD #s to try and spin their declining sales (and PS3’s increasing market share). MS you are appearing very desperate right now.
February 14th, 2008
16% is much, much too high. I’m still waiting for my third 360 to be shipped back, and I’m pretty pissed. I’m highly considering ditching that piece of junk and playing my PS3 only.
Microsoft needs to do something serious about this, not just drop the failure rate from 33% to 16%. Why does my PC, Playstation 3, PSP, iPod, and laptop run fine when my Xbox craps out three times in less than a year?
February 14th, 2008
If this new poll gives me any doubts it’s because it fails to match the 360’s real failure rate that have been disclosed by “insiders” to be at 30%
And don’t be an ass Triston. Like Will Wright said, the Wii is a next gen console console since the other systems only offer the same thing but with pretty visuals. Big deal.
Besides, you WISH the Wii wasn’t a factor in this war. Regardless of your “opinion”, the Wii has changed the gaming market and has made enough waves to the point MS and Sony are trying to get some of that pie of the pie Nintendo has managed to get and profit from. They’re trying to make the 360 and PS3 break away from the “I’m hardcore” 400 pound nerd arena and offer games for mainstream customers.
February 14th, 2008
I absolutely adore you bloggers today, this is hilarious. First we post a bunch of numbers that was taken by an independent polling company (if they’re not, then by all means Triston, please report to us who pays these folks to slant the numbers), these numbers show that company X, is making a machine that has a failure rate far far higher than companies Y and Z. However…these results are all bogus because this blogger feels they’re inaccurate. LoL. This is about the 3rd blog today that I’ve seen with this kind of bassackwards journalism. Effin brilliant.
Morne
February 14th, 2008
Laura, I’m sorry, but your perception of gaming is very skewed. I’ll say this outright; personally, I don’t consider the Wii to be a serious game console at all. Nintendo lost me when they sacrificed real gaming for knock off games and accessories to fill their pockets with dirty money.
The Wii hasn’t revolutionized gaming. Not even close. The only thing the Wii has done is gain press popularity and unappreciative gamers by offering a cheap, small console, with kiddy games and cute Mii characters. The Wii has the highest concentration of the lowest rated games on any console.
People who play Cooking Mama, Warioware, Ratatouille, etc. either have no appreciation for gaming or are under 11 years old. Those 2 characteristics pretty much describe most Wii owners, besides the Nintendo supporters who have been alongside the N64, Gamecube and everything in between the entire time. Back in the days when Nintendo actually made good games and consoles.
Mainstream consumers? Please, define your definition of mainstream. There are two categories of gamers: People who buy deep and interesting games on the PS3, 360, and PC, and kids who buy Bratz: The Movie for the Wii.
400 lb. nerds? Give me a break, those are only the very, very hardcore PC gamers. The average PS3 and 360 gamer is… well, an average person. What sets them apart from the rest is that they appreciate real games and are intelligent in their decision making. And don’t bring up how the Wii helps people stay active. Wii Fit and all of the other waggle-your-arms-in-the-air add ons are just jokes Nintendo makes for an extra profit and a worldwide recognition as “the company that makes healthy games.”
February 14th, 2008
@Chris, well said, it’s nice to have a sane opinion, for once. But let me say this, I too wish the Wii wasn’t a factor, give us back real gaming (only). The world would do just fine WITHOUT Nintendo, thank you. If Nintendo would go back to making REAL games, all would be well.
February 14th, 2008
for clarification, please don’t speak about ass-backwards journalism and blogging in the same post; they are two different things. Obviously, this is my opinion, and written in a blogging style. If I wanted to do strict reporting, I’d get a job doing that.
February 15th, 2008
I too have to agree with Chris,
The Wii isn’t a next gen system or a revolution in gaming, it’s a gimmic for kids (like the Hula-hoop).
February 15th, 2008
Chris, Jonathan, define REAL games.
game (n) — 1. An activity that people participate in, together or on their own, for fun
2. A sporting or other activity in which players compete against each other by following a fixed set of rules
I see nothing in here about fake games and real games
Besides that, here’s the other issues.
1. DIFFERENT PEOPLE, FOLKS. Some people like first-person shooting, high graphics games, while others like casual games that you don’t have to do much on.
You guys really don’t care what this world is coming to, do you? Here, Nintendo is offering kids entertainment that’s non-violent, and you’re putting down those games, insisting that only games with gore, nudity, sex, strong language, violence, crud humor, thievery, and anything else (M and AO games) should be the only games in existence just because you guys are DIFFERENT from other people–you think that you’re right, and everyone else is stupid.
2. “The world would be fine without Nintendo” Much more so without PS3 and XBox. Don’t forget the statistics that state that the Nintendo games are what are making people smarter. Consider also, that MAYBE, just maybe, first person shooters don’t do anything more than just eat up your time. I’ve played first-person shooters before. Why did I quit? You don’t have to think much, because you’re doing the same thing over and over. True, you have to think over the game, but once you’ve mastered Halo, it
probably doesn’t take long to master other games.
3. “The Wii hasn’t revolutionized gaming. Not even close… People who play Cooking Mama, Warioware, Ratatouille, etc. either have no appreciation for gaming or are under 11 years old…” I hope you’re one of those people who constantly complains about articles on this site, Chris, because it would be so fun to watch you eat your own words. This is all opinion, but you’re treating it like facts. Except for what Laura called Triston, she spoke from facts. You guys are just jealous.
Laura, I agree with you 100%.
February 15th, 2008
Since when is waving your arms in the air a video game? It’s pretty damn hard to argue against that, unless you work for Nintendo, but give it up, the Wii is truly a gimmick. Name one respectable game on the Wii that isn’t milked like a cow.
February 15th, 2008
And Rebma, I really don’t see why your supporting your argument with the inclusion of young children. Kids under the age of 11 shouldn’t be playing video games, they should be developing cognitive, physical, and intellectual skills while their brains are developing. There’s plenty of time to play video games when you are older / don’t have to be tucked in at night