Well...after defending the XBOX360 time and time again...especially about the defective units, it seems irony got the upperhand on me once more... I believe I have a defective system :redface: I can only play a game (XBOX360 game...not Arcade or XBOX games...) for about 30 minutes before it goes all "NES Nostalgic on me." You know what I'm talking about...the screen changes color and gets all "blocky." When I restart the system it fixes it and I'm able to go another 30 minutes. Does this both during Madden06 and Perfect Dark Zero.

Seems someone got tired of me shouting my mouth off, lol. Not a big deal really, i've heard really great things from people about how quick and efficient the Microsoft customer service is with the XBOX360. I still need to call them..but I have to wait till my sister wakes up do give me the 12 number/letter serial code for my system. Still stinks, but I do enjoy it in 30 minute increments imensley.

My step-mother actually thought I was watching Monday Night Football at 7PM...lol. Sometimes its freaky how realistic it is.

The best and most addictive "launch game" for it however has to be Geometry Wars...I paid the 5 bucks (400 microsoft points) to unlock the full game. Wow, so simple, crisp graphics, and addictively fun.

The menu system is ingenious as well. The ability to chat with friends at anytime, during any game is incredible. Just press your "guide button" and you have total access to your friends list with ability to send a page, voice message, text message, invite to game, or invite to a private 1-1 chat (which you can do with MORE than one person...just flick the cursor to the person you want to chat with, to talk with them )

Overall, besides my defective system (and yes, i have it and the power brick in a well ventilitated area...its sitting out in the open on a hard wood floor.) i love the 360. So clean, so elegant, and techy its cool .

Now i just want a working 360 ;(

EDIT: On the phone with Customer Support now...called at 9:45, took my call at 9:48, explained my problem at 9:49, on hold at 9:50...

Alrighty...off the phone with Customer support...it seems they believe its either A) my HDTV or B) The HD/AV Cables. Only problem is..i really don't have another Polaroid HDTV to hook it up to nor another HDTV period..lol. I think its more than likely the cables and not the TV...but I understand that they have to look at all areas of concern first.

Edit #2: Got off the phone with EB Games...if I find out that it is, indeed the HD A/V cables, they will allow me to switch them out for free later today Yippy skippy. I really, really hope this is all thats wrong with my system...I mean...it doesn't freeze at all. If it was "over-heating" wouldn't it freeze the whole system...?

Well, that "fix" didn't work. System is defective. I get to play it until thursday or friday when the repair box comes. Guy on the phone told me that its overnighted to Microsoft, and i'll get my repaired/new system 3 days after they recieve it.....oh well. at least they're fast.

From what I've heard, you also have to get the brick up off the floor, too. I've seen pics of it straddling a metal trash can and it seems to work pretty good.

Rob

I tried elevating the power brick (sitting ontop of two beer steins, yeah baby!) and I still get the green screen crap...oh well. And its freezing in my room to boot! Oh well. I guess when this sucker gets hot, it gets hot!! Even though it doesn't feel very hot anywhere on the system at all...weird...

Also, for those wondering if you need a HDTV to fully appreciate it...you dont, it looks just plain great on a SDTV as well

Forgot where I read this at recently (maybe on this site), but both the PS2 and the X-Box pull down around 50 to 60 watts of power. The new X-Box 360 pulls down well over 150 watts. I'll see if I can't find the article.

Rob

NCXCStud, i'm hating it for ya, man, but it's awesome to see that you've got an great attitude about the whole thing. I hope everything gets resolved quickly and to your satisfaction

Yeah, I don't see a point in getting upset, and I'm not going to bash Microsoft for making a "$hitty" product. Because its not. Its just a statistical probability. There are bound to be defects along the way, and I'm just happy Microsoft is repairing it, and footing the "bill." I've had more fun with this defective system than I've ever had with a gaming system before. XBOX Live is phenomenal now. I can't stress how much its improved and how well its integrated into EVERY facet of the XBOX360. Besides...I can still play Geometry Wars and the other XBOX Live! Arcade games. All of which are addictively fun. Old-School SmashTV anyone?

Besides, I have to be in a wedding this weekend, so if I don't have it this weekend, its not going to bother me too much. I'll get it back sometime next week, I'm thinking at the latest Wednesday. They said there was about a 5 day turnaround(as long as the repair box comes tomorrow or friday, CS guy assured me it'd be tomorrow (thursday)), and I've heard they've been throwing free stuff into the return package, like hard drives and stuff.

But, I do have to say, the Microsoft XBOX360 Customer Service team have been one of the best groups I've talked to with problems. They were genuinely concerned, they tried to help, they were friendly, and they were knowledgeable about the product.

Am I upset? Yeah, am I going to go "postal" about it? Hell no...LOL

well...the "repair box" came in today. Just a simple cardboard box with an insert and a plastic bag. Microsoft is paying for the next day delivery by 10:30AM, so i'm getting it there as fast as possible. If the CS guy was correct (he has been so far...) i should be getting my system back on tuesday or wednesday.

Update again....

Mailed off my "repair box" with the 360 enclosed to the Microsoft Repair Center in McAllen, TX... Should be there tomorrow at 10:30AM tomorrow...and I should get it back Tuesday or Wednesday...hopefully when i get it back, it'll be fixed for good

I guess it is just me, but I don't see the allure of any of the game systems.

They do all sorts of things, but then so does my PC. They have great graphics, but then so does my PC. They have all the things thay keep incorporating into the game systems, that PCs already have.

What am I missing?

I guess its just preference. I love playing games on my PC, and I feel that some games translate very well (and much more logically) to the PC. Like FPS and RTS games. But i've always felt RPG (in the sense of games like Final Fantasy, etc..) and sports games play better on consoles. I still think its "cheaper" for me to buy a new console every four year instead of having to buy a videocard, a new CPU, and more RAM every four years...

To each his or her own though Foe.

Actually, NCXC was on to something there as to what the allure is behind consoles...my thoughts, anyway.

1. Cost. Plain and simple, you can purchase a console that will play a game on your television. The average cost of a PC, plus the monitor, would run well over $1,000 just to have a comparable system. For $150, you get a "mini-computer" of sorts that allows you to play the games you like.

2. Portability. When you want to go over to a friend's house and play a game against each other, the only thing you need to take is a controller. With a computer, you would have to pack up the case, keyboard, mouse, monitor, etc.

3. The "nerd" factor. Consoles almost take the "nerd" factor out of gaming. Most folks who make fun of people who use computers feel more comfortable playing a game on a console system instead of in front of a computer.

Just my thoughts.

Rob

You hit the nail on teh head their with the #1 option Rob. It amazes me when people say "get a computer...its cheaper." Because it isn't. To make a comparable system to what the current console leader is, you have to spend a pretty penny.

I also enjoy the fact that I can play it on my TV and not at my desk. i sit in front of a desk at work all day...sometimes i have to break the cycle.

Also, with the release of the Xbox360, microsoft essentially made a very reasonably priced media center PC. At first i thought the system only having 20gbs of HD space (taht is actually 13 after the emulation software and other pre-installed/unremovable crap is on there) would limit me putting music, picturse, etc onto the system. But, i can stream my music, my pictures, and most videos across the network. Playing Geometry Wars: Evolved while listening to Dave is great.

Sure, i could always just play the CD on my stereo at the same time, but I have access to over 2000 songs on my computer at a touch of a button.

Each medium serves its own purpose, but i truly love this gaming console. Maybe its because its more like a computer...maybe its the feel of the controller...maybe its just cuz i'm a "dork" and i like it. I don't know. But i'm patiently awaiting the day when my 360 returns to me next week

Ahh...my system is finally back where it belongs

Microsoft recieved my system on Monday at 9:35AM and it was mailed back to me lickity split and I received it today at around 5:30PM. They just replaced my system and threw in another hard drive for me. Which is great that they'll throw that in to "compensate" me for my troubles, but I already had a hard drive with the premium system that I purchased.

Now, I'm pondering what to do with it....suck it up and keep it, sell it at EB Games/Gamestop/Gamerush (whichever gives me the best deal), sell my soul and sell it on Ebay for a reasonable price (like 80 bucks..), or sell it for 70-75 here on Uberw00t/Pimprig...

What a quandary...lol. But, i ahve my system back, it works great and boy is it sweet looking in games

Sweet! Glad MS treated you well (i'm sincerely impressed by how well MS treated you...very cool, IMO), and that you got it back before Christmas. Have fun with it, man :angrygame