14 DAY TRIAL // The Xbox 360 has had its ups and downs just like any other console out there, but when we say "downs" we mean the worst that could happen. Not only did Xboxers worldwide experience the three rings of death when it came to installing such a simple thing as a Guitar Hero Whammy Bar Patch, but some were surprised to find out that their machines scratched discs, with no one to turn to.
Back in April, Dutch TV show Kassa ripped apart the Xbox 360 only to discover that the machine didn't have any foam pads on the drive's insertion point, after filing a report on a boy unable to play some of his favorite Xbox 360 games because of the scratches. Microsoft, in their typical manner, refused to replace the discs, blaming sunlight, heat, improper use of the CD or moving the machine during play as user-responsible reasons for the issue.
Microsoft basically blames misuse, as MCV received some instructions from the company that sound like they've been taken right out of the 360's manual. Hear this:
"To avoid jamming the DVD drive and damaging discs or the Xbox 360 console: Remove discs before moving the console or tilting it between the horizontal and vertical positions. Never use cracked discs. They can shatter inside the console and jam or break internal parts. When the console is vertical do not use discs that are smaller the standard DVDs and CDs."
So how exactly is the 360 a great next-gen console if just moving it a few centimeters in a different direction will scratch your disks beyond use? But here's a more interesting fact. As 1UP points out, Microsoft says it will "make the appropriate repairs" and "provide information" replacement discs. But How about those whose favorite game is none other than Guitar Hero 2. The game isn't covered by MS, but by the game's publisher Activision. So it's them that gamers have to turn to, right? Wrong!
Activision can't help it either. You see, they tell you to go cry on Red Octane's shoulder (the developer), who provides a 90-day warranty that covers everything except the following, as the same site mentioned above reports: "This limited warranty does not apply if the defects have been caused by negligence, accident, unreasonable use, modification, tampering, or any other cause not related to defective material or workmanship."
So again, moving your Xbox 360 a few inches to another direction, while it's spinning the disc at "light-speed", falls under the category of "negligence, accident, unreasonable use?" Do all the companies involved with the 360 mean to tell us that just moving the 360 a little bit will result in the scratches you see in that picture above (upper left side of the article - click to enlarge)? They're as deep as the Grand Canyon, for crying out loud. That's the result of a bad 360 at work, period. And since MS retracted that statement in which they blamed "improper use," to whom are the affected gamers supposed to turn next, maybe to God?