How come this seems to have happened to everyone except me?

[spartan231490]

The Xbox 360 developed a degree of infamy in the early days of its release for the Red Ring of Death. It is always one of the first points made in criticism against it. Literally everyone I know with a 360 has had theirs die on them at some point, many of them multiple times...

and yet my 360 has never ever had a problem.

It's not that I got a more recent version because I got it within the first 2 weeks of its release, meaning it is now over 4 years old, so you would expect at least something to have gone wrong by now. Nor has it had a particularly easy life with me. There are few days when I don't use it and I have on quite a few occasions pulled all nighters playing on it until the noise coming from the fan sounds like it's literally screaming for me to stop.

It's just always struck me as strange that when the 360, especially the earliest version, has a reputation of being the least reliable of all the game platforms, my original 360 has proved itself to be more reliable than any other console or PC that any of my friends own. What is this? Coincidence? A miracle? Science?

So are there any Escapists who own 360's that have endured against all odds? Am I doing something to help extend it's life without even realising, or is my console just the DC superhero of Xbox's, who just cannot seem to die?

The RRoD infamy is partially undeserved. it really isn't that super-common of a problem. Among my 7 friends or so who have had a 360 for 4 years apiece or more, we've only had 2 RRoD between us, and mine was my own fault, I had it running in a space way to small for it. It sucks when it happens, but there are more people who've never had it than you think. Honestly, I think my friends and I have had our xbox's die for other reasons more often than RRoD, my first one had the graphics card die a few years ago, long before I ever had a RRoD

 

[funguy2121]

If you're not dropkicking it or smoking around it or spilling beer on it, I'm sure you're extending its life. Aside from that, it sounds like you were just very very lucky.

 

[Evil Top Hat]

I had a hardware issue with mine, I was actually quite relieved, gave me an excuse to buy a PS3.

Then of course a few days after my PS3 arrives PSN goes down >:[

 

[WouldYouKindly]

My first one shit the bed after about a year. Something wrong with the disc reader, it wouldn't read anything. They sent me a new one, and it's had a hiccup or two, but it still works.

 

[let's rock]

Seriously, are you complaining?

 

[JochemDude]

Only thing I only had was the graphic card taking a dump. Went to the store and they gave me a 'gift' card worth what I bought it for back in the first year of release. Decided to cash that card and put that into Steam, still buying games from my broke 360.

 

[Argtee]

I haven't gotten the RROD. (yet?) Still on my 360 Pro!

I might upgrade to the 250GB Slim in a couple of year, but only because it's (supposedly) quieter, and it has more hard drive space!

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

Seriously, are you complaining?

I'm not complaining honestly. In fact, considering how long I've had it and how much I play on it, every morning that I find it still works fills me with the kind of joy that my first born child will have to work pretty fucking hard to beat XD

I know some people in my position would probably be wanting it to die now so they have an excuse to get the newer 360 model, but a whole new console is something that it would take me months, maybe even over a year, to save up for; and considering how many games there are coming out within the next 12 months that I want as well, here's hoping that it will hold on for a while yet.

I was just beginning to wonder if it was more than just coincidence how my console could have beaten the odds for so long. I mean, one of my friends who got his first Xbox around the same time as me is now on his fifth! Another has had 2 PS3's die on him, and just last week another friend had his brand new gaming laptop succumb to what I can only assume was the technological equivalent of sudden cot-death. Seriously it's like the console killing fields out there but at this point I'm wondering if mine could take a hammer straight to the disk-drive and still somehow work.

 

[Vault101]

wow this is pretty..dissapoiting

especially since my N64 SNES and PS2 are still going strong (even after being kept in less favorable conditions)

I dont think Ill be getting an xbox anytime soon

 

[Gottesstrafe]

Pretty much in the same boat as you.

I keep my Xbox 360 on on a hard surface elevated from the ground and well ventilated so it doesn't overheat. I don't keep it on its side like some folks insist on doing, preferring not to tempt the powers that be with my $300 piece of hardware. I don't stack things on top or keep drinks near it. I've never even had to clean it except for the occasional dry rag to wipe off dust buildup. I live in Hawaii, which means I've already got heat and salt buildup in the air to contend with, yet it astounds me to hear that so many people keep having their Xbox 360s die on them.

It's not that hard, folks.

 

[hudsonzero]

The Xbox 360 developed a degree of infamy in the early days of its release for the Red Ring of Death. It is always one of the first points made in criticism against it. Literally everyone I know with a 360 has had theirs die on them at some point, many of them multiple times...

and yet my 360 has never ever had a problem.

It is because you are in possession of the master box, the one Xbox yo rule them all. it can only be destroyed from whence it came in the fires of Microsoft R&D department in the land of redmond seatle.

 

[Geo88]

I got my first 360 to seal a job deal back in July 2006, actually. (I was applying to work at a Game Crazy. Good times.) It worked just fine for about 8 months, and then it red-ringed. Sent it in, got it back, and it worked for two more years without a problem. Eventually, it started scratching up my discs, and I decided to cut my losses and get one of those snazzy new Elites, which I have to this day.

If you got your 360 back when they first came out and it still works, that's pretty awesome. You're a lucky person. Or you at least have better luck than I do.

 

[Dys]

In terms of hours logged my xbox 360 wouldn't have been too far behind my nintendo 64, and as my playstation 3 has had a faulty HDMI port pretty much since its warranty ended in a way it's lasted longer than that (though post ring xbox is unusable, and I still regularly use my playstation 3 despite the fault). My friends equally old xbox 360 is was still going strong up until a few weeks ago. I think it's a combination of luck of the draw (the solder probably has failed, but you don't move it much etc) and ambient temperature fluctuations (if the tempurature changes wildly, it's more likely to fail).

 

[The Rockerfly]

Nope, still on my 1st. Had it since Christmas 2007 so I feel I got pretty lucky

Late 2007 Xbox 360s seem to be Made of Iron. That's simply from my experience, though.

Woah shit! I never lifted my xbox and I just tried it and it weighs like 300lbs. I think you might be right...

 

[Snowy Rainbow]

My Xbox 360 lasted ages. Never gave me any grief.

Then one day it red ringed.

And I broked it with a hammer

okay so lets be clear are you saying it red ringed so you broke it or you were in such a rush trying to open it up and check the insides you grabbed the wronkg tool but went with it anyway

It red ringed, I tried to fix it and Microsoft wouldn't repair it. Faced with the reality my beloved gaming console had become a worthless paperweight, I got a little angry. *cough*

 

[SteewpidZombie]

Mine hasn't red ringed yet (Mine is 3 years old), but my buddy has gone through 3 already due to red rings or the disc reader no longer working.

 

[Swifty714]

Mine had a small disc-tray problem about three-years into ownership.....

It's fine now though.