Where are they pulling that 54% figure from? I worked at a game publisher for years and we had dozens of consoles. We had the occasional one or two 360s die, but just as many of the other consoles died. Am I to believe we just got lucky and any other place every 2nd 360 dies?

Wow, let's stick to news. This article is written with such heavy bias that it is inexcusable. This isn't reporting, it's a blog mixed in with a news story.

As for opinions, here's mine: it's unfortunate for us PC owners that the console makers are pushing this as "not even being middle aged"... it makes sense financially, as the console is a loss leader and now they can just make profit from the software/accessory sales. But in terms of advancing graphics and technology, it puts things at a stalemate when the hardware is there to see drastic improvements on the PC side. Unfortunately it won't be implemented to the next gen consoles for years, putting a freeze on things.

On the plus side, it should force game designers to focus on gameplay over graphics and tech, and hopefully that will advance things in areas that have been far too overlooked for years.

trevorvdw: I'm on my 4th Xbox myself, and everyone I know that's had an xbox for more than 2 years is on their second at least. The 54% figure is from a survey (that Tom's even reported on about a week ago).

Back on topic, I don't see the need for a slim version anyway. The 360 is the size of a standard DVR/VCR/DVD player. The PS3 was so big it had the problem of not being able to fit in many entertainment units.

And while I agree the 360 has a good 4, maybe 5 years left, it's definately "middle-aged"

The PS3 isn't really that much bigger than the Xbox360.

PS3-S : 7.0lbs / Approximately 11.42” (W) x 2.56” (H) x 11.42” (D) (290mm × 65mm × 290mm)
PS3-O : 11.0lbs / Approximately 12.80" (W) x 3.90" (H) x 10.8" (D) (325mm × 98mm × 274mm)
XB360 : 7.7lbs / Approximately 12.15” (W) x 3.27” (H) x 10.15” (D) (309mm × 83mm × 258mm)*
*The Xbox360 weight doesn't include the external power supply. 3~5lbs, depending on version.
So the total weight is 10.7~12.7lbs for the 360.

The xbox is a bit taller (if standing up), A half inch thinner and about 1/3 an inch deep compared to the original PS3.

So its not like the PS3 was ever HUGE. The 360 LOOKS smaller because its concaved, while the PS3 is the opposite and actually smaller at the ends.

The new PS3 is 1.5" thinner, and overall size looks nice in its perfect square look... and STILL has an internal PSU and all the ports of the last PS3-ORG.

If you count all the DEAD 360s out there... I wonder if there is actually closer to 23~26 million xbox 360 owners.

How many hardcore 360 owners are ACTUALLY using the original console that was released 3 years ago? That have NOT replaced the units with newer versions... which many 360s owners tend to do.

The figure came from Game informer. They surveyed 5000 readers and out of those who had Xbox's 54% of the reported they had a failure. And some 60+% reported they heard of at least one of their friends reported the failure. The Wii and PS3's numbers were in the 10%'s.

I agree with dannyaa here, why not just say you take a dump on your broken Xbox 360 every night and curse the day you purchased it. Let's count the words that should never be in any "news" article outside a quote or paraphrase.
1. ashamed
2. inexcusable
3. king of the world
4. cheesy
5. the use of "" to cast skepticism about a statement
6. he admitted - when used outside of a response to an allegation

The above are 6 blatant opinionated words or phrases in this so-called news article. You made other more subtle jabs at the end of the article when you repeatedly implied with your word choices that everything Greenberg said was BS.

Honestly, I don't care what you think. Report the news and make the first comment if you want, that's where opinions go. This might have been the last straw for me and this site.

One more note of interest, I've had a broken Xbox 360 myself and was none to happy to have to go buy a new one since mine was out of warranty. It still doesn't excuse sloppy reporting. It makes everyone else you do on this site seem less legitimate as well.

Whenever they make a console slimmer it seems to lose features anyway.

I'm still using the same 360 I bought about 3 months after launch, and it's still going strong. I'm also pretty skeptical of the 54% figure, based on strictly personal experience (my friends), that rate should be closer to the "expected" 10% or so.

This a

I can't say I really cared for the condescending tone I sensed in this article. This was an excellent example of bad journalism. A little piece of advice for the writer, we don't care about your own opinions on the topic, just tell us what is newsworthy.

wow... I thought I was reading a TGDaily article for a sec.... this isn't news.. this is an opinion/bias piece. I would not expect to see this from TH. Unless TH is planning to become TGDaily where every article is just a bias, product bashing article. Keep your opinions to yourself Kevin and stick to NEWS!!!

Found some neat photos of the new PS3.

Some REALLY good pictures of the PS3 apart:
http://www.sankakucomplex.com/2009 [...] dissected/

The above compares the PSU and motherboards to the OLD PS3 as well. Sony sure makes a fancy PSU that isn't normally seen by the end user. And they compare it to a XBOX360 board... which looks like a mess.

Some concept PS3-Slims : http://www.sankakucomplex.com/2009 [...] -pictures/

A nice graphic showing ALL the current and last Gen Consoles together to compare sizes:
http://www.sankakucomplex.com/2009 [...] t-so-slim/

They brought up the SONY PS2 hardware emulator for the PS3... so perhaps SONY will later offer that for a download.

Somewhere - someone pointed out that (making fun of Xbox) that the only thing MS did was make the power supply brick smaller. 5lbs > 3lbs. I noticed... the 360 doesn't say Microsoft on the console itself. Sigh, if only Commodore never put their stupid logo and stupidity onto the Amiga.

imagine how fast a slim one would melt =D

Yeah MS does not want you do get the Red Ring od Death RROD on the first day of use with a slim model. They want you to buy another one a year or two later.

MICROSOFT: Fix The Heat Issue. Put that in your Natal

Why the fuck with biased news? Kevin?

Writer bias is all over this. Why do I even come to this site anymore...

*claps* You know what, Kevin Parrish, I found this amusing. At least you have the guts to have an opinion. Politically correct, sugar coated bullcrap annoys me even more than an article dripping with personal agenda and bias. So, fuck it.

Microsoft should be ashamed of their hardware failure rate. The console obviously needs a redesign, and I couldn't write an article on this subject (not even a short one) that wasn't dripping with cynicism either.

Why can't games companies just start selling split screen multiplayer games for the pc?
We could then buy a decently endowed pc, get 360 controllers, and play much better quality graphics on our big screens...
(Not to mention the benefit of having your own pc box, because everyone knows style is subjective)

Me and a few of my friends have had our first 360 fail. One of em is on his 3rd 360...

This type of reporting lead to the Spanish American war you fucking dumbass! Personal agenda reporting the the most irresponsible thing a journalist can possibly do.

You still consider Toms a source of unbiased, actual news. I consider it a rumor mill, and hub that reports news that's been out for days. Oh noos! dissing a console might lead to a war /sarcasm. Relax a little.

No I don't think this will lead to a war. Well maybe a flame war, but to applaud shoddy journalism is shameful, wether or not it coinsides with your own personal opinion.

You can be unbiased and still tell it like it is without sugar-coating things.

Mr. Parrish chose not to do so...

QFT.




Exactly. If Kevin can't write articles without doing this, he needs to quit writing here...or at least quit writing about the 360. It is very unprofessional.

he should keep it up just to get hilarious reactions from xbox fanboys. someone even threw in a spanish civil war reference, hahaha

reporting on video games is on the same level as reporting about lindsey lohan. who gives a shit if it's biased

Yeah, that response was pretty hilarious. But that kind of comment comes from fanboys regardless of topic, and reactions from fanboys should not determine the quality of the content.




I disagree. We aren't looking for unprofessional opinion at Tom's Guide, we're looking for news and guides. In this context, news. However, this kind of reporting lacks professionalism, thereby making it less reputable, and thus less relevant. Professional opinion is fine, but this isn't Kevin's professional opinion--it is unprofessional opinion.

Actually not a fanboy. I've critic like anyone else, I just have an issue with the Michael Moores of the world that pass off propoganda as "News"

I don't see all these bias complaints when there's an article regarding software piracy, even if the RIAA and MPAA are portrayed in a bad light.

I actually have a launch Xbox 360. I don't know that there are many left but I've had mine since the day it was released. I think the warranty is only valid for a couple more months. I guess I'm in the minority but I think the 54% is great over exaggerated. I only know one person who has gotten the RROD and I've lived on a college campus for the past three years.

I agree w/everyone else. Kevin Parrish: you need to grow your ass up and start being professional when you write for a high quality website like TH. I'm tired of seeing your personal opinions (which are usually highly toxic and always very subjective) in every article you write and on every topic you report on.

KEVIN PARRISH, KEEP YOUR MIND TO YOURSELF!