Microsoft Responds to Disc Scratching Issue
We recently heard through court documents that Microsoft allegedly was aware of Xbox 360 scratching game discs.
In fact, the hardware “quirk” was supposedly known even prior to the console’s launch, but no changes were made to the hardware to help stave off any potential problems.
What Microsoft did do, however, was affix a sticker on the front of the disc tray on every new Xbox 360 explicitly warning users from moving the console while a disc is in the tray.
"Xbox 360 is designed so that it will not damage a game disc as long as the console is not moved while the disc is spinning," a Microsoft spokesman said in response to the Seattle P-I. "Too much movement of any game console, not just Xbox 360, can cause scratches on a disc. That's why we put a warning on the face of the disc tray, which the user has to physically remove before the initial use of the system. We also have warnings posted online and in hard copy instruction manuals.
While it’s just common sense not to bother a console (or any spinning disc drive, for that matter) during it’s under operation, we have heard of cases where the Xbox 360 has scratched discs when stationary. Unfortunately, such problems have yet to be isolated to any specific make of model of DVD drive hardware.
Microsoft added that less than 1 percent of the total Xbox 360 user base has complained about disc scratching issues.
- Best Buy Gives Employees Reason to Quit
- Report: Sneak Peek at the Next Motorola Handsets
- Kid Shoots Parents Over Halo 3
- PSP 2 Dreams Can Come True
- Yahoo! Shortens Data Retention Period
- World's First Refrigerated Beach
- Realtek Releases Drivers for Hackintosh MSI Winds
- WoW Themed Restaurant Opens in China
- iPhone 3G Unlock En Route
- The King of Spam Gets Personal
- Lenovo IdeaPad S9 Available in the U.S.
- Financial Twitter, StockTwits Secures Funding
- NYC Prposes the Dreaded Digital Tax
- T2 Secures GTA Talent through 2012
- LinkedIn Does the Exec Shuffle
- Microsoft Live Search GM Leaves, Replaced
- Metal Gear Solid Sneaking to iPhone
- Sim City iPhone Review
- iPhone: Exclusive French Carrier Deal Suspended
less than 1%?! approx 22 mln are sold, so that makes 200,000 complaint about this problem. I can't see how they can brush off such a large number of complaints by blaming the users.
@Microsoft: go fix the problem.
bunch of A-holes those Micro$oft guy$ are!
First off, I dislike the 360, so I'm no fanboy.
However, with that said, who the hell moves a console while the disk is spinning. I doubt there is an anti-skip device in place like in an vehicle's CD player. So...why?!
imo, I think MS assumed more intelligence of it's user base.
First off, I dislike the 360, so I'm no fanboy. However, with that said, who the hell moves a console while the disk is spinning. I doubt there is an anti-skip device in place like in an vehicle's CD player. So...why?!imo, I think MS assumed more intelligence of it's user base.
They assumed wrong. There are always stupid people. They may as well add an anti-skip device to weed out the idiot, and to get to the people with real problems, if they actually exist.
Ahh, SquidRott, and there was their first mistake. Assume intelligence, and you will always be sorely disappointed. Certainly, though, it is pretty much a given that CD/DVD drives with no anti-skip (read: nearly all computer based drives), will totally jack a disc is you bounce it around, but maybe that's only obvious to old computer guys like me (who learned the hard way a long time ago.)
Now... isn't this article just a rehash of the User comments from the last time you guys posted this article?
What about bringing the Xbox into a vehicle? This may sound dumb... but I have small children and a minivan with an overhead LCD they could hook this into. Would I need to worry about games getting scratched if we (heaven forbid) hit a bump while driving in the van?
Ahh, SquidRott, and there was their first mistake. Assume intelligence, and you will always be sorely disappointed. Certainly, though, it is pretty much a given that CD/DVD drives with no anti-skip (read: nearly all computer based drives), will totally jack a disc is you bounce it around, but maybe that's only obvious to old computer guys like me (who learned the hard way a long time ago.)
Yes assuming intelligence is bad ideal, and if you tried to design something stupid proof you will go bankrupt. I haven't had a problem with my Elite; I think it's just another empty attack at Microsoft.
You have to make everything "idiot proof", because idiots are using it.
"You have to make everything "idiot proof", because idiots are using it."
Wrong, we should encourage evolution by not idiot proofing things. It seems ironic that the people who are militaristic evolutionists also are the ones that want do dumb down the human race.
i still have my first gen 360. it runs games and NXE without problems. It does however get some weird visual errors when playing DVDs from the drive, but nothing I cant live with, just annoying and it seems to be more of a heat issue.
Only real solution I see to the scratching would be to change to a laptop type dvd drives where the tray holds the disk in place while spinning, some kinda motion detection like laptops have to protect against shock to the HDD, or maybe even a firmware update to insert a pause before trying to refocus the lens to hopefully "ride out" the shock.
What about bringing the Xbox into a vehicle? This may sound dumb... but I have small children and a minivan with an overhead LCD they could hook this into. Would I need to worry about games getting scratched if we (heaven forbid) hit a bump while driving in the van?
Very possible, the system wasn't designed with that application in mind.
Why not just put a hub in like laptop drives have, simple solution, relatively cheap I'm sure.
What about bringing the Xbox into a vehicle? This may sound dumb... but I have small children and a minivan with an overhead LCD they could hook this into. Would I need to worry about games getting scratched if we (heaven forbid) hit a bump while driving in the van?
I remember my cousins had their Super Nintendo hooked into their van years ago. Back then everything was cartridge. I never even thought of this application for the 360 myself. I doubt anyone at Microsoft ever considered people would want these in their cars either. I guess you'll just have to get your kids a DS or PSP.
Ahh, SquidRott, and there was their first mistake. Assume intelligence, and you will always be sorely disappointed. Certainly, though, it is pretty much a given that CD/DVD drives with no anti-skip (read: nearly all computer based drives), will totally jack a disc is you bounce it around, but maybe that's only obvious to old computer guys like me (who learned the hard way a long time ago.)
It isn't a matter of intellect but one of technical knowledge. You can move a Nintendo while in use without repercussion. Your car CD doesn't scratch. So why would a costly machine like an XBox have built in stupidity? It is not the users that are stupid, but the product designers trying to cut costs that are stupid. Ultimately, scratched CDs = more game sales was probably what they thought. Corporations do not care about ethics and their buyers, they care about making money. I'm always preaching on here about the real root of the problem being greed and capitalism. Is anyone listening?
Why is this only happening to the Xbox 360? And if the cause is stupid users, does this then mean that the Xbox 360 attracts more stupid users than other consoles?