Austin360 blogs > Digital Savant > Archives > 2007 > July > 06 > Entry
Xbox’s $1.15 billion red ring of death and other links
I spent the 4th of July following meat-grilling technology instead of videogames and iPhones and I think the investment in attention was well-spent. We bought a new gas grill (our old one was falling apart) and I can honestly say that sometimes upgrading has a direct impact on flavor. Good marinade also helps.
We return from a tiny, tiny vacation to discover that Microsoft has not only acknowledged that its Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death epidemic is an unacceptable failure rate that must be corrected with a three-year extended warranty for all 360 owners. This is great news if you’ve got one, but also chilling; you almost figure that at some point, your trusty system is going to go.
My brother has already been through this repair cycle; he was impressed with the speed at which he was issued a box to send the broken system back, but anytime you have to send in a piece of electronics for repair, it’s always a bummer, no matter how well you’re treated.
Meanwhile, in Sony land, there are rumors that a $100 price cut on the $599 version of the PlayStation3 is imminent. Sony is denying the cut, but the rumors are adamant. A supposed Circuit City promo is not helping squelch that rumor. The question is whether this potential price cut will be retail-wide. Stay tuned.
The Washington Post examines videogame junkets. We don’t accept junkets from game companies, but I’ve seen quite a few people who have when I’ve gone to industry events on our company’s dime. It’s rarely as flagrant as trips to Russia and Italy, but it does happen. I hate to generalize, but a lot of online gaming sites seem to have no problem with accepting flights and hotels from the companies whose future games they’ll one day review.
Can’t afford an iPhone? Why not have mom knit you one?
At least you won’t have to pay $85.95 to replace its battery someday.
Also on Slashdot… AMD processor benchmarks debated.
And a palate cleanser: Ruxpin!
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