Anniversary of a Red Ringed Monster - Xbox 360

[anephric]

I've had three, but I've never actually had a ring o' death. I had a launch machine, got a freebie replacement off MS when the DVDROM was so knackered it wouldn't load Halo 3. That lasted another couple of years and then started getting intermittent E18 errors, but even then it came and went. Knew it was on the way out so got a 360S. So in actual fact, I've only had to pay for one new 360, so five years down the line that's pretty good. I got through more PS2s in the same timeframe.

[Sketcz]

I dislike the fact so many are describing the 360 pad as an industry standard now. Only in recent months has MS fixed the terrible d-pad. Furthermore, the sticks aren't horizontally aligned. For a machine which boasts so many FPS fans, how you can play with mis-aligned sticks is beyond me. I'm no mouse whore and I enjoy an FPS with a pad, but if I'm playing with a pad then I need my character and my camera sticks to be absolutely level with each other. Otherwise it feels like someone has moved my one eye 3 inches higher than it really is, or is forcing me to write left handed - it's very unsettling.

I've only had to pay for one new 360, so five years down the line that's pretty good. I got through more PS2s in the same timeframe.

Did you keep your PS2 plugged into the mains all the time?

Actually, a Q for 360 owners who have red ringed. Did you keep your system always plugged into the wall socket with the juice turned on by the wall switch? Force of habit means every time I stop playing a machine I turn the system's power off then remove the plug from the wall. I do this with all appliances actually, bar the fridge and freezers.

I never had a PS2 die on me doing this, and I'm wondering if it contributes to the 360 problem. I asked a friend who had a RRoD and a PS3 YloD, and he said left them both in, on standby, pretty much permanently. The concept of which freaked me out...

[J0e Musashi]

I have zero interest in the 360. Mainly because I am really, really put off by it's 'timebombness'. Kinect is probably the stupidest thing I've ever seen.

I prefer the PS3 exclusives, and I haven't played the 360 version of Bayonetta so have nothing to complain about. I did actually buy one on launch purely because I went into Woolies and they had a Premium unit sitting on the shelf in the middle of £1000 eBay sales and hyped up stock shortages.

I found Need for Speed: Most Wanted to be an amazing title (although it was just as amazing on PS2). I had fun with Ridge Racer 6, but 360 was purely a stopgap for me whilst I waited for the PS3's release. The game I was most excited about was SF2 Hyper Fighting, so erm yeah.

360 was however responsible for making me purchase my first HD television and 5.1 so I'll give it that at least.

[anephric]

Did you keep your PS2 plugged into the mains all the time?

No, just Sony's piss-poor laser diodes forever dying. After a bit of self-education, I could swap them out myself, but lasers in early PS2s are dire, there was a class-action against Sony because of it.

[Sketcz]

No, just Sony's piss-poor laser diodes forever dying. After a bit of self-education, I could swap them out myself, but lasers in early PS2s are dire, there was a class-action against Sony because of it.

Crikey... I'll consider myself lucky as hell then...

[k0pp0]

1 RROD here. Easily the best console I've owned, and I've owned most of them.

The idea of achievements had me hooked when I first heard of them, but I was a reasonably late adopter of the 360.

There's so many great games on the system - what else do you need?