Document suggests MS knew about disc scratching

[Matt Bassos]

Document suggests MS knew about disc scratching by Matt

360 News: Lawsuit reveals Microsoft potentially knew about Xbox 360 disc damaging before console launch.

[View Article]

[mipac]

This and the RROD are my two biggest concerns with the 360. I know that you can scratch discs on other consoles, but even slightly bumping my 360 has brought up that dreaded grinding noise. I don't know why the 360 scratches discs so easily, although I have read that it might be due to Microsoft deciding not to include buffers to hold the disc in place like other consoles use.
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[Infested Jibbs]

Meh, who cares.
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[heatseeker]

Meh, i only get that ring around the centre.
Or when i turn it off by holding in the button, then pop the disc out.
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[eviladrian]

Ugh, it's not as if optical disc drives are a completely mature technology that has existed for over 25 years and been refined to the point that it works in car stereos and pocket-sized devices without ever scratching a disc, is it?

[Tom101007]

hmm, i had my 360 take a bite out of a game before,
however ive had my wii fall from a table while running and the disc was unharmed, cant say about the PS3 but in my experience the only console that has damaged discs has been the 360

I still shudder when i remember that horrible crunching, grinding noise that came out of the 360
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If you looked at the list of console i own you would swear i was a nintendo fanboy, but i like all the consoles, really i do...

[Benza]

[skrob73]

[PimpHat]

I've lost nine discs to this issue.

With multiplatform titles I would opt for the graphically (or otherwise) superior version as a matter of course.

Since I scratched three GTA4 discs over six weeks I have started to buy the PS3 versions without even checking a comparative review.

I have a 120Gb Harddrive on the way that will enable me to use the new Copy to HDD feature. Hopefully this will mitigate this flaw to an extent.

The official line from Microsoft seems to be "We warned you good, use at your own risk". To be honest I knew about this problem before the Aussie launch for the console, and bought into the platform anyway. So I guess the market is willing to accept this shonky product.

When people ask me to recommend which console they should buy I say:

Wii: pretty cheap, underpowered, small library, a few unmissable games

PS3: pretty expensive, physically huge, small but expanding library, few downloadable games, a few unmissable games

X360: mid range price, loud console, prone to failure (I’ve broken three), largest library both on and offline but access to games is not guaranteed (I must be online to play the arcade games I bought with the previous consoles, and the disc scratching issue), a few unmissable games

So far everybody I've given this advice to as decided to wait for price drops, hardware revisions, or the next gen as the case may be. Still despite this brutal analysis I find room in my heart for all three consoles. It’s a shame about the dead discs though, it would have been easy to fix during the R&D stage.

[MrAndyPuppy]

[G3ck0]

^Do you mean this?

http://www.xbox.com/en-GB/support/drm/default.htm

[Sinthesys]

[franky573]

[Sinthesys]

Dude, it costs $20 for a 20gig harddrive, not like we're talking yatch money here. So, no, buying a HD after the console purchase doesn't make it more expencive than the Wii.
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GT: Da Herbalist - Keep on Choppin'

[barbz89]

Typical M$, Can't trust them.

[RhysDeschain]

I've had my 360 for nearly 2 years now, and never ever EVER scratched a single disc (even Halo 3!!). Obviously anyone who scratches a lot of discs (lets say 9) shouldn't be allowed to own a console that uses discs (maybe they should stick with first gen Nintendo consoles.....).
Anyone who DOES scratch discs regularly should consider not shaking their 360/having it on an uneven surface while it's in operation.
Well, that's it.

[Peveus]

RhysDeschain please don't post such comments without doing some research first. While it is a guaranteed fact all 360s will scratch games if tipped over while running, there are many that will do it REGARDLESS.

At US launch the most common disc drive to be found in the Xbox 360 was the Hitachi. This drive is notorious for scratching games for no reason whatsoever. My best friend was lucky enough to get a Hitachi drive in his 360 brought this year, and his GTA IV was broken as a result. He never tipped his 360. Ever.

Though the problem is far more severe on that drive, no Xbox model is immune. I own two Xbox 360s and nobody on this earth takes better care of their discs than I do. Every disc I own, save for the three I shall mention, is immaculate.

But both my 360s have done this to me.

The first had drive crash while playing Lost Odyssey Disc 1. The console chewed up the game while crashing, and subsequently the game could not be played. Microsoft replaced this disc for me for free. And failed to fix my Xbox. The same problem happened again on Disc 4 of the same game, and again Microsoft replaced it and again failed to fix my xbox. So I bought a new one.

This console crashed while playing The Last Remnant. Eject disc. Big circular scratch. Oh thanks. That console RRODd shortly thereafter. Luckily this game still works.

Do not assume that just because your Xbox has not done this, that in fact yours represents every single one of millions of units sold since 2005 and because you haven't had an issue nobody else possibly could without being a complete incompetent who doesn't know how to handle discs. It is and has always been a well known fact that the 360 has a plethora of hardware faults.

Look at this forum. Almost every single regular poster here who has an Xbox 360 has had some sort of hardware fault. Most, if not all own another system that has never had any problems whatsoever. So are you saying it's them?

I don't think so.

I think you need to consider your comments more carefully in the future, so that people like me will not need to waste ten minutes instructing you on your foolishness.

Please don't bother to rebut me, I'll not waste any more time on this.
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Currently Playing: Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii)

[RooRage]

When I told the guy on the Xbox "help" line a couple of years ago telling him that the drive was scratching up my Gears of War (1) disc, he gave me the "M$ has tested the drives and they are shown not to scratch discs" line...

I'm holding it in my hand looking at it thinking WTF??
Started getting regular dirty disc errors and sent 360 off to Sydney --> got fixed and voila! no more disc scratching!!

Luckily a mate worked at JB and just swapped the game for me but I was fuming with M$ (but I can't stay mad at you for long baby...).
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https://www.nepchin.com.au/Enter.aspx?ref=M000000045

XBL: Roo Rage

[RhysDeschain]

.......... I think you're the one who wasted your own time writing that short novel, and I guess I am the proud owner af a magical 360 that has never scratched a disc a disc!
Yay me!
I guess what I'm really trying to say is be careful out there, kids.

[LeonJ]

Watch out for the Americans to sue the crap out of M$.

I remember the PS2 having this exact problem with the first generation.

@ mipac - Who the hell bumps their console while it's running anyway? It's got wireless controllers.
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Shin J Leon.

XBL - LeonJ
PSN - LeonJ

[donovan515]

[Fly]

[Eyce]

[Mr Waffle]

I had a hitachi drive, it almost killed my Forza 2 disc. Took about 10 tries before I could install it when NXE came out because of scratches.

I sent off my 360 to get the drive replaced last year after it kept giving me "rear error" messages (took a weekend; sent on Thursday, received on Monday!), they replaced it with a different drive and haven't had a problem since.

One of the biggest shames of this generation is that such a brilliant software platform has been let down by the hardware so badly. (And the exact opposite for the PS3, come to think of it)

[Rabscallion]