Before Buying a New Video Game Console...

September 27, 2006 (WPVI) -- The Lucidis have a love-hate relationship with the Xbox 360. The kids love it. Their mom hates it.

"It's just been one headache after another," said Beth Lucidi.

Microsoft launched the much-anticipated game console late last November, but just days later, gamers began complaining about the 360, Many said the system overheats and crashes.

Beth called Microsoft for help when the Lucidi's 360 shut down. Microsoft told her she had to pay $129 to get the system fixed because its 90 day warranty had expired.

"I didn't think it was fair because there were so many people with the same problem," said Lucidi.

Last week Microsoft finally admitted that consumers are returning 360s for repair at a higher rate than normal. It says the bulk of those returned units were part of the initial manufacturing run.

Dr. Frank Lee teaches game design at Drexel University. Lee says early buyers essentially become guinea pigs. Manufacturers need three to six months after a product launch to really work out all the bugs and kinks.

"If you wait a little bit, hopefully the system will become more stable," said Lee.

Consumers are already chomping at the bit for the next wave of new generation game systems..

Sony's Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wiii are due to make their debut in less than two months.

If you're a hard-core gamer who can't wait to buy, then Lee said, "This is my golden rule for consumers: document everything, and this goes for Xbox 360 and everything else you might have."

Make note of exactly what the problem is, what game you were playing and how long the system had been running when the problem occurred.

After so many consumers returned their 360s for fixes, Microsoft has now agreed to waive the cost of repairs on 360 consoles manufactured before January 1, 2006. It will also refund any fees already paid for repairs to those systems.

Get more News »

• Email
• Print
• Report a typo
•