Please can someone send me details of how and where to send my X-Box back too? Help

Ma Newman, Weymouth, Dorset

How can they get away with this, it’s not right? Had an early Sony play station 1 in 1995, had a problem with the conceal ‘one and a half years later and it was out of warranty’. They took the old conceal back and sent me a new one. Wish id stuck with Sony, if only they had some good games on the PS3.

Michael, Southampton,

Having had my 360 for less than1 year I have had to have it repaired Three times. I have had a new laser, DVD drive and have just got it back when i tried to play halo this morning I got the three red lights and i am now really really anoyed with microsoft and their faulty goods that they are selling when knowing full well that the 360 they are disributing across the world to people like me who had to save up for months to be able to afford one for my daughter does not last much more than a few months. Someone needs to investigate what they are doing and why they are selling dodgy products across the globe and getting away with it. My advice to anyone wantting to by na xbox 360 would be DON`T STAY WELL CLEAR OF THEM YOU WILL ONLY BE DISSAPOINTED!.

CHRISTOPHER PEACOCK, york, yorkshire

Xbox is easily the most addictive console that has been out to date and alot the reason for this is is because of "LIVE" and having a personal gamerscore. I know people who buy games purely for simple and quick achievements (King Kong being the main example of this). It is therefore very unfortunate that it has the highest failure rate as well as the worst repair service to date and yet, by far, the most money to invest. It isn't fair to on the people that should sacrifice valuable playing time when competing with friends to achieve the a high gamerscore.

I have sent mine off in the last week and having a few of these comments, I am highly skeptical regarding its returned condition. I hope I'm sent a new one ..

Phil, Hilderstone, England

I am currently waiting for my 5th xbox 360 console (or 4th repair / replacement) from Microsoft since Jan 2006 (now its Jan 2008). The console is fantastic when working, the online facility very good - its just such a shame that there has been so many reliability issues. Its not stopped me playing but it certainly is giving the Xbox a bad name. In many ways the superior console on the market is being spoiled by this issue. My advice is to get an Xbox 260 Elite - although I wouldnt bet on these being 100% reliable!

Gareth, Sheffield,

I got my 360 when i first came out. Thought It wasn't going to happen to me because I have had it over 2 years, but it crashed earlier today. It crashed again before and I got the ring of death. I can't believe it. God how I would like a PS3

Andrew, Manchester,

My Xbox 360 lasted almost 2 years before we got the 'Red Ring Of Death'. We sent it back to Microsoft, they 'repaired' it. However, when I tried to play on it, it wouldn't even switch on. Thanks a lot, Microsoft...

Jack Delderfield, Ashby de la Zouch, England

microsoft are a joke they never thought about this machine at all its been thrown together .competing against his rivals it is the same with windows vista so many problems.microsoft are getting it so wrong who cares they have so much money what the hell.i have had my 360 sent away probably wait 4 to 6 weeks then i dont know how long it will last.my advice is never buy an xbox 360.

freed , perth, scotland

I had my system exactly 3 months and 4 days. Lo-and-behold, playing Oblivion, the system blacks out and, what do you know, the three red-lights-of-death. So, I look up online what the hell the issue could be and I found out. I called Microsoft's support to see what I could do (with my three year warranty) and I spoke to an animated machine named Max. In order to talk to a real human, I waited an hour and a half... What the hell? By the time I finally spoke to a person, I was so tired of the phone... It, of course, was someone I could not understand. After another hour of them telling me things I already read and letting them know this, I finally had them tell me to "check a friend's". What the hell? Anyway, I had to pay ten bucks to send in my power supply... Let's hope it doesn't take months to get it back. I'm also hoping that it doesn't take a crap again after a week...

jeremy, New Baltimore, MI, USA

On my second xbox 360, the 1st one i owned was faulty after 3 months. I had that xbox replaced by a retailer. The second xbox was never quite right from the start but not bad enough for me to show too much concern. after 9 months i had the three red lights and microsoft would not repair/replace without a charge, due to the warranty expiring (only just, i might add) . I was forced to try and repair myself and noticed that the cpu and gpu had hardly any thermal paste on them. I have applied thermal paste to the chips but still have the three red lights. I guess they over-heated. Now i have no 360 at all, thanks microsoft!!

Mark Pearson, Lichfield, England

When my 360 was repaired for the first time it took 4 weeks to get back to me... I've had it just over 3 weeks and it's broken again - Just phoned 360 support and they gave a half-hearted apology and said it would take 2-3 weeks to be back. In my opinion they should have offered me a new one as it's clear that their repair process quite clearly does not work.

Cheyne Ravenscroft, Newcastle Upon Tyne, England

Microsoft are breaking customer/consumer acts with faulty machines, I would be better off getting one from the back of a truck than in a store. Not one xbox360 to date has permently been repaired which means total recall and replacements should be issued other wise they should be sued for every penny for personal hassel with tech support and repair. Something by law, or if anything by moral standing, should be done.

Karl Pepper, Cavan, Ireland

We have 2 xbox 360s both with problems,one wont play game discs properly,and the other one now showing red lights,in my opinion the xbox 360 console was rushed into production only to beat playstation3,ive wasted 550 pounds on these rubbish xbox 360s, I was robbed.

Alan woodcraft, banstead, surrey, u/k

Two things I'd mention:

Half Life 2 is just a glorified rail-shooter; and

Daikatana wasn't all that bad.

Bill Beetham, Moscow, Russia

microsoft xbox 360. what a disaster. how they can still be allowed to sell this rubbish is beyond me. i bought an xbox 360 for my son in december 2006, in february 2007 we had the three red light problem. sent it away via ups, and was impressed to have it back in a week in working order. we then found out that we had extended warranty for another 12 months, good old microsft i thought. not so fast!!! in october we had the three red lights again, rung microsoft, they confirmed that it had extended warranty and sent ups to collect. three weeks later the console was returned stating that it had been tampered with. i was furious!!! rung customer support several times, nobody would ring back, finally pinned somebody down who even told me that the warranty had run out in september 2007!!, it was only registered in december 2006. customer service and after sales does not exist with this company. why would i want to tamper with something that's under warranty? my advice, DO NOT BUY ONE!!!

cerith gimblett, llanelli, wales

Absolute disaster. This product should be taken off the shelves until the problem has been sorted and UK retailers should make a stand and refuse to sell them !!!
This will be my second time of red light 'Ring of Death' and all they are offering as compensation are 2005 released games, a controller or headset. What is the point of this when you have no console to use them with. This has put me right off purchasing any other Microsoft products again.

John, Greasby, Wirral, England

have not even bothered to try and get it repaired, microsoft have been ripping youngsters off for too long they should recall this faulty product and replace it immediately, or maybe they will bring out a new version for the kids to buy this christmas, come on microsoft cynical business practises aside morrally you have a duty to ensure the goods were fit for purpose, clearly that is not the case

jude morrison, york, uk

i returned my sons x box 360 around 3 weeks ago when i ring to ask when it is going to be returned i never seem to get a straight answer , i spent a fortune on this console for my son , and i feel as these consoles cannot be repaired,and need to be replaced with new consoles as soon as possible ,
and it is like talking to programmed robots when you phone , and you come away from the call no nearer knowing when you are going to get a replacement ,microsoft should be sending out vouchers so that people can go out and get their children replacements , not messing around for weeks trying to repair them!

Lynne, cramlington, northumberland

I also have sent my sons Xbox back to be repaired of the 'Ring of Death' problem. But I see an opportunity for some school leaver starting an self employed repairer of Xbox 360 consoles. Of coarse he/she will need some training.

Bill, Staffordshire, England

I'm currently on my third repair. I sent in my working xbox as the dvd drive was making awful grinding noises. Due to the CS representative not listening and assuming my xbox was showing the symptoms of a disc read error I ended up getting my xbox back some 25 days later with the mother board having been swapped for no good reason and the dvd drive remaining untouched. So I sent it back off again and this time they replaced the dvd drive. I plugged it in and within an hour the console was dead. Much to my son's dismay I sent it back again being told it would take 15 days and that I would almost certainly get a new console. Today 21 days later I'm told I won't get the console back until next week and that I will get a reconditioned console which from my research I have about as much faith in as I do chocolate fireguards.

Microsoft have a case to answer I feel, they are guilty of poor customer service a repair process that takes far to long and failing to acknowledge the problem.

Daniel Eggleton, Dunstable, Beds

I have just sent my 360 to be repaired for the 4th time in ten months.To say i am not happy would be an understatement. Since i purchased my xbox microsoft have had it for 2 to 3 months trying to repair it.Does anyone else feel cheated by the biggest company in the world?

andrew scott, Dunfermline, Fife

Well I am currently on the phone booking in my console with the dreaded ring of death fault for a second time. Firstly, I sent it in at the height of the delays going back in June, we waited 7 weeks and were eventually sent a new replacement console. Unfortunately the replacement console has now suffered the same fate and is off into the ether to never be seen again.

Whilst there staff are helpful and polite, you can't help feel they are pregrammed to toe the company line and simply tell you what you want to hear.

Dameon Hill, Gloucester, Gloucestershire

Following the death of my 13 week old 360 tonight, 25/10/2007 I rang MS repair on 0800 587 1102 at 8pm and got a very helpful agent who took particulars, gave me a repair reference number, and said they would email me within 3 days with instructions for sending it back. I asked him if the repair would be done abroad and he said it would be done in the UK and would take 15 working days so by the time I get the email, they receive the 360 and I get it back will take about 4 weeks. Hopefully I will see it back by the end of November, and if its not like so many of the other repairs hopefully it will work. I asked him if the fault was heating related and he said it was not. So there we have it. Death ;cause unknown.
I will report the state of its return in November.

Donald Mills, Poole, UK

I purchased my -MADE IN CHINA- 360 on the 26th of June 2007 before I knew about the high exhaust temperatures that might indicate overheating. I had a red ring incident 20 days ago with a room temperature of 24C ago and after leaving it standing overnight it booted up ok in the morning. To be safe I placed the machine on a north facing windowsill at between 10C to 15C during the evening and monitored the exhaust temperature with a probe in the exhaust. After 1 hour playing it would reach 38C to 41C and would sometimes go as high as 43C when I would then shut the machine down. Tonight 25-10-2007 on switch on I got the dreaded 3 red rings appear and nothing alters it. The machine has been well treated so THANKS a BUNDLE MICROSOFT and CHINA you have ruined my GEARS of WAR ,BISHOCK and HALO 3 experience.
My MADE in CHINA Fujifim F30 camera purchased on the 17th June 2007 also packed up on the 16th of this month so MADE IN CHINA is very suspect.

Donald Mills, Poole, UK

i have recently took my 360 back to the shop as i had a red ring of death, this is my 3rd console and i think ive now stumbled across a reason for the dreaded ring, ive been plugging my cosole into an extention lead which had been left with the power switched on whilst i set my console up. firstly i set all the wires up behind the tv, then pushed the tv back into possition. next i placed leads into the console, however when i plugged the power adaptor in there was a small spark . when i turned the console on i had the rings of death on a brand new console! so i have come to the conclusion that leaving the power on it is causing a power serge and shorting out consoles!!! how many of you out there have done the same as me? i have tryed to contact microsoft but all i got was a person who didnt have a clue what i was trying to tell him, after 20 mins or so i think he got the jist of it and said he'd pass the info on, come on microsoft, easily sorted with a serge breaker in the transformer

paul carrington, peterborough, england

I got my 360 back on Friday (12th Oct) afternoon, after having it repaired for the dreaded red ring of death. I fired it up.. worked a treat - well as far as loading the dashboard. Put in a game, didn't recognise the disk.. in fact, just did nothing. Tried a few other games, and still nothing.
It's now waiting for UPS to pick it up (apparently between 300 and 400 are being picked up daily!!! MS are their 'biggest' client). Will wait and see what happens when I get it back!

Paul Bieles, Portsmouth,

RING OF FIRE CHEAT
HALO everyone well not for me ---Ok Wrap up xbox 360 in a towel and switch It on, leave It for say 30 minutes, take off towel, and then turn off, then back on again - I did this and It worked. All very good but now I have red death ring again - has anyone got a very large hammer.. I wish I waited for the new ps3

yours
fedup
HALO 3 looser

PJ, BD,

My sons xbox 360 has come back from repair twice and both times i got it back within minutes of being on....went wrong again. today got it back and wont even turn on now! I am disgusted that microsoft wont refund me. I am now being sent a different reconditioned console.....am contacting trading standards as i think its a disgrace. All well and good having fancy launches for new games but should sort their console out first! I have taken 5 days of annual leave waiting for collection/ delivery and my 13yr old son has been in tears each time!

sarah, rochford, uk

Had my repaired Xbox360 back for half an hour today and there they are again Three red rings so back it goes, was offered a prority repair of 15 days soon be away more than i've had it.
not happy these machines need a redesign. time for the government consumer dept to step in.

Malcolm, Gillingham, Dorset

Xbox 360 has now got 3 year warrantt. Microsoft have made hardware revision. Therefore this problem WILL NOT occur any more :)

Junaid, london, london

my xbxo 360 just this morning decided it wanted to die on me does anyone know where i send it to or where i ring to get it sent help would be much appreciated

james , hull,

During play a load noise came from the disk reader, sounded like scratching! opened and restarted the console and the disk couldnt be read, the same for any other disk. Also makes scratching noise whenever a disk is attempting to play.
What can be done?

Sam Houldsworth, Cardiff,

hi my xbox 360 as just died on me now. i did not know what it was until a friend told me about the red ring.how do i get it fixed? where do i send it off if i need to?

ross lynch, leeds, england

Hi, my xbox 360 consol unfortunetly died this morning...where and how do i send it away to get repaired?

emma , northumberland, northumberland

This is all terribly fascinating, but is the head of EA just covering up for the fact that all his company can come up with are The Sims 2 expansion packs and Harry Potter adaptations?

Yoiur Dah, Edinburgh,

UPS just picked up my ex-box - yes, the dreaded ubiquitous Red Ring of Death. He said it was the 3rd one he'd collected today! Methinks Microsoft have a big problem here. Efficient collection service - I just hope its not too long before its back from its holiday in Czech land! I should have stuck with Sony - they have a few more years experience in soldering!

Mark, Farnham, UK

The idea that the problems with the xbox 360 are to do with the complexity of the system is rubbish. Microsoft rushed the system onto the market to gain a lead on the competition knowing full well that the design of the units was at fault.

Rubber Dave, Dewsbury, England

i updated my xbox 360 over xbox live yesterday and the machine rebooted in the normal way and when it did the three red death ring appeared it was working fine up till that download went in so come on microsoft what the hells going on 10/10 for ups i rang them at 9.30 this morning and he came and collected it at 11.30 thats fast service probably be waitng till christmas now for it back

paul, washington, tyne and wear

I sent my box off on the 18th July and got it back yesterday. My box is now better than when i first bought it 18 months ago. Whether the fix will last I dont know but all my games run faster the fans are slightly quieter and it hasnt locked up once. I found Microsofts service to be excellent as i only rung once to get it picked up, and it was back within the 25 day turnover time.

Richard, Isle of Wight, UK

Iv been waitin for nearly a month now for my x box to be repaired..... If what Andy from Wishaw, Scotland says is true then ill be sending it back in 6 months time for repairs again.... Surely if it is a design fault there are some legal statutory rights for the consumer allowing for a turn around within 28 days? Oh, wait I forgot, companies with billion pound profit margins don't have to adhere to the rights of the consumer do they? I will definately be gettin rid of my xbox, when and if I get it back and it pains me to say this as it really is the best games machine on the market at the minute.

Paul, Doncaster, England

When i tried to contact the x box customer support, all i got was an automated message telling me about the extended warrenty! As with most of the other people leaving comments i have had this problem. This automated message also told me that none of the advisers have further information which (i hope you agree) is very very unprofessional.

Richard Jones, Buckley, flintshire

my xbox console broke on the 1st of august 2007 just a few days ago and i phoned the up the next day to be on hold for half an hour and to someone i couldnt even understand very well. My console has been picked up today on the 3rd which was good because it was supose to be picked up in 5 days. Im just hoping my console doesnt get sent to Czech Republic because i dont want to be waiting so long for just a simple task to be done. I agree with Richard when he say they should send out a replacement if there doing such a poorly job of (fixing) consoles.

mike, liverpool,

I've stayed with the "PC" world for my gaming. The game-dedicated systems are just too limited in scope (and product life before becoming obsolete) and seem geared to younger folks. I'm more into role-playing and simulations (Flight Simulator, Silent Hunter, Age of Empires, etc.), and appreciate the choices of complexity I have from easy-as-falling-off-a-log to harder-than-hell. The more strategy, and the less blood-and-guts, on emphasis, the better the game usually is. Games don't require a Mensa intelligence to be fun--but they do need to be challenging. That can sometimes be a tough fence to walk. Ultimately, if I'm playing any game that is just too tough to resolve without calling in my Mensa buddies or finding a "cheat sheet" somewhere, it's just not my cup of Earl's Grey.

Arlen Bradley, Grand Prairie, TX

I've stayed with the "PC" world for my gaming. The game-dedicated systems are just too limited in scope (and product life before becoming obsolete) and seem geared to younger folks. I'm more into role-playing and simulations (Flight Simulator, Silent Hunter, Age of Empires, etc.), and appreciate the choices of complexity I have from easy-as-falling-off-a-log to harder-than-hell. The more strategy, and the less blood-and-guts, on emphasis, the better the game usually is. Games don't require a Mensa intelligence to be fun--but they do need to be challenging. That can sometimes be a tough fence to walk. Ultimately, if I'm playing any game that is just too tough to resolve without calling in my Mensa buddies or finding a "cheat sheet" somewhere, it's just not my cup of Earl's Grey.

Arlen Bradley, Grnad Prairie, TX

I sent my xbox console to be repaired on the 29th June 2007 and am still waiting for it to be returned, it has been 26 days now. This is not the first time it has been repaired I first experienced the ring of death at the end of May 2007, the console was out of warrenty but xbox offered to repair it at no charge to myself. However I had only had the console back for two weeks and the same problem raised it's ugly head. I have now lost nearly two months of gaming and all assosiated charges to play xbox live. Microsoft sent a letter which was supposed to have one months free online gaming unfortuanatly this had been removed from the paper it was attatched to. Why can't microsoft send out replacment consoles especially when they have already tried and failed to repair faulty machienary once already.

Richard Young, Bradford, Yorkshire

I agree with the guy who earlier stated that " he would be sticking with SONY". A least they send a replacement out in the next few days after contacting them and swap the faulty one with a working one at your door. A huge company like microsoft should of taken the recent situation regarding repair issues into consideration before they lauched, as it clearly shows no matter when the console was manufactured the 3 red light syndrome hauts all. Been waiting a approx 4 weeks now for my console to get back to me ring support constantly but they are no help what so ever.

Charlie Will, croydon,

I think the EA Chief needs to take a hard look at one of his top-selling games, Madden Football, the very definition of rinse- and-repeat. EA is a sequel and expansion machine. The Sims and The Sims 2 have been expanded, adding a bit here and bit there. Most of the those expansion were less than innovative or ground-breaking. The Medal of Honor series hasn't been ground-breaking since Underground! Another classic example of rinse-and-repeat. A message for Mr Riccitiello: Innovative games stand the test of time. Madden is only as good as the lastest version. Medal of Honor doesn't measure up to the Call of Duty series. Command and Conquer? An excellent brand, but see Company of Heroes for some fresh ideas.

Garrett Clardy, Cleveland, OH

There is one game/sim that I had on the Commodore 64 that I used to play for hours. It was made by MicroProse and called Airborne Ranger. It had great strategy and was not really hard, but you could make it harder before each mission. I still play this with an emulator and just love it. It only had one ranger and not the "teams" that are in the current games, which I detest. You had a time limit to complete each mission and certain goals to complete. You also had a map of you complete battlefield and it showed exactly where you were at any given time so completing a mission was fun. What happened to games since the C64 days? The games had better graphics, but the fun and interest left.

Fred, Westminster, Maryland USA

30 days since my xbox went for repair and still not back, this is totally unacceptable, i shall be sticking with sony from now on, my ps3 broke down sony sent me a new one next day seems they care about their customers whereas microsoft do not.

michael fahey, burgess hill, uk / west sussex

I can't believe that iPod and mobile phone games will ever be able to compete with consoles... simply in power and the willingness of the companies to invest in such things...

Can you ever imagine a game such as Mario Strikers Charged, with *free* internet capability, ever playable on a handheld device such as a mobile? I think not.

Jon, London, England

Perhaps if game marketers would address the rampant cheating by players within their existing games, they might find some sense of commitment and loyalty from their games.

In games like BF2 (Battle field 2) the sequel to Battlefield 1942, which are both outstanding games, marketers are in risk of losing their player base due to cheating and a lack of support by EA.

The games forums are littered with slants against EA and game developer DICE for the reliance on 3rd party anti cheat technology what partially works within their games. This lack of support creates an environment of disdain and contempt not just for this game, but against ALL of their titles.

Just an observation from a person who will not invest in EA games again.

Adam, Nanaimo, Canada

Oh the irony of EA complaining about repetitive, non-innovative gameplay! Madden 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008 - see a pattern yet ?

But the only thing worse than uninspired games is that they sell, whereas games with unusual features (think Katamari) are restricted to a small group of enthusiasts.

Games have already been dumbed down thanks to the proliferation of video game consoles- if this trend continues with catering to cell phone users we'll be back to the tactical depth of Centipede in a few years.

Marco, San Diego, CA

Consoles and computers...apples and oranges. I am not a console gamer and will not claim to speak for that demographic.
But with regard to pc games its obvious to me that EA lives up to it's reputation among many pc gamers as not having a living clue what serious gamers want.
Pc gaming has always been something of a hobbyist pastime and serious pc gamers are a somewhat obsessive lot. We would have to be to prop up the graphics card and performance cpu/ram memory markets with the outrageous prices we pay. I don't invest so much time and money to run the best rig to play easy casual games. Casual gamers should stick to consoles as thats the intended demographic.

The pc gamers that keep the hardware market afloat want challenging interesting content, we want harder games that take longer to finish and push current tech. If anything the recent trend in simultaneous development for pc/console titles has been slammed by many pc gamers as dumbing down the pc genre!

Lowenklee, aurora,

I agree , I was born in 1979 , I'm now 28 , I've been playing games my entire life , I've now completely quit because the games are terribley boring , I agree with this guy 100%.

Dallas, belton, texas

Perhaps EA should not have focused strictly on hiring only the youngest generation of gamers. Many great games and dedicated workers have been put through the grinder at EA and other game companies, all the time the big wigs at these organizations believed that the assets of the company were the games and brand names, not the people doing the work.

Adapt and learn from your shortcomings or fail, those are your only choices.

KennyG, MkOrBrkVlly, USofA

That's largely why I got out of the business. Every idea is analysed to death and has to go through a formal proposal and be cleared by marketing. The days of thinking of something and coding up are long gone. Games are no fun any more.

Malcolm McLean, Bradford, UK

Developers have shot themselves in the head. Not because of anything you mention in this article. Games are being released in a pre-alpha state, in which most if not all of the features are actually broken and will not work on the VAST majority of PC's.. You need to look no further than ArmA as the PERFECT example of code incompetence.

Having been a gamer since the 70's Ive watched first hand as greedy selfish idiots (iRacing comes to mind) have ruined this industry. I no longer play games for this reason alone.

Mitch, San Martin,

This is why the Wii is completely smashing the PS3 and XBox. Back to basics. Fun, simple games, because they are just games after all. Well done Nintendo for creating this platform.

KBS, London,

Strategy games encourage logical thinking and an insight into thigns that may have happened years ago, e.g. WW2 etc. Company of Heroes is a perfect example of this - it combines a fantastic storyline, great graphics/sound, with a fun element to the game, provided also by the online/multiplayer area.

James Milligan, Altrincham/Cheshire, NW England

eh? this is news? Microsoft have know about this issue for well over a year and have decided to do nothing about it except fob people off with b.s excuses.Another place in the uk that used to repair 360s have told microsoft that they are not willing to try fix any more because the problem is unfixable and is a fundamental design flaw !
This is the only reason that i didnt and probably will never buy a 360.
Gonna buy a ps3 now that the price is down and rumble is coming before xmas .

jub, Leeds, uk

Pac-Man (Atari, 1981) in the 10 worst games?? Surely there has been a mistake. Pacman was like the vw golf I of games back in 1981!!!

Osei K., London - GB,

Whilst I agree that the gaming industry is suffering from a lack of inovation I find it hard to believe that Pac-Man is one of the worst games!! 25 Years have passed since its release and its still being sold on mobile phones!!!

Rick Steiner, London,

BF2 needs to be on the best games

Mark, Norwich, England

Sounds like the same problem Hollywood has...

Peter, San Diego, CA / USA

I'm so tired of game makers talking about appealing to the casual gamer. Sure I'm all for them expanding their market share and such, but as a 28 year old, single male who's been a gamer since I was 7 or 8 years old I think they are forgetting about their loyal followers. Appealing to casual gamers maybe fine and dandy to put consoles in peoples homes ala the Nintendo Wii, however, casual gamers are unlikely to go out and buy as many games as the more devoted long time gamers who have their certain genre and sort of games they like to play. I admitted don't get to play my consoles as much as I'd like to do work and life in general, but you can best believe if an awesome and kick a$$ RPG game I want comes out I will find a way to devote my time to playing and completing it ... even if I have to give up 1 hour of sleep do do so LOL.

rodney, Atlanta, Georgia

7/10 games in the best games chart were at some stage or other Nintendo exclusive. The same pattern appears in the GameRankings chart which averages every review of the game and ranks it based on them:
1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
2. Solur Calibur
3. Metroid Prime
4. Resident Evil 4 (GC)
5. GoldenEye 007
6. Resident Evil 4 (PS2)
7. Super Mario 64
8. Halo: Combat Evolved
9. Tekken 3
10. Half-Life 2

Alex Gulliver, Havant,

While I'd agree the there aren't a large amount of really innovative games currently I'd hardly say it's fair to compare games from the last 5 years against 8 bit games from the '80s like "Custers' Revenge". In fact why cite a 10 best list from one publication and compare it to a 10 worst list from a totally different publication? That's pretty sloppy.

Ethan, Pleasanton, CA

Having had the xbox 360 for 1 yr and 3 months, then getting a motherboard failure that cost £86 and took 2 months to fix, I am definitely NOT a happy bunny. In this day and age to have what is basically a small computer fail after 15 months shows up a fundamental design flaw (or flaws). My recommendation to anyone looking at an xbox 360 is to consider very carefully if you really want an xbox or whether there is a more reliable alternative. Satisfaction level 5/10!!!

Julian J, Farnham, UK

pac-man on the all time worst list? what drugs were you on?!?!?

Ed, Philadelphia, PA

This is a very strange position from game publishers, they are the one that are publishing those 'bad games'... and they are blamming the developers... I am prety sure they have the upper hand on what is selected to be developed, not the game developers...
Its like movie producer company blaming they movie creators for bad movies... they are the ones that selected and financed those bad movies... Believe me, there are PLENTY of ideas out there and the ones responsible for selecting the ones going to the selfs are not the game developers..

Gustavo, Porto Alegre, Brazil

Appealing more to casual gamers will make games more boring. That's what has been done...so solve the problem by doing more of the same! Brilliant idea!

Jeremy, Portland, Oregon

Again, like the with Manchester/Sony article, actually do some decent research first. This shouldn't come as a shock, because the reason innovative games are disappearing is because EA has gradually absorbed most of the smaller, less corporate game companies, which is usually where most of the great games come from because they're not so pushed for profits, deadlines etc. What do they expect if they keep rehashing their cash cows? They're reaping what they have sown and so are the gamers.

Martin , St Andrews, Scotland

If Edge Magazine thinks a Zelda game is the best ever made, they haven't played very many computer games.

Hell, I played TIE Fighter for 10 times longer than all the Zelda games combined. Are the Zelda games good? Yes, but the same story every game.

Plus the open-ended ending of Half-Life 2 keeps it off of any top ten list I would approve. Halo was good but the level design sucked.

Dan Wesson, Noneya,

I'll settle for a EA that doesn't put out games that are full of bugs and lack support. My advice: figure that out before moving further. Maybe you're losing interest of consumers because your games just don't work half the time.

Drew, El Paso, TX

Gee, someone important finnaly said what I have been saying for over 2 years. Except for eve, which used to be good but they changed it so much many players have just walked away, and World of Warcraft which is still a fun game to play. If they come out with more lands and some rebuilding of the structures in the old lands, (to be done by Players) it might continue to be one of the top games.

Robert Therrien, Ortonville, Michigan

The "real time strategy" genre is underappreciated, and this guy running his mouth doesn't help. Yes, they're hard - they're SUPPOSED to be. Not everybody wants to play pretty, twitchy first-person shooters or fantasy games for 5 year olds.

More to the point, how can you blast *PAC MAN*? Why not just come out and slam Pong while you're at it?

Now ET though, THAT was bad.

Newt, Cinti, Ohio, USA

Electronic Arts are themselves the publishers of countless abysmal games. They are notorious for pushing out sequels (as is the case in their endlessly updated sports games) and mindless licensed products (such as poorly designed movie tie ins) that are totally dry of any innovation.

If there's a problem with games being boring, the CEO might want to look at the games published by his house in particular.

John Swaine, Malta,

Okay, who forgot to remind John Riccitiello that Electronic Arts, are celebrating TEN YEARS of Ultima Online?

Or that Ultima Online are presently trotting out a brand new client utilising the Gamebryo engine?

The words "lost" & "opportunity" as well as "great", "festering" and "buffoon" spring to mind...

A. Jolly-Pirate, London, UK

Pac-Man??? Whoe wrote this? Pac-Man is the face of the birth of the home gaming age! People who started with Atari have a special place in their herat for the little yellow guy. In its day, it was awesome!!! You can't put it on any worst list!!

Holly West, Burleson, texas

You are right. I had stopped long ago. Most of these games are so stupid. Or better yet, show me the one that's not.

al bundy, gotham, usa

Pac-Man!?!?!?!?!!? As a worst game?

No Taste at all.

Bobe, The OC,

Pfft.
Get back to making REALISTIC SIMULATIONS with todays graphic capabilities, and you wouldn't be losing so many customers.
We flight/sub/racing/combat sim fans are WAITING....

Mark, Tipp City, Ohip

How dare he? The head of EA is complaining about developers making boring, un-innovative, unoriginal games? Who the hell are they kidding? They INVENTED the art of selling a sequel per year. They over-work their developers, they impose extraordinarily limiting deadlines, they exploit the morons who will buy the same game five, six years in a row (or, in the case of EA Sports, often the same game TWICE a year for several years running - I know plenty of people who buy the pro version and the college version). EA is the worst thing to happen to video games, period. He wants to fix this? Well, I don't actually think it will help, but he could liquidate EA and let the conceivably talented developers there actually develop games, not minor upgrades to get another $50 out of an idiotic audience.

Kevin Ryan, New York, NY

This is misleading. First of all, the only reason Nintendo Wii has been selling out Playstation 3 is because It's been out longer and the units are cheaper to make, hense the company can make more of them... hence, there are more on the shelfs at stores.

This is just an old-timer in the industry who is scared of change and confused by the new technologies that are breeding these newer, longer and far better games.

This is the golden age of video game entertainment. Grand theft Auto 3 (and on), Metal Gear Solid - all of them, Metal of Honor, Tom Clancy, Tony Hawk...
These games are not only the best -so far-, but have changed our entertainment culture in general.

There are so many good ones. It hasn't always been like this.

I don't want t go back to Sega Genesis and N64, I've had those. They suck!

Bob S., London, UK

my xbox 360 has not suffered from the red ring desease but has been returned by me to the shop 3 times because it has scratched my discs to the point were they no longer work i think this is a joke and there is no reason stay with xbox but buy a playstation 3 instead as they seem to be more reliable

Thomas Mitchley, skelmersdale, lancashire

PC World magazine obviously didn't do a very exhaustive search for the worst games... not even close. There are tons worse than that... believe me. I may have played more games than anyone alive.

Rob, Rexburg, ID

Mr Riccitiello is clearly aware of the self-destructive business model his own company has been at the forefront of championing. The issue is as evidenced by the 'Ten Best' list not a matter of complexity, but replayability. EA has in recent years shifted business focus to rapid development of games with limited replay value, in an effort to monopolize exclusive brands.

This has directly led to serious workplace complications, declines in revenue, and long-term undermining of the industry at large. The games listed in the article as well as the 'Top Ten' list all have a moderate to high level of scaled complexity, but more importantly offer significant replay advantage.

Mr Riccitiello would do well to reassess his own company's direction, and salvage what is left of the market before it collapses due to hyper-saturation and mismanagement at the hands of company's such as his own.

Herr Wobbles, Seattle,

if u see the top 3 games dont deserve their spot,
so clearly Half Life 2 is the winner

ORB, Hyd,

Is it really fair to complain about bad games from the 4-bit and 8-bit days?

BD Cruz, Los Angeles, USA

This is what happens when a company has a monopoly. Innovation goes down the tubes. Seen any original iPod games? This is why -- no open market.

Bren, Little rock, Arkansas

Typical Microsoft. Their hardware is just as buggy as their software. At least the software can be patched...

Paul, Thornton, Lancs.

My son has an x-box which suffered the red ring disease, he was desperate to have it fixed to keep up with his gamer on-line points.
MICROSOFT DID NOT MENTION this as a problem ,but were willing to take £84 to repair the problem.
In desperation to stay online he borrowed my X-box, low and behold 24hours later, he phoned to say my X-box had suffered the same end. Now both of us have no box.
IT SEEMS TO ME MICROSOFT were hiding the problem for a long time and it should NOT be trying useless repairs and now make amends by replacing all the fualty goods,as this might safe them money in the long term.
Come on Microsoft you have owned up to failings, now show your customers you wish us to stay with YOU.

Duncan McCallum, Stirling, Scotland, GB. UK.

Andy,

I am working in Quality Assurance in the electronic sector.I am interested on failure analysis and found this page afgter reading a warranty new. Let me say your explanation sound just brilliant. I do not have an Xbox or have details of the problems but I am sure you are right. Huge companies or projects are not free of problems. The major mistake do not listen the voice of the customer or maybe the engineers with common sens that could have stoped this with proper verification test.

Jose Boyero, Örebro, Sweden

i buy nintendo only im a gamer not a "chav" all i can say is TOLD U SO

cubeboy101, LEICESTER,

A big problem is that it took Microsoft a long time to work out why the earlier machines were failing. In order to get a prompt turnaround they were sending out refurbished boxes as replacement for failures, then opening up the failed boxes, blowing out the dust and not being able to locate the fault, resealing them again and putting them back on the shelf ready to be sent to the next person who had a failed Xbox. Most of those failed again soon afterwards, and the cycle began again. The most extreme example I have read was of someone who was on his twelfth replacement machine.

At least they are attempting a repair now, although the problem seems to be inherent in the design. The graphics chip gets too hot, its heatsink isn't big enough to dispose of all that heat, in part because it is squashed under the DVD drive. So 1) the solder loosens a bit leading to the contacts breaking and 2) the DVD drive gets cooked and dies.

Jim, London,

Hi
I have been fixing pc's for over 15 years, I just fixed a 360 Xbox, the problem is the Heat Sink seated on the CPU, it is shaped like a grill and collects a lot of dust so that air cannot flow through it, I used a "paint brush" to clean it, fixed the problem in five minuites.
The big problem is that it cannot be permenatly fixed, it has a design fault that means that the heat sink will clog up with dust again, So please tell your readers that they are being ripped off, any money they pay out is waste of time because the repair will only last for six to eight months, depending on use.
For more details on this, just send me an e-mail.
Cheers
Andy.

Andy Matthews, Wishaw, Scotland

I sent mine away nearly 3 weeks ago. I've phoned twice for progress reports but to no avail. They said I've just got to wait. At the risk of sounding non PC, how can I put it, it would be nice to speak to someone who had a decent command of the English languge or who was at least raised in these fair Isles, if you know what I mean!
Would it be reasonable of me to ask Microsoft to compansate me in some small way for the inconvenience, like a free game or a year's subscription to Xbox LIve?

Phil, Chester, Cheshire