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Xbox 360 Glitches Reported
Elizabeth Millard, newsfactor.com 1 hour, 36 minutes ago
In an informal online poll, some
Xbox 360 users have noted that they are seeing glitches in their gaming consoles.
On the Teamxbox.com site, run by Fox Interactive unit IGN Entertainment, a poll on the forums indicated that between 14 and 16 percent of respondents are having problems with their machines.
Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT - news) has not reported any major issues and has noted that any difficulties are only in a very small number of the consoles.
The Xbox 360 was released on November 22, and online discussion sites have been filling up with reports on the gameplay features since then.
Current Issues
In the Teamxbox.com forum, about 100 users have reported issues with their consoles. Problems related to possible overheating seem to be the most common issue, with machine shutdowns as a result.
Users have reported that their machines shut down after only about a half hour of play, and troubleshooting efforts uncovered heating issues.
The results of the poll are unscientific, and are not being seen on other parts of the Web. Some observers have pointed out that users experiencing problems would be more likely to report them on the site than users who are happy with their Xbox 360 experience, which would skew the poll's results.
Also, there are a number of satisfied users also weighing in on the Xbox 360. Currently, about 600 respondents not only have reported no trouble, but also have praised the console for its interface and controller functions.
Wait and See
Possible problems with the Xbox 360 are likely to be limited in scope, noted Forrester Research analyst Ted Schadler, simply because the consoles are sold out.
"Clearly, it's a hot product because you can't get one," he said. "There's a serious shortage in available units, which is interesting, considering the holiday season is so close."
But loss of holiday dollars could work out in Microsoft's favor if glitches really do have to be fixed, Schadler added.
"A staged rollout might be a way to minimize the impact of any issues, if they exist," he noted.
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