Thoughts and commentaries of a quiet little mod from her corner of the internet.
360 Owners are Gluttons for Punishment
Posted 04-18-2009 at 09:46 AM by Aqua-chan
I don't make it a secret that I have switched from PC gaming to consoles, and I'm not afraid to speak up about why. This comes despite the fact that when I openly admit to being a so-called "consoletard" in some game communities (IE, not Banshee) I get the feeling that I am suddenly looked down upon for it. And unless you're eager to defend your honor and your mama's honor against every degrading insult in the book, you'd better not try to justify switching from PC gaming to consoles. That's where the real claws come out.
For some reason in the midst of the 360 vs PS3 console war, PC gamers have always seemed to take seat in the stands and pointed and laughed at the ongoing conflict as though waiting for a brawl. I don't know why. I guess they're bored. Or maybe there's a smug sense of superiority: ha ha, we have user created content and youuuu doooon't! or some nonsense like that.
Regardless, console gaming is better suited for me and I am not ashamed of it. In this economy one cannot simply drop moolah for a system upgrade every time they want to play a next gen game (at least this one can't). My needs required I own a laptop, and since I can't afford both this and a gaming PC, the cheaper console serves my budget better. Don't get me started on not having to worry about system specs, installations, troubleshooting, ect.
I'm not trying to glorify the almighty consoles: God knows I miss mods - might have made Oblivion playable - and unofficial patches and tweaking and keyboard controls. However, I can do without that stuff to a point. My limits, however, have been tested.
Recently and probably due to my own stupidity my Xbox suffered massive critical head-for-the-hills catastrophic meltdown, presumably from overheating. See, nobody told me that it was generally a bad idea to put a 360 into an enclosed space (like an entertainment center with glass doors), and though you'd think I would have noodled that out myself every time I stuck my hand in to change disks and thought "Wow, it's kinda warm in there", I didn't.
Not my brightest moment, granted. End result: about five hours of grainy game play, followed by a a red flashing light accompanied by the e74 error.
Knowing darn well that my warranty on the unit was up, I was left with two options: pay $250 to get the unit repaired right proper, or attempt to do it myself with the aid of YouTube and tech-geek friends over MSN Messenger.
Needless to say my sub-genius moments just kept coming. If ever posed with a similar situation an inexperienced Xbox 360 owner should never attempt to break through the chastity belt that Microsoft has created for their consoles, even if the warranty is up. At any rate I partially blame YouTube and the ability of sneaky jerks who make opening up an Xbox look way easier than it actually is. But that's neither here nor there.
In the end I did manage to not obliterate my console, but sending it in for a fix was still more expensive than just selling the unit on Ebay (amassing about $50 for an RRoD failure for the use of spare parts or refurbishment) and buying a used one.
Here's where things get interesting though. Turns out Microsoft, knowing their product's dastardly tendency for self implosion, have admitted the e74 error screen may supplant the Red Ring of Death for hardware flaw warnings. G4TV recently ran an article about this change.
Short and to the point: 360 owners have learned to sum up the appearance of the Red Ring of Death as a total decimation of the console. The e74 error screen has been associated with less-critical problems with the unit that are more easily repaired. Xbox owners are less inclined to take a hammer to an e74 than to an RRoD issue, and surprise! Now the e74 error screen may be used to inform the owner than their console is effectively shot rather than the Ring.
I can't speak on my case because the overheat was my own fault, but when thousands of consoles have been shipped across the nation for hardware repairs it should be a flag to Microsoft that their method of product manufacturing needs an overhaul. In most cases the installation of a more effective fan in the unit can eliminate the threat overheating and the subsequent meltdown. There are many small companies that will do this for a fee, but the question here is: why isn't the distributor doing that to begin with?
Since the breakdown of my first console I have treated 360 Jr - the refurbished unit I bought used - like a porcelain doll. There's always a nagging sense in the back of my mind that it is inclined to break down at any moment, thus leaving me high and dry. It's no secret that Microsoft isn't overly concerned with the satisfaction of customers and will cut corners if it can. It's this disloyalty that would seriously cause me to rethink my gaming platform if Jr takes a turn for the worst.
...However, with roughly $700 worth of 360 games sitting in my entertainment center, "rethinking" probably would just be chalked up to "grumbling unhappily and getting the damn thing fixed".
So I have become the ideal 360 player: the console sits in an open, ventilated place, I only play two hours at a time with at least an hour in between for a cool down, I keep it dusted and only handle the unit to change disks, and the beautiful entertainment center I bought to house the thing is now full of spare controllers and wires and dust instead of the fragile console.
All of this for one thing: 360 Jr has to last until Mass Effect 2. If it doesn't, it may be back to PC gaming for me.
For some reason in the midst of the 360 vs PS3 console war, PC gamers have always seemed to take seat in the stands and pointed and laughed at the ongoing conflict as though waiting for a brawl. I don't know why. I guess they're bored. Or maybe there's a smug sense of superiority: ha ha, we have user created content and youuuu doooon't! or some nonsense like that.
Regardless, console gaming is better suited for me and I am not ashamed of it. In this economy one cannot simply drop moolah for a system upgrade every time they want to play a next gen game (at least this one can't). My needs required I own a laptop, and since I can't afford both this and a gaming PC, the cheaper console serves my budget better. Don't get me started on not having to worry about system specs, installations, troubleshooting, ect.
I'm not trying to glorify the almighty consoles: God knows I miss mods - might have made Oblivion playable - and unofficial patches and tweaking and keyboard controls. However, I can do without that stuff to a point. My limits, however, have been tested.
Recently and probably due to my own stupidity my Xbox suffered massive critical head-for-the-hills catastrophic meltdown, presumably from overheating. See, nobody told me that it was generally a bad idea to put a 360 into an enclosed space (like an entertainment center with glass doors), and though you'd think I would have noodled that out myself every time I stuck my hand in to change disks and thought "Wow, it's kinda warm in there", I didn't.
Not my brightest moment, granted. End result: about five hours of grainy game play, followed by a a red flashing light accompanied by the e74 error.
Knowing darn well that my warranty on the unit was up, I was left with two options: pay $250 to get the unit repaired right proper, or attempt to do it myself with the aid of YouTube and tech-geek friends over MSN Messenger.
Needless to say my sub-genius moments just kept coming. If ever posed with a similar situation an inexperienced Xbox 360 owner should never attempt to break through the chastity belt that Microsoft has created for their consoles, even if the warranty is up. At any rate I partially blame YouTube and the ability of sneaky jerks who make opening up an Xbox look way easier than it actually is. But that's neither here nor there.
In the end I did manage to not obliterate my console, but sending it in for a fix was still more expensive than just selling the unit on Ebay (amassing about $50 for an RRoD failure for the use of spare parts or refurbishment) and buying a used one.
Here's where things get interesting though. Turns out Microsoft, knowing their product's dastardly tendency for self implosion, have admitted the e74 error screen may supplant the Red Ring of Death for hardware flaw warnings. G4TV recently ran an article about this change.
Quote:
"The e74 error message can indicate the general hardware failure that is associated with three flashing red lights error on the console. This issue remains relatively narrow in scope and a very small percentage of our customers have contacted us about this issue."
But...but... if the e74 error message can indicate the error that is associated with three flashing red lights, aren't they the same?
"In some cases there is no difference. As we said, the e74 error message and three flashing red lights can in some cases indicate the same general hardware failure. However, it is not the same failure mode in all cases and there is no single root cause for these malfunctions."
I'll leave that for you to make sense of, but in the end, the Red Ring and the e74 are the same in that both will brick your Xbox and make you very, very unhappy.
But...but... if the e74 error message can indicate the error that is associated with three flashing red lights, aren't they the same?
"In some cases there is no difference. As we said, the e74 error message and three flashing red lights can in some cases indicate the same general hardware failure. However, it is not the same failure mode in all cases and there is no single root cause for these malfunctions."
I'll leave that for you to make sense of, but in the end, the Red Ring and the e74 are the same in that both will brick your Xbox and make you very, very unhappy.
I can't speak on my case because the overheat was my own fault, but when thousands of consoles have been shipped across the nation for hardware repairs it should be a flag to Microsoft that their method of product manufacturing needs an overhaul. In most cases the installation of a more effective fan in the unit can eliminate the threat overheating and the subsequent meltdown. There are many small companies that will do this for a fee, but the question here is: why isn't the distributor doing that to begin with?
Since the breakdown of my first console I have treated 360 Jr - the refurbished unit I bought used - like a porcelain doll. There's always a nagging sense in the back of my mind that it is inclined to break down at any moment, thus leaving me high and dry. It's no secret that Microsoft isn't overly concerned with the satisfaction of customers and will cut corners if it can. It's this disloyalty that would seriously cause me to rethink my gaming platform if Jr takes a turn for the worst.
...However, with roughly $700 worth of 360 games sitting in my entertainment center, "rethinking" probably would just be chalked up to "grumbling unhappily and getting the damn thing fixed".
So I have become the ideal 360 player: the console sits in an open, ventilated place, I only play two hours at a time with at least an hour in between for a cool down, I keep it dusted and only handle the unit to change disks, and the beautiful entertainment center I bought to house the thing is now full of spare controllers and wires and dust instead of the fragile console.
All of this for one thing: 360 Jr has to last until Mass Effect 2. If it doesn't, it may be back to PC gaming for me.
Total Comments 8
Comments
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I'm "lucky" that I do work stuff on my PC as well - which means I run hefty application such as Visual Studio and SQL Server for work stuff.
That means I usually always have a pretty "up-to-date" PC, not state of the art - but I do usually shift it out every 2-3 years.
That means I usually have the system to play the games I want to play and thus never have been lured in by the consoles
But yes - there is getting to be just as many technical issues with consoles as there are with the PC as the consoles become more and more complex and PC owners learns to buy the "good" hardware and use the upgraded drivers.
Combine this with the fact that there are 3 or 4 console systems, new systems (upgrades) get invented ever so often and what not - it now means console players are pretty much in the same situation as the PC gamer and then I start to fail to see the benefit of consoles.Posted 04-18-2009 at 11:03 AM by Xandax
- I have nothing against the consoles as well, since I did play them when I was younger and do occasionally pop over to some friend's houses to play them, but it boggles my mind as to why such a deep resentment towards the consoles and the console crowd in general especially among those in the PC crowd.
Maybe it's the level of immaturity displayed by the console crowd or the fact that many hated how their favourite game franchise were dumbed down to support a multi-platform release by developers who used to make games exclusively for the PC, I don't know. There may be other reasons, but these are just a few examples I noticed when I browse other gaming websites and forums.
In my opinion, this kind of attitude shown by the PC crowd is no better than the attitude displayed by the console crowd when it comes to their favourite console, and it's called 'fanboyism'. Sure, they don't act like the usual console fanboy, but they still display some similarities between the two.
I wish these people will just respect the decisions/choices others make and move on, but it seems like this kind of behaviour won't die down anytime soon.Posted 04-19-2009 at 08:10 PM by DesR85 - I too, have run into the same crisis...$ for upgrading again...ie..new video card..etc...
or the switch over...lucky for me money wise, the daughter and son-in-law bought me the 360 for Xmas this past year.
.I now find myself playing the 360 for newer games and using the computer to play all my old favs...Morrowind with over 200 mods(not all installed but there for future playthroughs) and of course the BG series, KOTOR and others..I've enjoyed the ease of play on the 360, no install problems..etc...but sometimes wish for the ability of added mods and such to customize the games like on computer.
As for attitudes of users...I find that the overall age of the console users is lower and that tends to bring out the "fanboy" attitude.
This shows up more in the online play in the 360 games...so I tend to not use the mic. unless its with some good friends.
Have used it to play Mass Effect, Assassins Creed, a few other small games and am now playing through Fallout 3, and in the batters box, a used copy of Bioshock waiting...Posted 04-26-2009 at 09:21 AM by BlueSky - While I do agree that the average age of the console player is younger and more childish in their attitude, this behaviour is also common among PC players as well, both in the forums and online play. Sure, they won't admit it, but they do behave in a similar manner.Quote:Originally Posted by BlueskyAs for attitudes of users...I find that the overall age of the console users is lower and that tends to bring out the "fanboy" attitude.
This shows up more in the online play in the 360 games...so I tend to not use the mic. unless its with some good friends.
As an example, when I played the demo of Battlefield 2 back in 2006, I encountered rather childish behaviour among quite a number of players in a server I played in. Two bad experiences of that is when some jerk on the same side ran me over with a tank for no apparent reason and another where some player kept on screaming that he wanted to fly in a Black Hawk I was piloting at that time and scream at me to get off the server when an enemy player shot me out of the sky.
Those reasons and many more resulted in me avoiding Battlefield 2 (and other online-oriented games) like a plague. Sure, I admit that it is a good game, but when you have people like that hanging around in the game, it really ruins the whole experience. I had a much better experience in America's Army (free game), but people with that kind of behaviour do turn up from time to time to ruin it. PC players being more mature than console players my butt.
I'm not making a statement against your comment, but just pointing out that behaviour like this is present no matter whether they're console or PC players.Posted 04-26-2009 at 11:50 AM by DesR85 - @Des
Another good example of immature behaviour of certain PC gamers can also be found from games like WoW. Just today I encountered player from Alliance (I'm play allies as well) who just opened trade window and wanted me to open one locked box for him (me being a rogue). I said him that I can't as my skill isn't high enough. Well, the guy just begun calling me lyier, and started following me and stealed all my kills next ten minutes. And just because I wasn't able to open one box for him...
And that's not the only time something like that happens, it's quite common.
But back to the original subject, I too bought XBox 360 just because I'm not that interested in upgrading my computer every year or so (my computer being laptop that's actually impossible, so...). WIth XBox I can just buy the game and know that it works. If it doesn't, I can always return it. Of course, the rate the consoles gets upgrade has become faster when comparing time of for example old Nintendo 8bit or such. But still, regular console is very active (at least for now) 2-4 years, while if you want to play very recent games you probably have to upgrade your computer every half a year or so... that is if you want to get the full experience from the game. And between upgrades you must worry if the current setup of your computer is compatible with the games you want to play.
I myself use XBox for newer games and when playing with friends in my house. My laptop is reserved for working and playing those old, good, nostalgic games like old C&C games, BG, Fallouts (excluding F3 as I have it on console) and so on...Posted 04-26-2009 at 12:32 PM by Kipi - Yes Des...
now that you bring it up...I can remember some immature behavior witnessed with some of my past online computer experiences...and yes usually with the WW II ones(never dived into the WOW type of play)...
back to console...very few online teams games I play and those tend to be with personal friends that I actually know face to face in my area..
if I do play with the general public...well let's just say I listen and only speak if it actually helps the team...
but mostly I play solo type of games...like those better anyways...Mass Effect/Fallout 3/KOTOR II have the first on computer...looking forward to Dragon Age and Mass Effect II...and will probably bite the bullet and pay for the Fallout DLC's for Xbox...Posted 04-26-2009 at 01:03 PM by BlueSky - I with you guys in that I generally have BG, PS:T Icewind Dale or Morrowind loaded up on my laptop because these are excellent games that typically don't require much processing power. As for the newer stuff, like Fallout 3 and Mass Effect, those go straight to consoles. In ME's case I understand the PC version is so buggy that it can be unplayable.
All I really, truly miss from PCs are mods and the ability to fix in-game issues. If you hit a bug in the 360 you're generally screwed short of a patch being released that specifically resolves the issue. And we all know how often that happens. On the PC you can usually tweak and adjust and get unofficial patches to fix things, and that's what really eats at me.
Don't do it, Blue. I've been playing Fallout and I've gotten ridiculously hooked to the point where I was considering the DLCs too, but stay strong. The Pitt alone has over 45 reported game-breaking bugs. Wait until they fix the damn things before shoveling out the cash.Quote:Originally posted by BlueSky
looking forward to Dragon Age and Mass Effect II...and will probably bite the bullet and pay for the Fallout DLC's for Xbox...
Posted 04-27-2009 at 10:21 AM by Aqua-chan - Thanks for the heads-up....
still have plenty to do/find....
only around level 6/7 or so...Posted 04-27-2009 at 02:39 PM by BlueSky
