360 firmware incompatible with older consoles
Microsoft confirms plans to replace older consoles following security update
Microsoft has confirmed reports that the imminent new Xbox 360 firmware update is incompatible with "a very small number of consoles", with the company intending to replace some older machines with newer models.
"Following a recent update to our system software, we have become aware of an issue that is preventing a very small number of Xbox 360 owners from playing retail game discs," said Microsoft
"This issue manifests itself a as a unique 'disc unreadable' or 'disc unsupported' error on the screen. We are also able to detect this issue over Xbox Live and are proactively reaching out to customers that may be impacted to replace their console."
Microsoft is encouraging customers who suffer from the problem to contact them via the Xbox.com website, so that a replacement can be arranged.
The issue relates to Microsoft's plan to increase the storage space on a DVD by an extra 1GB - by reducing a DVD-Video partition containing anti-piracy security.
DigitalFoundry's Richard Leadbetter has suggested that the problems arise from the wide variety of different DVD drives that have been used with the Xbox 360 over the course of its production, some of which may not be able to receive a direct flash update.
The new firmware will be the first to rewrite the drive itself - resulting in the need to offer replacement consoles in some cases.
Considering the costs involved the primary purpose behind the update is not the extra storage space but a suite of new anti-piracy tools, meant to prevent hacking of the console and the running of homebrew or pirated software.
According to DigitalFoundry sources new APIs are also being made available to developers, which perform additional scans of the DVD during gameplay and not just when booting up.
Nevertheless, some reports suggest that the security measures have already been overcome, as a result of backwards engineering from beta test software.
Overcome.. Only to an extend from what I seen from one website.
A method to pay pirited games may be forthcoming but with the abality to change checks it becomes a fustrating exersize to keep game playback.
It always been a cat and mouse game and its showing Microsoft is not going to lie down and give up the fight.
No doubt this will lead to a knee-jerk class action lawsuit attempt somewhere in the US, but whether this truly amounts to a consumer protection legal issue for Microsoft will ofc depend on the scale of the problem.
Seen this on another site as well.
What they are doing is saying that the update may stop the console working so they are offering a new-for-old replacement for effected customers.
Numbers, you will never solid numbers or even percentages, its a 'smal number' thats all.
You may find people willing to take advantage of this.
I know I would like to know if my US 360 is eligabel for exhange or not.
Which, if anything, shows how much I love my Xbox. Woudn't put up with anything else breaking 3 times in the same way and keep coming back for more!
As for the affected models, I've only heard of reports that affect 60Gb premium models which would date the 'affected' models to around Aug 2008 so likely to be late Hitachi drives and possibly Samsung drives which cant process the update xex
(As a matter of fact, I have an original Xbox 360, I have another by now I use normally(but not purchased to long ago Xbox360 S 250 with Kinnect), but the original still function's and is hooked up for guest's, it has a couple of minor naggles, the disc tray loader is a little awkward and sometimes needs to be manually giggled to accept disc, every now and then it randomly boots up with a hard drive read error but when restarted works fine, but otherwise still functional, why it still overall works when so many others haven't IDK, though I have an self-built 2001 era Athlon Thunderbird 1.1Ghz PC that still functions perfectly despite having been run 24/7 for most of a decade, not to mention the other year when I tried it my original NES console it still work's, and furthermore that 3 year battery life supposedly save enabled cartridge of Zelda still had its save game after 10+ years of play when I tried it a few year's ago, fully accessable which seems odd.) So espousing the relatively poultry life of a Xbox360 thusfar where it's already developed minor error's seems to only point to the adage "they don't build em like they use to".
Edited 2 times. Last edit by Alexander McConnell on 18th May 2011 4:59pm
Can you explain what you mean by this?
especially as every attempt harms customer's more but achieves no more towards preventing piracy in the end then the last.
What harm has the conusmer faced from the anti-pricy mesaures?
To date only those those who pirite games are impacted by these measures not the consumer.
I just talked to a Service tech. He said that the update doesn't go out until tomorrow. I'm not sure I believe that.
I've tried to play several games now on a 42" Samsung, 16:9 LCD...
I tried Halo 2 for the Xbox. No problem on the Pro or the Elite.
I played a bit of Idiocracy on DVD on both consoles. No problems for the Pro or the Elite.
Ninja Gaiden for the Xbox. No problem on the Pro or the Elite.
Splinter Cell Conviction: On the Pro the screen goes into 4:3 mode and shows the a white background with the Xbox 360 spherical logo and X and the words XBOX 360. It stays there and refuses to load. On the Elite the game loads without problem.
Fatal Inertia gives me a message on the Pro: To play this disc, put it in an XBox 360 console. It works fine on the Elite.
Final Fantasy XIII: On the Pro the screen goes into 4:3 mode and shows the a white background with the Xbox 360 spherical logo and X and the words XBOX 360. It stays there and refuses to load. On the Elite the game loads without problem.
Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion gave me a 'disc unreadable' message on the first try with the Pro. The next time I get a message: To play this disc, put it in an XBox 360 console. It works fine on the Elite.
Mass Effect2: On the Pro the screen goes into 4:3 mode and shows the a white background with the Xbox 360 spherical logo and X and the words XBOX 360. It stays there and refuses to load. On the Elite the game loads without problem.
Several Official Xbox Magazines exhibit the same behavior. On the Pro the screen goes into 4:3 mode and shows the a white background with the Xbox 360 spherical logo and X and the words XBOX 360. It stays there and refuses to load. On the Elite the game loads without problem.
I hope to get more information tomorrow.
Edited 1 times. Last edit by Jeff Norris on 18th May 2011 9:57pm
No idea why people didn't change to a different console after such a terrible reliability problem in the first few years of the xbox's life cycle
I was rooting for HD DVD.
I wanted to wait until the PS3 price came down. Now I don't want a slim that isn't backwards compatible to PS2 and looks terrible compared to the launch system. I'll pass on Sony this generation.
@Nick McCrea - The secret to keeping the old one alive is to get a PS3 because then the 360 sees little use :-)
That comment was full of bull.
Wii graphics? WTF are you talking about?
You wanted HD DVD eh? Well too bad, because it was a pointless format.
Sure, PSN was down for a month but if it takes that long to re-secure everything then go for it Sony.
It's missing backwards compatibility sure, but how does it look terrible? Now you're just clawing for another insult to hurl at the PS3.
You're really way off the mark!
The graphics for the Wii aren't as good as the PS3 or the Xbox360. That's a consideration for some people.
The PS3 Slim isn't as attractive as the original design. It's not horrible, but it went from being an attractive component one wouldn't mind having on display to a much less attractive component. Maybe that's not important for you, but it is a consideration for some.
...and why would I want to insult the PS3? I own several Sony products and have generally been happy with them. I own a PS2 and a PSP. I think you just had a knee jerk reaction there.
Edited 1 times. Last edit by Alex Byrom on 19th May 2011 11:16pm
majornelson.com /2011/05/18/clearing-up-some-confusion/
Can you confirm this??