XBOX 360

It has been over just 8 months since I got my Xbox 360 Elite back from repair at Microsoft so you know what that means! Hardware failure time! I must be my 6th or 7th hardware failure with my console; I'm experiencing the "Open Tray" error again.

But I also have a new console.

Walmart, until this weekend, is running a deal where you get a free $100 gift card when you buy an Xbox 360 Arcade for $199. So, now I've got a console that works. Works so that I can play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

Of course I used the $100 gift card to buy MW2. I also got a Chat Pad for my Xbox 360 Controller and, to my liking, an EXTRA 2 YEAR WARRANTY. That gave my Arcade console the 1-year Microsoft warranty plus the 2-year Walmart warranty for a total of a 3-year warranty.

I estimate that near 80% of all Xbox 360 consoles that my friends and I have break. And at $100 a pop for repairs, the $20 2-year warranty will pay for itself.

Subscribe to Xbox LIVE? Heck, I feel like I'm subscribing to Xbox console hardware.

Thank you Walmart.

Yep. I'm experiencing the "Open Tray" error again. I'm starting to lose count of all the XBOX 360's that have RRoD or have experienced this "Open Tray" error. This next box that I get may very well be the 8th different serial number I've had.

Recall that this time last year I surveyed the gamers on my buddylist. Of the 90 gamers on my XBOX Live buddy list 50 responded. 35 people have had to repair their XBOX at least once on my list - including someone that has had to send in their system 7 times.

Since then I've got more reports of failures from people that did and did not respond to my survey. Suffice it to say there's about a 50% failure rate of XBOX 360's on my list. That rate is probably higher once you factor in the people that did not take the time to respond to my survey or if you take into account every single box and serial number that has failed.

Also note that every time I go to a shipping company to deliver or pick up my XBOX 360, the workers know it's an XBOX 360. One lady tells me that she ships XBOX 360's back for repair everyday. She went on to tell me about Rock Band instruments that she had to ship back after Christmas of last year. These people know their job and they know what they are shipping.

Thanks to a tip from Disavowed last night, I checked my warranty on my Elite that I had repaired in December. My box is still under warranty - by only 5 days. Perfect timing for Disavowed to speak up.

You can check the status of your warranty online at https://support.xbox.com/

I've registered my box and determined how much time I have remaining on my warranty. I also have gone ahead and submitted a repair request. It was honored instantly and now I've got a shipping label to send my box back in. Pretty fast service. It's the least Microsoft can do.

Has the RRoD problem been solved? It's too early to tell, but someone over at AnandTech believes it's a good probability w/ Microsoft's new internal board, code-named "Jasper".

Article: http://play.tm/wire/click/2267129/

In short, the new Xbox 360 "Jasper" features a 65nm CPU, and a 65nm GPU. This, in contrast to the 90nm CPU/GPU found in Xenon/Zephyr units, and a 65nm CPU paired w/ an 80nm GPU found in Falcons.

What this means for us? A quieter system, lower power draw, cooler temps, and less stress on the solder joints that had a tendency to break down, causing the unrecoverable hardware failures, known as the RRoD, which, as most of us already know, has plagued Xbox 360s since they launched.

Now for the information you really want, and probably what drew you to this article in the first place. How to spot a Jasper-equipped 360 in the wild?! There are a few ways to determine that you PROBABLY have a Jasper, such as Lot # and Manufacture Date, but the sure-fire way is simple, and doesn't even require you to open the box. Microsoft included a side window in the retail box that allows clerks to scan the serial number when selling a 360. Look in this window, and search for 12.1A next to the 12V power requirement. It'll be on the left, and may be hidden at first, but try shifting the box around a bit, or even poke a finger in the window to shift things around. You may only see the 12.1A, but that's enough. 12.1A on the 12V rail means it has the 65nm GPU/CPU die, i.e. Jasper. FYI, it'll actually read "12,1" (comma instead of period). 14,2 = Falcon/Opus, and 16,5 = Xenon/Zephyr.

This trailer should also be known as "nerdgasm." I don't know how many of you checked out the original "Escape from Butcher Bay" game on the original Xbox, but it was definitely a classic game I still keep.

It really was ahead of its time for an FPS. It combined platforming, first person fist-fights, puzzles, RPG-ish sidequests and was also the first XBox game to use normal mapping, and looked great for it. I'm definitely pumped for the possibility of a new Riddick game(I try to forget the horrible 2nd movie in the franchise and just think about Pitch Black).

I just finished the campaign last night, so I thought I'd post a few of my thoughts. There are many ****SPOILERS****

Having played the first one on the original Xbox, I'd say the best summary to my thoughts is that it's everything the first one should've been and was definitely worth the money.

I coughed up the extra cash for the limited edition. The bonus disc was definitely worth it. It contained what I expected(some unexpected, too): a long behind-the-scenes video, an art gallery from Fable 2, and a video with....hobbes. Lionhead takes tiny plastic hobbes( a creature in the game) to famous locations in Europe many will recognize.

Fable 2 isn't really a direct "sequel" but rather a new story in Albion(500 years later, to be exact) starring one of the descendants of the hero of the original game. I really enjoyed the different ways things had changed and how actions from the first game had rippled through time. For example, in Wraithmarsh the town that used to exist there is now wholly a den of evil, resulting from the evil actions of your "evil self" from the first game. It's far from the same place that existed in the first game. The main training ground of heroes from the first game is now nothing more than ruins.

The game starts you off as a child, much like the first game. You have a sister, also much like the first game. I really felt anyone new to Fable would have no problem if they hadn't played the first game. However, I am glad I did because you see the things/locales that Lionhead has put in Fable 2 that only players of the first game will notice or remember.

Update: After 28 reviews, the score is now 94 out of 100.

Gears of War 2 is already being reviewed by media outlets and they think it’s a great game. With about 20 reviews in the books, GoW2 out scores its predacesor.

According to MetaCritic.com, GoW2 has a 95 out of 100 rating. Notable scores are 100/100 from 1UP, Gamespy, and GamePro. Team XBOX gives a 98/100; IGN 95/100.

Probably due to social engineering, GoW2 has a pethetic 3.3 out of 10 score from 3455 votes from readers of MetaCritic.com. GoW2 is out on the street if you are in the right lanes. However, I'm having a hardtime believing that nearly 3500 gamers have played the game and gone to MetaCritic just to voice their opinion on the game.

For your reference, the original Gears of War, Halo 3, and Call of Duty 4 all had average scores of 94/100 and graded by the major media outlets. With more GoW 2 reviews due out later, it is likely that its current 95/100 rating won’t last and will drop a point or two. As if it matters. GoW 2 will definitely be one of the best games of the year and one the best first person shooters to date on the XBOX 360.

(The original Gears of War title had an average review of 8.0 out of 10 from 877 users on MetaCritic.com. If Epic can't handle the XBOX Live traffic and if there are technical glitches in the game (perhaps due to a rushed production to meet the holiday drop date), then you can expect users to score this game much lower than 8.0 out of 10.)

Below are direct links to highlighted reviews:

1UP - 100/100
GamePro - 100/100
GameSpy - 100/100