In a statement given today by Microsoft hardware engineer Eric Pedersen, he explains the rigorous testing and design changes that were made in order to ensure the new Xbox will have a failure rate of less than 20 percent.
The following is the statement given to press by Microsoft:
Hello, my name is Eric Pedersen and I am the Senior Hardware Engineer at Microsoft. Today, I would like to talk about the design flaws behind the Xbox 360 that led to the “Red Ring of Death” error, the testing that was overlooked, and the changes we are making moving forward to ensure a successful product launch and a failure rate of less than 20 percent for the new Xbox.
We first looked at the design flaws in the Xbox 360 to see what we could do to ensure a low failure rate. Many consumers found that they could temporarily solve problems by leaving the console in a refrigerator for a few minutes. With this information, we learned that more cooling was needed for the system which is why we have added more holes in the casing for the new Xbox. Furthermore, we also recommend having cold packs on hand. One smart tester even used the cold sodas he was drinking and put those on top of the system.
Another flaw in the Xbox 360 was the lack of rigorous testing to ensure the longevity of the system. We used three different consoles for three individual tests to make sure it could withstand what consumers would put it through:
For the first test, we used the console 20 minutes every day for two months.
For the second test, we turned the console on and off 15 times in a row.
For the last test, we left the system on for five hours straight.
All three consoles still worked after each of their tests. Currently, Microsoft has not discussed how the internet will be integrated into the new Xbox; however, if a situation arises where consumers will need to always leave the console on, our third test ensured that there will be no problems whatsoever.
Lastly, we found the term “Red Ring of Death” to reflect badly on Microsoft as it was similar to the “Blue Screen of Death” error on computers. Now, when the new Xbox experiences an error, instead of a cryptic ring of lights explaining the problem, the system will instead produce an image of a sad face with an error number. This adds personality to the system so people can feel safe with the new Xbox.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and we hope you purchase the new Xbox when it comes out.
Microsoft has also added that, due to a lawsuit, each new Xbox will come with instructions on how to use a fire extinguisher.
http://www.p4rgaming...0-failure-rate/
Hopefully this is accurate, launch 360s were a pain the ass. I believe I went through 2 or 3, can't really recall.