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Microsoft responds to Xbox's 54% failure rate

We're working on it, hints M'soft

Microsoft has admitted that it is “constantly improving” the Xbox 360, following the recent publication of a gamer-based survey that found the console to have a 54.3 per cent failure rate.

Instead of refuting the survey’s findings – derived from a survey of 5000 Game Informer magazine readers, Microsoft told TG Daily that it is constantly improving the console’s “design, manufacture and performance” through “extensive testing of potential sources of any problems”.

Just over 40 per cent of Xbox 360-owning readers play their machines for between three and five hours per day, the survey found. Conversely, 37 per cent of PS3 and 41.4 per cent of Wii owners said the same.

The survey also discovered that 10.6 per cent of PS3 consoles fail, while 6.8 per cent of Wiis are prone to hardware problems.

All three consoles have very different sales figures though, it’s worth noting. Globally the Wii has sold roughly 52m units, while the Xbox 360 has totted up about 30m and PS3 around 24.6m units.

It’s no secret that Microsoft has endured many problems at the hands of the dreaded Red Ring of Death – an issue said to have cost the company as estimated $1bn (£606m/€699m) so far.

However, the company signed off by claiming that “the vast majority of Xbox 360 customers” have a “terrific” Xbox 360 experience “day in and day out”. ®

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