Red Ring of Death gives the Master Chief SADFACE.

It's uncomfortable to me how, despite treating my xbox very carefully and keeping it well-ventilated and all, RROD is something I've kind of.... known would probably happen sooner or later. Nothing set it off specifically, I just turned it on yesterday and it decided its true calling in life was a rather flashy doorstop. I'm pretty sure Microsoft will fix it for free, having extended the warranty coverage of the three arc RROD around the time they released the NXE console update... apparently because they KNEW there was a certain chance the update was going to turn a significant number of the systems into doorstops.

When did this kind of nonsense become okay? When did we as gamers start EXPECTING our 400 dollar pieces of technology to fall over and die without reason or warning and consider this part of its normal operation?

And before anyone responds telling me the classic line that it's just because 'Microsoft sucks,' while I can't particularly disagree it's not just MS that's taken a corporate stance toward their gaming customers of 'screw them, they'll buy what we tell them to buy whether it's any good or not, and they'll like it. Besides we can always patch it later.' EA's epic tale of the DRM on Spore. The pathetic and error-ridden release of The Force Unleashed. Incomplete games being released that we have to buy 'downloadable content' that's only an unlock for features already present on the game disc. Problems like this seem to go on and on in the current generation. It's gotten bad.

Anybody remember when any problem with your gaming console could be solved by taking out the cartridge and just blowing into it to get rid of the dust? :)