It was going to happen sometime

Now as far as I know this has happened to only one other Gameov3r member but sooner or later it was going to happen again.

We read all about it on gaming websites and in magazines. Wii fans mock, but, while they do, they wonder if their little white box of joy will make a few more of those clunky noises and then melt beneath a fuzzy, electric blue, cloud of static. 360 owners talk about it in hushed whispers wondering if they'll be next. Sony fan boys join the Wii fans in the mockery but they forget that it is unwise to throw stones if you have a glass console.

Surprisingly I didn't greet the red glow, that was beaming at me from the front of my 360, with a torrent of foul language. It was more of a “oh well, I guess I better phone Xbox Support then.” And even then I only thought it. I was not annoyed or distressed in the slightest. I didn't feel a thing. Well actually, I did feel a bit disappointed. I’d always assumed that I’d be beside myself with rage, jumping up and down and making indecipherable bleeping noises, should my 360 eye me like it was possessed. But it all felt a bit flat.

I phoned Microsoft to complain. No hats required this time. The guy at the call centre checked my details and, after confirming that the problem was a general hardware failure, he booked my 360 in for repair . I was told that this would all be done under the Extended 3 Year Warranty, so would cost me nothing, and that it would take between 2 and 3 weeks. That's not all. To sweeten the situation Microsoft will add an extra month to my gold membership to cover the repair time.

A UPS packing slip arrived in my inbox a few hours after I made the phone call. All I have to do now is phone and arrange collection and then wait. I'll let you know how the whole process works out when I get my repaired 360 back. Full marks so far Microsoft.

So another 360 bites the dust and it's made me curious to know how many of you Gameov3r blog readers and Forum members have experienced the RROD? Comments below, join the Forum or email me. I want to know!

What’s the colour of money

If you’re Bill Gates, and talking Yen, it’s blue.

Microsoft is still trying to win a slice of the Japanese market. I’m sure they want the whole cake but with the Wii and DS selling like hot ones, iced and with cherries on top, PSP Lite and PS3 selling quite well and a lot of gamers still satisfied with their PS2 it’s possible Microsoft will have to settle for crumbs for some time to come. Or will they?

The Japanese are well known for not being fond of the FPS genre and the Xbox is the console home of the FPS. So where to go? Microsoft’s plan was to aim for Japanese gamers at their weakest point and win hearts and minds with a game that they just would not be able to resist.

Microsoft released the massive 3 disc RPG anime styled adventure Blue Dragon and it actually did quite well. It did better than that in fact and spawned it’s own merchandise and even had an anime TV series created. I’m sure Microsoft thought they had created a gaming hammer capable of market cracking and perhaps, just perhaps, they’d started to win some more Eastern fans.

Microsoft are set to keep the Blue Dragon ball rolling by going for the jugular and releasing the game on a budget label. Not only that, but parts 1 and 2 of the Blue Dragon anime are going to be available on XBL from 15th November, to tie in with the reduced price, for free. Microsoft are hoping (praying?) that this will generate a lot more interest in the 360 and create some new Xbox owners.

They could be right but what I want to know is where are my free cartoons and cheap Blue Dragon Bill? Are we going to see these freebies in the UK or are you casting us off so you can woo your oriental desire? I feel so used.

Is Microsoft throwing dollars down the drain when it comes to Japan and is Bill just a plain ol’ hussy? Gameov3r says he is and that he’s going to sprinkle itching powder in Bill’s underpants drawer. Scratch that itch on the Gameov3r FORUM.

Packaging Pains

Blister packs...
Where to start?... Surely the most appropriately named packaging material in the world.

There are many different grades for this stuff, ranging from the slightly flexible, mildly annoying type that can usually be tackled with a tool known as 'scissors'. You might find this surrounding your new USB memory stick for example and I've rated this with a 'rage factor' of 3.
At the complete opposite end of the scale we have this...


A rage factor 10 if ever I saw one!

Microsoft just love the stuff. I imagine if you worked for Microsoft, sitting still at your desk for too long could result in being blister packed yourself! I'm told by a reliable source that Bill had to be removed from this by the fire brigade.


Apparently their packaging design offices consist of no traditional materials at all such as bricks or glass. It's all just one completely seamless see-through plastic shell inpenetrable by the most advanced tools known to man.

We asked Bill what it's like to work in an environment like this.

"I have 100 billion dollars... You realise I could spend 3 million dollars a day, every day, for the next 100 years? And that's if I don't make another dime. Tell you what - I'll buy your right arm for a million dollars. I give you a million bucks, and I get to sever your right arm right here", he said.

I kind of feel he lost the question somewhere but it did give me a chance to respond. Bill, I'd happily let you sever my right arm for a million bucks if I hadn't already successfully achieved it trying to get into your damn packaging!

Show us your blisters on the GAMEOV3R Forum and vote for your favourite packaging!