Microsoft Sued Over Alleged Xbox 360 Glitch

A Chicago man who bought Microsoft Corp.’s new Xbox 360 has sued the world’s largest software maker, saying the new video game console has a design flaw that causes it to overheat and freeze up.

The proposed class action claims that in Microsoft’s bid to gain share in the $25 billion global video game market, the company was so intent on releasing the Xbox 360 before competing next-generation machines from Sony Corp. and Nintendo Co Ltd. that it sold a “defectively designed” product.

Robert Byers, who brought the suit, said the power supply and central processing unit in the Xbox 360 overheat, affecting heat-sensitive chips and causing the console to lock up.

Reuters

Microsoft has said it will not comment on the pending litigation. But in November it acknowledged there were problems in an "isolated" number of Xbox 360s. Reports about problems with the Xbox 360 first surfaced shortly after the machine made its debut in the US on 22 November.

On Microsoft’s support website for the Xbox, it lists 10 different problems associated with the new console as well as ways to fix the problems. The company has offered to repair or replace any defective consoles.

BBC News – Lawsuit targets Xbox 360 console