If your answer is yes, then don't feel anyway about it. Based on an informal survey that we did 39 per cent of persons who own video game consoles have problems. So what does it say about the gaming manufacturers? It means that they may be more interested in volume, than in quality. Millions of these mass produced consoles are being sold at rock-bottom prices per month. So with the new generation of consoles out, let us see which one seems to have the most factory faults.

Xbox360

When the Xbox360 first came out it had a software problem and was recalled. This was before it was shipped worldwide. Then, after the launch there was a report that game discs were getting scratched and by my experience, it was in fact happening. So Microsoft ended up dropping the blame on Samsung and Hitachi, forcing them to correct the problem. Now that does not exist anymore in the Xbox360, as all the drives are padded. After selling millions of consoles Microsoft announced, in July 2007, that they were extending their warranty to three years because of the poor quality solder that was used to attach the devices to the main board. This caused the games to freeze and three red lights to appear on the front of the Xbox360 console. This set back Microsoft a whopping US$1.15 billion. A new version of the Xbox360, the Xbox Lite, was also fast-tracked for launch. A new and improved Xbox360 with better cooling and bigger hard drive should be the result.

PS3

We have a console with a history problem, which has made GameYaad.com famous for repairing them. With over 17 versions of the PS2 that was made, only two were problem free. So what did the PS3 have up its sleeve? The PS3 came out with an eject flaw. Then other noticeable things started to happen. Playing PS2 games on a PS3 was unbearable. The graphics on the PS2 was way better than that of the PS3. How come? The console was designed around Sony's blueray technology and they forgot all about their main selling point, games. So it was not a priority. They have now recalled most of them but will deny it in an interview.

Next up was the HDMI configuration on the PS3 which allowed you to to use a plasma TV. Silly Sony made an entirely different port for this, making it usable through software. Sounds cool right? Well the cable that is needed for this is not included in the box, so if you accidentally switch to HDMI on your PS3 you will need to fork out JM$5,500 to buy it and that does not guarantee that it will work with your plasma TV. Not funny anymore is it? And now we have Sony literally sabotaging themselves with firmware update, similar to that already used with the PlayStation Portable (PSP) to allow new features to be added to the console without pulling it apart. This update is being packaged with newly-released games that require you to install them. But if they is not installed properly, it leaves your PS3 useless and you crying for a refund on your hard-earned US$600 spent to buy your console. PS3 online does not work worldwide, so if you have problems do not go calling Sony.

Wii

Ok, so what does the Wii have that is a problem? Well for starters 360,000 consoles were released with straps that where too thin. It may not sound like much but for a console that comes with more warnings than a construction site, it is. The game should have come with much thicker wrist straps so that the controls would not go flying into the TV screen. This was no fun for the persons it happened to. So Nintendo recalled all of them. Now there are products out to protect your screen from breaking. The next one was WiiConnect24 update causing recurrent error codes for any and all online functionality. It only happens to a few, causing error codes 110213 and 32002 (how many errors can this thing have?). This has to be replaced or sent in for repair. Some rare but true cases were that the Wii power supply and adapter were not putting out the right voltage. But if you had a Gamecube lying around with minor adjustments then it could fix that. This could also have been caused by irregular power supply, so please be advised that all consoles should be connected to a surge protector.

Did you know?

1. That Xbox live allows both Windows Vista and Xbox360 to play online.

2. Beautiful Katamari is no longer coming to the PS3.

3. Wii Firmware 3.1 brings keyboard support.

Done by GameYaad.com

Shop #18 Hagley Park Plaza. Tel: 876 765 6453. Email: info@gameyaad.com