the system failure epidemic

What is going on? i've never had a system die on me before, but now 2 times in the last 4 days my GC comes up with a screen that says turn it off and consult the user manual. There have been a lot of recent threads about dead DCs, XBoxes, and the ever fragile PS2.

It just sucks when it finally happens to you. I lost 2 levels and tons of new equipment in PSO. Metroid i would have lost a few hours but opening and shutting the lid fixed it.

Anyone know of any GC failure epidemics? I remember a drive problem being mentioned here a few days ago by someone, but that was the first and last i had ever heard of it.

I really can't afford a new GC right now :(

actually
i've never had a system die

...then i got my gamecube...Qbert, I called him...
He died one day...the poor guy...I was told to send it in. So, I did. And they send me a new one, Who is named Qbert 2nd (Qbert the 2nd). :)

Bottom line: Send it in when it bites it

they fixed it for free? was it under warranty? mine is a launch cube

I got that error message while playing Prime. From what I hear, many people also got it. It scared the shit out of me but I think it was the game and not the system.

i know some GC's have a ram that doesnt take to well to some intensive games (like MP) and it causes the cpu to overclock and lock the system up. i had it happen several times during MP (once even causing my save data to corrupt since it happened during a save 8 hours in) and took my unit back and didnt have problems after that. you could always return stuff to wal-mart.

My Xbox has never worked right. I can usually get my games to play eventually, but there are recurring, annoying errors.

My first PSX crapped out on my a few years into it's life, but by that time they were a dime a dozen. My first PS2 played fine for 2 years, then started getting Disc Read Error messages. I was able to fix that pretty easily by cleaning off the laser. I sold it and bought a new one, but it's still running well.

I just got my GC, and haven't had any problems yet. *knocks on wood*

This thread scares me...

With the massive amount of playtime my GC is seeing, between my girlfriend's Animal Crossing addiction & my Metroid Prime addiction, I wouldn't be surprised if it crapped out on us early.

Would Nintendo fix the alleged RAM problem in future consoles if they found out about it (assuming it exists in the first place)? Since mine was an Xmas gift, I guess my chances are good that it was manufactured somewhat recently.

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Originally posted by stormy
they fixed it for free? was it under warranty? mine is a launch cube

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Yes, free. Also, they paid shiping. Plus, it wasnt under warenty, and it was also a launch cube. They give you one year (at least...i dont THINK it was under warenty...i'm damn sure i never registered it *doesnt register any of his products*)

It hasn't hit me yet, but my friends Xbox bit the dust on Saturday because of a bad CD Rom drive. He returned the system to Best Buy and because of his 4 year protection plan wound up coming out with a new system with the Sega games, a Controller S and the credit of $100 because of the price difference :eek: Good for him (wish I bought the plan in hindsight)

I did have a problem Sunday with my GC memory card though...I'm not sure what I did in PSO, but the worse thing ever happened. Basically, my save file was corrupted in some manner :( My level 82 character bit the dust prematurely...2 months of gameplay down the tube... I wound up buying a Memory Card 59 (as it's been discussed in some message boards that some saves have been corrupting on the Memory Card 251, the card I was using) To all this I say bllllah!

This kind of thing is EXACTLY why I buy EB's two year extended warranty for my systems.

I've never had any sort of problem with any console, ever...

I guess I should consider myself lucky.

*knocks on wood*

My XBox suffers from sporatic slow down in some games, but not all the time. About half the times I try and play Project Gotham, it runs with a sluggesh framerate; rebooting seems to fix this problem. JSRF will play fine at first, but eventually it gets racked w/ the same slowdown problem. A few games its very noticable with (PGR, Sega GT, JSRF), some like Gunvalkrye and Halo are hard to detect, while most it seems not to happen in at all (Max Payne, Splinter Cell, Steel Battalion, all sports games)...so go figure.:confused:

I got that error message once when I booted up Animal Crossing, but it did not appear for my other games, so I just cleaned the disc and everything worked out fine.

My first GC kicked the can a few months after I bought it. :(

I replaced it at the Target I bought it at. I got a Black GC in exchange for my Indigo one, too. :) Not saying that Indigo is bad, in fact I like it a lot. But I'd rather have a Black one.

Now, if a Spice one was released domestically, I'd buy that shit in an instant...

I have never, ever, ever, ever, had a system die on me, NEVER! Infact I refuse to aknowledge this thread any further for it is not only scaring me but I beleive it is implanting seeds of evil thoughts into my enslaved systems giving them ideas on how to end their eternal torment. NEVER!

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Originally posted by andyrose
My Xbox has never worked right. I can usually get my games to play eventually, but there are recurring, annoying errors.

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That's those crappy Thompson DVD-ROM Xbox units for ya. I just bought a 2nd Xbox ( the Sega bundle pack ) and it's like night and day, games my 1st gen system won't even read work fine in the new unit. There is a fix that works for the Thompson's, but it involves tweaking a TINY surface mount potentiometer and I couldn't even get the leads to my voltmeter close enough to get a reading ( it's right next to some plastic from the tray ). I also have no doubt that while succesfully adjusting it may help the read errors, it will also probably chop some life off of the DVD-ROM too.

Hey:

My Gamecube is Japanese/modded and I have seen the "failure to read disc, please consult the owner's manual" message on several occasions, always while playing either Metroid Prime or Animal Crossing, both of which are domestic versions. When I play Japanese games, there is no problem at all.

The Gamecube makes some scary noises sometimes. When I run into a new area on Metroid Prime I hear the 'cube makes this horrible loud clicking sound. Ever since I broke a toe a few weeks back the 'cube has seen much use, so if the motor dies soon I shan't be surprised, but I will be pissed.

-Technosphile

The only system that ever died on me was my model 1 sega-cd...

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Originally posted by Jeremy
This kind of thing is EXACTLY why I buy EB's two year extended warranty for my systems.

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Damn right.

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Originally posted by OmniGear
I've never had any sort of problem with any console, ever...

I guess I should consider myself lucky.

*knocks on wood*

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Same here - except my first PS2 and my Atari ( that died from overuse ).

The Gamecube is the shoddiest system I have ever owned by far. I keep thinking that the damn disc drive will break down any moment due to the clicking or the VERY loud sudden jerk skip reset thing it likes to do at random.

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Originally posted by Technosphile
Hey:

My Gamecube is Japanese/modded and I have seen the "failure to read disc, please consult the owner's manual" message on several occasions, always while playing either Metroid Prime or Animal Crossing, both of which are domestic versions. When I play Japanese games, there is no problem at all.

The Gamecube makes some scary noises sometimes. When I run into a new area on Metroid Prime I hear the 'cube makes this horrible loud clicking sound. Ever since I broke a toe a few weeks back the 'cube has seen much use, so if the motor dies soon I shan't be surprised, but I will be pissed.

-Technosphile

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not tryin to scare you but thats exactly what my bad one was doing. first time i heard that clicking sound.....scared the shit outta me.

My Gamecube died on me recently and Nintendo fixed it for free(and paid for the shipping), but I was lucky because it was only one week before my warranty expired. They replaced the disc drive and I got it back within a week and a half.
It's funny that everyone mentions Metroid Prime as the game that's causing their Cubes to act funny. I was playing that game when my GC started displaying the can't-read-disc message. I would try other games and it would only happen with Metroid Prime. But, within a day, none of my games would even load. Beware, especially if your warranty is about to run out.

thats because its the only game so far to push the system as much as it does while still being at 60fps. some of the mario sunshine systems have the older ram (check my earlier post) since they're just repackaged launch systems for the most part. thats what i got the first time.

My Dreamcast died on me, well the gd rom drive did. I've got an original Playstation and it still works like a charm. I've never had to turn it on its side or any of the things I hear in stories people tell.

If a launch system were to die today, what are the chances of Nintendo taking it in for free repair?

*hedging his bets*

I got that really loud disc read error with metroid prime as well...never had it happen with zelda or mario sunshine though. And whenever I do hear that noise with prime I just open the cover and close it again and it seems to work.

I dunno what you guys are talking about with Cubes breaking I've never seen that happen, and mine's a launch Cube that's seen thousands of hours of play and still works fine. Is there any sort of evidence to support what someone said about "early" Cubes having bad chips or whatever it was and "overclocking"?

If it's any consolation I've also got the system failure message while playing Prime. I simply returned the game for another copy and it works flawlessly. It seems to me that Nintendo might have botched a batch of Metroid Primes and hasn't confessed.

I highly doubt it's your system unless every game's crapping on you.

My first Nintendo died on me when I was in my pre-teens, and I'd had the thing for like 7 or 8 years and it'd taken A LOT of abuse from my brother and I growing up. I'm suprised it lasted as long as it did, truth be told.

Other than that, I don't think I've ever had a game system ever crap out on me. Guess I'm pretty lucky too.

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Originally posted by Hero
If a launch system were to die today, what are the chances of Nintendo taking it in for free repair?

*hedging his bets*

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Well, they actually might, considering the Qube is just over one year old. It came out a year ago in november, so there's a good chance they'll take care of it.

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Originally posted by sphere79
That's those crappy Thompson DVD-ROM Xbox units for ya. I just bought a 2nd Xbox ( the Sega bundle pack ) and it's like night and day, games my 1st gen system won't even read work fine in the new unit.

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That's encouraging, since I bit the bullet today and bought a new 'box.

Hardware deaths are so very sad...:(

Well, put me on the list of those who had their launch GC die on them.

Mine went on the blink the first week I bought Sunshine. The motor pooped out and wouldn't spin the disk anymore. As has been stated before, Nintendo covers their equipment for one year from purchase (so I'm guessing all those cubes bought on launch day are out of luck) and include free shipping, so I was able to get it fixed and back to me in ten days. It's the only system of mine to die.

Too bad, it took all my inspiration to get all 120 shines along with it.

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Originally posted by Superstition
Well, put me on the list of those who had their launch GC die on them.

Mine went on the blink the first week I bought Sunshine. The motor pooped out and wouldn't spin the disk anymore. As has been stated before, Nintendo covers their equipment for one year from purchase (so I'm guessing all those cubes bought on launch day are out of luck) and include free shipping, so I was able to get it fixed and back to me in ten days. It's the only system of mine to die.

Too bad, it took all my inspiration to get all 120 shines along with it.

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Well, i was going to post, then i read yours. I then i noticed you wrote everything i was going to say. Launch system, Marios Sunshine week, and the nifty one year warrenty. Only thing different is that it only took 5 days for me to get it a "new" refurbished one from nintendo.

I put a 2 year warranty down on my GC. I know better than to play the cards with systems these days. ESA's really don't cost that much. They're worth the security.