Halo 3: ODST Forum
This topic has moved here: Subject: Disc Unreadable [OP UPDATED 10.20.09]
  • Subject: Disc Unreadable [OP UPDATED 10.20.09]
Subject: Disc Unreadable [OP UPDATED 10.20.09]
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Same experience as you, static. They said they're mailing me the shipping label in 3-5 days and I have to find my own box, take it to UPS, and I'll get my console back in 2-3 weeks. Oh and do not ship it with the hard drive, any accessories, or cables attached.

Free of charge, baby! That's what I like. 2-3 weeks is just an inconvenience. I just love free stuff.

  • 10.21.2009 5:46 PM PDT

I am on the phone with them right now on hold to go to the person who is supposed to get my FREE repair started. Yes, I waited 4 weeks and am willing to wait 3 more to get an Xbox that will be fixed. This is all I wanted, a free repair. Also they said that the repair is actually a patch that is going on the Xbox and then they will test every media type and Halos on it to make sure it works and then send it back. I then asked why not through just Xbox LIVE and he said since only around 100 people are having the issue a full patch is harder to do or something. Anyways I get it fixed for free and they said they will test it before sending it back too.

[Edited on 10.21.2009 6:25 PM PDT]

  • 10.21.2009 6:01 PM PDT

Send me a PM of your email and I'll get you a lockerz invite. 100% legit Thx CarloMorris for pic.

Banshee Master

Absolute Annihilation

Well... i got my repair. He asked me if it only happens on ODST and I said yes, but other games started freezing afterwards. He said that they could possibly charge me if ODST isn't the problem. I will be super -blam!- pissed if I have to pay after they said it would be a free repair...

  • 10.21.2009 6:18 PM PDT

Faith can save you when all hope is gone!

Well, I got my repair service and printing labels. Took about 30 minutes total, and most of that was waiting on hold for the hardware service department (who is probably overwhelmed with the rest of you guys getting your repair service).

I was amused how they tried to sell the repair as a "courtesy". I do appreciate that they are fixing it and shipping it for free, but I also understand that it is a hardware failure on their end.

A note to those that are sending theirs in: When I got the RROD a few years ago, I had my xbox back within 8 calendar days. I expect the 2-3 week quote is just to give them some breathing room.

And remember guys (and gals), when you call customer service, they didn't break your xbox and they didn't write faulty code, and they ARE there to help you, so be nice

  • 10.21.2009 6:55 PM PDT

Posted by: KRayons90
Also they said that the repair is actually a patch that is going on the Xbox and then they will test every media type and Halos on it to make sure it works and then send it back. I then asked why not through just Xbox LIVE and he said since only around 100 people are having the issue a full patch is harder to do or something. Anyways I get it fixed for free and they said they will test it before sending it back too.

And having all the afflicted 360s shipped to them to be fixed one at a time is simpler? Said patch may also vacinate other 360s that have yet to experience said problems, but might in the future given that right now it can happen to apparently anyone.

I'm going to call this weekend. Man I hate calling support.

  • 10.21.2009 7:43 PM PDT

@ Swordsman Young

It sounds more is being done if it is just a patch but I don't know. Maybe they are trying to make it seem not as big but then I also think it would be cheaper for just a patch then sending it in to get fixed. Whatever it is being taken care of and for free.

[Edited on 10.21.2009 8:16 PM PDT]

  • 10.21.2009 8:14 PM PDT

Faith can save you when all hope is gone!

I got the impression that it was more than just a software patch, but something more drastic with the mother-board.

  • 10.21.2009 9:33 PM PDT

-- --- .-. ... . / -.-. --- -.. .
I'm an old school gamer, but I'm still hip. Wait, when referring to oneself as, "Hip", does it reverse its meaning?

Well guys I had the same problem as you. After ODST I started getting disc read errors in other games and finally the drive stopped working altogether.

Since I don't have any warrenty left I bought a replacement drive and went though the process of taking everything apart and getting the replacement parts in.

Now my systems works perfectly.

I think old drives like mine just finally crapped out and ODST was just there when it happened.

It could have been a software update that didn't sit well with my old drive, but I think it just finally died after so many hours of use.

At least in my case I can conclude that it definitely wasn't the ODST disc and it probably wasn't a software update. Unless they did an update on my drives firmware without me knowing I doubt it was anything but a worn out disc drive.

Back to playing some awesome ODST and Firefight!

  • 10.22.2009 12:33 AM PDT

Old drives seems likely but that doesn't explain why some people with "new" 360s have also been having these problems.

  • 10.22.2009 6:28 AM PDT
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w00t a solution!!

I'm going to call microsoft ASAP once I'm finished work. Hopefully the call goes smoothly...

The sad thing is, that by the time I probably recieve my xbox back, Modern Warfare 2 will be out... so I'll probably not even play ODST until months later lol. Oh well, I'm just glad this will be finally fixed!!!

  • 10.22.2009 6:50 AM PDT

Just called, and it appears that ODST is a keyword now. Just make sure to tell them right away that you had a disc read error with only ODST and it's a clean disc.

Bonus, since I live in Canada, they only replace consoles. So I will get a new, or most likely reburbished one sent as soon as they get mine. When I my RROD last year it was a 3 day turnaround.

  • 10.22.2009 7:24 AM PDT
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lol they said it was a patch? Because MS would rather spend $50+ per console error had by thousands of owners to fix than release a quick patch over Live to fix it now and for anyone in the future. I have to many games I want to play right now. I may try sending it in towards the end of November when I need to buckle down for school, and so I don't spend countless hours playing L4D2 and not studying. But as for Bungie, I am likely to never purchase a game from them again because this mess, unless they make it worth it...it seems like such a hassle for one game, my copy will probably go up on Ebay.

Nothing against any of the developers or people like Urk, but really, this has been one nightmare mash-up of customer service and shoddy craftsmanship in one of the years biggest games...

  • 10.22.2009 11:07 AM PDT

Faith can save you when all hope is gone!

I don't blame Bungie for this, I blame Microsoft. They are the publisher. They should have tested the product enough to know that what they were shipping out was 100%

Bungie and Halo are THE reason I own an Xbox instead of something else. I was a die-hard Nintendo player until Xbox and Halo were released. I am thankful that Bungie helped me escape before all this Wii BS hit.

I still highly doubt that it is JUST a software patch if they are willing to pay to have the consoles shipped in/out for free. There must some kind of hardware malfunction

OR

They really don't know what it is, but if they get in enough consoles with the problem they can figure it out quicker.

  • 10.22.2009 11:41 AM PDT

Even though the customer service guy told me it is a patch or something I dought it is as a patch would be easier to let through across LIVE. I think the guy just said that to me now that I think about it. You guys/girls should ask them what is going to be fixed when you call and the process is finished and he/she asks if you have anymore questions and see what he/she say.

  • 10.22.2009 1:47 PM PDT

Oakland Athletics will win the World Series.

nice i just scored a free repair. my box should be back just in time for call of duty

  • 10.22.2009 2:27 PM PDT
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If they're just gathering the malfunctioning consoles to figure out what it is, since a patch through live would be easier, then they'd probably just send us new 360s if they can't meet the 2-3 week thing. Then again, they might hold onto them even longer if they still can't figure it out.

  • 10.22.2009 3:13 PM PDT

Oakland Athletics will win the World Series.

was anyone else get express shipping? and was anyone else notified of the repair by microsoft themselves? they actually called me and offered me the free repair. i did not have to call them for it at all except for the original call i made the day after i got odst complaining about it

  • 10.22.2009 5:09 PM PDT

Can you count to potato yet little buddy?

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOh Hell yeah!!!!!!!!!
I ended up buying a new PlayStation and a week later exchanged it for a elite just to play odst. So Microsoft calls me today to tell me I can send my old one in. They are sending me a box and shipping it express. Now my kids will have a perfect 3siddy too!!!

I would just take the time to apologize to the hard working people at bungie for some possibly, maybe, just a little miss placed anger, blame, and just a tad of frustration, and a few poorly worded comments.
Senserly Mr. KaveMan

  • 10.22.2009 5:47 PM PDT

Posted by: Colonel Frag
If they're just gathering the malfunctioning consoles to figure out what it is, since a patch through live would be easier, then they'd probably just send us new 360s if they can't meet the 2-3 week thing. Then again, they might hold onto them even longer if they still can't figure it out.
I certainly hope that's not the case and that they actually have a fix ready to go. I'm just worried about making sure I get a 360 back in time for Left 4 Dead 2. Sucks that sending it in now means missing early demo access. But I'd rather send it in now, instead of getting the full version of L4D 2 THEN send my 360 in. Bad enough I can't play ODST without problems but worse if I lose time playing other games I want to play.

  • 10.22.2009 7:41 PM PDT

Loading...

Is this the only way to fix ODST? Sending it in to fix it or is there a patch over live that would do?

  • 10.22.2009 10:06 PM PDT
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Can anyone confirm if they are giving everyone free expedited shipping or do you have to actually raise a stink about it first, after all there is nothing actually wrong with our Xbox yet it must be gone for 2-3 weeks?

  • 10.22.2009 10:12 PM PDT

i donno it sounds like you only get it if they call you i could be wrong through from the looks of these posts

[Edited on 10.22.2009 10:28 PM PDT]

  • 10.22.2009 10:23 PM PDT
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This really is the logical conclusion - hardware defects, no matter how minute, are really the only explanation for the problems you people are experiencing.

If the error was linked to one specific revision of the XBox 360 - i.e., certain motherboard, certain DVD-ROM model - then arguably it would be possible to simply produce a patch to fix the issue. But that situation in and of itself seems unlikely, since each revision would need to be compliant to the base 360 spec, and any and all games would be vetted against that spec. While some newer revisions may technically have extra hardware features that could conceivably be exploited, no 360 OS or game would ever be allowed to exploit them.

And that certainly does not seem to be the case here - people are reporting errors across pretty much the whole range of released 360 revisions, both old and new. The other alternative, where it is purely a software problem, is also ruled out, since the majority of the ODST-playing population is NOT having problems of any kind. With hardware, individual units are "identical" to other units only within a certain range - production of even the same revision of the same chip produces individual items of varying quality, and the ones kept as 'successful' are simply within a certain quality range. But not with software - the date on each disc is identical. So again, the majority of the ODST-playing population not having any problems rules out a software bug.

What does that leave? Unfortunately just that your XBox 360s are defective. They may be fully functional for the majority of games, but something this game does stresses a certain component of your units that is simply not working to spec. There may be a way to get around that issue using software, but I can't imagine Bungie or MS ever wanting to do that, since a) the game works to spec, as shown by it playing properly on the majority of 360s, and b) such a patch could involve an extensive rewrite of one or more core parts of the code, something that is simply not feasible to do (this same error popping up in Halo 3 certainly implies the issue is with a main portion of the Halo 3 engine). That would be doing a whole bunch of work just to ignore the still-present issue with your 360s, one that could pop up again and again if other games were to ever use the 360 spec in the same way and tax that portion of your system. I think repairing your systems is the only realistic solution - both in terms of moving the XBox 360 forward as a platform, and giving you some piece of mind that your system will be able to play future games.

I don't mean to underplay this, as the XBox 360 hardware situation in general is utterly ridiculous - the absolute substandard quality that has gone into the XBox 360 hardware from day 1 is a joke. Other current gen systems have problems too, sure - talking about original NES and Game Boys still working is not a valid example, as the electronic components there were so much simpler, and did not have any of the components which are most likely to fail in a modern system (i.e. moving mechanical parts, like optical drives, hard drives, and cooling systems). But the failure rates for other current gen systems are much smaller, and there is a defined line between working and not working. With the XBox 360, there is a gradual slope from your system working perfectly to when it stops working altogether - leaving you with months of fun time in between where you aren't sure if your system is failing or if its just a result of game bugs or something.

But given that it's tough to change something like that 4 years into a platform, and we are stuck in the here and now - I think MS is handling this as best they can.

  • 10.22.2009 11:44 PM PDT

I believe everything you said bevilacq and I agree with it. Also the fact that Microsoft, after 4 weeks, gave us a free repair puts my faith back in them. Never really doubted it though, because other then this I have never had an issue with Microsoft and their products. Lastly, I don't know if it is express but it is UPS Ground, which will get there in 4 business days. That seem pretty fast to me.

[Edited on 10.23.2009 7:14 AM PDT]

  • 10.23.2009 7:14 AM PDT
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I called the support,talked to them about it,that it was Halo3 odst that was the problem.
But since im stupid and said that SINCE the odst problem occured my xbox360 been -blam!- up and being crazy they will NOT pay my repair.
The customer-support dude said that if the problem is only isolated to ODST,then i get a free repair,not otherwise.
I tried to tell the dude that it is only isolated to ODST but SINCE then the xboxs been acting out.
Just like i know alot of u guys have had the same problem,brutal legend demo freezing,forza3 demo freezing and so on.

Jesus christ.
I paid a good deal of money for a game thats not working and its -blam!- up my console.Now i have to pay for the repair? thats crazy.
I no longer hold a grudge to bungie,only to microsoft.
A big F U C K you to you.

  • 10.23.2009 7:31 AM PDT