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Guitar Hero 2 whammy bar patch breaks Xbox 360s

destructoid.com — Apparently the just release patch to fix the wonky whammy bar in the Xbox 360 version of Guitar Hero 2 has introduced a large number of repetitive crashes to the people who have installed it. The only solution so far seems to be to RMA the system to Microsoft.

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  • Felshadow, on 10/12/2007, -22/+14i played my buddys guitar hero for like 2 hours, both guitars worked perfectly fine, and this was before the update, i think his controllers were the ones reported as broken too? its weird how it affects some and doesnt for others.
    • YouRookies, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Link to xbox forum about the bricking patch

      You must copy and paste

      http://forums.xbox.com/ShowPost.aspx?PageIndex=3&PostID=11717177
    • ilyag, on 10/12/2007, -4/+15My controller worked fine before the update, but it's the one that's supposed to work fine (all accessory jacks are on the side of the guitar, none are on the bottom). I had the update install and... nothing changed. Everything works fine. I'm not saying people aren't having problems, but I'm sure I'm in the majority here. Frankly, at this point I'm still more concerned about the ridiculously high price of downloadable songs than these crashes. Either way, Red Octane ***** up badly with this game, and they deserve all this backlash from the fans one way or another.

      For the record, my console is one of the earlier ones with the louder DVD drive (manufactured in October 2006). So far I have had zero problems with it, or anything else really. However, at this point I am starting to wonder just what might end up breaking things, since it seems more like an unfortunate inevitability than anything else. Or at least that's what all the news reports like this one lead me to believe.

      Just as a precausion, every couple of hours after playing games I touch my console to feel how hot it is. When it seems to be getting too hot, I just shut it off and let it rest for half an hour while I do something else (or just go out to the dashboard and look around the Live Marketplace while it cools down).

      It should be noted that, for some strange reason, Guitar Hero II tends to cause the Xbox 360 to run hotter than most graphically-intensive games. In fact, it often approaches heat levels of Gears of War. I don't think Red Octane optimized their code too well when they ported it to this system. I also think that overheated consoles are probably the biggest reason Xbox 360s start having problems.
    • HappyScrappy, on 10/12/2007, -9/+5I think the GH2 graphics weren't very optimized before they ported them either.

      Despite the PS1-quality graphics, the game can't sustain full frame rate with 480P output on the PS2. I can play God of War in 480P without frame rate problems, but not GH2.

      Not complaining too much, because the game is very fun and that's the most important thing.
    • GregoryHarbin, on 10/12/2007, -3/+16Both my guitars worked fine before the patch, and everything's still working fine after the patch. I've never had any sort of problem with my 360.
    • nipterink, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3My controller also worked fine before and after the patch.
      The only thing I've ever noticed is that while GH2 is loading up, the disc spinning sounds different than it normally does. Only when it firsts gets going and when it stops when I shut it off. Sounds a little wobbly... hard to explain. Anyone else experience that?
    • Jaymoon, on 10/12/2007, -6/+5http://img117.imageshack.us/my.php?image=guitarhero2co1.png
    • z0l0pht, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4One of my controllers had the issue, I patched last night and it works fine now.
    • magicRob, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I also suspect this is a minority of cases. Was playing co-op with a mate when we were kicked off XBL. Decided to reconnect and was told there was an update for the game. Installed without an issue. Went home and updated my copy, no drama there either. I don't know if the whammy bar is fixed though. I can't tell, it's almost like a placebo effect. They tell you it's fixed, and it may well be, but I can't tell :)
    • wageslaven, on 10/12/2007, -7/+5Its not wierd at all.

      This article is FUD. Digg, as we know, will encourage the spread of any information that is injurous to Microsoft -- no matter how proposterous, ridiculous, impossible or stupid.
    • metallikop, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Unfortunately I'm one of these folks. I got my 360 shortly after launch, and only had one crash which was during a relatively heavy Oblivion session. A few months back I decided to do the firmware mod just for the hell of it, I bought over 20 games and was sick of them all being piss poor and definitely not worth the money. I got guitar hero on release day and didn't have any problems for a few days... then I started to get the occasional freeze. After this happened a number of times I was getting pissed and blaming my firmware mod. Over this past weekend I got my first ring of death, powered it back up, got it a few times again and now my xbox is 100% bricked. Unfortunately since I modded it, I can't send it in for an RMA, so naturally I went out and bought a new xbox. $299 later, I'm up and running again. I'm still pissed however.
  • Billiam627, on 10/12/2007, -13/+6I hope the update isn't mandatory, because my GH2 controller works fine
  • fluidfoundation, on 10/12/2007, -21/+6Posted by ChickenLittle.
  • metacoola, on 10/12/2007, -10/+36Why does ***** like this always happen on xbox? Not bashing the system, but the companies should have the game near perfect when its out, and when/if they patch it, it should at least work. The same happened with oblivion, a good game, but the glitchiest one ive ever played.
    • knodi, on 10/12/2007, -48/+7the PS3 firmware updates have bricked alot of PS3s too.
    • mdaize, on 10/12/2007, -20/+36The ps3 updates have not bricked alot of ps3's....

      as far as xbox 360, they released the 360 without really doing alot of testing in the first place...
      when ever you port a game theres always going to be quirks

      microsoft + xbox-related-products seem to like to go out without any testing as they say, they can patch it...
    • Zoids, on 10/12/2007, -10/+34@knodi

      I've not heard of any PS3s bricking whilst updating. Link please?
    • autocrawler, on 10/12/2007, -8/+28While I know this will likely get me dugg down, I should say that is why I dislike console gaming so much. Maybe PC games typically need more patching, and are generally more buggy than their console counterparts, but I honestly can't remember even a single case of PC game patches that could render your hardware inoperable.
      Just saying.
    • xymor, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9@Zoids
      Yeah, so far, even with thousands of users pushing the heat dissipation limits with f@h, so good.

      On a related matter, ps2 last gen as very faulty, has anyone seen any reliability study 360?
    • autocrawler, on 10/12/2007, -3/+6"On a related matter, ps2 last gen as very faulty, has anyone seen any reliability study 360?"
      If I remember correctly, the failure rates are estimated to be anywhere from 3% to 5%.
    • sepharious, on 10/12/2007, -6/+4wait...an update applied to a Microsoft product caused it to malfunction and crash? INCONCEIVABLE!


      btw, my Wii updates work just fine :)
      now they just need to release some more good games :(
    • Willeth, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2I am sure that people are turning the 360s off during update, or something. Out of all the game patches on Live, I've not had a problem with any one of them, and yet with almost all of them people have reported three red lights.
    • benitojuarez, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1You're going to see this more and more as consoles get storage space. Developers will half ass some code to get it out the door in time for the shipping deadline and say oh we'll fix it later with a patch. People find out sooner than they expected and start bitching vocally forcing the devs to quick quick rush rush a half assed patch to the half assed code which in turn causes even more problems. Im not saying this will happen with every game because it obviously doesn't, but it WILL happen with every system be it Microsoft, Nintendo, or Sony.
    • eMximeR, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@ autocraler

      You know this is digg, right?

      As for me, I have had no problems before or after the patch.
  • Ipp07, on 10/12/2007, -14/+5I thought it was impossible, but it seems like red octane has a worse testing group then Microsoft!
    • swoosh_bnd, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Red octane doesn't test it, microsoft does.
  • knodi, on 10/12/2007, -11/+8I just got done play it for about hours and half works fine here.
  • gcnaddict, on 10/12/2007, -9/+3"Oops"
  • shiftkgb, on 10/12/2007, -21/+1If you DL the patch and it messes stuff up, just delete the patch. What is so hard about that
    • blahtastic, on 10/12/2007, -11/+5You sir, are a moron and clearly do not have an xbox. Stick to your PC...

      Oh, and even if you don't have an xbox, bricked means it doesn't do anything. How the hell are you supposed to delete something if it wont even boot properly.?

      That said, my update didn't kill anything, but it's an already refurbed unit. It didn't help my whammy bar either, but I'm not bitching about that at the moment...
  • RockinRoel, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7Dugg for the accompanying picture.
  • meebio, on 10/12/2007, -9/+9@metacoola
    Agreed. The PSX was the last system I will ever buy on launch day. I've been so tempted to get a 360, but like you say, there is so much bad press when it comes to quality I just can't bring myself to buy one.
    • gwolf, on 10/12/2007, -5/+12You will forever live in fear.
    • therightclique, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5one thing i've learned from working in the tech services industry is that you ONLY hear the bad news. you never hear from the millions that DO have the thing working. the 360 works just fine most of the time. i know dozens of people that have had no problems. this is why you get the extended warranty. ANY electronic device can be fault at purchase or years later. it happens constantly
    • caketank, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4@gwolf:

      The bad press indicates that a 360 might break, not that it might stab you in a dark alley. Nobody's going live in fear, meebio might just live without a 360. Don't be so melodramatic.
    • wageslaven, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2"there is so much bad press when it comes to quality"

      The "bad press" is internet FUD sir. Ive never had a single problem. Never known an XBox owner to have a problem either. This "Brick" issue is totally unsubstantiated FUD. This stuff spreads like wildfire because sites like DIGG has an irrational user base who LIKE to malign Microsoft... dont ask me why, but its all too common to see idiotic stuff like this get "press" and then when its discovered to be some 12yearold idiot, it is already done the damage.

      MS has said that the XBox 360 has 3-4% failure rates. They've recently upped the warranty (probably due to public studies regarding public opinion vs. reality).

      I recommend the XBox 360 very highly. Its quiet (inspite of the FUD you'd read). Its rock solid (inspite of the FUD you'd read). And its been 100% reliable (inspite of the fud you'd read).
    • grumbel, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1### MS has said that the XBox 360 has 3-4% failure rates.

      Yeah, we all know, companies never lie... XBox360 failure rates are way above the norm. Just look at the Wii, the Gamecube, the Xbox1, PS3 or whatever other console you have in mind, none of them has as much failure reports as the Xbox360, not even close.

      There is exactly one reason why I still haven't bought a Xbox360 and that is the failure rate, which while it seems to have gone down in the last few month, still isn't in the same range as the competitors.
    • wageslaven, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@grumbel

      Your right companies lie. They say things that are subjective, like "Oh, Mcdonalds has the bet burger in the world". MS (nor anyone else) cannot lie about objective matters. Like their revenue. Like returns. Like warranty costs.

      These items are tracked. This data is revealed in audits. If the company _did_ have a problem, and it was found to be hiding it, what would happen in a class action suit?

      MS cant lie about the failure rate, their would be reams and reams of data that could easily refute them -- you would see it.

      Your reacting to internet Rumours. Dont let the world-view of a few irrational fanboys spoil your fun. Go, buy a XBox 360, they simply rock.
    • razorsharp, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Microsoft DID lie about their failure rate. I'm too lazy to sift through the net to get the links, but as a video game clerk I read practically every gaming rag on my lunch breaks, and Peter Moore went from saying (paraphrase) the defects were "3-4%" about a month after launch, "not abnormal" about 2-3 months after launch, to "we're doing everything we can to help out our customers, my former quotes weren't lies, according to the data I had they were the most accurate assessments I could make."

      I know how to read *****. But how I really know Moore is full of ***** is that I deal with his company's defective consoles ALL THE TIME. I deal with more defective 360s than I do with PS2s. Before the 360 the PS2 was the most defective console I'd dealt with, but now, despite 12x the number of PS2s on the market, more 360s go bad. And you know the most common time for a 360 to be brought back? Right after a patch.

      Anyway, most 360 owners I know (quite a few, and probably more than anyone here) are on their third console. My store has had 1 defective PS3 brought back and 0 Wiis. Despite the fact that IBM makes the chips for all three and ATI made the card for the Wii as well, Microsoft somehow couldn't get it right. The fact that patches and new releases tend to cause these problems leads me to the conclusion that Microsoft is the ***** multi-million dollar software company in existence. I've heard a million excuses for Windows being a POS, the most valid of which were that they had to maintain backwards compatibility. The XBox gave Microsoft a fresh slate to prove their software prowess and they've failed miserably. "Red Ring of Death" - "Blue Screen of Death." Neither my Mac, PS3, or Wii has a color of death, and if they do I doubt I'll ever see it.

      Call me a fanboy all you want, but I don't see how you guys haven't noticed Microsoft ***** you in the ass before. It's not like their products come with a complimentary jar of vassoline.
  • YouRookies, on 10/12/2007, -20/+23MSFT and their "patches"...How many times are they going to have to break our 360s and PCs?
    • Klarth, on 10/12/2007, -12/+15I don't know what's worse - Your tinfoil-hat bias against Microsoft, or the fact that people were actually digging you up when I typed this out.
    • YouRookies, on 10/12/2007, -15/+8"I don't know what's worse - Your tinfoil-hat bias against Microsoft,"

      Lay off fanboy, it's much better than having Microsoft's ***** up your @ss. This isn't the first story of MSFT breaking their products with patches. They just need to quit half assing their "patches"

      Google search - "Microsoft Patch" Breaks

      105,000 results returned.

      "1Up.com is reporting that the new patch for Battlefield 2142 could break if a PC has a Microsoft XP security hotfix. The patch notes recommend that if people have problems with the game they remove the KB917422 update. The article points out that the Microsoft patch, not the B2142 patch, is causing problems with other games as well and that you can call Microsoft at 800-936-3100 to get info on how to get a replacement security patch, KB924867."
    • GrimDog, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3what does MS have to do with a patch made by the guitar hero devs ? lol
    • saferwaters, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4@yourookies

      Google search - "Cabbage Patch" Breaks

      150,000 results returned.

      What exactly is your point? I'm sure because it came up with 105,000 results for "Microsoft Patch" Breaks, that's how many instances it's happened.
  • rick2k, on 10/12/2007, -3/+8I see red octane are obviously taking the EA Games strategy to games design now.

    *sigh*
  • thejesus2000, on 10/12/2007, -2/+18The whammy-bar on my guitar is still wonky, post-patch. The patch neither bricked my xbox, nor fixed my guitar.
  • RadicalPathways, on 10/12/2007, -10/+6Malarkey like this is why I bought consoles growing up. I never wanted to have to worry about the trouble of getting patches in order to have my games work. That was the advantage of a console, it works right out of the box with no headaches.

    Sadly M$ and Sony appear to want consoles to slowly develop into mini-computers for the living room, and from this article, it looks like their desires are working "beautifully."

    Thank God Nintendo is still around. Otherwise I would give up on consoles.
    • taintedzodiac, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9"Thank God Nintendo is still around. Otherwise I would give up on consoles."

      The Wii firmware is patched almost monthly, and the ability to patch games is there, as well. We just haven't seen a major patch for a major game yet.

      My Wii temporarily bricked itself after one of the updates. A couple of power cycles fixed the problem and it's been fine ever since.
    • theguz4l, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4The first update that Nintendo released (On Launch Day) Bricked thousands of Wii's. (Acknowledged by Nintendo)

      I had to send mine in for a replacement. Nintendo isn't on the safe list by any means.
  • Urusai, on 10/12/2007, -7/+8I'm still miffed about consoles stealing all the games from the PC, so I can only laugh.
  • ts8lemonade, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4I installed the patch and played Guitar Hero for about 30min. During that time I did notice it seemed to have dropped the frame-rate. I swear on one song (the one by Stone Temple Pilots) I was getting 10-15fps max. Haven't played it anymore after that but hopefully it won't break :( Btw I got my 360 last August and my guitars are both 95055.

    One person on the link to the 360 forums did make an interesting comment though. It was something to the effect of power handling. He suggested that maybe because the 360's guitar is connected via USB it wasn't able to draw enough power for the whammy bar to function properly, thus, when they released the patch alleviating this issue it has been causing an overdraw of power which is frying some 360's internal parts. This sounds reasonable to me, but who knows for sure.
    • hyperfocal, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2I don't have a 360, so I may be full of it, but here goes...

      Can you put a powered USB hub between the guitar and the 360, so the guitar draws power from the USB hub rather than the 360?
    • HappyScrappy, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2360 draws about 160W while playing games. Adding 2.5W (500mA @ 5V) more of guitar (at most) isn't going to make a big difference. I don't think the power draw is the issue.
  • hazord, on 10/12/2007, -4/+3Just Clear your xbox cache out if its that bad and wait for a new update.

    To perform the function, access 'memory' in the system blade, and then highlight the hard drive. Now press: Y, X, X, LB, RB, X, X. The following message should appear: "Do you want to perform maintenance on your Xbox 360 storage devices?"

    Also note though it will get rid of every other games update as well. so be prepared to re-update every other game you own. (theres always a bright side to things) :D
  • longhair, on 10/12/2007, -7/+27Did they charge $6.25 for the patch like the song packs?
    • wageslaven, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Hasnt enough insight been delivered to kill the "GHII DL content is expensive" meme? The publishers set the price. They songs are not, in any way priced in relation to other rights (say, performance or broadcast), that the content requires development and testing, that the packs are put into 3-song-groups to reduce the transaction fees.

      If you want to complain, talk to the Publisher of the game, because we've also learned that it _isnt_ Microsoft that determines the DL prices but the publisher who sets price.

      The prices are just fine, thats the same price as a ***** hamburger. The content is Cheaper than a N64 VC title, or say, cheaper than the $15 that Sony is going to charge for Jaffe's cop-car game.

      Why the tinfoil-hat-irrational hate? The prices are fair, if you dont want to download, dont do it. There is plenty of other content choices.

      Sheesh. Maybe you'd like to submit yet _another_ grade-school caliber Blog or Open Forum posting making wild assumptions and crying about the ***** PRICE? Should it have been free maybe?
  • unitedkronos, on 10/12/2007, -5/+6How on earth could a button on a controller brick a entire system?
  • rowlodge, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2they should fix a freezing problem with "moto gp 06" too, whenever there's a full room.

    also when the blade and another button is pushed at the same time makes it freeze, ....sheeech!,

    how many people does it take to fix a little thing like that???
  • reqage, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2It fixed my guitar and it hasn't shown any sign of having any other problems. Of course, I replaced my old bricked 360 about 2 weeks ago so newer ones might not have an issue.
  • Epixx, on 10/12/2007, -5/+5Everyone...STOP BLAMING MICROSOFT! I hate them as much as the next Digger, but this isn't their fault. They didn't ship a defective game. It's the developer's fault for the game not working originally, as well as the fact that this patch is buggy.

    But on a side note, this is totally unacceptable. You buying a game has caused you to break a console, and it wasn't even your fault.
    • zebstah, on 10/12/2007, -7/+1I know! It's not like MS is the one who developed the console in such a way as a game patch has the ability to brick a system in the first place! Right?
    • deadbaby, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1This is a very confusing post.
  • iRoy, on 10/12/2007, -13/+2HAHAHAHAHA. Not only is that a ***** game but running it on a ***** console, of course ***** is going to get ***** up! Everyday theres another story about Microsofts steaming box of crap... it just makes that PS3 I got sitting in my room look oh so sexy.
  • radiofrequency, on 10/12/2007, -12/+4Prior to the release of the xbox, everybody said Microsoft's entry into the console market would make it more "competitive". I dissented as it is my opinion Microsoft doesn't make quality products but simply figures out how to grow marketshare (or the illusion of marketshare) to look #1.

    Since Microsoft has released xbox, has the number of exclusive titles increased for gamers? Has the quality of consoles increased, prices of games gone down? For all three, the answer is no, no, no. The only thing that's happened since the release of xbox is crashing consoles. It's like the same curse that brought the acceptance of the blue screen of death on general-purpose computers now applies to the console industry.
    • rzurad, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7yeah. Its not like Gears of War, Halo, or Ninja Gaiden were bestsellers...
  • HappyScrappy, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5The reports of crashing (many can't even finish a song) seem like the game is buggy.

    I'm not as sure about the red rings. 360's just don't seem to be built well. They seem to brick a lot. I'd be more surprised if there WEREN'T reports of 360s bricking while playing this game.

    (360 owner, and mine died last November)
    • wageslaven, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Dont worry. There have been plenty of forum posts describing Dead on Arrival PS3s. Nintendo bricked thousands of Wii's with a firmware update a few months back.

      XBox 360 is not any more or less reliable or buggy than the other devices. People are parroting material that fits with the tired Microsoft-is-buggy meme. Its not reality. It is unfounded FUD.
    • DarkJC, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2"Dont worry. There have been plenty of forum posts describing Dead on Arrival PS3s. Nintendo bricked thousands of Wii's with a firmware update a few months back.

      XBox 360 is not any more or less reliable or buggy than the other devices. People are parroting material that fits with the tired Microsoft-is-buggy meme. Its not reality. It is unfounded FUD."

      I'm sorry, but you're either on Microsoft's payroll or are a raving fanboy if you believe this to be true. Yes, each console manufacturer has had dark spots on their record but this generation the number of reports of faulty 360 hardware has outnumbered both of the other consoles. Nintendo bricked thousands of Wii's when it was launched...and I have yet to year of any other problems with the Wii. A few thousand out of 6 million is not that big a problem. I've also heard almost nothing on the PS3 (the system you'd think all the haters would be most vocal about if there WERE hardware problems). Of course it's not perfect and there's the occasional dead system, but for the most part its hardware is rock solid.

      In terms of hardware failure, the 360 seems to be the PS2 of this console generation.
  • RandoTheKing, on 10/12/2007, -7/+0WHY is ther a GH2 story on the front page of Digg everyday? for ***** sake go outside
    • blahtastic, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5For ***** sake get a toy guitar! ;-)
  • gohepcat, on 10/12/2007, -10/+13Games/patches ...are NOT bricking your system.

    Your system is dying on its own. You just happen to be playing a popular game at the time. Because the 360 bricks so often people make the incorrect leap of game/patch = problem.

    When you pull Guitar Hero 2 out of your 360 and turn it on, your system is loading the exact same software it did before you bought the game. If your 360 is showing 3 red lights you have a hardware failure.


    Again....games and game patches CAN'T brick your system. (although system updates can, I'm pretty sure that was just a one time problem with the last upate..Hell the Wii had a similar issue)
    • HappyScrappy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9Software can brick your system.

      The first machine I heard of that could be bricked with SW was the Tandy Model 100 (portable) about 25 years ago.

      Hardware has become more and more dependent on software controlling it correctly as the years have gone by.

      One way is a software error could make the unit just refuse to boot. In this case, your hardware isn't technically wrecked, but your machine is bricked anyway.
      Another way is the software that controls the power supply can turn it up too high or make other settings that actually destroy the hardware. It is very common for software to control the power supply now, just ask anyone who turned up the voltage to their RAM in their BIOS so that they can run it faster.

      So once software can brick a unit, it is always possible that a software bug in a game (or whatever) could be the thing the triggers it, even if very unlikely, with 9M 360s out there, the chances of it happening to someone gets to be non-trivial.
    • Ashkc88, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2@happyscrappy
      Correct me if I'm wrong, but if that were so, wouldn't everyone who obtained the update have a bricked console? My console is fine and I've played GH2 after the update for a few consecutive hours without error(and people claim to have their consoles bricked 20 minutes after the update). Everyone is required a HD to get this update, so the hardware is all the same besides some disk drives.
    • HappyScrappy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4No, it totally depends. You're talking about a software bug essentially. It can manifest in different ways in different cases.

      Your argument about all the configs being the same is getting to the point that computers are deterministic. If the conditions are exactly the same on everyone's machine, then they will all act exactly the same.

      But conditions are never all exactly the same. One 12 megahertz oscillator in one machine runs at 12.000006MHz, another in another machine runs at 11.999998MHz. After just 1 second being on, one has run several thousand more instructions than another. Maybe one gets an ethernet packet 0.003 seconds in and the other one doesn't. Plus the hardware components aren't really the same in all machines, some are just spec equivalent but differ in small ways. Some aren't even spec equivalent, the software has to use two different techniques to run the two components. Companies change components in units all the time in order to save money or improve supply problems.
    • wageslaven, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2"Because the 360 bricks so often"

      The machine fails at the same rate as any other. 2-4% is MS's report. DO YOU have any information -- besides the insight you've learned from Blogs and Forums -- that says otherwise? Some kind of secret-interweb sleuthing?

      You are talking out your ass.
  • TheNik, on 10/12/2007, -5/+22Wait a minute. Why is everyone slamming Microsoft for a Red Octane created patch?

    You people make me sick.
    • HappyScrappy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8Microsoft has a patch qualification process, just ask Marc Rein and Tim Sweeney. So it isn't like MS never saw or tested this patch.

      But if you read the article, some say the patch made the game run so poorly that they have to replace their machine to fix it They tried deleting the patch, deleting save games, one guy even removed his hard drive altogether. When you have to send your machine back to MS to get fixed, you have a tendency to blame MS. As the OS developer for 360, it is their responsibility to try to make sure that it isn't possible for software to wreck your machine permanently, no matter how poorly the patch is written.
    • radiofrequency, on 10/12/2007, -6/+5I'm slamming Microsoft for entering this market space with a third-rate product. Seriously, what good has happened in console gaming since Microsoft entered this market? Quality of games, consoles, everything has gone down across the board. Microsoft is engaged in sabotage in this market, not competition.
    • Covenant9, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@radiofrequency:

      What are YOU smokin'?

      Of the thousands of Playstation 2 game titles on the market, what percentage are considered "quality"? I'd suggest 10% if you are lucky and that is probably being generous.

      Saying the XBOX brought down the market in terms of game quality is ludicrous. Sony cares more about quantity then quality.
    • pdotnet, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Well, this isn't the first time this has happened, search Digg.
  • virtualmadden, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Only games that have ever killed my Xbox360 were EA Sports games. Anyway, I fault Red Octane heavily, but Microsoft needs to be more on top of these things. The only patch that should kill your system should be the major console updates. If a game gets a bad patch, you should be able to wipe it and start over.
  • ChrisB187, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Now, I fully understand how MS generates so many 360 sales.

    It does suck and hopefully they(MS or Red Octane) get to the bottom of the bug and get things fixed.

    Thankfully GH2 has been sold out for a bit for the 360 and I haven't been able to pick it up.
  • ninjakoala, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5I updated my GH2 yesterday and have had about 10 hours of play since then. No problems whatsoever and the whammy bar now works great.

    Now if only they'd fix the DLC pricing...
  • shiftkgb, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1And yes you can delete patches for the Xbox, i deleted all of mine for Oblivion cause I really didnt like alot of the updates.
  • MrFlesh, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Damn so much for the closed system increase reliability theory.
  • CornStarch, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9What's the point of a console that glitches worse than a PC.
    • djSyndrome, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1I think you've just won the internet.
    • wageslaven, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1It doesnt. Thats the point. Dont believe this shiat.
  • number5, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2correlation does not allway equal causation
  • fmcivic16si, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Seems like every time there is a patch on the 360 peoples 360s break, I'm beginning to think that these are excuses so people can try to get them fixed for free out of warranty. Mine never have these problems nor does anyone I know. Only happens to other people. Manufacture date of Jan of 06 here and no problems with all MS patches.

    But I do ask where are the old days that when a game and game system where released that was it, no updates available or needed....
  • Kazimieras, on 10/12/2007, -5/+2Inaccurate:
    This is a software update and it cannot cause a hardware failure on the 360 itself.
    That being said, it COULD cause the game to freeze etc, but only when the software was loaded.
    • MrFlesh, on 10/12/2007, -4/+2sure it can I played many of PC games that caused my computer to crash
    • Kazimieras, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Correct, but they are saying BRICKING not crashing. And when a game crashes a PC, it crashes only when you load that game, not when you boot the PC.
  • Apocalypse1, on 10/12/2007, -6/+2i was thinkin about getting this game. 90 bucks for a ddr type game(i hate ddr so much) isnt really worth it. then i heard about the wammy bar problems and started to laugh. and now i hear this. and laugh even more

    glad that i didnt get this stupid game
  • GLMonkey, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2Sounds like one of the next downloadable songs should be "Brick" by Ben Folds Five.
  • TocsinFilms, on 10/12/2007, -11/+1That's what you losers get for not learning how to play a real guitar.
    • chazzzle, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3ahaha, i logged in to digg you down
    • TocsinFilms, on 10/12/2007, -5/+1Alright? You want a cookie or what?
    • Zoids, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9I play "real guitar," in fact, I play "real guitar" in a band. However, I still play Guitar Hero because it's fun to play.
    • razorsharp, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Zoids, uh, you probably don't play "real guitar" very well then. If you were the least bit good at guitar then Guitar Hero would bore the ***** out of you. We had GH2 set up in my store for months and I could have played it every day, but I chose not to because playing all those songs on a real guitar is easier for me. I don't even play covers anymore, let alone fake play covers with a beat game. If I'm going to play a beat game it will be Donkey Konga, 'cause that makes sense to me. If I wanna rock out I'll plug in my Fender.

      I'm sure I come off as a dick, but I really felt the need to call you out on your *****. I'm sure you mash powerchords together in your little emo band, so playing GH is a lot like playing real guitar for you, but Guitar Hero offers a real musician nothing. If you really knew how to play well, you wouldn't have fun with GH, you'd be annoyed when you picked it up and found out you were constrained to Parappa the Rappa with a funky controller. I'm not saying Guitar Hero is a bad game for non-musicians - but it's like Karaoke for wannabe guitarists. Learn the blues and lets see how much fun GH is then.
    • razorsharp, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I'm going to rephrase my last post since most of you prob won't understand how I explained it. When you become proficient at guitar - I mean really proficient - you'll be hard pressed to find anything more enjoyable in life. If you were a base jumper, would you play a video game about base jumping? Would it excite you even a fraction of what real base jumping does? No. Junkies don't have fun playing Narc 'cause your character does drugs, because no matter what the game can't translate that feeling. Playing guitar gives you a buzz, playing Guitar Hero doesn't. Playing Guitar Hero just makes you long for that buzz, just like I'm sure a junky playing Narc starts to fiend for whatever gets them off.

      Everyone I know who is a musician doesn't find GH interesting even after playing it, including myself. Everyone I know who either doesn't know how to play or is a complete novice absolutely loves Guitar Hero. Hence my conclusion that Zoids just sucks at guitar (saying you play in a band doesn't make you good). Guitar Hero is a good game, it's just not for real musicians.
  • ApolloImBurning, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I installed the patch yesterday afternoon, and have played for a couple hours since with no issues. It is (for me anyway) hard to believe that a patch to a game would cause subsequent hardware failure. I did have one of the "problem" guitar models, but I never experienced any whammy bar issues. I am curious to see how this will play out.
  • enronias, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2I think this is all one big Sony conspiracy. . . one of their flagship titles goes to the 360, first theres all the dissatisfied customers with the whammy bars, then price of song packs, now they're going the direct route and killing the competing consoles. Damn you Sony!
    • wageslaven, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1_ACTUALLY_ You might find that some of this nonsense (all this unsubstantiated Brick BS, and the DL price "issue") certainly could have been encouraged by Sony. Sony has already been caught performing astro-turfing, I'd say they are certainly _not_ above this kind of industrial reputation sabotage.

      Do I think its _likely_ no... but it certainly could be the case.
  • AmericanNinja1, on 10/12/2007, -4/+0More sites are posting about this. I posted about it at my gaming blog too:

    http://nextgengamer.wordpress.com/2007/04/15/guitar-hero-ii-auto-update-breaking-360s/
  • n00bvin, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2I don't buy that it's the patch or the controller... but it could be. It would be interesting to note whether most of these were "launch" consoles.

    I faced the 3 RLOD about a month ago and after some careful research concluded that it had to do with the "X-clamps" that the 360 uses to hold down the heatsinks to the CPU and GPU. Unfortunately this design puts pressure on a point directly behind the processors, and actually "warp" the 360 mobo (which is secured very well inside the case). This supposedly leads to some weak solder also not connecting. I won't pretend to "technically" know the problem, but after listening to the arguments, it made sense.

    I opened my 360, and replaced the X-clamps with simple screws and washers (not metal washers), making sure to have a snug fit. I put it all back together and has been solid since. It made sense, I did the mod and it worked.

    This process is not for the faint of heart, but I'm 100% convinced that all launch consoles (I'm not sure if MS has fixed this since) will eventually fail due to this designed failure.
    • HappyScrappy, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1I think you just made a huge mistake.

      If your mobo did indeed warp and broke the chips loose, physical connection isn't going to really fix it. I'll work itself loose over and over.

      You really need to resolder it to make it really reliable.
    • n00bvin, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2I think there are very few who have the technical knowledge to do such a thing as resoldering the CPU/GPU. However, this worked, and only cost me about $4 to fix. It's been solid for a month now... can't say a huge mistake was made.
  • m00nstone, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1These types of issues are the main reason I have stayed away from the 360 since the early launch days where people were experiencing meltdowns.

    Additionally, I'm concerned with the idea that the 360 cannot be downgraded to earlier firmware in order to deal with problems. I'm sure this level of security is costing microsoft, and obviously 360 buyers, big time.

    And ironically, the only thing this has accomplished is preventing people from running homebrew.

    I guarantee you MS is regretting the efuse, while firmware modders happily play backups.

    So... until I'm hearing better stability reports from the 360 scene, I'll continue to enjoy my 2 xboxs (one modded, one not), and my Wii.
    • DarkJC, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I agree.

      I've been interested in the 360 for a while but the thought of spending $500 CDN on a console and have such a large risk of it bricking (especially if it's just out of warranty) isn't great. And before anyone mentions it, I avoided all of the PS2 DRE drama as well, I didn't get the system until a revision or two into the slim model.
  • heartless_, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2The patch is out less than a day and people are RMAing their machines?
  • CReyes4182, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1LoL the Sony Fanboys are having a field day :P
    • OwdenBowden, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Yes they are... It isn't their fault that they were stupid enough to believe and buy a PS3
  • mjeromee, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Guitar Hero 2 started freezing for me about 3 days before the patch was released. I couldn't get through even one song. I patched it, and I got through 4 songs before it froze. Progress? meh
  • sharod, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I guess I'll add my two cents...

    I actually had one of the guitars that was supposed to be defective. My whammy bar gave me many problems. I actually installed the update even before knowing what it was for, but immediately after I noticed a huge difference in the performance of the whammy bar. My guitar works perfectly now without any problems, and I haven't experienced any freezes or lockups.. I've been playing everyday for a couple hours since the patch came out.
  • OwdenBowden, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1SOLUTION: Do not run the update.
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