When you think back to Microsoft's earlier
gaming endeavors, you might remember the original Xbox console: the first home of Halo and the
launch platform for Xbox Live. Or you may remember the Xbox 360, which brought
us the Gears of War franchise and one of the longest console lifespans in recent memory. Speaking of lifespans, it also introduced
us to a certain dreaded Red Ring. Those little blinking lights were a huge deal
for several years following the Xbox 360's launch, and the deeper story behind this famous
hardware failure is downright fascinating. Let's relive the trauma and examine the legacy
of every gamer's nightmare — the Red Ring of Death. Xbox: ugly but efficient The original Xbox was a hulking monstrosity. It took up a lot of room, it was heavy, and
it stuck out like a sore thumb. One might conclude that design wasn't the
first priority when it was built. And that would be correct. Former Xbox bigwig Robbie Bach revealed that
the design approach taken by the original Xbox team was focused first on hardware. The components were selected for the console,
and the outer shell was designed once everyone knew what would be going inside. When all was said and done, the Xbox was large,
and it wasn't the prettiest console in the world — but it worked. For better or for worse, Microsoft handled
the design of the Xbox 360 differently. Instead of engineering their hardware and
then building a protective shell around it, they prioritized the look of the console's
case. Basically, the console's cover was designed
first, and Microsoft engineers were tasked to make all the hi-tech insides fit. This approach is thought to have contributed
to Xbox 360 hardware failures — failures that the console's owners soon became very
familiar with. System snafus When powering their systems on, gamers found
themselves greeted not by the typical green glowing lights on its front — but instead,
by an ominous red circle. The issue, according to Microsoft's support
documentation, signaled some kind of hardware failure within the console or its power supply. The console displayed a "System Error," wouldn't
load the Xbox 360 dashboard, and wouldn't load games. And as time wore on, what first appeared to
be an isolated number of instances began to grow. As reports of what was dubbed the "Red Ring
of Death" piled up, Microsoft increasingly came under fire from both the press and its
customers. Something had to be done. A few of the most important people at Microsoft,
and within the Xbox division, came together to hash it all out and, hopefully, solve the
problem. Make or break a brand With the Red Ring essentially dominating the
narrative surrounding the Xbox 360, the entire Xbox brand seemed to be on the ropes. It took a meeting of the Microsoft minds — specifically,
CEO Steve Ballmer, President of Entertainment & Devices Robbie Bach, and VP of Interactive
Entertainment Peter Moore — to decide just how they would respond. Yes, that Steve Ballmer. "Ladies and gentlemen, Steve Ballmer!" [Applause] [Screaming] Moore has spoken about that meeting on several
occasions since leaving Microsoft in 2007. In 2015, he recounted his experience to IGN
during an episode of Podcast Unlocked, saying: "And, I am trembling sat in front of Steve,
who I love to death, but he can be an intimidating human being." "And Steve said, 'okay, talk me through this.' I said 'if we don't do this, this brand is
dead.'" "WHO SAID SIT DOWN?!" Moore laid out a plan for Ballmer: one that
required Microsoft to invest heavily in recalling, repairing, and shipping consoles back, all
without any cost to consumers. Somebody had to pay for it, though — and
that was Microsoft, who dished out a staggering $1.15 billion. Moore makes amends The Xbox 360 had been out for nearly a year
and a half when Peter Moore penned an open letter to Xbox customers, officially acknowledging
that the Red Ring — and the hardware failures associated with it — was a widespread issue. In it, Moore wrote: "We have been following this issue closely,
and with on-going testing have identified several factors that can cause a general hardware
failure indicated by three flashing red lights on the console. To address this issue, and as part of our
ongoing work, we have already made certain improvements to the console. [...] We are also implementing some important
policy changes intended to keep you in the game, worry-free." Those policy changes, of course, were part
of the plan Moore had cleared with Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. "GIVE IT UP FOR ME!" The plan that would cost Microsoft a pretty
significant chunk of change, but would hopefully make things right with customers and help
save the Xbox brand. It would prove to be unlike anything the video
game industry had ever seen. Recall, replace, repeat Microsoft was aware a substantial number of
Xbox 360s were having hardware issues, and not just those already sold; consoles on shelves
at retailers were essentially ticking time bombs. The company started by extending the Xbox
360's warranty from its original one year period to a pretty remarkable three years. This meant that, if you purchased an Xbox
360 console and experienced the Red Ring problem at any time within a three-year window, Microsoft
would repair — or replace — your system at no cost to you. Not only that, but the company would also
pay your shipping costs. Finally, Microsoft offered to reimburse anyone
who'd previously paid out-of-pocket for repairs to their Xbox 360. In interviews shortly after the announcement,
Peter Moore stated that changes were being made to the Xbox 360 hardware to prevent further
red ring issues from happening. Unfortunately, this didn't stop the red ring
from raging on. Microsoft needed a major hardware adjustment,
and pronto. The red ring's laid to rest "Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your new Xbox
360." [Applause.] In 2010, Microsoft unveiled a completely new
design called the Xbox 360 S. This new incarnation of the console brought several changes to
the platform, including a capacitive touch power button, integrated support for WiFi,
and support for Microsoft's new Kinect peripheral. What it did most importantly, however, was
eliminate the hardware issues that had been causing the red ring to show up in the previous
design. Thus, the Red Ring was finally laid to rest. Interestingly — or suspiciously — enough,
Microsoft has never spoken about what actually caused the 360's infamous hardware failures. And now that we've moved on to a new generation,
we may never know for sure. Lesson learned Fun fact: the first-generation Xbox One console
is actually the largest console Microsoft has ever released. That may be surprising, but it speaks to the
fear that Microsoft felt when it came time to design its next system following the 360's
hardware drama. Microsoft did not want another Red Ring fiasco. So designers and engineers worked together
to ensure all the components inside the Xbox One console had plenty of room to breathe. And the approach seems to have worked out. The Xbox One has not fallen victim to any
of the pitfalls encountered by its predecessor. And the design choice to go larger initially
gave Microsoft time to perfect the smaller designs found in the Xbox One S and, later,
the Xbox One X. There's no telling when Microsoft's next Xbox
console will arrive to help usher in a new generation of gaming. But one thing is for certain: when it comes
to hardware design, Microsoft seems determined to avoid making another $1 billion mistake. Exciting times. [Screaming] Thanks for watching! Click the SVG icon to subscribe to our YouTube
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