Legend continually crashes my 360...

[META 23]

Hey All

I'm having SERIOUS problems with Legend, every few minutes it just crashes my x360 in a total lock up that requires a power off restart to rectify. Thought it might have just been a dodgy disc from the rental store, so got another one from a different store, same thing, bought a copy and got one from my DVD / game through the post place and EVERY one of these four copies of the game produces the same result...

Don't seem to have this issue with any other games, PREY used to do something similar occassionally, but nothing like this!! I'm kinda p*ssed 'cos I've struggled through enough to finish the first mission ( maybe 40 lock ups to do it... ) and have got 2 achievements, and don't want it to look like I wussed out as it was too hard for me by leaving it there! LOL

Anyone else experience or have heard of anything similar? Surely it doesn't mean my 360 is dying... does it? Just been playing some marathon Oblivion sessions and no worries there what so ever.

Any insights would be welcomed, thanks in anticipation

xx xxx

META 23

[Hammer 5O2]

games dont crash consoles dude

[META 23]

games dont crash consoles dude

Hmm... those were my thoughts as well, BUT when you have had as many crashes as I've had you start to wonder!

I just did some googling and apparently the 'power bricks' have a tendancy to get hot and can cause crashes. This one fella claims he was getting crashes every 20 minutes so came up with the bright idea of suspending his brick by string in the air so it had all around cooling. Reckons he has been playing for over 7 hours straight with no issues.

http://www.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_msgs.php?topic_id=23998153&page=1

Have just done something similar, so will see how I go...

META 23

[META 23]

Hmmm... not a happy bunny! Done the suspending my power brick in the air, and it's bloody freezing here in New Zealand at the moment, been sitting here all night in the cold without any heating on to double make sure it isn't a heat build up issue, still the same issue.

Just been playing Stranglehold for over 2 hours and not a wobble, put Legend in and I'm lucky if I get 5 - 10 minutes before the console locks up. Managed to do first 2 levels, but missed a gold and silver on the 2nd level and the stupid game won't let me save my progress at check points on replays, so I have no hope! At least on a first play through on a level if it locks up I can restart my 360 and only lose up to the last checkpoint.

Any help would be really appreciated, would like to actually have a chance to play the game!!

xx xxx

META 23

[META 23]

Update time...

Looked into crashes in general further, and found a tip people were suggesting for Oblivion crashes, clearing the system cache. Tried that, allowed the game to update again, but no joy, crashed after a couple of minutes.

So, deleted all my game saves, deleted the cache again, but this time declined the update. Most of the way through level one and so far all good :Bounce: ( me jumping for joy )

Hopefully it'll stay all good now and let me play the game for a change!! Anyone got any idea what the update does? Am I gonna run into trouble later on somewhere?

Thanks

META 23

[META 23]

Well I managed to complete the first level without a single crash, which is progress I guess. So full of confidence I thought I'd give the time trial a go. Alas it crashed after only a couple of minutes, and now seems to do the same whenever I try to do it. I suppose I'll just have to try and force my way through the game, checkpoint to checkpoint, restarting in between crashes from the last checkpoint achieved... sigh.

I may try and rent another 360 from the local video store tomorrow and see if that behaves the same way. Tried 4 different disks, suppose the next option is to try another unit eh!

Jeez I'm trying hard... but the game just doesn't seem to like me!

META 23

[DJbruce]

games dont crash consoles dude Actully my 360 sometime freezes when Im playing Forza 2.

[META 23]

So having exhausted all possible options, I decided today to buy a new x360... a bit drastic I know, but what are you gonna do!! I've been scouring the the net for info all about x360's and all the issues they've faced, and decided that a falcon 65nm chip with HDMI sounded the just the ticket. Apparently the smaller chip runs cooler and has resolved a lot of issues people have experienced. Armed with all the intel required to ensure I gota falcon I go into the EB Games store close to where I work ready to part with cash for an arcade pack, but ONLY if it is an HDMI falcon.

Why an arcade pack? I've already got a 120 gig drive and oodles of accessories, and my controller is starting to drift to the left in games, so keeping it to the bare minimum of a 360 with HDMI ( my current doesn't have it ) and another controller for $399 NZD seemed my best bet, simply whack on my existing 120 gig disk and hey presto back in action with a new 1 yr warranty and HDMI for my 40" Sony Bravia LCD. Smiles all round you'd think!

Imagine my surprise when I discover the empty arcade box on the shelf clearly states HDMI on the box, but EVERY single one of the actual arcade packs with contents doesn't have HDMI on the box or on the units.... Just as well I checked 'cos I would have gone back into the store the same day kicking up a right fuss, cursing their parentage etc.

To compound my horror, the manufacturing dates on each of the 360 units within the boxes was September 2006!!!! So there is me thinking WTF... When I bought my iMac a few weeks back it stated it had been built only 3 weeks ago, a mere baby, but these... ahem 'new' units were grand-daddies and needed a walking frame!

So I go to another store, same chain, but near to where my house is, and hey presto same story. Advertising box on the shelf states HDMI is an option, but it comes with the standard composite cable, but EVERY actual pack HDMI nowhere to be seen and also Sept 2006 manufacturing date. I chat to the store guy, he's a good bloke and have gotten to know him pretty well, despite his constant efforts to convert me to the 'dark side' as he has both consoles but raves about Metal Gear IV.... ( damn I wanna experience that soon!! ) about what the hell is going on with these arcade packs. Long story short he tells me that Microsoft have extended their warranty for 360's to 3 years so mine is actually still covered and perhaps I should send it back....

So I get home and call the xbox support line, remarkably short wait actually, probably based in India or somewhere as he certainly wasn't a Kiwi. After explaining the situ and all that I'd already tried and much jumping through basic hoops and me replying "Yep done that... tried that... that didn't work either... as I said already tried...", I tell him I think I'd like to get the unit repaired under warranty actually. He tells me my warranty has expired, so I mention the 3 years extension MS has offered on the 360, to which he tells me that only applies to RRoD issues, and if I wasn't getting the RRoD it wasn't covered... I could however pay $160
for a repair if I'd like.

Not massively happy, but begrudgingly thinking perhaps it was my only route, we entered into a bit of to and fro, but then he then shoots himself in the foot beautifully... "because only a minority of 360's experience this lock up issue in comparison to the RRoD issue....".

"I'm sorry" I say, "Did you just state that this is a known issue with 360's and because not so many people have this problem you are excluding them from the same level of service as people who get the RRoD get.... That sounds to me like you are admitting that you have more than one known fatal issue with this console, but because this specific issue is less of a nightmare scenario for you with numbers of affected people as the RRoD you are simply ignoring it and us users affected by it as it is less likely to cause you the same public humiliation as the RRoD... Is that what you just said to me? I think you'll find that the Consumer Guarantee Act here in New Zealand protects me and my rights, and as you have admitted to me that you have a known fault with this product, I'm legally entitled to have it repaired or replaced by law, regardless of warranty expiration."

Trying to back-peddle as fast as his little feet will allow, it's not good though, I've smelt the blood in the water, and I own him know. He tries to muddy the water but I insist on my rights and he knows he's blown it, my linguistic dexterity is running rings around him. So he says he needs to put me through to a supervisor as he hasn't got the authority to process a claim on a non RRoD unit.

Supervisor sidesteps the issue very adeptly, and claims there may have been a mis-understanding between me and the previous person, but before we get into a discussion of replace or repair that he'd just like to exhaust all other options in an attempt to get my unit working properly for me, or at least help to identify what is causing the issue ( he's good, a proper customer service professional, but not a match for me, but I'll play his game for now... ).

So I note down all the things he wants me to try, remove the HD, see if it still happens, create a new profile see if that resolves it, etc. He asks me to call back once I've done it all, and gives me a reference number for the job. He mentions in the most casual of throw away comments as we say our goodbyes that he is sorry for the "mis-understanding" earlier and he will speak with the first guy to address the matter with him straight-away ( jeez I almost like this guy!! ) and he looks forward to getting my problems resolved as quickly as possible.

I so just tried everything he said, he reckoned removing the HD would probably sort things out and that would either prove the HD is dying or my profile is corrupt. He said that if it didn't however it 'might' indicate an issue with the unit itself, and we could discuss how 'we' could address that in the unlikely event that turned out to be the case....

Guess what turned out to be the case... LOL

Gonna be on that phone tomorrow when I get home from work to request my FREE warranty repair or replace! If not, a simple form handed into a court and a $20 fee gets me a small claims hearing where the bias is HEAVILY in favour of the consumer should just about see things right! LMAO

If only he hadn't mentioned by mistake that this lockup was a known issue I'd have been boxing my 360 up now rather than writing this, and accepting a $160 hit to the pocket for little tangible benefit.

Roll-on tomorrow, "Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war!"

[META 23]

So... I spent a couple of days thinking about what solution I really wanted. I realized that I wasn't prepared to play the swapping my console every few months for a replacement game that others seemed 'happy' to do, some people on xbox forums are on there 10th unit!!

I seriously considered ditching the platform completely by getting a full refund and going the Sony route, and whilst I am going to get a ps3 at some point, now just didn't feel like the right time.

I knew I didn't want to send mine back to microsoft and take lucky dip on what I got back and how long it would last, but I couldn't make up my mind, so I got in contact with the area manager of the games store I bought it from and went along to have a chat to him today. I explained my position, and how I felt that under the consumer goods act I had a very strong case to request a full refund as the console was not durable, of an acceptable quality or fit for purpose, but I wasn't sure of the end solution I wanted as I felt somewhat committed to the platform as I had numerous accessories and games, and most of my mates in the UK were on the platform and I used it to stay in touch with them.

After some discussion he kindly suggested that he would be happy to replace my exisiting unit with a brand new falcon chipped HDMI unit, as they are the new chip and are supposed to run cooler so may be less prone to issues, and give me a new year warranty on it but if I had any problems with that he'd happily do me a full refund for my initial purchase price, so that I could buy a ps3 if I wanted to shift platforms. Seemed like a pretty fair and hassle free compromise / solution, so he said he locate one for me and get it shipped to my local branch. He called me a little later on to tell me it should be a my branch by the end of the week.

So... seems like I may have got a pretty fair go of things in the end, no waiting for a month for my unit to be replaced my microsoft, no lucky dip of what I get back, and I get a brand new latest chipped unit with HDMI and a new warranty, can't complain at that!!!

Maybe I can finally play some legend... :Bounce:

META 23

[keene oh]

Congrats on sticking it to the man lol.

A mate of mine had similar issues with the console locking up but was not given the RROD runaround. MS repaired it 3 times and it kept happening.

Eventually he got a falcon replacement but it took him a good 6 months. You have done well to avoid that.

Although to give MS their due... for each time the console had to be sent off for repair, he was given extra live time, an extra controller and 2 or 3 free games, all under warranty.

Oh, by the way, i can confirm that the MK2 / Falcon whatever you want to call it, is much more reliable. I upgraded to one late last year and have not had any major problems.

Except... Tomb Raider Anniversary keeps locking up lol

[Iv VeNoM vI]

games dont crash consoles dude

Thats not true some games can do that, like command and conquer wont work in my xbox and it makes it heat up really fast and in my friends it workds fine.

[Keywork Groover]

games dont crash consoles dude

The can and they do.

I had several incidents where this game locked up on me. Occasionally, I even got a debug message when a cut scene failed to load.

Very giltchy indeed.


Still, hopefully you're all sorted now :)

[BigRods69]

It's crashed on mine before a couple of times - not as much as the final level on Lego Star Wars 2 though :mad::mad::mad:

[madhatter1]

I very, very rarely have games lock up on me... yet, with this game, when attempting to quit by going to the dashboard it has locked up quite a few times. I suspect the developers were a little sloppy in their coding here.