Posted on 12/06/2005 3:57:10 AM PST by Panerai
A Chicago man has filed a class action complaint against Microsoft that claims the company knowingly distributed defective Xbox game consoles in its hurry to beat rivals to market with a next-generation gaming product.
A complaint filed in a U.S. District Court in Illinois by Robert E. Byers alleges that Microsoft designed a power supply and a CPU into the Xbox 360 that run too hot and overheat, causing the console to freeze or lock up when being operated. The design defect is “material” because “it renders the Xbox 360 game consoles completely inoperable,” according to court documents filed Friday, Dec. 2.
According to Byers’ complaint, Microsoft made the Xbox 360 available to consumers before it was properly designed in order to release the console before companies such as Sony and Nintendo made competitive products available. Therefore, he said, the company has profited from deceiving consumers into buying a faulty product.
“In its rush to beat its competitors by being the first to introduce the next generation of game consoles into the market in order to increase Microsoft’s market share, Microsoft was intent on launching its Xbox 360 Game Consoles ahead of competitors and in time to capitalize on the 2005 holiday shopping season—even if doing so meant selling Plaintiff and Class members defectively designed Xbox 360 game consoles,” Byers said in his complaint.
Byers is seeking unspecified damages for himself and others who want to participate in the suit.
(Excerpt) Read more at macworld.com ...
And in other news:
The Sun is rising in the East this morning.
There are no significant bugs in our software... Maybe you're not using it properly.- Bill Gates
Law suit happy idiots and the lawyers who help them...
No kidding. My 360 is working just fine.
Overheating the game box. Damn he must be playing too hard.
> Law suit happy idiots and the lawyers who help them...
I bet this guy and his lawyer planned to sue long before the xbox arrived.
X-Box 360 released on Nov. 22. Guess it was too much trouble to return it to MS for service under the 90 day warranty.
I'm screwed.
My 360's doing 180's!
The lawyer(s) make a lot of money off of these lawsuits, and the plaintiffs get coupons for stuff they don't even want to buy.
It is pretty darned ridiculous.
I can't even imagine why anyone would want to buy a first run of the new XBox's anyhow. Wait a month or two and the price drops by half, and you benefit from other peoples' experiences.
So this guy alleges his 360 locks up. How does he know it's a heat problem? Exchange it for another one, ya schmuck.
Agreed!
BTW, with all the hype and high prices of the XBox on Ebay, I sure was tempted to put mine up for sale as well.
Not for game consoles.
Sue, sue, sue and the only one coming out WAY ahead are the trial lawyers.
I hope that the court reminds this loser that no one forced him at gunpoint to purchase a kid's toy, ready for the market or not.
And most importantly, that legal action cannot create a "fix". So then what will he ultimately get? Other than a more expensive toy? or an orphan?
What a concept! Enlist litigation into driving technological excellence!
Morons.
If this loser makes the simple adjustment of elevating the power supply (onto, say, a speaker or anything for that matter so that it's not sitting on the ground) his XBOX will stop overheating.
The XBOX 360 I'm running is cool to the touch all around after hours of playing.
Actually, they WERE overheating, but the fix is so simple a child could do it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.