One of the main reasons I have refused to jump on the Xbox 360 bandwagon is because of the astronomical failure rate the system surfers from. I know that the newer systems are supposedly more reliable and the extended warranty covers the RRoD problem, but it is something I still don’t want to chance. I have heard enough horror stories about MS rejecting a 360 warranty because the problem wasn’t a specific RRoD or people waiting over six weeks to get their unit back to know that I simply don’t want to fuck around with this. I can’t justify investing over $400 (system, games, controller, Live subscription) into something that I am just going to wait on to break.

The real dilemma with a 360, for me at least, is that for better or worse the system has a number of intriguing exclusive titles. Dead Rising, Bio-Shock, Gears, Halo, and Left 4 Dead are all games that I anticipate to play.* On top of that the price is right on a 360 and they look decent on a SDTV (I don’t plan on upgrading to a HDTV anytime soon). While I do like the PS3 and some of the games that the system offers (Warhawk, MSG4, and Little Big Planet), I would never purchase one without an HDTV. The PS3 looks like an absolute abortion on a SDTV.

So here I am at the gaming crossroads. I want a new system because the Wii is no longer passing muster. I don’t have the scratch on hand to purchase a new TV (thus making the PS3 worth owning), but I also refuse to purchase a 360 that in all likelihood will break sooner or later. Luckily for me, Fortuna has finally spun her wheel in my favor.

I acquired a 360 from my cousin last weekend that was “all fucked up or some shit.” The warranty is no longer an option in fixing the system and he said it was mine if I could get it up and running. I felt like a kid at Christmas as he placed the system in my bag. Best case scenario I would have a new 360 with a meager parts investment. Even if I can’t get the system up and running I would still get to rip apart a current generation gaming system, which is still a fairly large win in my book. Unfortunately, I have never cracked the case of any gaming system, ever.

Seeing as I know Jack and shit about fixing a 360 or any other game system (and Jack just left the building), this is the part where I ask for any and all advise, links, tips, blessings, sacrifices, and anything else that might help me on this quest. Post any help you can give me in the comments. I’ll keep the site updated with my progress and lay out the steps and resources I use in attempting to fix the 360. Hopefully others will learn from my mistakes; God speed.

*I know most of these games can be either played on the PC or are coming to the other systems. I don’t care. I typically prefer gaming on a system and the 360 seems to be the most viable option for me at this time.

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