European Commissioner Gives Microsoft One Week to Respond to 360 Disc Scratching Reports

Ameer | June 02, 2007 | News | XBOX 360

With customer satisfaction at Microsoft at an all-time low, due to numerous reports of faulty 360s amongst other things, it looks like Microsoft has some explaining to do. The European Commissioner for Consumer Affairs has given Microsoft one week to explain the claims of Xbox 360's scratching discs, as was reported by Dutch TV show Kassa.

Although reports of the Xbox 360 scratching discs have been floating around for a while, the story really got legs a couple months ago when a Dutch TV show called Kassa aired a segment claiming to prove that the 360 damages media. Although Microsoft promised to look into the problem, apparently that's not good enough for Meglena Kuneva, the European Commissioner for Consumer Affairs, who has given Redmond exactly one week to detail how it's handled the bad DVD drive situation in the Netherlands, how widespread the problem is in other markets, and how many complaints have been received in those markets. While the Commissioner says the European Commissions doesn't have the "competencies" to force a recall at this time, she does say that she'll be "more than happy to act" if she finds legal grounds to do so. Ouch. Better get it figured out, boys -- the clock's ticking.

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Comments

0 thumbs!
gamefreak101 | June 03, 2007

Wow, the Xbox 360 is really getting smacked on due to these faulty parts, lately. Better hope Microsoft gives a good excuse or the people will not be so happy.
0 thumbs!
Guticb | June 03, 2007

Haha, that's what they get for making up BS like 'Wha? It don't do that stuff! It's your fault!"
0 thumbs!
Infinite | June 03, 2007

Wow. Microsoft really needs to get it's act together or it might be facing a lawsuit. Hopefully for the XBOX 360 owners in Europe Microsoft will get to work on the problems.
0 thumbs!
Will Baxter | June 03, 2007

Wow! The European Commissioner really wants an answer to this, at to all means he wants it quick, or the could be some serious trouble for miscrosoft.
- 0 thumbs!
  StarJet | June 03, 2007
  
  Microsoft is paying millions a day as fines just for bundling WMP and IE with Windows. You honestly think they can get in "Trouble"?
0 thumbs!
BANDITO ATTACK | June 03, 2007

The Netherlands just got owned.
0 thumbs!
Reenee | June 03, 2007

quote
'Wha? It don't do that stuff! It's your fault!"
Well, you're really not supposed to TILT YOUR CONSOLE WHILE THE DISC IS SPINNING INSIDE. No, really, it's Microsoft's fault.
- 0 thumbs!
  Guticb | June 03, 2007
  
  It does it by itsself anyway though.
- 0 thumbs!
  Final Blade | June 03, 2007
  
  Reenee idk how the xbox system does with that, but the playstation system has a verticle stand which makes reading disc better.
  And there is no fact that its the gamers moving the system. So its MS fault really.
  - 0 thumbs!
    Guticb | June 03, 2007
    
    Don't forget how Sony made Blu-ray discs unscratchable to prevent stuff like this.
    - 0 thumbs!
      Final Blade | June 03, 2007
      
      Yea i know, i was refering to ps1, ps2 had a verticle stand, making read disc better. But yea sony is alot smarting when it comes to disc management.
-2 thumbs!
Storm | June 03, 2007

One week or else what? Yeah, if the disc is being scratched because they are moving the console while it's still on...then that's their fault, not M$'. We'll have to see, though, what M$' explanation is.
-4 thumbs!
TurMoiL911 | June 03, 2007

European Commissioner for Consumer Affairs = Dumbass

Microsoft doesn't need one week to explain it to him when half the Internet can do it in about 45 seconds:

The discs are getting scratched because the console is being tilted while the XBox 360 is on. If you're so stupid that you do this, you deserve to get your disc scratched.
- 0 thumbs!
  Guticb | June 03, 2007
  
  Not true. Microsoft was dumb enough to try to make the console too small, so the lens for the DVD drive was placed WAY too close to the disc, and they decided to save a few cents per console, so they didn't give the lens a buffer plate thing, which prevents scratching.
  
  If that had been included, it wouldn't be killing discs.
0 thumbs!
roy the swordsman | June 03, 2007

Um, I may be wrong, but hasn't a similar article already been posted?
1 thumbs!
Tom | June 03, 2007

I bet Sony bosses are sitting in their chairs with a big smirk on their faces, and I have to say it's about time. As far as I'm concerned, with the 360, Microsoft are trying to play a game of which they have little knowldege, and that's one of the reasons I'm staying loyal to Sony: they know their field much better than Microsoft. Argue if you must, but it's my opinion.
0 thumbs!
Ameer | June 04, 2007

Just to clarify for all; the Euro Commissioner is a woman.