I think I have an answer for Jason, and it's related to the amount of investment people have put in the Xbox 360. I'd say that a lot of people continue to repurchase the faulty hardware because they've already spent a lot of money, specifically on games and LIVE gold member subscriptions. I've read one account online of a guy who has purchased the system [i]seven[/i] times due to hardware failure. I'm just amazed by that, but I think the sense of monetary involvement in the system is high enough for some people to convince themselves that they'll lose less money if they buy a new system or pay to repair an old one. For me, I'm sympathetic to Jason's position that sometimes you just have to deny yourself something you want in order to make a point. Get enough people together with the willpower, and I think it's possible to be noticed. After all, the only way to make manufacturers take notice is to hit them where it counts -- the bottom line. I also hope that many of these consumers who have been burned by Microsoft think twice about the company's next game console offering.

[quote]I also hope that many of these consumers who have been burned by Microsoft think twice about the company's next game console offering.[/quote] I doubt that I'll buy the next one, even it Natal is the "bee's knees." Someone will either copy it or make it better for another system.

I have gone through 3 consoles now. A launch console, an elite, and now a Halo Edition console. 1-2 years is the most I get out of my 360s. I play it evey night for atleast 3 hours. I believe the reason for this is the difference of Sony being a hardware company and Microsoft being a software company. Sony, in general, has made very sound hardware (I know... I know... the PS1 CD skipping thing). The PS3 has a lot of brand new technology and I haven't heard too much about them breaking down. Microsoft, it seems, to have the culture of patch and iterative development. Did they purposely cut corners on hardware so they could focus on the software side (XBLA, Live, etc...)? I still do not believe they fixed the problem when my Elite and Halo edition system when both of them supposedly 'fixed' the problem. My wonder is what impact does this have on their sales numbers? If some of the numbers are to believed, let's say 33% of Xboxes go bad. I, like my friends, have bought another while mine was getting fixed (or traded it in when Gamestop let you do that). My friends have sold their refurbished and kept the new one. Just playing with numbers, let's say 1/3 of the people that have a busted Xbox buy a new one or trade it in. VGCharts (http://www.vgchartz.com/) shows the Xbox360 has sold 32.51 million. PS3 - 25.26. Take 1/10 of those Xbox as re-bought/traded ones for dead systems... you take their numbers down to 29 million. The Microsoft Lead over Sony isn't nearly as big even knowing it shipped a year early. I also think I am being optimistic on how many units are failing. As for not buying their next console... I would be lying to myself to say "I won't buy their next console." I love their online interface and almost all my online gaming group are on the X360. The only thing I will do is wait a year before buying it to see what issues they have the next time around.

I'm really glad you guys got new equipment but you really need to check your levels. I listen in the car and I just about shut off the mobcast for good from all the jumps between mumbling and yelling. My speakers literally pop when that happens.

Jason, the hardware failure of the 360 is just one reason I don't want the system. My biggest complaint with Microsoft is their business practice of nickle-and-diming consumers. I'm not down with subscription fees for online play. I also don't like how the focus on Xbox has caused Microsoft to nearly abandon PC gamers. Games for Windows Live is a joke, and appears to be a vehicle to get PC gamers onto the 360. I don't see these issues being addressed at all in Microsoft's next system, so I have no reason to support the company by purchasing their console.

@Joe - We'll continue to work on improving the sound quality of the podcast.