An Xbox 360 power brick caught fire and caused about $100,000 worth of damage to the home of a Little Rock, Arkansas gamer.
It's a sad story, and I wish the best for the victims. But we know that there's very little risk of this happening. The local fire department said that the power brick was stored on its side, and against a wall. No one deserves to have their house burned down, but the fact of the matter is that he's doing it wrong.
The local news that reported on this incident are also doing it wrong. They somehow link the Xbox and the Xbox 360 into a combined horror story, complete with a flaming (and hilarious) Xbox graphic. It's kind of like how your mom calls all of your game systems "Nintendos."
The folks at Today's THV are linking this Xbox 360 isolated incident with the original Xbox's known power cord failure problem. I don't think that they realize that this power cord recall was for the old Xbox, and not the 360. Reporter Eboné says that the victims "only first heard about the warnings only after their house nearly burned to the ground." Eboné, my dear, there are no warnings for this console's cord, other than the obvious don't put hot things in a place where they can cause a fire.
The news segment did give us gems like "gamers take playing videogames seriously, some dedicating hours to it" and hard hitting quotes like "ooh, average week? Probably several days worth." Oh, and don't you hate it when people call a game console a "game?" Idiots! A game is what you put into a game console. Don't make me come down there.
[Via Register Hardware]
Dale North is Destructoid's Editor-In-Chief, a founding editor, and specialist in Japanese gaming. An accomplished musician, Dale was reporting from Japan during the earthquakes of 2011. Luckily, he got the fuck out alive and is home in America now with his wife and beloved corgi, Einstein. Dale is also a co-founder of Destructoid's sister anime site
Japanator. Likes Corgis, Sega Saturn, PSP, iPhone, Photographic tools.
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Contest:
11:17 AM on 04.21.2008
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The flaming Xbox graphic is epic. Good find.
I guess they shouldn't have left the system on while they were away? How else would it spontaneously combust?
have started to burn down houses. God help us all...
Exactly Mrs. News person, 2005.
04/21/2008 11:34
Hells, did you even read comments with the video? They're talking about the original xbox, and the house burned down because the power brick was placed up against a wall, on the floor. and the 360 was left on while they were out.
THis is a case of 'stupid owners' rather than 'stupid system'.
if instead of a 360 it was a PS3 i'm sure you would have another comment .... 360 console may have many games ... but that's it ... the console is a big piece of shit ... i'm glad i don't own a 360 anymore
what has microsoft ever made that didn't have some sort of problem?
plus wtf, electronics need tons of space to breathe so they dont overheat so to start a console on fire you have to be kinda slow.. or doing it on purpose.
04/21/2008 11:28
Mouahaha
I don't want to be flaming here
well the xbox already is....
But thank god for the PS3 !!!!!
Unplug your xbox !! LOL
Come on !!!!!
1 on 10,000 are dangerous... IShhhhhhh
Wow that's really good microsoft !!!!
LOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
Hells don't expect M$ fanboys here to admit the reality.
Now going to play GT5 prologue ... i'm glad i don't need to replug my PS3 and be affraid of blowing my house
As much as Mr. North tries to defend M$ and say that the Xbox owner was "doing it wrong", what kind of power brick CATCHES ON FIRE?!?!?! The quality of the hardware is a safety hazard in of itself.
Yeah... i didn't think so.
It's just simple logic really, you don't put something that generates that much heat in a place where it can't radiate without setting something on fire.
04/21/2008 12:25
You know... to all these people saying power bricks shouldn't be catching fire. Have you ever heard about exploding laptop batteries, a lot of which were made by Sony?
Yeah... i didn't think so.
It's just simple logic really, you don't put something that generates that much heat in a place where it can't radiate without setting something on fire.
PS3 is not a laptop it's a gaming console ... dumbass ... finc something else fanboy to defend your shit
not that it needs it
Jesus christ, half of you need to get off of the internet. You know who you are.
Glass absorbs heat.
my 360 is also plugged right into the wall. so there's no chance of a surge protector bursting.
I say that they can't prove the fire was caused by the 360 and it's just more blaming society's ils on video games
Heat + flammable materials = fire
This could have happened with any electronic device. Stop trying to make everything into a console war, assholes. The rest of us stopped doing that a couple years ago.
04/21/2008 12:41
@PS3 Fanboy Douchebags (aka Hells 666 and Quest)
The PS3 is entirely relevant to this conversation and I'm glad you brought it up. Please continue with your hilarious and on-topic commentary. It is highly amusing and there needs to be lots more of it in the comments such as this. Don't let me down, now.
loll your funny
glad the M$ fanboys react like this ... i remember last all the bashing against the PS3 and people who bought it ... remember all PS3 = FAIL , PS3 is dead or the unfamous ... go play your talladega etc etc etc ...
now stick with your RROD , your bad power cord , your expensinve XBL (when it's not crashing) .etc etc etc
"Do not block any ventilation openings on the console or power supply. Do not place console or power supply on a bed, sofa, or other soft surface that may block ventilation openings. Do not place console or power supply in a confined space, such as a bookcase, rack, or stereo cabinet, unless the space is well ventilated."
The only reason things like this make the news is because they are unusual. It's not good news to report on the millions of consoles that work without catching fire every day, right?
Badly.
we are not talking about the games heres ... just the console.
04/21/2008 13:00
@Quest
There ya go, lil guy. That's what I'm talking about. This is great stuff! Keep it coming!
funny last year when it was about the PS3 ... you never said a thing to the M$ bashers ... do the same now ... shut up
i agree that the 360 is flawed, terribly flawed at that.
BUT the gamer is also at fault for not following the instructions.
Don't be mistaken by the first impression
And watch out for that innocent expression
(Uh! Ah!) She's not what she seems
(Uh! Ah!) Don't wait in her dreams
Coz when she breaks away from the child
And the woman is wild
So wild!
[b]**Chorus**
She's on fire!
And she burns through the night at the speed of light
She's on fire!
With the heat of the beat right beneath her feet
She's on fire!
And the name of the game is to fuel her flame
She's on fire!!...[/b]
it's really sauntering melting all over teh inside
04/21/2008 13:24
@Quest
Well, that's because there weren't any lame-ass Xbox fanboys in that thread going all HUURRRR PS3 SUCKS 360 RULZ DUURRRR like you are now, except with the PS3 instead of the 360.
Like you pretty much always do whenever there is the slightest bit of negative news concerning the 360. You and your butt buddy Hells 666 invariably show up and start a bunch of shit talking about how shining and flawless and wonderful the PS3 is, and it always makes for oh so scintillating conversation.
everybody knows that was bullshit ... the guy did it for free money loll
about hells .. i don't know what your talking about but if hells agree with me ... he sure is my friend now :)
when people talks againts the 360 it's a conspiracy ... and we all know each other .... fuck dude you should get a life ... lolll
Page 1 of the manual:
"Failure to properly set up, use, and care for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system can increase the risk of serious injury or death, or damage to the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system. Read this manual and the manuals of any accessories for important safety and health information. Keep all manuals for future reference."
See? I both read AND kept the manual.
It is ridiculous how people can blame everything in the world but their own lack of common sense.
I was in a car accident WHERE I ALMOST DIED, and the parents of the kid who was driving the car thought I was going to sue. I knew the kid was a bad driver and I got into the car with him anyway, which was my own damn fault. Insurance was covering the medical bills, so what was the point of suing a family?
People will just use any excuse to get easy money. I'm not saying it wasn't a tragedy and that they shouldn't get some form of small compensation for their loss, however placing the blame on Microsoft is out of line.
Ever notice how games for some, usually young people are almost like modern day politics? You've got everything modern day politics has. Empty promises, fanatical party devotion, massive egos with unwaivering opinions that must be heard, mudslinging, ridiculous fallacies, skewed/pointed evidence...
and most of all, people fervently arguing for reasons beyond me.
I understand you guys are offended by the ignorance and feel the need to bite back, but just ignore them and they'll go away. the most important rule of the internet is: don't feed the trolls
Dude, just click the back button. This thread has entered Joystiq territory, save yourself man. Save yourself.
*battles on against idiotic human beings and dies an honourable Internet death*
**realizes that the internet is never an honourable place to die.**
***Also, cocks***
i was kind sorry til i heard what the fire marshall had to say. i loved the fact red ring of death was mentioned XD sounds to stupid when you hear it XD but the 'MOMS LOOKS GTA 4 KEEP UR KIDZ INDOORS!!' pan big lols at that. Keep your eyes peeled to that channel for gta 4 bashing sometime in the weeks to come.
@nintendoll: I realise the reason this story made it through is because it's unusual. Just stories like this are bad because they are reporting on something that as you say is unusual, and happened because of the guys stupidity (or compensation seeking). These stories scare people who don't know better into thinking that their kids 360 is a death trap. It's scaremongering.
my insides hurt, i lol'd