While submitting his busted Xbox 360 for repair, Ben stumbled upon a valuable piece of info for those whose have suffered multiple system breakdowns: A special phone number that expedites the shipping your refurbished replacement console, provided you have your reference number and the extension of a CSR who helped you with your problem when you called 1-800-4MY-XBOX. We first reported the secret number (1-888-236-0927) two years ago.
He writes:
“In the process of sending in my third Xbox for a Red Ring of Death repair (this one lasted an entire month!), I discovered some very interesting tidbits about the 360 repair process after filing an EECB through the e-mail addresses listed on The Consumerist.Hours after filing my complaint, I received an e-mail from Glenn, a CSR from Microsoft, who told me some very beneficial information for the disgruntled 360 population at-large, but managed to screw up my repair even further.
The big news: If your 360 has broken down multiple times, there's actually a phone number that you can call to initiate an expedited process. I was shocked to hear about this, especially given that the @XBoxSupport feed on Twitter told me that there was no other number through which I would be able to address my issues:
It's pretty clear Microsoft doesn't want this expedited process advertised. So, without further ado, here is the magical phone number:
1-888-236-0927. Have your reference number ready.
Basically, Glenn told me that Microsoft puts a hold on your credit card and sends you an XBox before yours gets to the repair center. After they receive your console, they remove the hold and everything is peachy keen. Although this is helpful to me, Glenn said it was impossible for me to take advantage of the process because I had already sent my console in a full hour before I was able to speak with him on the phone.
This infuriated me to no end - logically speaking, why couldn't they place the hold on my credit card and send a console out to me? Another example of incredibly backward and infuriating customer service by Microsoft.
The other key piece of information Glenn relayed to me concerns the units that are being shipped back through the repair center in Texas. If you have your hopes on receiving a new unit, think again - Glenn told me all of the units that come out of that center are refurbished, so you can re-live the joys of sending in your broken 360 to Microsoft endlessly. Yay?
For what it's worth, I sent my console in with a special note:
”
Call This Number If Your Xbox Has Broken Multiple Times
Why We Play Games...
Why We Play Games, And Why We Grumble About Them
Sometimes, one gamer's flaw is another's feature. Even the highest-rated games aren't always perfect – but what determines the flaws we'll tolerate versus the ones we can't forgive? It all depends on why you play games.
Some of our best-loved gaming experiences, from God Hand to Psychonauts, earn adoration for the strength of their ideas even when the execution isn't exactly pitch-perfect. Even this year, when Grasshopper Manufacture rolled out No More Heroes 2 with an extra coat of polish and a streamlined design, many fans opined they preferred the "character" of the first game, flaws and all.
Yet other times, gamers are ready to grab the pitchforks and torches just for a couple frame rate drops, for cutscenes that are a few minutes too long, or over minor problems with controls. What gives? What determines the flaws we'll tolerate and those we won't?
Surely, to some it's just personal taste. For example, if you like J-Pop remixes, you'll like Bayonetta's soundtrack; if you don't, you won't. Some people care if a game has a bad story, others couldn't care less. But when it comes to whether or not a flaw is a dealbreaker – or, game-breaker, if you prefer – it helps to look at why people play a particular game and whether or not a flaw interferes with the player's motive.
A player's motivation is more complex than "to have fun." Think on it closely and you'll agree – everyone plays to scratch a particular itch, and some games serve some itches better than others. While plenty of the details are complex and subjective, it's possible to divide play motivations into four different groups.
To Feel Powerful
Games like: Crackdown, God Of War, Call of Duty, Devil May Cry
You're stepping into the shoes of someone much bigger and stronger than you, commanding a massive arsenal of weapons, or enjoying a stable of incredible vehicles. Games like these put players at the helm of a power fantasy, where the enjoyment of the game comes from being able to impact its world (or the faces of the enemies that live in it).If you get your fun out of feeling powerful, the flaws that get in the way will be those that distance the player from the action. Of course, the controls need to be immediately responsive and the physics need to work correctly – how powerful can you feel when your character doesn't react correctly, or an object he throws bounces like a piece of plastic when it ought to break? Music and sound stand out, too: crescendos create emotional peaks, and combat sound effects create a sense of impact.
In this motivation group, artistic elements may be less important: You can have fun even with rough-edged polygons, ugly characters or a boring story, as long as there's a satisfying crunch when your fist connects.