Disc Read Error

[Green Gibbon!]

My PlayStation 3 broke.

Of course I knew this was inevitable - in olden days I owned 3 PlayStation 1's because the first two stopped working and 2 PlayStation 2's for the same reason. 10 months is probably a new record, though, especially considering I never play it for more than 20 or 30 minutes at a time (usually Mainichi Isshou).

I'm pretty sure it's the BD drive. It's not doing anything. I was exiting a game and nothing happened, then I heard an alarming series of rapid beeps and everything froze. I switched it off and turned it back on and now it won't read games or Blu-ray movies. Apparently this is a common problem. Ever since they discontinued the 60 gigs earlier this year, I've been meaning to pack this one up into the closet and just get a 40 gig I won't feel bad about playing, but now that it's broken anyway it ruins the thrill of having a relic in my closet. It's no longer pristine.

I know any day I'll turn on my first-run 360 and see that legendary red ring. The life of a gamer is a life of suspense.

[Shadow Hog]

Y'know, my GameCube got disc read errors, too. Sucked majorly... I ultimately wound up just getting a used one to replace it instead of bothering to fix it. No problem!

Also our old Xbox had the same problem. Ultimately we got a new one (or was it used? I can't remember) with Forza Motorsport and stuff. Then we just got a second 360. Which has already RRoD'd. In fact, so did our first, which, despite being a launch day console, actually RRoD'd AFTER the second one. Funny that.

Here's an annoying dilemma, actually. After getting back our fixed 360, I've found that I can no longer access the full versions of XBLA games other users have bought, users whose accounts are tied to this system, without having to log out, log in as them, start the game up, log out again, log in as myself again, and play until I get bored. Is there a way to fix that? I sure hope so, I'd like to get back to playing Marble Blast Ultra and Worms sometime - WITHOUT having to either go through this annoying procedure, or completely buy them again.

[Green Gibbon!]

See, I've never actually sent a console back to be repaired because I'm always afraid of weirdness like that. I'd just as soon spare myself the hassle and buy a brand new one.

I don't think I've ever actually had a console break on me except for PlayStations, which have always done so with alarming regularity. I did have a problem years back with the speaker on my original Game Boy, but I think it was because I played Tetris with damp hands. It must've been quite a feat, because to my understanding, it's not really possible to break Game Boys.

[K2J]

I was on my third GCN when I got a Wii. First time, it fell out of a box. Can't read discs. Second time, it fell down some stairs. Can't read discs. *sigh* At least I didn't have to pay for it three times; first was under warranty, and since a friend of mine dropped it the second time, he paid for it. Sweet.

[Brazillian Cara]

Hey, we're sharing broken hardware tales now? About time!
Months ago, one of my Gamecube controllers analog stick got stuck into the "forward" command; I had it fixed eventually, but weeks later the L and R buttons suddenly decided to stay in their set position, thus making it impossible to go all the way down. I'm really considering if it's worth paying for another "surgery", or if I just should let the thing rest in peace and get a new one.

[Cuckooguy]

I've never had a PlayStation broke on me (I have one PS1 and one PS2)

But, however, Sega systems have died on me. My original Genesis is dead so now it can probably only play Sega CD games. I'm pretty sure it can't run 32x games either (probably because the problem in the Genesis slot), but I did return a 32x to Toys 'r' Us because the first one didn't work. I think I've been through two broken Dreamcasts. I think my third one is dying too (I remember it was making strange noises) but I haven't played it in a while. It probably still works but I bet if I play it, it won't be for long.

The only other system that broke on me is the NES but that was a common problem back in the day. I wonder if my Atari still works.

I recently bought a used Sega Saturn but I haven't bought any games for it yet. It works with the game it came with but I wonder if it will break on me.

[UCHU]

I've gone through one PS2, which was one of the first units which had the shitty disc read laser cog thing that dies after the warranty goes out. I also have a faulty but working NES and a dying Nomad. The NES can't play anything unless a Game Genie is attached to the cartridge. The Nomad likes to freeze up at random moments...it may be because a long time ago this Asian dude I am friends with was playing Sonic 3&K on my Nomad, he died and got angry and then proceeded to slam my Nomad against his knee like super-hard. Bastard.

[Majestic Joey]

My friend had a PS2 and the only way to get it to read discs was to turn it sideways 45 degrees. After the disc booted up the game ran fine and I can sit it the console back normally.

[Xyton]

Here's an annoying dilemma, actually. After getting back our fixed 360, I've found that I can no longer access the full versions of XBLA games other users have bought, users whose accounts are tied to this system, without having to log out, log in as them, start the game up, log out again, log in as myself again, and play until I get bored. Is there a way to fix that? I sure hope so, I'd like to get back to playing Marble Blast Ultra and Worms sometime - WITHOUT having to either go through this annoying procedure, or completely buy them again.

Nope. :{ I bought a new 360 at some point and sold the old one to a friend of mine. I moved all the games over, but there's no way to tell the system that, so I'm locked out if I'm not logged in. I jumped through hoops with Microsoft on more than one occasion to try and get that worked out, but in the end, the official word is "you can't." The best part is, I couldn't even buy them again if I wanted to -- as soon as I log in, they unlock, and the marketplace says "Download Again." :P

That's actually the one thing that I like about the PS Store over the XBLM: To the best of my understanding, the PS Store lets you download whatever you buy on up to five systems with no hassle at all. I bought calling all cars at a friend's house and downloaded it to two other consoles with no hassle. If I ever get one myself, I don't foresee any problems there, either, unless perhaps we both try to play at the same time. :P

On breaking hardware, I never had any issues with my PSX, but the fact that my PS2s broke with such frequency certainly contributed to the anti-Sony-hardware bias I have now. Part of the problem was that I hooked it up vertically and then played the hell out of it, which I now know to be a bad thing, but they advertised that the system could do that, so yeah. Hell, they even sold a stand to keep it upright. But that's getting into a whole other discussion. :P

[Hulkshmash]

Put a hooked on phonics disc in, that always works.

Oh god, that was terrible.

[Shadow Hog]

I don't know what's more terrible - that joke, or the fact I actually got it.

[Hulkshmash]

Try running the games while the console is upside down or slightly diagonally, and that sometimes works. Did with my gamecube... for a while. I swear, that thing had a 2nd grade reading level.

[Wooduck51]

My gamecube developed a disc read error after five years, but other than that all my Nintendo systems, my genesis, and PS1 still work. Also, as mark in the Wii's favor as to resilience; whilst I was playing SSBB someone tripped over my gamecube controller cord and sent the system flying onto the concrete floor (with a sickening smack), to my amazement the thing never missed a beat and still works fine. I have however done home repairs on several Gamecube controllers.

[Oompa Star]

Recently my Wii had a disc read error problem, but that had to do with me hitting the floor with it when Super Smash Bros. Brawl got too frustrating. Oddly enough, SSBB was the only game that would work on the damn thing before I sent it to Nintendo. It was the first time in my life that I sent a console in for repair. Luckily, the warranty covered the cost. If it were any other console, I would've just gone to my local Best Buy and have purchased another. The only disc that worked before on my Wii and now won't is my Gamecube Action Replay, which isn't too big of a deal.

[Green Gibbon!]

Y'know, I haven't tried my Genesis in a couple of years now, but if it decided to stop working today after 16 years of use and abuse, I think I would forgive it. I feel really uncomfortable when I actually try to use any console older than about a decade - I would rather keep those in cold storage and just play roms on my computer when I need that 16-bit fix.

Man, that poor Genny went through so much, too. I can't tell you how many times that hulking Genesis/Sega-CD/32X beast toppled off of the shelf when I tried to lean back with those worthlessly short controller cords. Always worked again without fail, though. As opposed to, y'know, my less-than-a-year-old $600 piece of bleeding edge hardware that I won't even touch for fear of smearing the surface.


Incidentally, I am starting a "Buy a new PS3 for Gibbon" fund. If you would like to show your support, transfer your donation to my PayPal account. Please be generous!

[Arcade]

Most of the time, I had good luck with my videogame consoles, the only ones that died where because of a thunderstorm. My old Gameboy 1989 had a key fixed, and it still works, but the glass screen is so...screwed I would replace it if I knew how. My Gameboy color was stolen, my GBA has the “The screen is not shinny enough bug”, my Master system is still alive, I have 3 Gamecubes ( I plan to sell/ give as a present one) and so far the Wii is doing fine. Maybe is because when I was a kid, videogame cosoles where expensive junk for rich kids, so I take them with care. Not having small bros or evil pets also helps a lot too.

Ah yeah, there is a stupid game my dreamcast cant load, and I have two copies of it, must be the game bug or something...

[G.Silver]

worthlessly short controller cords

The first run of controllers weren't bad at all, my original pads are sufficiently long. But with any of the non-standard pads I own (the MegaFire and some six-button ones) the cords are criminally short. I think Nintendo was doing that at the time too. Cleaning up on extension cord sales was a pretty underhanded move but even so, they were well worth picking up.

[Esrever]

Well, I know that my second player pad -- a regular first party controller bought separately from the system -- had a considerably shorter cord than the one that came packed in. So I guess even the standard pads had their cables shortened eventually. What a fantastic scam that was!

[cjmcray]

My first Dreamcast that I had gotten for Christmas froze on the clock screen when I first turned the damned thing on. The replacement I got broke almost a year later, I'm on my third-one now which has been working since 2001 I believe. It won't read Shenmue, though, which is a bit of a drag, considering its my favorite on the console, next to Adventure 2.

Forgive my technological ignorance for not knowing the proper term, but the thing that holds/spins the disc in the Playstation broke off so I had to get
a new one.

My original Genesis, to my suprise, still works, though it has gone through a lot of wear over the almost 20 years ive had it. The reception was really bad, and it had trouble reading cartridges, some of the metal prongs in the controller slot were bent/broken off, the wires in the controller were exposed and had to be covered up with duct-tape, and it even got smashed into a wall one point. A year ago, I said heck with it, and got a new one on eBay for $40, with Sonic 1 in its original case with manual and everything. (When I was younger, I used to cut out the covers of SEGA Games and tack them up on my wall as if they were posters)

My Virtual Boy still works, but it lacks a stand.

[gr4yJ4Y]

My DC broke down a couple of years ago and I've never gotten around to buying a replacement system. I think I was using it too much as a stereo and playing my CD-burned copy of DOA 2 and using the boot disk so I could play Shenmue 2 PAL. I've been meaning to get a new one and possibly some more games for it.

My Genesis video output plugs are somewhat melted into a TV from the 70's. I'm afraid to try and dissect it apart, but the TV doesn't really work anymore. It used to have to take 20 minutes warming up before you could see a picture. I don't think the Genesis was really having any problems (which is surprising since it's from Christmas of 1991), but certain carts stopped working.

My 32X broke after about 3 years of usage.

I have a launch GC and a launch Wii and have never had any problems with them. I think I've had my GC copy of Soul Calibur II freeze up once or twice though.

My GBC still works like it's brand new.

My DS has a slight pinkish tint at the top of the top screen. The speakers occasionally go out of sync with each other or what's going on in game ever since I played an Elite Beat Agents download demo at full volume.

[Green Gibbon!]

Finally got my 40 gig set up today. Transferring the system data was fairly simple, but I had to redownload all my PlayStation store stuff - easy and (to my relief) free, but tedious. Also, they wouldn't let me copy certain items, such as my Mainichi Isshou save data, the single most important file on the system. All my wonderful decorations gone. :(

The system itself is visibly scaled down. At least 5 ports have been removed: 2 USB ports on the front, the SD port, and the other two mysterious ports I still can't identify are all MIA. The entire flip-top compartment has been sealed shut. There are fewer vent holes along the side and bottom and the ports on the back are rearranged. The chrome lining has a matte finish rather than the original glossy look - it actually looks better like this in my opinion. Of course none of the cuts actually affect the games I'll be playing, but it feels weird to step down from what I had before. It usually works the opposite way. Hopefully this one will last me at least until the next model comes out.

Anyway, I've sealed up my 60 gig and put it to rest in the closet for the time being. The only thing that's broken is the CD drive, which I'm sure can be easily repaired, but I don't have the balls to attempt it myself.


By the way, if there's anyone else here cool enough to own a PS3, I'm GreenGibbon on the network. Hook up, because I've got plenty of BUTT CHEESE messages to send.

[Cuckooguy]

Sometimes I wonder how big your closet is.

[Green Gibbon!]

I don't own many clothes.

[Green Gibbon!]

PS3 #2 =

This one was a 40 gig. Exact same problem.

This one lasted over a full year - almost 5 months longer than my 60 gig! I guess they're improving. What are they selling now, 80 gigs?

Can someone please loan me $400?

[Xyton]

But rumors abound about the slim one!