Microsoft plays catchup with US Xbox warranty

by Angus Kidman

Saturday, 23 December 2006

How can you get some Christmas headlines when your newest console is the oldest one on the market? For Microsoft, the answer seems to be: extend the warranty.

Presumably hoping to catch some last-minute seasonal shoppers, Microsoft has announced that its standard American Xbox warranty has been extended from 90 days to one year. The one-year warranty on hardware was already the standard for customers outside the US and Canada.

Customers who have purchased an Xbox within the last year will automatically qualify for the new warranty, effective from the date of purchase. Owners who have already paid for a repair, but who would have qualified for a free warranty service otherwise, can apply for a refund.

The Xbox 360 is facing increased competition with the recent release of Nintendo's Wii and Sony's PS3, though it has still performed well in pre-Christmas online searches. Microsoft's recent strategies to attract customers include development tools to build games for the console.
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