Microsoft messes up a 360 owner's artwork, apologizes

S

Strubes

gam_customized360_490.jpg


Most companies in the gaming industry never really atone for their egregious errors -- if so, Nintendo would have sent us a check for the $180 in hard-earned allowance money that we blew on the retina-singeing Virtual Boy by now. However, our poor investment in Nintendo's unwieldy system can't compare to the tragedy endured by Nathaniel, whose personalized 360 was wiped clean during a RROD repair. Luckily, Bungie jumped to the rescue with an equally collectible Halo care package -- and a recent delivery from Microsoft served as the caboose to Nate's apologetic gravy train.

Included in said delivery was a handful of games and, most notably, a new 360 signed by the Xbox team, Bungie (including replacement artwork by Rooster Teeth Comics' Luke McKay) and, with the flourish of a solid gold pen, Bill Gates. Whether you call it an act of kindness or a lesson in public relations, we think it's a neat gesture from the folks at Microsoft -- a gesture young Nathaniel will only enjoy for the next four months, of course, at which point the button above Gates' John Hancock will blink a menacing scarlet, leaving Nate with a highly collectible paperweight.
Click to expand...

When he sent in his 360, they erased his artwork. But feeling sorry (or just wanting the publicity), Bill Gates signed a new 360, threw in some games, and had several others from the 360 family sign as well...as well as putting on some new artwork.
 
I'm not too sure they were... >.> It was nice of them to do it though, instead of the typical "sorry kiddo, you're screwed" attitude.
 
Strubes said:
I wonder though...do you think this was sincere? Or do you think they just wanted the positive publicity?
Click to expand...

A little of both. Bungie already sent Nathaniel an Xbox with a crapload of peripherals. So if MS didn't send something it would just have made them look worse.

So he now has two signed Xboxes.
 
Even if it is just for publicity, I doubt the owner cares one way or another. He's a got a 360 signed by Bill Gates and the Bungie staff, and artwork done by one of the best Machinma makers out there.
 
Nova said:
Even if it is just for publicity, I doubt the owner cares one way or another. He's a got a 360 signed by Bill Gates and the Bungie staff, and artwork done by one of the best Machinma makers out there.
Click to expand...

Yeah, seriously. ^_^ He got a lot of cool stuff for all of this.

I still want the helmet that came with the Legendary edition. It's now down to like $70 or something, so I might get it.
 
It boggles my mind, how this ONE kid out of a hundred-thousand (Theoretically) of Xbox 360's being serviced. Managed to bypass all customers in the USA to be able to get the attention of higher-ups such as this. Honestly, most major coporations don't even give two-flying flips about someone, let alone, 1 person out of a hundred-thousand. To go out of their way to say, "Hey we're sorry, here's some free junk". Which comes back to the main point, this is nothing more than a shameless butt-kissing publicity stunt. This is the saddest thing, since "Make a Wish Foundation". However this child isn't dying and I bet you a virtual console game of your choice, that this kid is going to sell it on EBay.
 
MegaDrive20XX said:
It boggles my mind, how this ONE kid out of a hundred-thousand (Theoretically) of Xbox 360's being serviced. Managed to bypass all customers in the USA to be able to get the attention of higher-ups such as this. Honestly, most major coporations don't even give two-flying flips about someone, let alone, 1 person out of a hundred-thousand. To go out of their way to say, "Hey we're sorry, here's some free junk". Which comes back to the main point, this is nothing more than a shameless butt-kissing publicity stunt. This is the saddest thing, since "Make a Wish Foundation". However this child isn't dying and I bet you a virtual console game of your choice, that this kid is going to sell it on EBay.
Click to expand...

That's the power of the internet. This kid got attention because he submitted his story to certain blogs about how disgruntled he was with his situation. It blew up from there and caught the attention of Joystiq and Kotaku, which also reported the story.

This wasn't a freak occurance.
 
And on that note, thanks to this information, this kid knew what he was doing. Especially if he knew which forums and blog hosts to post at, to begin with. I honestly don't feel this was mere luck, he just knew which people to talk to.
 
MegaDrive20XX said:
And on that note, thanks to this information, this kid knew what he was doing. Especially if he knew which forums and blog hosts to post at, to begin with. I honestly don't feel this was mere luck, he just knew which people to talk to.
Click to expand...

I highly doubt that. He actually posted his story on a blog that wasn't so popular, but someone caught wind of it and sent to others. It wasn't mere luck, but I seriously doubt that he wanted his 360, which he spent a lot of time collecting all those signatures and drawings, to break down just so he can get something else out of it. He also went through the trouble of contacting Xbox support and telling them that he didn't want a different Xbox sent to him. He wanted that particular one back. I'm going to have to disagree with you Mega.
 
Valid evidence, but something here tells me that there's more to this story that what we are reading here. I'm not doubting you at all, but I just got this feeling that there's something else.
 
I salute the kid, really I do. This is amazing, but I just feel like "Why just one person". Sure the evidence is all here, it's clean cut story. Yet we all have heard similar stories/cases. Do these people get the red carpet treatment? Probably and probably not. I'm not asking to give people free stuff or anything. I'm just saying, "Hey why can't every customer be treated as kindly?". I just like to have Microsoft listen to their customers if they have a speciality case such as this. I've known people who have had custom paint jobs on their 360's. Yet when they get the infamous 3RR's, those system will be either rejected, since Microsoft feels it voids the warranty or replaced by another white one. Yet they didn't write a blog, but the one child who wrote a blog, got the proper attention, and immediate action. Is the hero of the day. Yet the guy who has to phone call Microsoft, has to continue arguing with a customer service rep.

Do you see what I mean guys? I mean, I'm not blind here, I just see more to this.
 
MegaDrive20XX said:
I salute the kid, really I do. This is amazing, but I just feel like "Why just one person". Sure the evidence is all here, it's clean cut story. Yet we all have heard similar stories/cases. Do these people get the red carpet treatment? Probably and probably not. I'm not asking to give people free stuff or anything. I'm just saying, "Hey why can't every customer be treated as kindly?". I just like to have Microsoft listen to their customers if they have a speciality case such as this. I've known people who have had custom paint jobs on their 360's. Yet when they get the infamous 3RR's, those system will be either rejected, since Microsoft feels it voids the warranty or replaced by another white one. Yet they didn't write a blog, but the one child who wrote a blog, got the proper attention, and immediate action. Is the hero of the day. Yet the guy who has to phone call Microsoft, has to continue arguing with a customer service rep.

Do you see what I mean guys? I mean, I'm not blind here, I just see more to this.
Click to expand...

I still have to disagree because a paint job is much different than signatures with a sharpie. Also, like I said earlier, Bungie was the first to give this kid an Xbox and peripherals for his troubles. So if MS didn't do something then they would look bad to the public.
 
Yet Creepin', we have all agreed this was a publicity stunt! You just said it yourself perfectly. So if MS didn't do something then they would look bad to the public.

Signatures are artwork, aren't they? Paint Jobs are artwork, aren't they? I'm not an Art Major, but I see Master Chief on the cover, that's art to me to be blunt.

That's why I said "Either reject or replaced", since Microsoft will consider it voiding the warranty or not. I have seen 5 cases with customers who did this.

I'm not disagreeing with you, I love your opinion.

I know who gave him the Xbox, but hasn't there been other cases where kids win a contest and some famous programmer signs his/her system? What about those people? What if it happens to them?
 
CreepinDeth said:
I still have to disagree because a paint job is much different than signatures with a sharpie. Also, like I said earlier, Bungie was the first to give this kid an Xbox and peripherals for his troubles. So if MS didn't do something then they would look bad to the public.
Click to expand...

I'm still on the fence about this. But do you think Microsoft did this because they would have looked bad if they didn't? Maybe you've already given your answer, but I'm just wondering.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top