Microsoft faces red ring of death lawsuit

Claims MS aware 50% of Xbox 360s would fail

17 October 2008 9:27 GMT / By Amy-Mae Elliott

Microsoft is facing a lawsuit over the infamous "red ring of death" failures for its Xbox 360 console.

Brought under California's consumer protection statutes, filed in the Sacramento County Superior Court, it's a class action suit demanding a refund programme.

The lawsuit alleges that an excessive number of Xbox 360 consoles have failed, something that Microsoft supposedly concealed in order to compete with the then pending launch of Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii gaming systems.

Citing various articles, the lawsuit suggests Microsoft knew as far back as November 2005 that over 50% of the Xbox 360 consoles involved in the initial sales launch were defective.