I’ve had my 360 since early 2006 – we bought it specifically to play Fight Night Round 3, if I remember correctly. Since then, there were zero problems with it, and when people would whine about their Red Rings of Death I would offer condolences but think things like, They must have let them get overheated or They’re one of those people who leaves the thing on pause all night long.
Then, just days past the three-year warranty, my 360 has three quadrants glowing a sinister red and I’m left sobbing Why have you forsaken me? with the knowledge that my 360 actually hates me more, because it waited for that warranty out of spite.
So now I’m faced with an indeterminate amount of time without 360 games and without Netflix (thus severing my link to The Future).
What’s a girl to do?
I’ve come up with a few things on my own:
- Get Fit – for real: Yes, my Wii Fit is still functional and working, but I also have a treadmill that I need to hit in all earnest. And now I can’t make up some number of calories that I must be burning by drumming on Rock Band.
- Interact with human beings: I’ve been thinking about attempting to find a local place that does trivia nights. Would be nice to find a use for all the random facts in my brain. Somewhere, knowing that Welcome to Dead House was the first Goosebumps book has got to be an asset.
- Catch up on reading: Okay, so I’m pretty much always reading books as it is, but in the last few days I’ve been busting a gut (treadmill) laughing at dooce.com, as I managed to be completely unaware of this site. I’m pretty sure I’m not reading All Those Blogs That Every Person Knows About, and I wouldn’t mind some recommendations.
- Go Outside: You know, on second thought, I might defer that for a month or so. I don’t need Vitamin D, right?
So what about you? What do you do when your main source of entertainment openly mocks you? What should I be doing, watching, reading?
No need to fear! You can fairly easily fix the RRoD yourself. Mine died out of warranty, and I fixed it with instructions similar to these: http://www.instructables.com/id/Fix-the-Red-Ring-of-Deathwithout-towels/.
These aren’t the exact instructions I used, but they seem similar enough.
While I wouldn’t discourage anyone from going out, getting fit, or reading, there’s no reason you should deprive yourself of your 360 longer than necessary.
Good luck.
Jay K.´s last blog post..One Year Later
Is buying a 360 Elite out of the question?
Like you, I have a very early model 360, never had any problems with it and I’m terrified that I’m going to end up with no 360 for months on end (especially bad, since it’s also the DVD player for my bedroom TV).
Hoping to buy an Elite sometime in the future and use my old 360 for a water-cooler steam punk case mod, but depends on getting the money of course
Other then that, I’d go for reading. Reading is great
If all else fails, WarHammer Online and Eve Online both have free trials running just now.
Hammer´s last blog post..Top 5 Bad Guys Who Wouldn’t Work in an RPG
reading. you can never go wrong with reading
I know you prefer the hard stuff, but have you tried Jim Butcher’s ‘Dresden Files’ series? (wizard in modern Chicago) Kim Harrison’s ‘The Hollows’ series is pretty good too (witch in AU Cincinnati)
oh, and watch ‘Supernatural’. It’s disturbingly good
(somewhat horror but generally not gratuitously so – in case that squicks you)
Ah, sorry to hear it, but maybe you’re right–this is a good opportunity for something new. Treadmill sounds … er, well .. I mean, it sound constructive … I guess. What about organizing a Geekwalk club in your area? … call it “Geekabout” or something and get some of us outside and socializing ‘n stuff …
Ferguson´s last blog post..DM’ing: day one update
Thanks for all the tips, everyone!
@Jay – sadly, mine is beyond all help. The good news is the
coffinbox arrived quickly, and now I’m just waiting for the return!@Hammer – You know, I used to play EveOnline! I think I still get their email updates every now and again. I only have WoW on my laptop, though, because honestly I’m amazed it can even handle that.
@Sandrinnad – Weirdly, I’ve never read the Dresden Files books (nor seen the show – it’s a show, right?), but I’ve been following Jim Butcher on Livejournal for ages. Maybe I will finally check it out. Thanks for the recs!
@Ferguson – That’s a good idea, but it still requires going outside! Maybe in the warmer weather.
Going a tad bit of-topic, I’ll say that the Wii Fit is definitely a good way to spend some time. I’ve been using it almost every day since last November, and it’s really paying off in terms of weight loss and muscle definition – and I only use it for a little over half-an-hour a day!
I recommend Wii Fit to everyone. It’s the real deal.
@ Alzrius – I have a Wii Fit! It’s pretty fun.