[quote name='DOMINATOR912']Still, I think MS learned their lesson with the RROD.[/QUOTE]
[quote name='Monsta Mack']Let's not forget the fact a lot of us bought multiple 360s due to the RROD problem.[/QUOTE]
This is where I feel paranoid. I think gaming companies might look at that and see that as long as you have decent software, the hardware doesn't always need to be reliable. I know people will disagree with what I'm saying, but I can't see how.
The 360 Red Light of Death issue became apparent just a year after the launch of the system, yet it still sold well. Microsoft did offer that 3 year warranty for that specific issue, but only after a lawsuit and settlement to avoid bad public image, and then were able to spin it to them being nice enough to cover their rushed system.
This is the first generation I've ever sold or traded-in my games because I know that in five years the system probably won't be functioning. I've never experienced that with any of my other consoles. My brother's PS2 had the disc read error happen, which apparently was common, but he still bought a PS3, which has had Yellow Light of Death issues for many people.
Like above, when I had two Xbox 360's red light on me I did the 'smart' thing and traded in the refurbished model Microsoft sent me for the brand new 360-S that GameStop had the promo running for. I later felt like an idiot, wondering why I was willing to buy another, redesigned system that hadn't been proven, when my previous experiences had both failed on me. Addiction to games? My Live had already been paid for? The abundance of unfinished or unplayed games I had? I can't decide.
I keep telling myself to just play what I have now, finish all the games I currently have, and by that point in 'next gen' I should be able to see who has good games and a reliable console. But I still feel concerned that there isn't really a need to have a dependable machine if you know people will buy a replacement or redesign. I'm not saying that all gamers or consumers will do this, but it doesn't seem like it's a small group that would buy a replacement gaming system rather than abandon it, either. I'm also not saying that console makers will intentionally make defective machines, but I can't see them being too concerned with the quality when they're aware that when they catch you with their games, you'll buy another system to keep playing them.