60 percent of UK gamers in CNET survey say their Xbox 360 has failed

The Microsoft Xbox 360 has not earned a reputation for reliability. Console manufacturers are always hard to pin down on failure rates, but a survey by CNET UK provides an interesting sampling. A whopping 60 percent of the 1,128 gamers responding to the survey said their Xbox 360 had failed, compared to 16 percent of PS3 owners and 6 percent of Wii owners.

Of course, people whose consoles have failed are often more likely to respond to a survey asking for complaints. But this is not exactly the first we’re hearing of a higher failure rate where the 360 is concerned. In 2007, Microsoft admitted the problem and extended the warranty on newly purchased consoles for three years at a cost of more than $1 billion.

The “Red Ring of Death,” as it is commonly called, has been one of the major stumbling blocks as Microsoft tries to gain ground on industry leader Nintendo and hold ground against Sony and its PlayStation 3 console. You have to wonder how many people have been turned off to buying a 360 after hearing about all the problems.

Read [CNET UK] Also Read [Venture Beat]