Getting the Red Ring of Death is a harrowing experience for
any Xbox 360 owner. After receiving the cardboard box (often referred to as the
coffin) and sending the console off for repair/exchange, joy usually returns to
the gamer when another, hopefully operational Xbox 360 arrives.
Not so for Nathanial, who sent off a very special Xbox 360
console for repair, only to receive back a not-so-special machine. As told by Hawty
McBloggy, Over the years, Nathanial collected various signatures and
artwork on his Xbox 360’s beige finish. Adorned on his console were the
penmanship of industry figures from Bungie, Microsoft, and even some artwork
from Rooster Teeth’s Luke McKay (see pictures right).
Clearly, his was a special and unique console. So with a
pinch of reluctance, Nathanial sent off his console to Microsoft’s repair
facility, but only after assurance that he would receive his original console
back in return. He even wrote a heartfelt letter that would travel along with
the console.
So after a little time away from home, Nathanial’s Xbox 360
returned to him, but without its previous tattoos. Much to his horror,
Nathanial’s repaired console was cleaned and now devoid of any of his previous mementos.
What’s the moral of this story? “It is a cautionary tale to
those 360 owners sending a console out for warranty repair,” said Nathanial.
In retrospect, it would have been a safer idea to just buy
an Xbox 360 Arcade package and carry over the hard drive.
Microsoft is reportedly looking into Nathanial’s situation.
3/4/08 Update: Bungie cares not only for its game, but also for its loyal fan base. In response to the sad story detailed above, the developer said to Next-Gen that it will help ease Nathanial's pain.
"Our team and the community as a whole is rallying to help fix this unfortunate
situation. It’s been awesome to see such an outpouring of sympathy and support
from our community," Bungie community director Brian Jarrard said. " We can't replace the exact item that was lost but,
but we should come very close."