A Chicago man is suing the world’s largest software maker after buying Microsoft’s new Xbox 360, complaining the new video game console has a design flaw that causes it to overheat and freeze during gameplay. The class action lawsuit claims that in Microsoft’s bid to gain marketshare in the global video game industry, the company was so intent on releasing the Xbox 360 before competing next-generation machines from Sony and Nintendo that it sold a “defectively designed” product.
Robert Byers, who brought the suit, said the power supply and central processing unit in the Xbox 360 overheated, affecting heat-sensitive chips and causing the console to lock up. Problems included screens going black and the appearance of a variety of error messages. Microsoft spokeswoman Molly O’Donnell told Reuters in November, “We have received a few isolated reports of consoles not working as expected.” The lawsuit was filed on Friday in federal court in Illinois seeking and litigation-related expenses, as well as the replacement or recall of Xbox 360 game consoles.
