Yesterday Microsoft gave Xbox 360 owners a Halloween treat and updated their firmware with enhancements including support for native 1080p games and movies, faster XBL Arcade game list display times, and additional choices for video playback. Some users also received a trick, however, and found their 360 had been "bricked" after the upgrade.
Several IGN readers have written us to complain that immediately after downloading the upgrade their console went dead, wouldn't boot up, and displayed an error message. There has been some speculation that the upgrade was meant to kill Xbox 360s that had been modded. But one reader claims that, after his 360 was bricked by the upgrade, he went out and bought a brand new system -- which was also bricked immediately after turning it on and installing the upgrade.
Microsoft is aware of the problem. A representative told us "a small percentage of consoles were affected negatively by the fall update (less than 1% have reported issues). We're working with those affected to get them back up and running, whether that be by providing another console, or fixing their existing console. We're committed to resolving this issue.
"Over the next 24 hours, our product team will be working to ensure that those unaffected remain unaffected. We'll keep you updated when the problem is resolved."
It is rare for Microsoft to admit there is a problem. But several IGN editors have upgraded without a hitch, and it seems the bulk of our readers also have had a carefree upgrade experience.
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