6

So I bought Black Ops on the midnight release date. It was all working fine then it started freezing up while loading certain maps. I took out the disc and there is a perfect circle around the outer edge of the disc(which is clearly scratches). Now I tried installing the game onto my harddrive but it always comes up with a can not read disc error. Has anyone else had this problem? I've never had any problems with this xbox scratching discs before, only with this game.

Also something that may help. My friend has a copy of Black Ops also. I could install that copy onto my harddrive, but I think it wouldn't let both of us play at the same time using that copy? Is there any way I can use the disc ID off of my scratched disc, but play it off of my harddrive from my friend's disc?

Improve this question
1
  • I have something else to add: Do you stand your xBox 360 on end? If yes, you may want to lie it down flat from now on. It's a known issue with the units that standing them up can cause them to scratch discs.
    – GnomeSlice
    Dec 24 '10 at 19:28
9

When installing games to a 360's hard drive it doesn't copy down the game's ID or anything. I've had a scratched copy of crackdown that I got working by installing a friend's copy of crackdown. We were then both able to play multiplayer together. If you can't get your disc replaced then just use your friends copy of Black Ops to install the game and then try to use your disc to run it.

Improve this answer
1
  • This is what I ended up doing. Maybe one day I'll get the disc replaced, but I think the disc will have to explode before I deal with 6-8 week delivery times and all that.
    – Earlz
    Nov 16 '10 at 4:26
9
  • It's worth trying the shop that sold it to you, but don't hold your breath; they may decide you caused the damage and refuse a refund.
  • But if that happens, deal with Microsoft directly. One consequence of the legal notion that software and music companies sell licenses, not goods, is that they have to replace your media for a nominal fee, since the bulk of what you paid was for the license, not the media. So you should be able to send your damaged disc to Microsoft and get a replacement for fairly cheap.
Improve this answer
4
  • That's a good point about buying a license - in this case it might actually work to your advantage.
    – ChrisF
    Nov 14 '10 at 20:01
  • 7
    i think the fee is $20 for a damaged disk, which IMHO is too high
    – Rohan Monga
    Nov 20 '10 at 14:59
  • @bronz heh, just wait a year and you can get a new "greatest hits" copy of it for that much.
    – Earlz
    Nov 27 '10 at 3:28
  • be aware that the disk exchange program is only availble for a select number of discs, specifically, only Microsoft games, such as Halo.
    – alexanderpas
    Nov 29 '10 at 21:06
2

I recently had the same problem, i never took my game out of my xbox after midnight release and about a week later it would freeze up and continually load at the loading screen for about four of the maps, and tried returning it to the game stop where i bought it. They told me it was from bumping my xbox, although i have it on a stand and cushioned. My friend had the exact same problem too so i took it to another game stop and they said that they were getting a bunch of the black ops games returned with the same problem. The employee gave me a new copy without hesitation, he even told me he thought it was people bumping there xbox too until they got six returned copies with the same problem in one day. I called activision, they tried once again to tell me that it was from bumping my xbox, but had no explanation and ignored me when i questioned the fact that everyone was having the same exact problem. It needs to be further researched because neither I nor my friends has had this problem with any other games.

Improve this answer
2
  • heh maybe next time I go to GameStop I'll take the disc and see if it can get replaced. They told me (oddly enough) when I bought it if I wanted to buy disc protection because apparently there was some factory problem with the disc that could cause scratches. I wonder how he knew that however because when he told me it was the midnight release
    – Earlz
    Nov 27 '10 at 3:31
  • if anyone gives you the bumpy xbox excuse, (let them) read this.
    – alexanderpas
    Nov 29 '10 at 21:02
1

why not complain in the shop?

If it went bad you have to change...

Improve this answer
1

If there is a perfectly circular scratch around your disc, then it probably came from your Xbox disc drive. See if you can get a refund on the game,then have your machine looked at, before scratching any other games.

Improve this answer
2
  • That was the odd thing. It's never scratched any other discs, and still isn't scratching other discs, only Black Ops.
    – Earlz
    Nov 16 '10 at 4:26
  • That is pretty odd. You're certain it didn't have any scratches when you got your hands on it?
    – GnomeSlice
    Nov 16 '10 at 12:41

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.