Disc Read Errors Plague 'Very Small Number' Of Halo Reach Players

While Bungie and Microsoft's Halo: Reach has seen impressive success in its opening week, some of its users have reported disc read errors on older Xbox 360 models, rendering the game unplayable. Users on the Bungie.net forums have reported error messages, looping cinematics, and lock-ups when trying to play the game, even on brand new discs. The consoles most affected by the problem are the 20GB Xbox 360 Pro units, which were sold between 2005 and 2008, though some report issues with the 120GB Elite model as well. In a statement addressing the issue, Microsoft encourages players to contact customer service, and says, "We are aware of a very small number of customers reporting that their copy of Halo: Reach is causing a 'disc read' error. Those affected should contact Microsoft customer support at 1-800-4MY-XBOX for troubleshooting assistance." Disc read errors aren't the only problems facing Halo: Reach players; owners of the 4GB Xbox 360 Slim are unable to play co-op without buying a hard drive for their system, even though flash memory is interchangeable with hard drive storage for most Xbox 360 titles.