Microsof't's controversial warranty on the Xbox 360, which initially lasted a mere 90 days from purchase, is being greatly extended. Now, the console and its owners will enjoy a full year of warranty coverage. Some speculate that this is due to a severe flaw in a recent firmware upgrade causing many consoles to become bricked, with many people fearful it could happen again in the future with no coverage from Microsoft. However, Microsoft denies that:

This autumn, Microsoft acknowledged that a glitch in the Xbox's online update system damaged a small number of customers' consoles before the problem was quickly fixed. At least one customer has sued over the incident. But Microsoft spokeswoman Molly O'Donnell said the new warranty was not a response to that case or any other repair claims.
The warranty boost is retroactive, too. As a result, anyone who has paid to have their 360 repaired that have owned it for less than a year will get reimbursed.