Microsoft now faces a lawsuit over recent problems with its
Xbox Live online gaming service. Three Texas residents filed a lawsuit Friday on
behalf of themselves and others who have had trouble connecting to Xbox Live in
recent weeks.
The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Houston, claims Microsoft's outages
represent a breach of contract and negligent misrepresentation for which the
software maker is liable. The suit doesn't claim specific damages, but notes the
amount is in excess of $5 million.
In the suit, the plaintiffs allege that Microsoft should have known strong
holiday sales would tax its servers. "Microsoft knew the increase in
subscriptions would increase game-play on its servers, yet failed to provide
adequate access and service to Xbox Live and its subscribers," read the filing.
Microsoft has apologized for the outage and said it would allow Xbox live
subscribers to download a free game. A Microsoft representative was not
immediately available for comment.
