What in the world is up with this? Boy, I am glad I ended moving to the PS2 and away from the Xbox! It seems that the Xbox power cord has this nasty habit of CATCHING FIRE! Man, this has got to qualify as a bad day for the folks as Redmond.

Microsoft Corp. has launched a free power-cord replacement program for its Xbox video-game consoles after learning the cords could pose a fire hazard.

The problem affects more than 14 million Xbox consoles worldwide, or about 70 percent of all Xboxes sold. In the United States, the recall affects one of three cord models for consoles built before Oct. 23, 2003. In Europe, it affects devices built before Jan. 13, 2004.

Xbox owners can order replacement cords free of charge online at www.xbox.com by clicking on the “Power Cord Replacement for Xbox” link, or by calling toll-free 1-866-271-0450.

About 1,400 Xbox users have reported cable failures, but in some instances the failures burned carpets or damaged the Xbox’s internal components. In just more than 20 instances, there was some smoke damage and home entertainment centers were burned.