Microsoft says it has addressed the nagging problem of its Xbox 360 consoles dying without cause, leaving only a “red ring of death” as the tell-tale mark.

But consoles continue dying, despite the company’s $1 billion effort at redesign and repair — at a rate of about 16 of every 100. And they’re dying in very public places.

What do to? Apologize, says Neil Thompson, Xbox 360 chief in Britain.

“The first thing to say is I’m sorry that you’ve had a bad product experience, and hopefully we’re doing what we can to solve that,” Thompson told The Guardian.

Fine, sir. Thanks. Game Guy’s glad your heart is in the right place. Now, how about Microsoft’s quality control?

Game Guy’s on his fourth Xbox 360. The previous three died leaving a red ring of death to mark their passing. But he’s among the lucky ones; some heavy-duty Xbox users have casualty lists reaching into double digits.

In the time Game Guy has gone through four Xboxes, he has had one Sony PlayStation 3, one Nintendo Wii.

And now, with Mr. Thompson offering only apologies, Game Guy has one more good reason to avoid Xbox.