Microsoft has revealed details about the problems suffered by its Xbox 360 consoles, and the reasons for its recent warranty extension.

Speaking exclusively to vnunet.com Chris Lewis, regional vice president of Xbox EMEA, said that the so-called 'three red light problem' is triggered, not by a single fault, but by a combination of factors that would not affect all machines.

"There are a number of issues that are related to this problem. It is not a single flaw," he explained.

"The three red lights come from not just one problem, but the manifestation of a number of issues. It is only when a number of issues collaborate that the fault occurs."

Lewis declined to detail the exact cause of the problem. However, it appears to be a hardware rather than software flaw, since any fix will not be retrofitted to existing machines.

Microsoft confirmed that the warranties on Xboxes were being extended for three years, but only to deal with this specific problem.