Microsoft "Unapologetic" For Sweeping Xbox Live Bans

[Andy Chalk]

Microsoft "Unapologetic" For Sweeping Xbox Live Bans

Xbox Live [http://www.microsoft.com] accounts, saying that efforts to combat piracy are important to the industry as a whole.

Microsoft Modern Warfare 2 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/96037-Microsoft-Bans-up-to-One-Million-Xbox-Live-Accounts] gave it considerably more sting.

Don't expect Microsoft to feel bad about it, though. "If it's clear someone is downloading pirated copies or have modified their Xbox in some way that will allow them to download games that they haven't purchased legitimately [then] yes we lock that account down and we're unapologetic about that," Chris Lewis, Microsoft's Vice President of Interactive Entertainment in Europe, said in an interview with Sky News [http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Business/A-Top-Xbox-Exec-Has-Defended-The-Decision-To-Bar-As-many-As-A-Million-People-From-Using-Xbox-Live/Article/200911215452368?lpos=Business_First_Home_Article_Teaser_Region_5&lid=ARTICLE_15452368_A_Top_Xbox_Exec_Has_Defended_The_Decision_To_Bar_As_many_As_A_Million_People_From_Using_Xbox_Live].

"We are very committed to stamp out piracy. It's an issue not only for Xbox, it's an issue for the industry as a whole, it's an issue for Microsoft generally," he continued. "Clearly it's important for us to be able to stamp down on that to protect the 10 million people that are already on Xbox 360 in Europe for instance. So we take it very seriously."

There is one bit of good news for owners of banned consoles, however: Microsoft told the BBC [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8356621.stm] that while banned 360s are gone for good, anyone caught in the dragnet can recover their accounts to other, unmodded consoles and resume their service.


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[300lb. Samoan]

There is one bit of good news for owners of banned consoles, however: Microsoft told the BBC [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8356621.stm] that while banned 360s are gone for good, anyone caught in the dragnet can recover their accounts to other, unmodded consoles and resume their service.

Ah! So it bans the hardware and not the account. That's good to hear. Of course that means Microsoft has some way of tapping directly into individual systems to check for modifications, I assume.

 

[Sneaklemming]

There is one bit of good news for owners of banned consoles, however: Microsoft told the BBC [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8356621.stm] that while banned 360s are gone for good, anyone caught in the dragnet can recover their accounts to other, unmodded consoles and resume their service.

Ah! So it bans the hardware and not the account. That's good to hear. Of course that means Microsoft has some way of tapping directly into individual systems to check for modifications, I assume.

Yep, and Natal will monitor your patriotism to the nation.

 

[chemicalfire]

It wouldn't be difficult at all to check the hardware, it's basically the same way that Windows "checks" your software for updates.

 

[Sir Ollie]

There is one bit of good news for owners of banned consoles, however: Microsoft told the BBC [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8356621.stm] that while banned 360s are gone for good, anyone caught in the dragnet can recover their accounts to other, unmodded consoles and resume their service.

Ah! So it bans the hardware and not the account. That's good to hear. Of course that means Microsoft has some way of tapping directly into individual systems to check for modifications, I assume.

Depends some users had their gamertags banned for playing Borderlands and Forza 3 early and then console banned shortly after. But majority of the time its hardware/console banned.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

It was a bit of a blitzkrieg, wasn't it?

It annoys me that people who just modded the console to play imports or back up games get their thing banned too though.

Yeah, why would Microsoft care if anyone wanted to play imported games? Unless whatever means they're using to detect modded consoles cannot determine exactly HOW the console is modified, only THAT it is modified. So they're banning indiscriminately.

 

[Something Amyss]

Not horribly surprised they're not apologetic. People are still sticking to the million figure? I thought that came from a spoof "news" article.

 

[rossatdi]

It was a bit of a blitzkrieg, wasn't it?

It annoys me that people who just modded the console to play imports or back up games get their thing banned too though.

Honestly I never bought the whole 'back up my disc' thing. Anyone who has the technical know how or concern to mod a console can keep game discs safe. As for imports, that's a tough one but is there really that much on the import market that's worth it?

 

[Sion_Barzahd]

They really monstered through it, i know at least 3 people who mentioned that they had their consoles banned.

 

[Dudeakoff]

There is one bit of good news for owners of banned consoles, however: Microsoft told the BBC [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8356621.stm] that while banned 360s are gone for good, anyone caught in the dragnet can recover their accounts to other, unmodded consoles and resume their service.

So they did it to gain more hardware sales...

Although the people were idiots to have a modded Xbox connected to Xbox Live.

 

[squid5580]

It was a bit of a blitzkrieg, wasn't it?

It annoys me that people who just modded the console to play imports or back up games get their thing banned too though.

Honestly I never bought the whole 'back up my disc' thing. Anyone who has the technical know how or concern to mod a console can keep game discs safe. As for imports, that's a tough one but is there really that much on the import market that's worth it?

How is that a tough one? If you don't live in the country of release then you shouldn't have the game (or at least buy a console from that country). It isn't like I don't sympathize with AU gamers. Or really see the need for this country gets the game release first. We do have to play by thier rules though.

 

[Stabber1010]

It's good that they didn't ban the accounts. I can only imagine the uproar then.

 

[Amnestic]

It was a bit of a blitzkrieg, wasn't it?

It annoys me that people who just modded the console to play imports or back up games get their thing banned too though.

Honestly I never bought the whole 'back up my disc' thing. Anyone who has the technical know how or concern to mod a console can keep game discs safe. As for imports, that's a tough one but is there really that much on the import market that's worth it?

Technical know how/concern does not account for human error or grubby fingered family members =.=

 

[Something Amyss]

Honestly I never bought the whole 'back up my disc' thing. Anyone who has the technical know how or concern to mod a console can keep game discs safe.

Not to mention, doing so by bypassing copy protection is actually illegal in the US and at least a handful of other countries. I don't particularly agree with it, but "all I was doing was backing up my games" loses some of its innocence when you tack on "in violation of federal law."

So they did it to gain more hardware sales...

I think it's fairly obvious that's not, at the very least, the sole reason. After all, console banning from Live means you have to buy any games you want to play online legit. Which I would have thought people were doing anyway, but I guess not. Combating piracy is the face value reason and is obviously at least one "legit" reason they are doing this.

 

[LostintheWick]

I love everything about this move made by Microsoft. Especially because I know a guy with a modded Xbox (and I despise him, and for alot of different reasons) and he got hit by this omega ban-hammer. Joy.

 

[Woe Is You]

As for imports, that's a tough one but is there really that much on the import market that's worth it?

Imports are almost always niche games that probably wouldn't have an audience outside of the country they're made in. For example, the 360 has a massive collection of awesome shmups that are Japan only; expecting people to buy another console for those is nothing short of silly.

 

[The DSM]

We are microsoft, we do not forgive,we do not forget.

Oh yes, I went there.

 

[Woodsey]

It was a bit of a blitzkrieg, wasn't it?

It annoys me that people who just modded the console to play imports or back up games get their thing banned too though.

Yeah, why would Microsoft care if anyone wanted to play imported games? Unless whatever means they're using to detect modded consoles cannot determine exactly HOW the console is modified, only THAT it is modified. So they're banning indiscriminately.

I believe that if you get it flashed then that lets you play imports, pirate copies and whatever else. So what do you expect?