Latest Xbox Dashboard Update Makes Pirates Sad

[Frozen Donkey Wheel2]

Screw Pirates, it makes me sad too. It looks like shit.

This. I mean, not it's all that different, but what is changed is for the worse.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

If we hear about a large number of Xbox Live bans in the near future, it'll probably be a result of this new piracy defense method.

Or, if Microsofts latest press releases are anything to go buy, news of a large number of Xbox Live bans, with surprisingly little information on how large.

 

[thublihnk]

Yarr, I be angry. (Not really, I don't pirate console games.)

Also: I can't imagine this won't have some form of collateral damage on paying customers. Just like every other anti-piracy measure.

 

[Gvaz]

Actually this is already fixed and will be released sometime soon.

Only on slims though, but still. It's a non-issue.

 

[Dogstile]

Screw Pirates, it makes me sad too. It looks like shit.

Agreed. The new one looks so bland. And its soooooo sooooo slow.

 

[Coldman42]

Just a question from a non pirate but is that update legal? I don't remember being informed of this and I thought they had to tell you exactly what is in an update?

Probably wrong but I thought I'd ask.

They had a whole new terms of use for everyone to read about the download, i believe it's in there.

 

[Zakarath]

Just a question from a non pirate but is that update legal? I don't remember being informed of this and I thought they had to tell you exactly what is in an update?

Probably wrong but I thought I'd ask.

I thought this was in the EULA you have to accept when you first install the update

EULA is not legally binding.

It really should be though. It would make things a lot easier and help the industry a lot.

Right... http://xkcd.com/501/

 

[Mysnomer]

why would anyone need to inform someone on updates, it just happens to make things better
e.g.: anti-piracy

Yeah, make things better, like removing Other OS or frying gates on your motherboard. Updates modify something you own, therefore, they should have to tell you specifically what their doing. Do you want to take your car into a mechanic and have him just tell you, "It's an update." No, you want to know exactly what he's going to do to it. Same with consoles.

 

[Zakarath]

Just a question from a non pirate but is that update legal? I don't remember being informed of this and I thought they had to tell you exactly what is in an update?

Probably wrong but I thought I'd ask.

I thought this was in the EULA you have to accept when you first install the update

EULA is not legally binding.

It really should be though. It would make things a lot easier and help the industry a lot.

Right... http://xkcd.com/501/

That's really not what happens.

Exactly. Because it isn't legally binding.

 

[Something Amyss]

People with hacked consoles don't play online because xbox live automatically fucks up their xbox when it detects the mods.
There are a very few exceptions

LOL yeah. Totally true. That's why the MW2 ban wave only caught a handful of pirates.

Why do you waste your time so, Microsoft?

 

[Cryo84R]

Good. If only there was a way to make pirates consoles catch fire and lock their room door!

That would be progress.

 

[Nouw]

Well at least they have the right attitude and are trying.

 

[Ki11erHyde]

Still waiting for the yearly BANMAGEDDON.

 

[[zonking great]]

Wait what? Why did they even sign onto Xbox Live?

Idiot pirates are idiots.

Reminds me of the guy who got that pirated version of Halo 3's release code, couldn't get it to work and actually CONTACTED SUPPORT!

Got banned 'til 99/99/9999.

 

[LaffmanAKAJPLaffo]

Anyone want to start a countdown timer until this starts affecting more legitimate people than hackers (probably due to a disc scratch, a random error, people buying used consoles, or something)?

Well already my xbox wont accept Fable 3 just because my laser isn't in tip top condition. Haven't been banned yet though.

 

[Danzaivar]

LOLZ

Shitty DRM has infected the consoles! Now console gamers know the bane of PC gamers' existance!

It's funny that they will ban suspected pirates from Xbox live, private PC servers for the win!

Yeah but this stuff doesn't get in the way of regular console gamers, which is the major gripe of PC based DRM. Your attitude is why most developers are pretty much giving up on PC gamer.

 

[Zakarath]

Exactly. Because it isn't legally binding.

I mean you can't force someone to agree to something based on the past. You have to disclose the information beforehand.

In this case, the sign would be located outside the room. And no EULA that I am aware of does what that comic does.

Mostly true(I mean, does everyone read the whole thing before agreeing to it? or even just skim it?). (And yes, there aren't that many soul-stealing EULAs)...
The real reason I don't think EULAs should be legally binding is that they take power away from the consumer and give it to corporations. And they exist in more places than just games... if they were legally binding, they could be used to place limits on what the product can be used for, and more often than not they would be blocking the creation of benign creations (i.e. mods and other user-created content), as well as other honest purposes like trading used software, rather than preventing piracy.

 

[John Funk]

I give them 1 month tops to crack it and everything goes back to normal. Also why would you play online if you had a hacked console?

^ this.
People with hacked consoles don't play online because xbox live automatically fucks up their xbox when it detects the mods.
There are a very few exceptions, but for the most part, people with mods on their xboxes don't want to play online even if they could.
I'm guessing it'll take about 2-3 weeks for them to crack it.

9/10, hackers get their way.

I don't think it's legal to vandalize or destroy someone else's property for any reason.

No, but it is perfectly legal to ban someone from a service you provide because they broke your terms of use.

Microsoft doesn't "brick" consoles, it simply bans them from XBL. If you don't want the firmware update, unplug your Xbox and never connect to XBL again. If you do want to play XBL, you need the firmware, which means accepting the license agreement.

 

[zfactor]

LOLZ

Shitty DRM has infected the consoles! Now console gamers know the bane of PC gamers' existance!

It's funny that they will ban suspected pirates from Xbox live, private PC servers for the win!

Yeah but this stuff doesn't get in the way of regular console gamers, which is the major gripe of PC based DRM. Your attitude is why most developers are pretty much giving up on PC gamer.

That's because there are so many hardware variations of PCs that interfere with DRM. My two external CD drives fuck up most DRM because it thinks I'm loading an iso file or something... My problem with DRM is it interferes with playing the game I bought. Is it too much to ask for developers to properly implement DRM on PC? That's all I'm asking.

(By the way, I don't pirate and don't plan on it because I like the rows of boxes!)

 

[Cgull]

Why would you play online if you had a hacked console?

The simple answer is because they can. Whether it be for a little while or for far longer.

Much as I might get flamed for saying it, I was one of the many people that got my console banned last year when MW2 came out (not that MW2 caused it, but that's how people remember it). I completely deserved it and have no issue with Microsoft doing it, I knew it was wrong, BUT I had been playing on Live for some time before that so the system was hardly foolproof, hopefully now it'll be improved.

Since then the lesson has been learnt, I bought a new console, cleaned up my act, hung up the eyepatch and bought a stupid amount of legit games. Everyone's a winner.

OT; As a thought, when the last update hit, they started including it on game disks so that consoles would update automatically which may catch a few piraty types out. I appreciate they're unlikely to but legit games anyway but you never know...