sethisjimmy said:
I don't really see the issue here. Guy got a console he knew he wasn't supposed to have, and bragged about it online. Got banned. What did he expect? Microsoft to just let it go?
And remotely banning an Xbox account is a feature that's been around since the 360, it's nothing new.
I get that Target shares some blame in it, but that doesn't absolve this guy of all responsibility. It's like if someone left the keys in their car and you just drove off with it, then posted selfies all over facebook. You wouldn't just get off scot-free.
I'm not praising Microsoft or anything, but I think they're justified in trying to keep the console under-wraps from the public until official release.
Also I think this guy probably would have been fine if he didn't blatantly brag about it over social media. He wouldn't have had his account banned and would have been able to enjoy the console early in private.
Sorry, sorry, but I just had to quote you and correct you. You are so full of wrong here. First off...why is it wrong to brag about getting a machine before launch day, especially if you're not the one responsible for the delivery? If the recipient had signed an NDA of some sort, sure, then he'd be under contract not to talk about it. But he didn't. All he did was pre-order a machine, and the store delivered it to him early by mistake (if someone can provide evidence of this being some sort of PR stunt or conspiracy, feel free to throw it up here)
Banning the console is alright? Why would Microsoft do that? Right now, he's probably the only guy in the world with a non-dev kit Xbox One that (was) able to access the global One Live (versus dev kits that more than likely had their own Xbox One Live intranet that was segregated from the global internet). He's not griefing or trolling any other players, mainly because there aren't any.
As for your analogy about the keys in the car...that would involve THEFT. Which did not happen here. If I leave the keys in my car, and you drive off with it, you have stolen my car. This guy PAID for the console, the store delivered it...so where is the theft here? The store is the one at fault, they were under contract from their supplier/Microsoft to only ship the console in time for the release date. The guy being delivered to IS NOT AT FAULT. At all. He did not arrange to receive the console ahead of time.
As for getting his account banned...read the article. It was a machine ban, not an account ban. He was able to access the very same account on his 360. As for bragging about it...who wouldn't? The most talked about home console in recent years, you get one early, who wouldn't talk about it?
The one line I have the most problem with is "but I think they're justified in trying to keep the console under-wraps from the public until official release."
That can only be true for people and groups under their direct control or under contract with them. Microsoft employees? Yes. PR spokespeople? Yes. Out-sourced marketing companies? Yes. Resellers of their console? Yes. End customers who have literally no contract at all with Microsoft? No. In fact, I would be very surprised if the customer's EULA/TOS/legalese document that they see upon initial bootup contains a clause saying "Thou Shalt Not Use this Before Official Release Date".
I'm not going to get either console myself, but if I were in this guy's shoes, I would have done the exact same thing. I would have opened the box, taken photos and video of it, hooked it up just to see if I get any sort of online service. I would not have looked at the box and said "Ya know what, I'm not going to, I'm going to wait until the release date like a chump, instead of bragging that I got the console early through no fault of my own".