Microsoft disconnects Xbox gamers

[caveman_nige]

Thousands of gamers may have been cut off from Microsoft's online gaming service Xbox Live for modifying their consoles to play pirated games.
Online reports suggest that as many as 600,000 gamers may have been affected.
Microsoft confirmed that it had banned a "small percentage" of the 20 million Xbox Live users worldwide.
Microsoft said that modifying an Xbox 360 console "violates" the service's "terms of use" and would result in a player being disconnected.
"All consumers should know that piracy is illegal and that modifying their Xbox 360 console to play pirated discs violates the Xbox Live terms of use, will void their warranty and result in a ban from Xbox Live," Microsoft has said in a statement.
"The health of the video game business depends on customers paying for the genuine products and services they receive from manufacturers, retailers, and the third parties that support them."
Many gamers modify their consoles by installing new chips or software that allows them to run unofficial programs. Some chips are specifically designed to play pirated games.
Microsoft has not said how it was able to determine which gamers to disconnect.
"We do not reveal specifics, but can say that all consoles have been verified to have violated the terms of use," the firm said in a statement.
Reports suggest that the ban does not stop the console from working and only affects a gamer's Xbox Live account.
Industry figures suggest that piracy may cost the video game industry as much as ?750m a year.
In other news, a UK court has dismissed a man's appeal against an earlier conviction for selling modification chips - "modchips" that allow gamers to play illegal games.
Christopher Gillham's earlier conviction was upheld by Hereford Crown Court which found that playing counterfeit games on a modified console infringed copyrights.





SOurce:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8354166.stm

[bvilleuk]

Thousands of gamers may have been cut off from Microsoft's online gaming service Xbox Live for modifying their consoles to play pirated games.

I was on XBOX LIVE with the original XBOX -- complete with chip..... strange how they never picked that up......

Never struck with XBOX LIVE anyway !!

[chroma]

In other news, a UK court has dismissed a man's appeal against an earlier conviction for selling modification chips - "modchips" that allow gamers to play illegal games.
Christopher Gillham's earlier conviction was upheld by Hereford Crown Court which found that playing counterfeit games on a modified console infringed copyrights.

That guys lawyer must have been really bad at his job.

[micpuk]

I was on XBOX LIVE with the original XBOX -- complete with chip..... strange how they never picked that up......

Never struck with XBOX LIVE anyway !!

The early consoles didn't send anything back over LIVE if I recall like the newer one's do.

It's a shame people are getting banned and nobody knows the current cause of the problem.

[Raven]

Apparently people with modded consoles have been getting banned regardless of whether they have their hard drives or internet cables plugged in.....which leads me to believe they embedded something into the NXE update last year or otherwise done something which meant everyone they banned was logged at any point this past year with a modded console was on record all year and yet only banned during this past wave attack. It's the only theory that makes sense. Because the whole point of playing without net cables and hard drives is so it's an impossibility for them to track you.

It's funny though isn't it, how when and if you get caught by Microsoft with a modded console and playing copied games that they have a legal case and every right to take you to court and really do you for copyright infringement aswell as piracy and yet they only ban your console from online play, why is that ? It's because they are greedy (though not entirely stupid I'll give them that) they know that odds are you'll go straight out and buy another 360. Either from retail or ebay, which means either way it's extra cash in their pocket and their console install base and online numbers aren't affected - they are also not taking chances with legal battles which could further damage their reputation. Frankly there's too many people for that route anyhow, so they ban in waves banning masses of people, majority of which go out and procure another 360. It's just a way to artificially improve their install base. Nothing more. That's also why they only ban in waves around Christmas time. Clever buggers. I'll bet most of the 360's sales these days are repeat custom through system failure or mass bans. One thing this all does do is make the 360 look more popular than it is. In that regard, Microsoft are geniuses. Though not quite on Nintendo's level.

[manxspud]

once again the young man talks sense... why else do they always do the purge in november.

[Raven]

once again the young man talks sense... why else do they always do the purge in november.

Exactly......Oh, and rumor has it they (Microsoft) could very well be doubling the price of Xbox Live in the near future.....apparently there's already talks of a boycott if the prices are so much as even raised let alone doubled - but honestly I can't see any such boycott happening regardless as a lot of people are too addicted to the Xbox Live experience to give it up for the alternative online of the PlayStation 3 even if it's completely free to play online. What's that saying, creatures of habit ? I'll be surprised if a boycott does happen, but I'm expecting Microsoft to double the prices in 2010!

Somewhat off topic this but I found it funny, it's official that netflix is on it's way to the PS3....and we all know that facebook and twitter is on it's way to the 360, but there's talk about facebook and twitter coming to the PS3 aswell - but the fact is the PS3 doesn't need either of them because it has a fully functioning web browser right there anyway so people can go to facebook or twitter anyhow not to mention ebay, amazon or even digital-kaos!

Saying that though, you can say the same thing about BBC iPlayer which is now on the XMB since the v3 update! But for PS3 users it's only useful as a handy shortcut - 360 users not so much because it doesn't even have a web browser......which is ridiculous since there's no reason why they can't put their Internet Explorer on the 360 dashboard - but I'll just boot Linux up on my PS3 and use a quality web browser like Firefox if you don't mind! Or use the one on the PS3 XMB.....Microsoft really do excel at boxing you in and making you pay through the nose for that "privilege". Their console isn't bang for the buck, in fact it's quite the opposite especially in the long run, but Microsoft know they have people by the nuts and they exploit that. Like I said they are geniuses at making something much more successful than it ever should have been - though like I said not at Nintendo's level!