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Opinion: Why Xbox Live bans were a masterstroke

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:58:00 -0200

Microsoft’s Gaming Division will be merrily hitting the eggnog this festive season

ZG

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:12:27 -0200

It's a pity, really. There was a missed opportunity here to permanently brand all those gamertags as pirates, like they've done with cheaters in the past.

nanonyous

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:53:11 -0200

So I take it you don't realise, then, that the gamertags are generally also banned from Live?

The latest ban includes as core functionality;

- corrupting your save games/achievements for any games you access said save games of after your ban
- disabling the ability for your console (the actual console unit) to install to the hard-drive, as well as, in some cases, causing issues with the hard drive itself when used on other machines (inability to see previously installed games and thus remove them)
- inability to access Live at all
- disabling of the Media Center Extension
- in many cases, corruption of the user's gamertag to the point of it becoming unusable (the version that gets downloaded when you perform a gamertag 'recovery')
- in other cases, a ban on the gamertag
- in other cases, either in combination with the aforementioned or separately, a wipe of the entire gamerscore for the gamertag
- in some cases, removal of previously purchase DLC for games that were known to be pirate copies on used by the gamertag, from the gamertag

Yeah, they really 'missed their opportunity'. I'm sure publishers and M$ alike are really upset that they aren't getting all that DLC repurchased and downloaded, or those new Live subscriptions purchased for new gamertags etc.

Gooffy

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:26:13 -0200

Well dome MS, they shud do this more often. Original is the only way forward when buying games!

Slappy

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:02:31 -0200

I say well done.
You wanna fool around with the hardware, fine, but stay out of Live. We dont need cheaters in there. One of the powers of the console is that it is a closed system, and a deterent for cheaters.

Why should legit paying Gold member have their clean service messed up by cheating?

ZG

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:19:18 -0200

Nanonymous:

- Wrong. Gamertags are not banned, and moving a profile to an umodded machine will make it perfectly functional again. Moving it constantly between a modded and unmodded machine, however, will result in corruption of gamerscore achieved on the modded machine. Fair enough, really, or people with modded consoles can just farm gamerscore on free/cheap pirated games.

- Moving an HDD between Xboxes will *always* require reinstallation of a game, regardless of whether the consoles are modded or not.

- You're complaining because pirated DLC is removed? Lol.

There's really no preachy and self-righteous like a freeloading asshole who's been caught out, is there? If you can't afford to buy games then find a hobby you can afford.

Wolfman

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:57:18 -0200

This reminds me of the VAC and SGS bans for Steam games. I applaud the attempt to curb piracy but I must say, while well within their rights, this does seem troubling. Now before anyone points the cannon at me I keep my games legit and my online play fair.

Effectively game publishers are losing money to piracy (those who disagree please go google "world of goo piracy" and tell me that good developers don't suffer) but Microsoft is using this to boost Xbox sales.

JackBauer

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:07:38 -0200

The only thing that i don't like about the banning is if you like me, decide that you want a bigger drive than a paltry 20gb for your xbox, buy a WD 250gb drive and then get banned.

The 250gb is only available on certain limited editions and the 120gb's is way too expensive at R1600. New 250gb WD bevs drive costs about R700 and works perfectly. Why do i want such a big drive? lost 2 forza's to my wonderful shitbox dvd drive.

Sony may be money sharks but cater much more to the gamer's needs. F u microshit!

Reality

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 12:06:57 -0200

Piracy rocks.....all those that are buying originals are simply jealous.....piracy is cheap....original games are simply over priced....sorry guys...piracy just feels good

Dax

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 12:18:31 -0200

@Reality

You sound like a friend of mine who's currently got no job, dropped out of school and gets high everyday, he would say something similar.

I normally just laugh because I pity the fool, but hey, you're probably in the same situation as him, and I'd guess your age at about 18-20

Anyway, I won't waste my time trying to talk sense into you, I was just slightly amused by your comment so I decided to say something.

Swizzo

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 11:25:10 -0200

Boo hoo, poor rich lil microsoft, if they didnt intentionally make their consoles so easy to chip they would not even be within a shot of ps3 or wii, lets face it, yes the ps3 is more reliable, but the xbox is significantly cheaper when you want a pirate game. its not rocket science, so let them ban the people who made them rich innitialy, i say scr#w Microsoft. eventually the processing power of the ps3 will be inleashed and they will have to bring out a "next box" just to compete at all!