1 Million Xbox Live Players Banned

[Maynard]

lulz?

http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=221601267

Microsoft takes action against members accused of playing pirated copies of games.

By Paul McDougall, InformationWeek
Nov. 11, 2009

Microsoft this week booted as many as 1 million players from its Xbox Live gaming service due to the company's belief that they modified their consoles to play games illegally downloaded from file sharing sites.

"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 said in a statement.

The move comes amid this week's release of "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2", the mostly highly anticipated Xbox 360 game of the year.

So-called warez copies of the game reportedly showed up on pirate sites prior to its release—a development that may have prompted Microsoft to take action, possibly in concert with or at the behest of Infinity Ward, the games publisher.

"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," Microsoft said.

Xbox 360 consoles are equipped with Digital Rights Management technologies designed to detect pirated software, but some players have successfully "modded", or modified, their machines to circumvent DRM protections.

It was not immediately clear how Microsoft detected the jury rigging.

Consoles banned from Xbox Live will still function if games are played offline, but players booted from the Xbox Live service will not be able to sign into their accounts or engage other players over the Internet.

A player banned from Xbox Live told the U.K.'s Radio 1 that he was "gutted" and "distraught" by the decision. The player admitted paying an electronics shop more than $100 to modify his Xbox so it could play pirated games.

The Xbox Live gaming service counts more than 20 million members, according to Microsoft.

 

[Vinsane]

I don't understand why they didn't do this from the beginning?

 

[Champ]

I was one of a million

 

[MmmmBeeeeer]

I don't understand why they didn't do this from the beginning?

Sales were always ahead of the competition, now they've got to reup

 

[Vinsane]

Sales were always ahead of the competition, now they've got to reup

This.

Out of those 1 Million banned, how many do you think go out and buy ANOTHER Xbox.

 

[KNUBB]

This.

Out of those 1 Million banned, how many do you think go out and buy ANOTHER Xbox.

Too many..............
:smh:

 

[killgod]

This.

Out of those 1 Million banned, how many do you think go out and buy ANOTHER Xbox.

make them addicted...then take it away

good ol drug and alcohol tactics

 

[Vinsane]

Don't get me wrong. Pirating is a terrible thing for video games, while it's nice to enjoy a free game in the end you're crippling the industry. So Xbox is going the right way about getting them out of picture. However, they know that the ones they're banning are going to come running back and Xbox will accept them with arms wide open...Prices ranging $199-300.

 

[Champ]

Don't get me wrong. Pirating is a terrible thing for video games, while it's nice to enjoy a free game in the end you're crippling the industry. So Xbox is going the right way about getting them out of picture. However, they know that the ones they're banning are going to come running back and Xbox will accept them with arms wide open...Prices ranging $199-300.

They arent making money off us. Losing money actually. They are just going to get a broken 360 in exchange.

 

[Macken]

still havent caught me

 

[MrBill]

1,000,000 customers who were not going to buy games anyway but were willing to pay $50 a year plus buy downloadable content from Xbox Live Marketplace.

That is at least $50,000,000 in revenue and more like $75,000,000 that they just wrote off of their books.

 

[MmmmBeeeeer]

But if only half of those million buy another 360 at only 199, thats 100 million in sales, 25 million in xbl subs, plus more dlc.

Smart move by them, I almost think they let pirating go for a long time on purpose

 

[CrimsonGhost56]

1,000,000 customers who were not going to buy games anyway but were willing to pay $50 a year plus buy downloadable content from Xbox Live Marketplace.

That is at least $50,000,000 in revenue and more like $75,000,000 that they just wrote off of their books.

true but im sure a lot of game publishers were down their throats about people pirating games so something had to be done. granted they probably werent losing that much money, but they had to of been losing some and money is money no matter how you cut it. they couldnt let people keep pirating just cause they payed for XBL. put yourself in the shoes of a publisher, would you really give a fuck about that if people were stealing your game and you were losing profit.

 

[Point Blank]

Can't get mad at them. Anybody that got banned and bitched and moaned about it is an idiot.

 

[Champ]

Can't get mad at them. Anybody that got banned and bitched and moaned about it is an idiot.

Im not mad.

 

[Point Blank]

Im not mad.

That wasn't aimed to ya.

 

[Joey P]

Can't get mad at them. Anybody that got banned and bitched and moaned about it is an idiot.

I didn't get mad.

:what:

LOL

 

[KINGOFOOTBALL]

They time these things with major releases. The publishers are the ones that push for MS to do it.

 

[Herm]

If i may borrow from PP....

LOL

 

[BigBucs]

Why havent they been able to do anything about people pirating their OS?