Microsoft bans modders from Xbox Live services

[E. Randy Dupre]

Makes me laugh Tesco apparently sold Call of duty modern warfare 2 a couple of days before release day by mistake and microsoft banned all those people who purchased the game because they unknowingly went online to play lol.

This isn't true. I've got people on my friends list who were playing MW2 online on the Sunday and who haven't had their accounts banned.

And why wouldnt it be true? just because your friends got the game early and were playing it fine means the rest of the populace was immune to Live moderators? im sorry but it doesnt work that way, Microsoft has banned many consoles in the past for people going online early you only have check sites like maxconsole and gamefaqs to read reports of people being banned just because they recieved such a game early.

But I dont blame MS for cracking down, if somones pirating and not supporting the deserved devs then they deserve banning. Personally I've always thought of live as a joke sooo laggy and so many squeling kids who constantly whine and swear at you when you beat them I can honestly say I only ever enjoyed playing live for the first couple of weeks after that I really got sick of the bullshit, but imo going online on a console to play fps or mmorpg games just doesnt feel right to me.

anyway just a little vid that this thread reminds me of

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=up863eQKGUI

You see that bit in your post - the post I quoted - where you say that it happened to "all" the people who were playing the game online before the official release date?

Well, that'd be why I said that you'd put in your post wasn't true.

Because it wasn't.

[AraraSPAMWitch]

THIS THREAD:

MORALLY INDIGNATED AM I THAT PEOPLE PLAY GAMES WITHOUT PAYING FOR THEM BUT MUSICIANS ARE ALWAYS RICH SO DOWNLOADING MUSIC IS RIGHTEOUS THIS DEBATE IS NO LONGER TOPICEABLE

lol at moral debates on game forums

Anyways, I'm cool with Microsoft banning modded consoles, they want money and pirates compromise their profits. However, I also feel that games tend to be derivative SHIT and if Blackbeard doesn't want to spend money to dick around in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 for a few hours while high, great, because that game, along with 99% of its brethren on the 360, fucking sucks and shouldn't cost a goddamn cent.

[TrevHead (TVR)]

On the topic of accidental bannings, I watched one of those penny trick fixit you tube vids where the guy said that if the 360 is plugged into live when switching on, that the console checks the cable from the mb to the dvd drive if its the wrong way around it thinks the console has been modded and can cause a ban that way.

[Khan]

You see that bit in your post - the post I quoted - where you say that it happened to "all" the people who were playing the game online before the official release date?

Well, that'd be why I said that you'd put in your post wasn't true.

Because it wasn't.

And you see that part in my post where it says "apparently" one would think it would be clear enough but I guess its not for YOU?

[Dandy J]

Jasper models have the lowest failure rates on the market now of any home console. A lot of folks have been totally ignoring this for whatever reason, although I'm sure 360 sales rates are inflated by older models breaking down like half of the time (it would likely be 100% if everybody played their 360s for hours on end).

thats disheartening cause my jasper has red ringed twice and stopped working like 5 times but then it magically keeps working so idk wtf but i guess im glad it still works i guess

[CMoon]

MORALLY INDIGNATED AM I THAT PEOPLE PLAY GAMES WITHOUT PAYING FOR THEM BUT MUSICIANS ARE ALWAYS RICH SO DOWNLOADING MUSIC IS RIGHTEOUS

QFT

[neorichieb1971]

The biggest difference between games and other medias is that games are interactive.

The movie industry has accepted that one copy of a movie bought can be legally stretched to as many as 50 people. Music industry uses air waves to promote its own product in its entirety. If I buy it or not, its THERE in my face. Its my choice if I want to spend the money on the extra quality that paying gives or not. The internet gives me that choice, the radio and TV advertise that choice.

With those 2 medias, I don't have to chip my machine and instead of airwaves, mp3's are just permanently resident on my HDD where I can access them. Same for movies.

With games, not only are the games not freely available in the commercial world, they are interactive medias that take years to make with a group of 200 people in cases. They are not someone that just happens to have been born with a good voice and is instantly a millionaire. Consoles are generally sold at a loss so if thats the only thing your buying your ruining the industry for those on here that are paying (like me).

What i'm trying to say is that if your enjoy a particular type of media, then at least have the conscience to pay for it in some kind of donation. There is only so much room for beggars in life. As long as you have the freedom to sample things for free with modded machines fair enough, but buy what you like. Its the only moral thing to do.

[AraraSPAMWitch]

Yeah, because music is the instant ticket to a million dollars (and it has everything to do with natural talent), and because games are the only things that may take years or hundreds of people to make, and because fifty people will never legally play the same copy of a game, and because games are never freely available in the commercial world, and because games can't permanently reside on our HDDs, and because I don't need to hack my iPod to play stolen music, and...

I kinda get where you're coming from, but I have just have one question: WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT

[TrevHead (TVR)]

im kinda on Arara's side on the fence here. Although The mainstream gaming indrustry can be more riskier, Not all bands/musians are as big as Madonna or U2, many arnt making that much money at all. And from what ive read that the way record publishers (atleast for physical mediums) work with their artists is that nearlly all the financial risks are with the artists and the record companies usually makes money no matter what. Things might be different with online distribution, but imo its here that artist really need the support of their paying fans.

I kinda understand what u mean with been able to listen to music on the radio (or as i do just use you tube) but theres also video game demos aswell isnt there?

[CMoon]

The biggest difference between games and other medias is that games are interactive.

Ah, I think your just waffling here.

Both constitute theft, and in the case of the music industry, clearly thousands of people have lost their jobs over it. Personally it's made me broke (watching my record label go down in flames). I think the real issue is that this kind of theft is a modern day reality. For the music industry, they weren't smart enough to find a way to stay ahead of it, and strangely there's plenty of people who support illegal downloads (plus we all do it.) It isn't that I am supporting piracy, quite the opposite, I think I've just gotten over my outrage.

[brokenhalo]

what people need to realize is that it takes real human beings a good chunk of time to make these games/music/movies/software/etc. that they enjoy. if you pirate that product then there is less incentive (or possibility altogether) for those people to continue making things that you might like. it can't be justified with "oh well they're already rich, they don't need my money", because you have to consider how and why they became rich, and what would of happened if people pirated their stuff from the get-go and they stopped producing before they could make all those things you enjoy.

[system11]

and strangely there's plenty of people who support illegal downloads (plus we all do it.)

Speak for yourself. Music is so cheap to buy now that people pirating it are just doing it because they can and because they don't want to pay, no other reason. You can buy music downloads for less than half the shelf price of a CD, from sites that play clips of every song they carry, which allow you to buy single tracks to avoid 'album fillers', encoded at multiple bit rates, and which don't put any DRM on.

It has NEVER been easier or cheaper to buy music.

[antron]

It has NEVER been easier or cheaper to buy music.

ironically I think we owe this to pirates. the industry would never have gone this direction had they not been forced to compete with free.

[neorichieb1971]

I only use piracy as a form of trial before I buy. If I don't like it I don't buy it, if I do then I do buy it. No need to slam me into the wall, I don't question your ethics on piracy or anything like that. I'm just trying to tell you how I categorize different forms of piracy, some people will just have one category and thats fine.

People say that one vote for a politician makes no difference, people who pirate say that one person who doesn't buy makes any difference either. The fact is that the INTERNET is full of pirated software. The people on this Earth today are of the lowest standard since time began. Bankers are corrupt, Politicians are corrupt, Car makers are corrupt. You might as well have only one motto in life "If I can get away with it I will". My testimony of my own wrong doings is far from the worst cases that are out there.

We don't live in a perfect world, the world is full of Rich bastards who didn't deserve a penny they have stolen through legal means. Its no wonder that a bit of petty piracy goes unnoticed.

The same people who pirate are those praying to Mohammed, to God, to Jesus. Its such a hypocritical world its ridiculous. Nobody on here is a saint.

[E. Randy Dupre]

You see that bit in your post - the post I quoted - where you say that it happened to "all" the people who were playing the game online before the official release date?

Well, that'd be why I said that you'd put in your post wasn't true.

Because it wasn't.

And you see that part in my post where it says "apparently" one would think it would be clear enough but I guess its not for YOU?

Oh dear. You really haven't got much in the way of a basic understanding of how language works, have you?

[Ed Oscuro]

MORALLY INDIGNATED AM I

I never thought Yoda was the all-caps type. Strangely enough, fits well it does him.

You see that bit in your post - the post I quoted - where you say that it happened to "all" the people who were playing the game online before the official release date?

Well, that'd be why I said that you'd put in your post wasn't true.

Because it wasn't.

And you see that part in my post where it says "apparently" one would think it would be clear enough but I guess its not for YOU?

Congratulation both you gentlemen understand each other. let's move along please

[CMoon]

and strangely there's plenty of people who support illegal downloads (plus we all do it.)

Speak for yourself.

I will. I have a record collection over 3000 titles strong plus run a record label. I still download, but mostly downloads that I enjoy, I will buy a physical copy. Nonetheless, a great majority of people download without any interest in ever owning a legal copy. In fact, many people have no interest whatsoever in owning a physical copy. While you may hold a strong stance against downloads, you would be surprised at the number of musicians who themselves depend on the market to somehow support them that pirate everything.

Of course, the real problem is that the music industry has always been stacked on the fact that stupid teens buy $16 album for 1 good song. Stupid teen got smart, market collapsed. Ha!

[CMoon]

I only use piracy as a form of trial before I buy.

This is basically where I'm at. I hate buying something and not liking it. Now I can sample for free (the way it always should have been) and support what I like. It's also helped me get digital copies for the Ipod of stuff I have on vinyl.

Basically I'm in agreement with the pirating problem--I mean, I've probably lost more because of it than anyone else on this board, but at the same time, I'm not sure microsoft's stance is the best practice. Hell, if they can detect the pirates machines, why not track them down one by one and sue them?

[Specineff]

Because proof of modding doesn't equal proof of piracy. MS may be greedy, but they are not stupid. Should they do that, they'd draw the ire of Mom and Pop consumer.

Yes, I know the main purpose of modding a 360 is piracy. On the other hand, I could be modding my 360 to play backups of games I've purchased, while my original Senko no Ronde and Chromehounds remain safely sealed. MS would have a hard time shoving its case beyond that defense. Habeas discus, IMHO.

[CMoon]

I'm assuming modding also allows playing imports? Or are the xbox 360 games region free? I still have a modded ps2 bought exclusively for playing imports. Never once played a pirated game on it.

[UnscathedFlyingObject]

Actually, people who mod their console to sample games before buying are the minority. It puzzles people why I have a collection 40 something games when I can play them for free. That said I also have lots of roms for older consoles like the NES, SNES, and Genesis. I only buy games that I play and absolutely love and could replay over and over. Back in the day, I just bought the games and then sold more than half of them. It got old after a while and I was tired of getting my hand burned with games that review well but are shitty.

[Ed Oscuro]

I'm assuming modding also allows playing imports? Or are the xbox 360 games region free? I still have a modded ps2 bought exclusively for playing imports. Never once played a pirated game on it.

US 360 games are generally region free, whereas JPN games are often not (there are lots of exceptions; check out one of the region compatibility guides online). That's why a number of people have imported.

[neorichieb1971]

modding apparently does not allow imports to run.

[Khan]

You see that bit in your post - the post I quoted - where you say that it happened to "all" the people who were playing the game online before the official release date?

Well, that'd be why I said that you'd put in your post wasn't true.

Because it wasn't.

And you see that part in my post where it says "apparently" one would think it would be clear enough but I guess its not for YOU?

Oh dear. You really haven't got much in the way of a basic understanding of how language works, have you?

Sorry me no speaka da engrish seriously you got nothing better to do than troll a topic? focus on the issue at hand or leave the thread its that easy or is idiocy a skill you major in? wheres the ignore feature when you need it eh?

anyway like I mentioned before guys piracy is piracy at the end of the day whether or not you support it you still engage in it willingly, it doesnt matter if you download a game for 1 hour to try it you still have the full game at hand and havent payed a dime for it so in the end its still illegal, yes you can lessen the blow by purchasing a game you have pirated and enjoyed but I wonder truthfully how many actually do that because I honestly believe the statistics would be low

I will openly admit I have pirated games that I promised myself I would buy but in the end never did, you could ask for example how many people actually drive at 40 miles per hour on a speed limit of 40mph. Everyone breaks the law or bends it one way or another you just have to know the limits and stay within them and be prepared to take punishment like a man if it comes.