More on LIVE Bans, HDD Crippling, Possible Ban Causes

[Sn00pY]

ABGX is nothing to do with the firmware writing. Who is this Kushan dude, or more importantly who does he think he is?

[carmatic]

you know, if only there was a way to block the kill-signal itself... that would be the ultimate modded firmware...

[Kushan]

I think you need to calm down and climb down off that horse Kushan. I know how the DB works and I even said in my previous post the fw is to blame as well.

I don't mean to sound like I'm on some kind of high horse at all, it's just extremely frustrating when a group of people put a lot of time, effort and money into something and some kno-it-all comes along and basically says it was a waste of time. Everyone seems to be looking for someone to blame, when really the only person that really CAN be blamed is the person who modded their 360 in the first place. That includes me, by the way.

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

Thus far, Microsoft has disabled 600,000 accounts in the US and Canada.

Whoa that's one hell of a number just for one ban wave...

[Kushan]

Whoa that's one hell of a number just for one ban wave...

I don't get that statistic though. Microsoft have been banning consoles, not accounts. Unless you count the ODST/Forza bannings but I find it hard to believe that was 600,000 people. Consoles, yeah, makes sense, but not accounts. Could just be a misquote I guess.

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

I don't get that statistic though. Microsoft have been banning consoles, not accounts. Unless you count the ODST/Forza bannings but I find it hard to believe that was 600,000 people. Consoles, yeah, makes sense, but not accounts. Could just be a misquote I guess.

Probably a misquote, I forgot to post a link to my source above and can't find it now, but there's this one.

Either way it's probably 400-500k more console sales MS are making out of bannings (assuming some may already have two 360s) :p

Most people would just go online/offline 360 now, but it's a smart move from MS to ban game installs, that'll **** people off if they have to go back to a jet engine 360.

[Kushan]

Probably a misquote, I forgot to post a link to my source above and can't find it now, but there's this one.

Either way it's probably 400-500k more console sales MS are making out of bannings (assuming some may already have two 360s) :p

Most people would just go online/offline 360 now, but it's a smart move from MS to ban game installs, that'll **** people off if they have to go back to a jet engine 360.

Probably. I know I have three lying around lol

[George P Global Moderator]

Or they can just go get a newone quieter one and start over. If they don't have a spare that is.

[Tech Star]

Yes, from a guy who doesn't actually work with the stealth team. Furthermore, you're right, it IS plain as day - "every 3rd didn't verify". Do you know what that means? 1 in every 3 was never added to the database. Is that a problem? Not really, because ALL games have more than one pressing. Different disc manufacturers give a different pressing and even different times of pressing (some are pressed over a few days, or some "reprints" are done) will require a different rip to be COMPLETELY verified.

But that doesn't matter because as long as one rip of a certain game version is in there, that's all that matters.

Or let me put it this way - if abgx was at fault, why would they be completely rewriting the firmware?

Oh and people have got banned having used only their own personal backups. No abgx invovled there.

People are being banned and they have played no backup's at all. It's the firmware that Microsoft is detecting.

Now I am not saying ABGX is not at fault either because they are both at fault. Some people did stupid things like play games early and un-confirmed rips and got banned. Some just played confirmed rips and got banned. So either MS has been pumping ABGX with naughty data to catch people or they are detecting the firmware some how or it can be both of them. :/ Who knows really.

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

Or they can just go get a newone quieter one and start over. If they don't have a spare that is.

a) I still don't think some of the newer 360s have been successfully modded yet, may mean a new Xbox has to be used legit.

b) You run the risk of being caught all over again and so begins the never ending game of cat and mouse with your wallet (which is why some pirates go for online/offline 360).

Now if MS just banned live accounts and 360s every time and raked in a number like 600,000, pirates would be cowering in corners. But losing out on 600,000 potential gold subs? :p They've proved they can ban accounts, why they don't just keep doing that I can only suggest is because a banned 360 causes tears, but the precious account is still active (user goes and buys another 360, and keeps paying for Live) - Banning the account is like a dagger to the heart in causing the teenager reply of "OMGZ **** MS NEVER BUYING 360 AGAIN LOST ALL MY ACHIEVEMENTS AND XBLA CONTENT WAAAAH".

Edited November 10, 2009 by Audioboxer

[Pheee]

I agree, banning accounts, some people just might not have the incentive to get another xbox 360 right away or at all. But ban the console, I am gonna get a new one to play the games I have and saves I have etc, and continue.

So MS wins by banning consoles, and only ban accounts if they have no choice.

[Subject Delta]

Just the price people pay for modding their consoles. Whilst I am personally a fan of modding, the TOS of Live are very clear on the matter, and I find it hard to have sympathy for people who come crying about bans when they know what they are doing is against the TOS.

[ienhz]

i bet xbox live numbers plummet in their next press/earnings release

[FiB3R]

Another post has surfaced from said employee....

"I will post in here and hope my identity is not compromised as I will get into severe trouble.

This is what i do. I am an Xbox Live checks manager and I am the guy who helps run through the data being sent to Xbox Live that has been flagged for banning and was also discussed a very long time ago of what will "bring down all modified Xboxs"

I myself have an Cbox that has been modified because i think it is a crime what they do charging so much when the games don't even cost Microsoft half of what they are getting. Anyway, we have found a way to read the firmware. The NXE update has allowed us to do a check on the current firmware installed on the dvd drive.

The reason this was not flagged was because the code was not active. As you might have heard it was discussed about a "self destruct" code embedded in the NXE update and even before that. This was that code it wasn't a self destruct code but actually a check that was done on all drives.

This check was begun when the update was to "prepare for the last.fm facebook and twitter" this in fact was the code sent out to begin checks on ALL Xboxs.

These checks would send us information on the firmware written to the drive not the exact kind but we did an extensive form of hash check on the drive and could actually find out if it was modified in any way.

This was particularly easy on the lite-on as it was actually manufactured to serve for this purpose as our testing model.

We will not ban all consoles at once and yes all information about you has been collected a long time ago.

We have THOUSANDS of Xboxs reporting bad checks meaning modified firmware. Not all people will be banned and all the bans are done at random times

Multiple checks have been done over this amount of time so we could assure the modified Xboxs were truly modified and not just returning corrupt data.

I am sorry i did not com forward with this information sooner but this information has been critical to the cat and mouse game

This check was also done back in the xtreme days if anyone remembers that when c4eva had to rewrite it to allow the checks to come back clean well this must be done again.

Sorry all for the bannings but it is a natural process and I wish you all luck and hope you do not get banned

If you do await the new firmware that is begin developed and cheers to you all you wanted to know it now you got it.

This sounds a little horse **** to us but you never know...

[Tech Star]

HA! I knew it. Looks like Microsoft stepped up their game. Won't matter though, the nee version is coming out for people and this process will start all over again. I say next year expect to see this same thing happen.

[George P Global Moderator]

If true then anytime MS pushes out a NXE update, or any update, modded systems are at risk. And also, people talk about the cat and mouse game, but I think that if MS really stepped up they could flood us with updates more often to the point that updating moded fw falls behind. Add to that newer models on sale that can't have the drive FW changed etc, and you pretty much turn the tide I suppose.

By not banning right away and running more than one check with different updates means that you don't even know when/if you'll be found out as well, a very smart move IMO.

[Draken]

and ....... no more leaks after the banwave ....... that was more than obvious, F3, BL and COD:MW2 where just "ban-bait"

[cabron]

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.

Affected gamers were met with a message during the login process. It read: ""Your console has been banned from Xbox".

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.

BBC

[-T- Member]

Good on them

[Unimatrix Xero]

1

[coresx]

I actually surprised it's that many. Didn't think it was so wide spread. Nice one Microsoft.

[Ci7]

about .03% of all user

[Razorwing]

Good the banhammer is laid down finally.

[Kushan]

and ....... no more leaks after the banwave ....... that was more than obvious, F3, BL and COD:MW2 where just "ban-bait"

Except that all three of those leaks turned out to match retail disks sold in shops exactly. The only really questionable one was Forza 3 because that got GAMERTAGS banned, even GTs of people with legit consoles because they acquired the game via a different illegal means (Stolen copies, maybe?).

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

Except that all three of those leaks turned out to match retail disks sold in shops exactly. The only really questionable one was Forza 3 because that got GAMERTAGS banned, even GTs of people with legit consoles because they acquired the game via a different illegal means (Stolen copies, maybe?).

I'm pretty sure the NTSC copy of Forza 3 that leaked 2-3 weeks early wasn't legit, but the PAL that leaked about a week early and was region free was legit.

And lol @ MW2 being legit, it was a mish-mash of stealth files injected into a 100% faulty rip and WAVE4 padding from other games.

No idea about Boderlands, but I think it's a given Forza 3/MW2 probably got some people banned. How else were MS able to ban Gamertags?