More on LIVE Bans, HDD Crippling, Possible Ban Causes

[maash]

You want to see chaos? check this chaos: http://forums.xbox.com/1386/ShowForum.aspx

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

They ban both now.

They only banned Gamertags for the Forza 3/Borderlands leak, the 600,000~1,000,000 here were just console bans.

[Astra.Xtreme]

Since when where there actual mod chips for 360?

[maash]

Since when where there actual mod chips for 360?

they are banning users for 3 things

1. Adding custom HDDs on 360

2. Flashing the Drive to play Illegally Downloaded Games

3. Playing games before street date

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

Since when where there actual mod chips for 360?

That's a combination of noob 360 owner and the BBC just reporting what he said. It'll be a firmware mod, shop might even have said "chipped", as that term is universally known as the way to play copies (from PS1/PS2 days) as opposed to saying to general consumers you want your 360 firmware modded?

they are banning users for 3 things

1. Adding custom HDDs on 360

2. Flashing the Drive to play Illegally Downloaded Games

3. Playing games before street date

Try again.

Edited November 11, 2009 by Audioboxer

[maash]

That's a combination of noob 360 owner and the BBC just reporting what he said. It'll be a firmware mod, shop might even have said "chipped", as that term is universally known as the way to play copies (from PS1/PS2 days) as opposed to saying to general consumers you want your 360 firmware modded?

Try again.

Major Nelson already confirmed 1.

[Chasethebase Veteran]

Well they had it coming to them. In the end they deserve it, that's why I prefer the legit way and the only thing I've 'modded' is my iPod touch, which is back on stock firmware again.

Anyway back on topic. People who are complaining of being banned for no reason are probably those who picked up cheap Xboxes from Ebay or whatever and they had been previously modded. Buy from a trusted retailer, it may cost more, but it'll turn out better in the long run.

[Astra.Xtreme]

they are banning users for 3 things

1. Adding custom HDDs on 360

2. Flashing the Drive to play Illegally Downloaded Games

3. Playing games before street date

Okay.... that was totally unrelated to what I was asking....

And two of the three of those are untrue.

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

Major Nelson already confirmed 1.

1 is related to memory cards, not hard drives.

Also here's some food for thought.

There is a good chance they're able to detect firmware now, so maybe Bob didn't play his modded 360 in a few months then turned on to play his legit copy of Forza 3/MW2 he did get a few days early, then was banned. Why did he buy them legit this time? Who knows/cares, some pirates do buy certain games.

He then goes online to tell everyone his copies are legit and he was banned because of them (he assumes playing early = ban due to misconceptions in gaming media that MS were banning for playing early), while people are arguing back at him saying the modding scene says Forza 3/MW2 were bad rips and he's talking balls, he must be playing copies to get banned. See the raging arguments we've all been having in the Neowin 360 section about playing games early...

Look closely at what the MS tweets have been saying

@iMitch_AvA Incorrect. Legit copy of MW2, Unmodded Xbox, A-ok

Source: http://twitter.com/Stepto/status/5523814460

All the replies saying playing legit copies early is okay have all specified "unmodded Xbox". That's been staring us in the face multiple times and everyone just glosses over it as MS security PR jargon, but I think they maybe have cracked a way to detect modified firmware - To what extent who knows, maybe only with certain drives, maybe only though Wave 4 games, maybe since the NXE update... maybe maybe maybe.

Right now all I can say is if you're a pirate I wouldn't rush out for one of those cheap arcades to firmware flash again ;)

Edited November 11, 2009 by Audioboxer

[Pajter]

I too believe that MS can read firmwares. Only thing that makes complete sense to me.

[George P Global Moderator]

They'll never tell us how, or since when, so everyone is just guessing now. But if they can, and it looks like they can, check firmware now, that's pretty much a major blow. Pretty soon you'll have people who own 2 systems one for pirated that stays offline all the time and a 2nd online not modded for legit games they actually like a do buy.

Either way, MS gets more sales and 3rd party game devs are also happy with the crackdown on pirating.

[George P Global Moderator]

Its just too much of a coincidence that MS releases a small update (the one to prepare for Facebook, LastFM, etc - yea ok!!) and within two weeks thousands of people get banned.

That wasn't the only small update to come out either. AS it sounds they have checked a few times to make sure, not just once per update. So this could've started who knows when.

[Stalk3r]

The 600000 and 1000000 figures come from a rumour, I find it funny that the BBC bases an article on something like that.

[Draken]

hehe the weirdest ***t of all is that my xtreme (not iXtreme) box is not banned :laugh: , that's a proof of the randomness of the banning process

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

hehe the weirdest ***t of all is that my xtreme (not iXtreme) box is not banned :laugh: , that's a proof of the randomness of the banning process

I'm pretty sure you still need to be flagged, as in not instant ban the second you go on Live. I notice you're on Silver, looks like you don't connect to Live often, therefore a window of opportunity to catch your box is probably low.

Most likely MS record data certain times of the day/week which flags consoles for a later ban (IMO).

[acnpt]

The 600000 and 1000000 figures come from a rumour, I find it funny that the BBC bases an article on something like that.

The technology news isn't really a very high prioity, and from past articles it seems that the journos on the tech section can pretty much write whatever they want.

I also think that MS have found a way to read the firmware, especially the lite-ons.

[Brad.]

I havent hooked my xbox to xbox live in a couple of weeks, I'm never going to again :p My two mates both got banned (one didnt even play any games from july until now), so I know I'm banned, but I can still install games to hard drive this way, boo yah!

[Tech Geek Alex]

This is from one of the forum posts over at XBOX ( http://forums.xbox.com/29907138/ShowPost.aspx ) read it carefully and then see my comment below....

"M 4 year old son's console has never been modded and only plays original games. We bought the console brand new back in 2007. This is a load of crap. Microsoft needs to pull their head out of their butt and re-evaluate their current bans because there are several hundred consoles that are not modded being banned. WHY WOULD YOU BAN A 4 YEAR OLD KIDS CONSOLE ANYWAYS? HE DID NOTHING WRONG! HIM AND I ALWAYS PLAY TOGETHER. WE WENT TO PLAY HALO 3 ON LIVE SATURDAY MORNING AND AS SOON AS WE TURNED ON THE CONSOLE IT SAID WE WERE BANNED. "

OK is it just me or does anyone else feel that child services should be called. Your playing HALO with your 4 yr old. And we wonder why kids are so screwed up. (Thats just my opinion and yes I have a kid)

[spenser.d]

You want to see chaos? check this chaos: http://forums.xbox.com/1386/ShowForum.aspx

Heh, that's pretty hilarious. I really enjoy the one about the 4 year old kid :laugh:

I don't know why anyone is surprised that MS would be able to read the firmware and other very vital information off their consoles. They're not stupid - it was probably one of the first abilities they designed into the 360. It was probably also one they hoped they wouldn't have to take advantage of, but everyone getting these bans deserves it. There's no excuse for piracy.

-Spenser

[acnpt]

^^ Yep, shouldn't be letting the kid play it, and sure its the kid's console.

I don't really understand it tbh, take modern warfare 2, on the front it has a larger over 18s warning symbol than 'The Departed' dvd, yet most parents wouldn't buy their children that.

Microsoft must have known some unmodded consoles would get banned, thats why there is a re-evaluation service.

[lee31]

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."

The Xbox 360 is equipped with Digital Rights Management (DRM)technologies to detect pirated software.

But many gamers modify their consoles by installing new chips or software that allows them to run unofficial - but not always illegal - programs and games. However, 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 News

[spenser.d]

https://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?show...844596&st=0

[lee31]

https://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?show...844596&st=0

gggggggr

Why can't people put things in the right section.

[+Warwagon MVC]

I should check to see if mine is one of them that got banned lol. Though I just keep living off the Free 30 days of gold

[Madoshi]

i really don't see why MS couldn't write some code that read and compared the firmware. really, whats keeping them from a read and compare?

therefore i think they did.

i remember when i wanted a 360 and i wanted to mod it too. RROD turned me off and now these bans will probably prevent me from buying a 360 ever (i don't buy brand new and usually i wait 5 or 6 years after launch)