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New Xbox Live Security Update Bans Cheaters

Posted by Zonk on from the off-with-their-heads! dept.

NiteStar writes "Major Nelson, the Xbox Live Director of Programming, has released a statement stating they have initiated additional security measures on the Xbox Live service. These measures are aimed to block out cheaters who used modifications to gain an unfair advantage over other players, such as faster cars in Project Gotham Racing 2. He also says "Modified consoles will be banned, and information about those banned machines will be tracked to prevent them from connecting to the service again." Thanks also to BlueMoon who wrote in to mention that "The Xbox enjoyed 53% market share among consoles in the UK last week."

5 of 48 comments (clear)

  1. So? by ASkGNet · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Certainly, one could follow common sense and don't connect with his modded XBox to Live.

    Alternatively, one could modify the Live component to always return Good, regardless of actual status

  2. Hacking the real issue? by (SM)+Spacemonkey · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The article seems to suggest the justifcation for these bans is hacking. However they are blanket banning everyone with a modified console. People don't mod their xbox so they can hack. They mod their xbox, so they can play copied games, or a media centre. I think, the issue is, microsoft loses a large chunk of money on each xbox sold, and tries to make up for it with volume on games sold. If people are buying their xbox to mod, and not buying the games to cover it, microsoft loses money. If it was merely about hacking, they could just ban by instance of hacking, not potential to hack. I support your right to mod your xbox, it is, after all, yours. But it also seems logical that microsoft has the right to only offer the live service for the equipment they choose.

  3. Ooo, suckers by Zareste · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Modified consoles will be banned, and information about those banned machines will be tracked to prevent them from connecting to the service again.

    Heh, "Oh, just this once, I'll buy a game system from the world's most psychotic computer company. What's the worst that could happen?"

    'Course I'm not one to complain, I actually bought a PS2. It doesn't read disks now. The ONE time I steer away from Nintendo and it bites me in the ass...

    --
    I am NOT a number! I am a - oh wait, I'm number 761710. Look! 761710!
  4. Action Replay by Araxen · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Does this mean they'll ban people who use this device? If they do there will not be many people left on Xbox live.

  5. I'm pretty sure that by Geoffreyerffoeg · · Score: 3, Interesting

    there's no way to detect the physical presence of a modchip per se; they're looking for a modded BIOS and/or a modded game. If you install a modchip with multiple BIOS banks and switch to the original (MS) BIOS before going to Live, I'm pretty sure that they won't notice. That should save the people who use XBMC, Cromwell (Linux boot only), alternative BIOSes like EvoX solely for the emulators, etc.

    Besides, there's no reason to ban non-modded boxes with a third-party BIOS chip (it isn't really a modchip now, is it?).