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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. I have not experienced cheating yet by MacFury · · Score: 4, Insightful
    I have not experienced cheating yet, However...I have experienced total idiots...AHH!!! Why does everyone turn into an obscenity screaming team killing fool when the play through Xbox Live? I go on to have some fun and I spend half the time reporting pricks to M$.

    It wasn't that bad on Rainbow Six, but it is terrible on Star Wars Battlefront.

  4. damn! by maddh · · Score: 4, Funny

    I had that 'Naked Master Chief' hack all ready for Halo 2 online.

  5. Re:Ooo, suckers by Babbster · · Score: 4, Insightful

    There isn't one psychotic thing about keeping modded consoles off Xbox Live. The bottom line is that if cheating becomes rampant, as it is with other hardware, then Xbox Live as a service is worthless. As it is, with Microsoft aggressively trying to keep cheaters off the system, it's worth the $4-5 a month (at least by the yearly fee) to subscribe for a stable, cheat-free environment.