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Xbox 360 Update Shuts Out Hackers, Fixes Issues
Gamasutra reports on the update to the Xbox 360's Live element, which fixes a number of bugs and smooths out certain elements of the system. It, allegedly, is also intended to shut out folks trying to hack Microsoft's new console by making the demo disc unusable on retail machines. From the article: "The demo disc in question was produced for Xbox 360 retail demo kiosks, and was found not to contain any copy-protection when hackers obtained their own unauthorized copy of the software in mid-December ... meaning it was possible to run demo versions of the Xbox 360 software on the disc on burned media. Several commenters on website Xbox-Scene seem to confirm that the disc is no longer functional."
Probably not, but I thought I'd ask. Did they add anything new that's good?
Stasis is death. Embrace change.
Despite MS's efforts, I feel safe saying it's still only a matter of time before a modded 360 becomes a reality.
If forums teach us anything, it is that logic and critical thinking should be required courses in the public schools.
Isn't that what updates are supposed to do? I see no reason this should have been posted, even if a number of slashdot readers own XBox 360's, and probably want to Mod it when it's hacked.....
Allegedly? The article quotes Major Nelson (The Figurehead of Xbox Live) saying it does that. In what way does that qualify as "alleged" information?
I can understand why Microsoft is so protective of their XBox system, but for the sake of covering their own behinds, they have ignored an entire niche market (xbox hackers). I am curious to find out what percentage of original xbox's have mods made to them. There are dozens of different mods out there that enhance what Microsoft has put together.
Instead of shunning these people, embrace them. Give them opportunities to mod the Xbox. Lend them code or reference design information. Do it with the idea that if you do, Microsoft will not honor parts or all of their warranty.
Really, why would Microsoft really care about this? All it is is more Xbox units being sold and more money in their pocket. I see it as a win-win situation.
Again, Microsoft screws up, then disables functionality of the device.
And this is the encouragement to buy a 360? That they can force a flash upgrade on me at anytime to disable the ability to play a certain file or something?
If M$ is able to push out updates to consoles via the web as I read the story, how long 'till hackers put the XBox 360 onto their own network and simply reprogram it?
Did someone forget to tell Microsoft they aren't in the pc market anymore?
Nintendo has always sold it consoles for a profit perhaps only losing slight amounts of money right around when it cut prices on the GameCube to $99. Selling at a loss is a recent thing, done by companies that can survive off of other products until revenue from game licenses kicks up. Nintendo, as a company that lives and dies by video games and consoles alone, has always had to sell the system itself at a small profit to stay in business.
If it's for-profit but free, you're not the customer -- you're the product (e.g., the Slashdot Beta's "audience").
Why prevent the demo disc from being played?
It presumably doesn't contain the full version of the games. This disc is basically free advertising. If people play a copied demo and like what they see, then they'll go out and by the retail copy of the game. Isn't that the entire point of a demo disc?
The only reasonable explanation would be if the disc contained demos from 3rd party publishers, in which case Microsoft is presumably contractually obliged to not distribute their demos outside of the in-store kiosks.
Hope all the hypesters are happy with a product that retroactively applies mandatory limitations to your system, and, by proxy, to the software you've already purchased.
Apparently, bending over so far for Microsoft has left your rear ends vulnerable for a nice surprise.
"So every unit sold for homebrew modding for Linux, or modding for running pirated titles, is a financial loss, since it won't have any game sales to offset the loss and turn a profit."
You know what's an even bigger loss, both financially and in a PR sense? An unsold unit. I can't believe the doublethink some people go through to justify buying an MS product.
Vino, gyno, and techno -Bruce Sterling
I've sold less Xbox360 units than Microsoft, yet I still think they are in a better position to make money off of them.
It does do them *some* good to sell boxes.
...If you were willing to give up the Xbox 360's ability to play online, perhaps even the ability to play games, period, would the box still be useful? Could one install Linux on the HD and use it as a DVR, for instance? Or is the hardware locked up so tightly that, unless you boot using a special trick each and every time, it's not useful?
Been meaning to ask this since the original "woohoo, 'hackers' released an ISO of an unprotected XBox 360 demo disk" article: how's this hacking anyway? What's the coding or even cracking challenge in making an ISO of a DVD? How's it "news for nerds, stuff that matters"?
It's just piracy, and of the kind that doesn't need any skills. Any kid with a DVD drive and Nero or any other DVD burning program can make an ISO.
Now I can see how, say, finding an exploit to boot Linux on the original XBox was "hacking" (in either meaning of the word you swear by). Or how those people who made the PSP load *ahem* "homebrewn games" (strange how those are only waved around as an excuse to load _pirated_ commercial games) were "hackers".
But pirating an unprotected DVD? Gimme a break.
A polar bear is a cartesian bear after a coordinate transform.
"If you were willing to give up the Xbox 360's ... ability to play games, would the box still be useful?"
Why should it be? It has *3* 3.2 ghz cores and a video card worth about twice as much as the $300 console itself.
If people could buy this system for the hardware and never play games, M$ would lose a ton of money. They lose money on the hardware and make it back on each game sold.