Spamming on Xbox Live?

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Posted by ryuzaki0 on Friday March 17, 2006 @07:26AM from the feel-the-burning-love dept.

jayintune writes "2old2play has an interesting article about spamming on Xbox Live. The new 360 version of Burnout Revenge rewards players with Live Achievement points for spamming members of their friends list with links to Burnout player videos. The catch is that you need to own the game to view any of these videos."

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Yes! More Spam! by altoz · 2006-03-17 07:27 · Score: 1

Might fly in Hawaii, not anywhere else, though.
Groan. by Rob+T+Firefly · 2006-03-17 07:32 · Score: 3, Insightful

Can we not implement a single goddamned form of person-to-person communication without it getting spammed?

Well, if it's going to happen on Xbox Live, it may as well be Microsoft spam.

--
Slashdot Burying Stories About Slashdot Media Owned
1. Re:Groan. by -kertrats- · 2006-03-17 07:48 · Score: 1
  
  I understand there are some interesting things going on regarding "in-person talking", which looks like it might have some promise.
  
  --
  The Braying and Neighing of Barnyard Animals Follows.
2. Re:Groan. by Rob+T+Firefly · 2006-03-17 08:03 · Score: 2
  
  I remember the last time I tried that. We were walking down 7th Avenue in Manhattan, holding a quiet friendly conversation which was broken only by the leaflet distributors at every corner informing us of clothing sales and nude girls, the large angry man with the megaphone proclaiming how Whitey was evil, the Scientologists inviting us to please come see their stress-reducing movie, and the friendly Nigerian price who wishes to deposit sixty millions of American dollars into my bank account.
  
  ...ok, I made up that last one.
  
  --
  Slashdot Burying Stories About Slashdot Media Owned
The Summary is Incorrect. by Blackwulf · 2006-03-17 07:37 · Score: 5, Informative

No, I'm not new here, I know what I say will not make a lick of difference, but I'm gonna say it anyway.

You do NOT need to spam your friends list to get the achievements in Burnout 360. The achievement is awarded BEFORE you get to the "Want to tell your friends?" screen. There are three options: Tell nobody, Tell ALL of your friends, or Tell SOME of your friends. For some reason, people assume to hit the middle option, even when the top option is the default.

I have gotten those achievements without sending a single message to a single person on my friends list.
1. Re:The Summary is Incorrect. by _Sharp'r_ · 2006-03-17 07:42 · Score: 1
  
  Hmmm... at what point will someone with a hacked 360 figure out how to setup replacing the video with your own video from another source just before it's sent to all their friends?
  
  Imagine the possibilities...
  
  --
  The party of stupid and the party of evil get together and do something both stupid and evil, then call it bipartisan.
2. Re:The Summary is Incorrect. by wift · 2006-03-17 07:45 · Score: 1
  
  wish I had karma points to bump you up. *sigh* Good post.
  
  --
  ....... Thus ends my attempt at wit or whatever
3. Re:The Summary is Incorrect. by Evod · 2006-03-17 07:46 · Score: 1
  
  Well, since we are complaining about the summary being incorrect, let's go for the double point score. RTFA. The article is about an achievement for getting people to view clips by inviting them to download them (ie. spamming your friends list in hopes that more people view your clip and you get points...).
4. Re:The Summary is Incorrect. by Blackwulf · 2006-03-17 07:57 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  From what I can tell of what you download, it's just like how it saves a replay in Burnout. So it's not actual video, but rather data on what objects go where that is then rendered in the game engine.
5. Re:The Summary is Incorrect. by Saige · 2006-03-17 07:58 · Score: 1
  
  Not possible.
  
  The message only tells you to go look at the videos of for new clips. The actual video is stored on EA's servers.
  
  --
  "You know your god is man-made when he hates all the same people you do."
6. Re:The Summary is Incorrect. by Blackwulf · 2006-03-17 08:04 · Score: 1
  
  The wording is correct. There is a feature in Burnout to view the shared clips of people on your friends list, and of the last 20 players you played online in that game. All the message does is notify you that there you've shared a clip.
  
  If you got that message from me (nobody has, but let's pretend), you would then have to go into Burnout, go to the Xbox Live menu, select My Friends Clips, find my gamerpic in the list of friends in your friends list, THEN you could see ALL of the clips I had shared, whether I notified you of them or not.
  
  It works the same way for "reccomended" clips, which are essentially you liking a clip someone ELSE shared.
  
  So the wording is correct, but the assumption based on that wording is incorrect. I blame EA/Criterion for making it this confusing.
7. Re:The Summary is Incorrect. by Nerdfest · 2006-03-17 08:08 · Score: 1
  
  Hey, what about those of us that don't have any friends? I feel so neglected.
8. Re:The Summary is Incorrect. by Retroneous · 2006-03-17 08:19 · Score: 1
  
  And why is it not possible, pray tell?
  
  Answer: It is possible. EA has a server that's going to hold millions of videos of Burnout replays...possible too. You don't know either way.
  
  EA's server might just hold a file that tells the console what goes where in the game engine and at what point in time.
  
  --
  My Mind Is Rewired. Is Yours?
9. Re:The Summary is Incorrect. by Saige · 2006-03-17 08:24 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  To view a video, you need to look up a friend in the "Clips" section of the game's UI. Then you get a list of up to three videos that the other user has shared. When you view one, it's downloaded to your HD, and then played - through the game, using the game engine. You can actually change the camera view while watching this video. So it's not just a recording that can be replaced with any other video. It's game replay data.
  
  That's why it's not possible.
  
  --
  "You know your god is man-made when he hates all the same people you do."
10. Re:The Summary is Incorrect. by Retroneous · 2006-03-17 08:29 · Score: 1
  
  That'll teach me to check the parent threads more carefully...I thought you were saying "Not possible" to the guy who said exactly that. My mistake. Ooops! :)
  
  --
  My Mind Is Rewired. Is Yours?
11. Re:The Summary is Incorrect. by Saige · 2006-03-17 09:08 · Score: 1
  
  And if I read more carefully, I would have realized you were arguing in FAVOR of my point. :)
  
  --
  "You know your god is man-made when he hates all the same people you do."
Gak by MilenCent · 2006-03-17 07:41 · Score: 2, Insightful

This is the first crack in the uniform murmur of approval for the Xbox Live Achievements feature. Word is that Microsoft actually demands that all games include some Achievements, implying that some kind of editorial process is in place. That these kinds of achievements made it by seems to indicate that it's either not a very good process, or the guidelines in place are not well thought out, or that they merely confirm the existance of Achievements without looking at what they are.
1. Re:Gak by Grimrod · 2006-03-17 08:08 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  Check out the latest Computer Games Magazine. I've got an article in there called "I Like To Score" that has all the details of Gamerscore right from MS themselves. Basically, it's up the publishers how to handle it. There are minimum and maximum numbers you can work with whether the game is on disc or on Live Arcade, but there's not a whole lot else that they restrict.
2. Re:Gak by twistedsymphony · 2006-03-17 08:58 · Score: 1
  
  I don't think you full understand what the achievements in question really are...
  
  I actually own the game, there are 2 achievements that deal with replay clips:
  
  1. Share a replay clip online. Basically you play a level and you can save up to 30 seconds of the replay into a clip and share it online. it goes onto the EA servers somewhere and once it's there other people can view it. NO WHERE does it require you to even mention it's existence to anyone. Simply that you create it and put it on the servers where others can access it.
  
  2. The "Celebrity" Achievement. This achievement is what is referred to as an "Exclusive Achievement". Which is any achievement that only a few people in the entire world will have. Quake 4 and Ghost Recon both have similar achievement that you can only earn by reaching Rank #1 on the online leaderboards... This achievement in Burnout can only be earned if your video is one of the top 20 most downloaded Burnout videos. Again no where does it require you to tell a single person of the videos existence or spam anyone.
  
  The problem is that EA/Criterion essentially included a video notification (read: spam) tool, so every Xbox 360 owner who also has a myspace account gets the idea that they could somehow get into the top 20 by constantly spamming everyone they know or come in contact with.
  
  The real kicker is that its literally impossible for someone to see the clip unless A. they have and are playing the burnout game, and B. they're on your friends list or you recently played with them. Unless both of those criteria are met you can't view anyone's clips... UNLESS the clip is in the top 20, then anyone with the game can view the top 20... So what happens is the top 20 are continually solidifying their position in the top 20, because those are really the only videos most people have easy access to. Even worse then that more then half of the videos in the top 20 are dated PRE RELEASE of the game, meaning they're probably left over from testing and industry insiders who received a copy early, which makes the achievement even more exclusive and harder to earn.
  
  There's nothing wrong with the achievements but shame on EA for including the spam feature to give people false hopes of getting their clip in the top 20.
  
  --
  Collector's Edition
3. Re:Gak by Anonymous Coward · 2006-03-17 09:16 · Score: 0
  
  Well, the first thing I did was to go and mod all of your recent posts as -1 overrated.
  
  Thanks for the suggestion, I knew that saving those points these past few days would pay off.
4. Re:Gak by MilenCent · 2006-03-17 10:39 · Score: 1
  
  Ah, interesting. Worth investigating....
5. Re:Gak by jchenx · 2006-03-18 06:29 · Score: 1
  
  I agree. I love Achievements as much as any other 360 owner, and I'll admit to sharing my clips and recommending them to a friend in order to get the "freebie" achievements. (After all, I got one of the "spams" myself from a friend) But it is rather dubious and if I were an editor/tester for EA (or whoever is in charge of this), I'd wag my finger and say this is a bad idea.
  
  Then there are also those games which reward hundreds of points for doing very little. Most EA sports games, unfortunately, are set this way.
  
  I hope there's a better process in the future for testing achievements. They shouldn't be lame to get. They shouldn't require spamming your friends. They shouldn't be TOO hard to get (playing the game at least one should net you half of the achievements).
  
  Unfortunately, I don't know how MS can drive such requirements without pissing off developers. Maybe future developers will see that doing achievements RIGHT will generate more sales. Or maybe they'll see that doling out easy points for those achievement-whores out there, is actually the better business decision ...
  
  --
  -- jchenx
6. Re:Gak by MilenCent · 2006-03-18 16:38 · Score: 1
  
  Well, I'm unsure that that much control needs to be exerted over the achievement process. We know that Microsoft mandates that each game give out at least a certain number of points, and since there are many different kinds of games, it stands to reason that too strict a control over what kinds of achievements can be granted can be harmful.
  
  What I'm saying is, in the long run there are probably more than a few companies who would be willing to use the feature as a means of promotion more than an aspect of the game.
Gosh! by Strell · 2006-03-17 08:11 · Score: 1

What might happen if these people try to elect a president?

:)

--
I'm not scared of anonymous cowards.
Clue... by Malor · 2006-03-17 08:28 · Score: 2

Folks, a high gamertag score is NOT an achievement. It's just bullshit marketing.

Don't buy the hype. "Ooh, my number is bigger than yours! I'm better/smarter/faster!"
1. Re:Clue... by JamesonTheIrish · 2006-03-17 08:54 · Score: 2, Interesting
  
  i'll admit it, i will play cod2 again on veteran just to get the points, even though i'm aware it is completely pointless. i'd love to see the points actually be useful...maybe a free live arcade game for every 5k? it will never happen, and the only reason to collect the points will be to flex nuts to other gamers.
2. Re:Clue... by general_re · 2006-03-17 09:06 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  "Ooh, my number is bigger than yours! I'm better/smarter/faster!"
  Dude, shut up. I've been getting a free ride off this four-digit UID ("Oooh, my number is smaller than yours! I'm better/smarter/faster!") for *years* now, and you're gonna screw it all up....
  :^)
  
  --
  ABSURDITY, n.: A statement or belief manifestly inconsistent with one's own opinion.
3. Re:Clue... by Swanktastic · 2006-03-17 09:07 · Score: 1
  
  "Ooh, my number is bigger than yours! I'm better/smarter/faster!"
  
  I have more gamer points than you! I'm richer and have more free time... :p
4. Re:Clue... by Morgon · 2006-03-17 09:28 · Score: 1
  
  Uhoh. Tell that to the pages upon pages of gamers listed on the GamerScore Leaderboard.
  
  --
  [DISCLAIMER: This post is a work of satire and should not be misconstrued as a holy text upon which to base a religion.]
5. Re:Clue... by HiredMan · 2006-03-17 12:26 · Score: 1
  
  Smaller still!
  [Duke Nuke Voice]Suck it down![/DNV]
  ;)
  =tkk
  
  --
  Bill Gates - Creationist?!?
6. Re:Clue... by imroy · 2006-03-17 20:15 · Score: 1
  
  Beat ya both :)
7. Re:Clue... by HiredMan · 2006-03-18 03:08 · Score: 1
  
  [Killer Instinct Voice] Humiliation! [/KIV]
  Damn! ;)
  =tkk
  
  --
  Bill Gates - Creationist?!?
Re:Yes! More Spam! by Guppy06 · 2006-03-17 08:31 · Score: 1

Your joke is too locallized for anybody to get.
That's why by The-Bus · 2006-03-17 08:57 · Score: 2, Insightful

Xbox Live has the option to "ignore member" and also lets you remove people from your friends list. Anyone willing to spam me isn't my friend.

--
Small potatoes make the steak look bigger.
1. Re:That's why by Anonymous Coward · 2006-03-17 17:33 · Score: 0
  
  you and i have both been spammed and you know it!
Re:Yes! More Spam! by Anonymous Coward · 2006-03-17 09:02 · Score: 0

No it's not.

But it's not very funny either.
Re:Yes! More Spam! by bigman2003 · 2006-03-17 09:11 · Score: 1

Yeah, only about 250 million Americans, and a butt-load of Japanese will know what he is talking about.

--
No reason to lie.
You need to own a game to see a replay?! by Zangief · 2006-03-17 09:35 · Score: 2, Interesting

Sheesh! What other bullshit will they come up with next? Maybe they will get this crazy idea that you need to own a game to play it!

(People are getting to sensitive about stuff. Yes, they could distribute a wmv of the replay instead, but blah, somehow I don't feel like downloading 15 megs of my friend last crazy crash.)
1. Re:You need to own a game to see a replay?! by geminidomino · 2006-03-18 18:25 · Score: 1
  
  I think you missed the fact that, while you need the game to see the replay (obviously), you apparently DON'T need the game to be spammed by some twat offering to let you see the replay.
Re:Yes! More Spam! by ChronoReverse · 2006-03-17 10:55 · Score: 1

And at least one Canadian since I know how they love their spam.
Just what the world needs.... by Zibara · 2006-03-17 11:36 · Score: 1

This is just what the world needs: more spam. How is this good in any way?
Spamming on Xbox Live? by Trogre · 2006-03-17 12:40 · Score: 0, Flamebait

Yes, I wish he'd stop doing that.

How many articles have we seen from Zonk recently that are basically XboxLive ads?

Or should that be Spamming on /. about Xbox Live?

--
"Nine times out of ten, starting a fire is not the best way to solve the problem." - my wife
Yes! by Kittie+Rose · 2006-03-17 13:47 · Score: 0

http://epiadv.netfirms.com/june2005_ep1p1.gif BIG PENIS!

--
EpiAdv - if you like Pokey the Penguin, try this comic!
Good old MS/EA union by H01ym0ses · 2006-03-17 18:14 · Score: 1

I was wondering how long it would be before someone invented Console SPAM..!! YAY microsoft and ea for making my dreams a reality.... someone shoot me now so I can die happy or something like that.. what's next OO I know lets do bulk mailers for prostetic repro organs........ /cry