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Spamming on Xbox Live?

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."

12 of 45 comments (clear)

  1. Groan. by Rob+T+Firefly · · 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.

    1. Re:Groan. by Rob+T+Firefly · · 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.

  2. The Summary is Incorrect. by Blackwulf · · 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 Blackwulf · · 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.

    2. Re:The Summary is Incorrect. by Saige · · 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."
  3. Gak by MilenCent · · 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 · · 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.

  4. Clue... by Malor · · 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 · · 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 · · 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.
  5. That's why by The-Bus · · 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.

  6. You need to own a game to see a replay?! by Zangief · · 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.)