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Microsoft Bans Modified Xbox 360s From Xbox Live
An anonymous reader writes "Microsoft has now officially started banning Xbox 360s that have had their DVD drive firmware modified from Live, possibly using information brought in by the Crackdown-originated Halo 3 beta downloads. Scene site forums have already collapsed under traffic, and Microsoft has officially confirmed that they are banning modded Xbox 360s to keep the online playing field fair and level."
It's keeping it fair by not letting people who didn't pay for the game enjoy the service.
Slashdot - where whining about luck is the new way to make the world you want.
What I'm saying is that unlike software (including music), you don't buy a license to use/listen to it. You buy the physical hardware and you can do whatever you want to it. Now, if you do something that is enabling you to cheat in the game (and breaking the software license), then I don't see why Microsoft shouldn't ban you and the console. However, if you mod it in a way that does not affect gameplay, why should you be banned?
--Thomas J. Owens
What does banning altered consoles have to do with keeping online play 'fair and level'?
I thought that copies are identical to the originals.
One might say that using a modified XBox could mean hacked console firmware to gain unfair advantages, like visual aids, gfx drivers clip hacks, aimbots, tricks with skins, etc.
Another one might say that this is FUD applied to online gaming. After all, we're talking about Microsoft.
I don't see an problem with Microsoft banning people with DVD drives modified to play copied games. It makes it fair for the honest people who payed good money to play. If people with unmodified boxes start getting banned by mistake, then that would be something to worry about.
There's nothing wrong with anti-piracy measures so long as they're unobtrusive and don't effect people with legitimate copies.
In an ideal world people would be able to mod their DVD players to their heart's content without having to worry about things like this.
Unfortunately, we don't live in an ideal world. As a Live player who frequently encounters modders who use their modifications to gain unfair (read ridiculous) advantage over the competition. It's no fun to play the game and service you're paying for when you have opponents with auto-aiming snipers that shoot through walls. Or even if they can just fly (a far more rare and less threatening occurrence that is nonetheless not an exaggeration. As long as stuff like that exists banning modded 360's from live is a good way to protect the greatest part of your paying customer base from such behavior.
You can. They just don't want you to play online against people who have OEM consoles.
If they didn't want you to mod the box at all, they could just brick it.
// "Can't clowns and pirates just -try- to get along?"
It's their network, why shouldn't they ban people that don't play by their rules?
I say this as somebody that purchased a 360 less than a week ago, and loaded up the hacked firmware for my drive less than 24 hours ago.
Am I bummed? Not really. It's a private network, they can do whatever they like with it. Doing anything I want with my hardware sure as shit is my right, but I shouldn't expect other people to be forced to allow me to play on their servers like it's some base human right being violated.
One might say that using a modified XBox could mean hacked console firmware to gain unfair advantages, like visual aids, gfx drivers clip hacks, aimbots, tricks with skins, etc.
Another one might say that this is FUD applied to online gaming. After all, we're talking about Microsoft.
Yup, you nailed it. When talking about Microsoft, boring logic steps back to make way for our creative imagination!
There is a difference between steroids (modding to cheat) and practice time.
While the end result may be the same insofar as those who have more time play better, whining about your circumstance and complaining that you can't compete is pretty pathetic.
Personally, I like the games. I don't really have fun as a political statement.
Slashdot - where whining about luck is the new way to make the world you want.
Look, man, if you want it any more fair than a level playing ground, participate in the special Olympics. Microsoft might suck, a lot, but by no means is it obligated to help everyone feel better about themselves.
1. The 360 is popular because it's a very good product. As is. If someone from "free software land" buys it, they're presumably not buying it to install Linux and turn it into a networked bagel toaster control center.
2. Even if the 360 were highly-moddable and could easily run Linux and function as a workstation and do all kinds of unexpected and exciting things, why should we let the modded Xbox on Live? And why would the modder care at all about being banned from Live? The only modders who would care about that are "pirates" and people who cheat at games.
3. Finally, MS doesn't make much money on things 360. Not yet, anyway. And really, regardless of how I feel about MS's style of competition and no matter what I might like or dislike about them, I don't lose sleep whenever I think about them making money. It's not like they're using the money to burn down forests and put lead in grade school water supplies.
http://nerdcartoons.com/
I'm actually suprised this hasn't happened already...
Like I did with the original Xbox, I believe it would just be a lot easier to own two of them, mod one, and use the other for Xbox Live. Of course, this only becomes more feasible when the console drops in price (or you buy a used one on eBay or similar to mod of course), but in my experience, is the path of least resistance.
'Yes, firefox is indeed greater than women. Can women block pops up for you? No. Can Firefox show you naked women? Yes.'
You might not prefer a Wii if you owned a 50" HDTV. The difference is night-and-day. Its really too bad that Nintendo couldn't manage 720p.
I think in reality it has more to do with piracy. Despite the protestations of "homebrew" people, it's quite obvious what most modchips are for. By denying pirates a substantial chunk of gameplay experience it may help deter a lot of piracy. I'm sure MS would actually brick modded consoles if they knew of a surefire way to do it. Instead, this is a second best option.
Did nobody else find it seemingly coincidental that the banning of modded 360s was orchestrated through a game called "Crackdown"?
> This is analogous to going into a store, buying a shirt, and then stealing a second one
You really need to work on your analogies. There is no way any honest (and reasonably intelligent) person can make a useful analogy between physical items and data like that.
Another good sports analogy that also covers the "I'm free to do what I want with my hardware" argument: corked bats in baseball. Sure, you're free to modify and cork your bat all you want, but that doesn't mean Major League Baseball is going to let you use it in real games.
That _is_ kind of a dumb analogy, considering "modding" your Xbox360, or in this case re-flashing the optical drive firmware gives you no advantage over "the playing field"
Its not like flashing the drive lets you run cheats or install your aimbot. The only playing field in question is shelling out $50 for the games.
Its totally understandable that they are doing this to try to ensure people only buy original games, but it has nothing to do with keeping the playing field fair.
"That _is_ kind of a dumb analogy, considering "modding" your Xbox360, or in this case re-flashing the optical drive firmware gives you no advantage over "the playing field" Its not like flashing the drive lets you run cheats or install your aimbot. The only playing field in question is shelling out $50 for the games. "
Prove it. You can't.
Prove this hack doesn't allow any other hacks to be run. Are you 100% no hacks exist, are you sure right now a hack is being developed off the exploit. Are you sure no hack in the future will ever exist off this exploit? Of course you can't be sure.
That's why they ban any modded Xboxes. You are thinking well right this second nothing bad can be done, they are thinking ya but what about 1 second from now...1 min...1 day....1 month.
Again the rules are simple: 50 bucks a year no modded 360's. Follow them or get banned.
By the way, I don't even own an Xbox360, so I'm not whining Microsoft locked me out after having accepted their terms. However, I do consider that the ability to make backup copies falls under fair use of something I paid for, and which is unrelated (to anyone but Microsoft) to another service I might be purchasing from them (LIVE).
I have a 360, havent flashed it because im rather picky about my games, I do have a friend who flashed his and now we cant play anymore. He is in Florida and im in Missouri but Live is the best way we have found to stay in touch.
They may have lost sales of a game or two from him but they are now going to loose his annual live subscription and the ton of xbox points he goes through. He is the one who talked me into buying my first live arcade game (Settlers of Catan) and he seems to buy every game they put out. I talked to him this morning and he is now talking PS3, I cant help but wonder how many thousands of live users will now do the same? I dont have a problem with fighting piracy but MS may be cutting off it's nose to spite it's face.
It is.
When you spend some time in FPS games, you sooner or later get accused of cheating. Happens even to me from time to time. Personally, I shrug it off as some sign of respect, i.e. that I have to be kinda good to make people think I cheat. Sadly, the truth is probably closer to them being completely inapt. But having my delusions help me think I don't suck as badly as I do.
A prime example would be BF2142 and its myriad ways of detecting enemy presence. Aside of a commander ability that shows all enemies on a mini-map, you can, provided you have the necessary goodies unlocked, do it yourself to some limited extent.
When now someone runs past you, cloaked, and you start shooting him, rest assured that sooner or later a claim of cheating will follow. Ignoring that the "class" you play gets a bonus at detecting cloaked enemies, that you see him as a huge red dot on the mini-map and that you can hear his cloaking device give off a quite annoying whine. Follow your ears and that predator-like blur and you got him in no time.
In other words, any moron with half a clue would've seen him. Still, you can be certain, after you got him a few times (using every time exactly the same approach and you killing him every time exactly at the same spot, which is THE best known "sneak past the enemy" spot on the map to boot), you'll hear laments of cheating.
99% of the false cheating accusations can be traced back to a few reasons:
First, the other player knows the map VERY well and knows what approaches you can come from and where you can't come from. If there's only ONE corridor you can take, he won't bother checking the others.
Second, some games have "radar". Allowed radar, not cheated. Especially the more sci-fi oriented FPSs do. If you ignore it, your loss. Others use it to efficiency.
Third, experience. After playing a few 100 hours, you CAN actually do a headshot with a snapshot. Doesn't work all the time, but I know usually just where I have to direct my facing before switching to the sniper scope to have your head right where it should be. And yes, there are people who can sync-switch weapons, giving you a 99% health taking bullet to the body and switch over to sidearms. There are people who know exactly how long your gun reloads and who count your shots.
Fourth, teamwork. Even without any "real" verbal communication, a lot of games implement now ways to tell your team buddies where the baddies are. No, he didn't see you sneak up. But one of his buddies did and warned him in time to switch from sniper rifle to sidearm, twist around and cap you before you could knife him.
And so on. The list is far from complete, but accusations of cheating in modern games are usually false. Unless people blatantly abuse bugs in the game (like, sinking inside walls so they can't be shot or similar stuff), or blatant use of aimbots, you won't be able to see the difference of a really good gamer and a cheater.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
So while I agree that no matter who moded it and who owns it now, the console should be banned I think it's safe to say that keeping those moded consoles out of the hands of the innocent is very much MS's problem.
Collector's Edition
Its not like flashing the drive lets you run cheats or install your aimbot.
:)
Actually . . .
Google "Coalesced.ini" to see how Gears of War had its ranked leaderboard hijacked by people who were enabled by flashing the drive.
Of course I am not niave enough to think that this is MS's primary motivation here
I don't have to prove anything. You hacked the 360, you broke the rules for live. You now have to prove it CAN NEVER EVER be used for an exploit. Will you guarantee that with your life?
Again to use XBoX LIVE you have to follow the rules. You break them you are gone. It's not a matter of well I only broke this one little rule...
Its their network, they can make any rule they want for you to connect. Not much to see here.
Now, if they start remotely disabling the console that you bought and paid for, then we have some news.
---- Booth was a patriot ----
First of all, the PSP does not brick if you use modded firmware, I've played many games on mine fine. There is only risk of bricking while the firmware is being written to the PSP, obviously if there's a loss of power or something else in the middle of the procedure.
Second, no, it doesn't matter if you revert back to the original drive firmware, your XBox System ID has been banned forever. They don't check for a modded XBox each time you sign in to live and allow/deny access based on whether you're modded or not, they've been data mining information about which systems are modded for a while and now just permanently banned them.
The fun isn't in winning. It's annoying/pissing off the people you're playing with.