One Million Xbox Live Users Banned
Microsoft is tired of piracy – and they’re doing something about it in a very big way. In a statement released by the company, they state: All consumers should know that piracy is illegal and that modifying their Xbox 360 console to play pirated discs violates the Xbox Live terms of use, will void their warranty, and result in a ban from Xbox Live..
Reactions around the globe are varied… and passionate on both sides of the coin. Teens who have had their accounts cut off are definitely not happy, even when they fully admit to being guilty of piracy and console modifications. One such banned player, who hails from the UK, told a radio station this morning that he is “gutted” and “distraught” by Microsoft’s decision. He was even noted to be seen crying loudly in public. However, this same person also admits to paying a local electronics shop more than $100.00 to mod his Xbox for him – so he can play pirated games.
While it’s not yet clear how Microsoft knows whose consoles are modded, nor how they came to the conclusions as to who should be banned… I have to give them props. I fail to understand how people (such as the above example) can feel they have been wronged, when in fact they are committing an illegal act. The person in question clearly knew what he was doing was wrong. He knew the games were illegal. He knew he was voiding his warranty – and breaking Microsoft’s EULA – when he took his machine to that shop. Yet he still feels as though he’s an injured party, and that Microsoft should “pay for what they’ve done”?! This makes no sense to me.
Piracy is rampant, and it’s getting worse. The majority of people I see who steal music, movies and software do so simply because they “can”. They feel they prove they are somehow better than others, because they can figure out a way around the rules and laws. They don’t seem to care the impact they are having on the industries themselves… or on those of us who do obtain our things in a legal manner, by purchasing it. They do it for the fun of it.
I had one teen tell me recently in a live chat room that he was pirating games because his parents refuse to buy them for him. They don’t want him gaming for as many hours per day as he does, and they attempt to set limits on him. The kid boasts loudly about the ways he gets around the limitations, and how he steals what it is he wants to play. This is absolutely sad.
What do you think? Is Microsoft right in what they’ve done? Do you feel that banning people who have clearly broken the Terms of Use and/or who have pirated games is the right course of action? It is going to be interesting to watch over the next few weeks, to see how all of this plays out.
mike said,
Wrote on November 11, 2009 @ 5:12 pm
well, i agree that you can't say its their fault, but you can get mad. And when i use pirated stuff its not because i can, its because i have to. I cannot afford the ridiculously priced software. If the software can be free i will get it free obviously. For instance, youtube downloader, xfire, trillian, aim. Why would i pirate these software? Pirated software is always risky.
Michael said,
Wrote on November 12, 2009 @ 3:28 am
If you can't afford it, means you should not have the privilege of using it. It is a total disrespect for the work that people put into creating the product.
Yes I would agree that some companies over price there products (Microsoft particularly) but that does not justify anything.
Jeff said,
Wrote on November 13, 2009 @ 6:36 pm
I don't agree that if you can't afford it you should not have the privilege of using it. I do feel that you should pay for your software, however I do think that a lot of companies over price things way too much. I understand that you need to make money, but I think the problem here is just that people are greedy. The company sets high prices for a greater profit - greed. The consumer wants it for less and there for pirates it - greed. I don't think modding your xbox is wrong, some people want it to do more than it was originally intended for. However I don't think it's right to mod it with the intent of piracy. I myself don't fully understand how Microsoft is able to track who's xbox is legit and who's isn't, but I give them props for what they have done. While I for example, feel they overprice their operating systems, you also have to consider what some companies do in regards to making things cheap or free. For example, Microsoft has given me a lot of valuable software for free via DreamSpark.
mike said,
Wrote on November 13, 2009 @ 9:54 pm
ok sorry about my stupid comment, i wasnt really thinking at the moment. Yes its true that if you cant afford the software you shouldnt have it. But i think some software is just ridiculously expensive and i dont pirate software anymore. For instance, WHY IS ALL ADOBE STUFF SO EXPENSIVE. its same with apple.
Danny said,
Wrote on November 14, 2009 @ 9:09 am
I have pirated movies and music before, mainly because in the country i live, certain music is unavailable or very hard to find, and movies are often very expensive. I have, however, never pirated or modified any of my consoles or video games in any way. I pay for all of my 360 games because i enjoy them so much. I payed for the entire Halo series, because i enjoy the games, and want to contibute towards Microsoft making more Halo games. If i was to be fined or punished in any way for the media i have pirated, i would not protest or cry injustice, because i know what i have done violates laws. I think this crackdown on game piracy is a good thing. I think it will spur other companies to fight against law breakers.
Simon said,
Wrote on November 14, 2009 @ 9:30 am
I think we all agree that piracy is wrong. But if the companies put down their ludicrous prices, i think they would see a rise in sales. I would have happily payed for Adobe Photoshop if it was at a more reasonable price, but 200$? I could never have afforded that, and i needed the program for work. As a potential customer i was forced to download it illegally. Its crazy, the companis have gone power mad. And with a projected rise in the prices of videogames, i think they are only throwing gasoline on the fire. This is teenage kids we're talking about, only the ones with rich, loving parents can go to daddy and ask for a new game. Every other kid who has to save up his money from his part time job to get the new game is getting screwed over. 80$ for a 16 year old could be what he gets in a year.
Odviously videogames are not his highest priority either, maybe he likes music, or maybe he is in a club where you have to pay. Its not fair to price the products so high.
C3CEO said,
Wrote on November 14, 2009 @ 11:53 am
I know piracy is illegal and companies have to get paid for the work they created. However, we all know there are a lot of games, software, movies, and other media that boast how great they are but after you pay full price it's not what you expect. Then to top it off, most of the time you cannot return it to the store for a refund after you opened it. So how do we try the product before we buy? Demos? How many demos have you tried that did not truthfully reflect the total product? A demo is another advertisement... I'm not advocating piracy, but until the industry find a way to present their products in such a way that allows the consumer to try it before you buy it (and what they are trying is the actual product), piracy will continue.
mike said,
Wrote on November 14, 2009 @ 2:22 pm
YES definetely i would definetely buy software if it was cheaper. But the only thing i have pirated on my computer right now is dreamweaver and office. But i actually just found the paid for office so i actually paid full price for that. But i do not pirate xbox 360 games just because they are so amazing. However, i do not want to have to pay a full price for a software and have it suck.... And a lot of times the demo is way less than the game like c3ceo said.
Andrew said,
Wrote on November 15, 2009 @ 1:03 am
Ok, this is short, but. I THINK(in no way does this mean that it is correct or even close to being correct so please enlighten me, I love learning new things so argue if you find reason to, not because you're a prick let us all keep this mature) that part of the reason some software is expensive is because if one million people steal MC2 then that's only a small 60Million dollars that companies are losing to piracy. So if everyone was responsible then we would probably have lower prices. And just an idea, but if you could rent software or something to that concept I think that would make software like "final cut studio" that costs 1000 dollars much easier to afford. And by rent I'm thinking that you need an internet connection to use the software and then like LIVE it expires and no longer lets you connect to use it after your prepaid time is up. But that's just an idea.
Andrew said,
Wrote on November 15, 2009 @ 1:05 am
But back to point, I think that banning all those people is a great idea. I have never downloaded anything illegal ever and I plan on keeping it that way.
pi$$ed 0ff said,
Wrote on November 15, 2009 @ 4:49 pm
Who care's? MS deserve it. I used to be a paying member of xbox live. When my 360 RROD'd MS claimed my console had been tampered, when nobody had touched it. It was bought new and never opened. They refused to fix and I had to fix it up myself. After that I thought might as well get it flashed too. F*** U MS. You banned me but I got $$$$ of free games. And by the way, you just banned 1,000,000 consoles. How many u got left now? I'm never buying a 360 again F*** xbox live.
Vittorio said,
Wrote on November 17, 2009 @ 3:50 pm
I think microsoft is clever really, your xbox sends them statistics through your internet connection via xbox live, and they can determine if it's been tampered with or not. I don't see what the bellowing is all about. If you break the rules there are consequenses. Idea, mod your xbox, only play it offline with your "free" games. Get a PS3 and buy the ones you want to play online, and play for free. I really never understood why people like the 360 interface better. You can do more with PS3. Not to mention microsoft is combining there pc servers with there xbox servers, so if u are a console player, have fun playing with all the pc hack/cheaters out there. That was the whole idea behind paying for xbox live, so you could play in a controlled enviornment without cheaters.
Jon said,
Wrote on November 18, 2009 @ 10:36 am
Here is my thoughts on this. What if you live in a household with kids who have a tendency to scratch a disk. Or you bump your xbox 360 and scratch the disk??? I own all my games, and I thought we were allowed to make a LEGAL back up of the media as long as we own what is backed up?
Some of us who modded our systems to play our own backed up media get banned for it? I think they need to have a better check system. I am not loaded enough to go spend $60.00 + on a game have the disk get scratched in some way shape or form then if I want to continue playing said game go out and spend another $60+ on it again so I can get replacement media.
If microsoft is serious against piracy then require cd key checks or register a cd key / game with your xbox live account. So when you play your back up media the know you still own it.
D1RGE.EXE said,
Wrote on November 18, 2009 @ 3:22 pm
My problem with this is Microshaft's timing. They could have done this AT ANY TIME. Instead, they waited for the day AFTER the biggest game in history comes out, after millions of copies of the game were pre-sold or bought. Now all those people own legitimate copies of the game, but cannot use it until they pay at LEAST another $200 to Microshaft.
This confirms why I will never own another console, ever. I don't hate Microshaft, but this really leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Terrible timing, terrible move. Should have been done a long time ago, not now. They didn't hurt the pirates, they hurt the good users that paid for the game. Swatting flies with a grenade.
D1RGE.EXE said,
Wrote on November 18, 2009 @ 3:29 pm
@ Vittorio,
Even though they combined xbox servers with PC servers, you don't play against PC players. LIVE games are cheat-detecting, so there are not the cheaters you say, just people using a better interface (mouse+KB), pwning you so hard you scream HAXXX!!! like a little girl. Controller is a terrible interface to use for FPS games, this is too well known. Either way I would rather play with hackers and cheaters than the 10-year old brats all over the xbox live network, one day on Halo was enough to keep me from ever trying it again.
Fx said,
Wrote on November 18, 2009 @ 7:49 pm
Screw Xbox and their poorly made products & the Ring of Death. And yes I modded mine but I don't play it online since they want to charge for that. Love Free games and software and dvd's are nice as well. F^*% MS !!!
Vittorio said,
Wrote on November 19, 2009 @ 1:49 pm
lol, playing with a mouse and keyboard is lame. Sure u can pwn someone who is using a controller, b/c all you have to do is point and click, its easy as hell to target someone when all you have to do is scroll over them. Try using a joystick that takes a little more coordination. PC FPS players hate on console systems b/c it's not as easy for them to get that leet score, not to mention if they suck using a controller, they are gonna get owned anyways. As far as game prices go, I'm with you on that. I used to spend 60$ to 120$ a week console games. Now I mainly play MMO. So I pay around 350$ a year instead of something like 2600$. I like the cd key idea too. If they are really worried about pirates, then they should figure out a better way to stopped their games from being ripped from the discs in the first place, then impliment a way for you to download a backup of the game to your hard drive if you have the cd key.
Pedro:) said,
Wrote on December 8, 2009 @ 3:54 pm
i got banned from xbox live just because i stabbed everybody in modern warfare 2 and they left me to many reports