my console is not modified i have done nuthing wrong and i have been banned its an absoulte jokei disgusted with microsoft

do you need to be a gold member before u get banned from xbox live?

microsoft says they are only going to be banning only modded consoles, but there has been numerous reports from people claiming to have non-modded consoles that are being banned. will there be any recourse for these problems? i wonder. I agree with croniksoft about this, it wasn't worth the time and effort on their part, they did this with the main purpose of "trying" to stop people from copying games, just because they cant sign in to live, doesn't mean they are going to stop what they're doing. I know Microsoft has the power to do it, but the bottom line is this: JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN DO SOMETHING, DOESN'T MEAN YOU SHOULD

Guys,

We are all missing the point; MS is the devil in Technology.

This people are trying to make a profit out of everything. Come on people.
How is it that a halo avatar (or how ever you call those things) is going to be 5$ something that I think should be free.

There are so many things that are just so wrong, I mean just take a sec and think about it.
50$ for one year live and on top of that you really don’t get s***, just be able to play games with your friends “online”, Why not make it a lil open, let you make the decision of paying for there service or just picking another service(another server).witch you can play.

Why not make it open and let people play around with it, is there Xbox, they pay 400$ for it and they cant do s*** with it, just wait for MS to come up with more ways to take there money.

I think M$ is coming to an end, Open source Technology might be the best solution for gaming from my point of view. Just take a sec and think about it. Let’s say MS decides not to be the b**** they are and open a lil bit the “game”, letting you run Homebrew. You install some type of Linux dashboard or maybe a complete Linux OS, you are going to have so much more fun went you see you will be able to add all these new cool features such as adding and external hdd maybe a cd/dvd burner ect. In other words turn it in to a gaming/pc system.

About what I said earlier regarding Open source gaming here is a link about people that share the same ideals I do http://www.planeshift.it/

FYI: This live bull s*** will be solve soon, same s*** wend “NT” came out, they said it will be best Technology out there and guess what, Hacking community abbreviated that to “Nice Try”. They say that for every single Product they come out with. Just take a look at vista and you will see what I am talking about.

Please take a look at it,

Sorry for my poor writing, Please leave no feed back about that.

Happy gaming

Im just waiting for the other things i mod to get shut down... i changed the rims on my car.. pwned.. i changed my harddrive in my dell pc.. doh.. i added sugar to my frosted flakes.. (blech). i doubt it would be that bad but if it stands it very well could be.. my system got banned.. i just topped off my live account for another year. i just paid and downloaded new tracks for guitar hero II, bought the new dungeon on Oblivion (which none of the new content loads without live), not to mention i bought several movies and was about to get out there and get me a new harddrive. I played a few copies that i own the retails for now.. yes developers should get their dues and get their money.. but look at the gaming scene.. compared to that of the old it is really lacking.. you cannot honestly say that every game that comes out you can buy and be satisfied with it? if you could places like Gamestop would be out of business. All i know is i used to pay out the wang for downloadable content and the actual live itself.. if they wanted to stop piracy go after the portion that i wasnt actively paying for. I read the EULA and i understand that i violated some terms so im fine.. but what about my friend who got his system and it gave him a red ring of death.. and he sent it in and waited months.. MONTHS. and finally get it back and is banned? just got it back from microsoft. i know they opened the box maybe changed out a few things to make it run better.. is that considered modding? or did they just give him a modded box back in the mail, not checking to firmware on the drive because it seemed to be working. I violated and said my peace but what about that kid?? we called microsoft and they are strictly not even listening to a word he says.. their exact words are were "banned consoles are not negotioable, your account is still useable just not from that account" nice one.

http://i29.photobucket.c...trajamie/mooresmack.gif

fuk you you fukin tea-drinker

My 360 is not modded and i got banned. i called they said they cant help me. **** MICROSOFT.
Hello MAC & HELLO Sony

I find that hard to believe... Not that you got banned, but that they can't help you.

How much did you persist?

The same thing happened to me, my console was banned yet ive never modded it! i phoned xbox customer support and they said they cant help me. Ive sent them emails and phoned them again and they will not do anything about it. If this has happened to anyone else please get in touch with me, we need microsoft to fix this problem.

happened to me to mate phoned them 4 times even talked to the manager he gave me a link that didint exist

Well obviously this has hit quite a few fans. Some though did take the damage and are now selling "off line versions" of the xbox 360 second hand. As long as they say that you cant play on line with it! It can be a good deal!

Some seem to think that they can play foul with the EEPROM to change the serial. Except..few know where the serial is hidden on an xbox360. And some are waiting for the mod scene to find a solution.

So that is what has become of it..

My point here is that though with the original xbox you really added allot of extra functions that made it a much sweeter box. And even though many lost their on line access through bans then they kept their own ones as media machines.

So what do the firmware and other mods for the xbox360 really bring in? Oh you can play "backup games"! Mmmm except that backup games is by far not the right wording. Illegal copy is more a right word.

The USA after all got DMCA right, that prohibits the cracking of security, how inept in design it might be to get to the content. And guess what on the disc stands "make no unauthorized copies"

The unmodded xbox 360 already is a media monster by using the legal tools available for it. So the mods really only allow people to use Verbatim coasters as "play discs". And the first game hacks already been shown with Gears of War!

Remember nobody pays either Microsoft or the developers of the games for the copied disc! Making a high quality game takes lots of cash and lots of time! And yes games are expensive but unlike food or clean water, you don't need games to life. If you are to poor well to bad you are to poor to buy them! Buying copies only kills the few good game studios that are left :!

And the "but fair use". Sorry DMCA killed Fair use! Complain to your local politician if you want that changed!

The "This will cost Microsoft allot of money" issue also is a joke! Really would anybody cry when cheap freeloaders that doesn't give the game studios their due cant use 30% of what makes the xbox360 a good console. It isn't as if you did pay money to the developers.

All in all a good clean sweep to show the real appreciation to those that try to make good value possible, sure games can be expensive but a game you bought in full is more satisfying then one you got on a verbatim DVD from your "nephew". It isn't as if you had any time to begin with to play out all the 99 games you "own"

Nothing like a cleansing storm to take away the dust and troubles isn't it? I wish all those that stayed on the legal side allot of fun with Crackdown and Halo 3 Beta! You are lucky!

You don't play by the Microsoft rules you get burned.

You decide to hack or mod your box and if MS isn't happy then guess what TOS will take over. Kudos to Microsoft even though I don't agree with it its their consol and their rules, if you don't like it get WII like everyone else :)

Yawn.............

I bet the Sony cheerleaders Joey Deacon and Hollywood__ were just ITCHING to jump on this article. "Microsoft the EVIL corporation stopping you from playing online using copied games. Oh the horror!" Yeah? Let's just wait until Sony gets their rip off of Xbox Live up and running (hopefully this decade) and then let's wait until people become interested in actually modding a PS3. Then when Sony Live (I don't know the actual name), PS3 modchips, the moon and the stars are in perfect alignment, I bet you Sony will do the exact same thing and pull the plug on the pirates.

..but wait there is more. Supposedly Sony's online service will be free. That's laughable. Who honestly believes that big companies like EA for example, will let you play their games for FREE on Sony's service while they're making a profit on Microsoft's service? Get serious kids.

"Supposedly Sony's online service will be free."

You do know it's May 2007, and that PSN is out, and IS Free...

The funny thing is, most 360 owners have already blown more than a PS3 without even realising it!! LOL....

"The funny thing is, most 360 owners have already blown more than a PS3 without even realising it!! LOL...."

Oh yes, it's hilarious that people are willing to pay for something they enjoy. People are going to flock to the successful platform, and it doesn't matter if the owner is Microsoft or the Devil himself. Sure, you can play some PS3 games online for free.. but what games? Both of them? LOL! Also, you haven't answered my real question, does EA and the other big software houses going to let everyone play online for free on the PS3 when they're making good money on Xbox Live? Tell me, if you were a software developer, would you develop for a platform where you're almost guaranteed a constant stream of revenue through a monthly subscription of a service or for a platform that gives the same thing away for free. Let's go with a couple of old sayings; "There is no such thing as a free lunch." and "You get what you pay for."

It's bad enough the PS3 is so overpriced, but it's also lacking good titles.

"PS3 did see a dip in sales in April that we attribute mostly to a lack of new software in the market," said Dave Karraker, Sony Computer Entertainment America's Sr. Director of Corporate Communications

As 1up points out, if April was tough, May looks bleaker. Karraker wouldn't speculate on sales, but outside of MLB 07: The Show's release at the end of April, there are no first-party releases coming to PS3 in May - in fact there are only two May PS3 games: Surf's Up and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, both of which are multi-platform releases.

Yeah, multi-platform releases. Meaning, crappy ports of Xbox360 and Wii games.

Yves Guillemot, president and CEO of Ubisoft, told Reuters that Sony will "for sure" have a "lower" market share than before due to the Playstation 3's cost. Guillemot, who declined to elaborate, lays it out with this simple quote, "They have to decrease the price quite significantly."

..and now for some more imaginary Sony math.

As usual, Sony remains defiant. SCEA president Jack Tretton says he is currently unconcerned by PS3 sales figures despite Sony trailing its major rivals, while industry insiders suggest devs are s***ing focus from PS3 to Wii.

As I've been saying, according to Sony, the less consoles you sell, the faster you're catching up to your competitors.

"We didn't get into PS3 for the first six months of 2007 - we're into this for the next 10 years and beyond," he said. "A million units one way or another at this point isn't going to worry us."

They're into this for the next 10 years and beyond?! Blunder after blunder. Sony is delusional if they think the PS3 is going to last ten years. The hardware under the hood is already obsolete. This is how it goes with technology, you buy it today and it's obsolete tomorrow.

OWNED

vaya mierda Steve, te quedastes cojido hasta por el culo jediondo que tenes pinche pendejo, chupa vergas y tambien que te gusta el todos los de la Sony te den d***

is it laughable now mate?! its 100% free. i reckon within next year ps3 will overtake 360 anyway. blu ray is the way.

This is very gay. Why they just don't allow all the people play on hacked(or modded) XBox(es) instead of just trying to stop the modders. I think that they will release another hack, which will be undetectable again.

why don't they just let ppl use hacks into tricking the live servers to say they have a gold membership that they don't have to pay for or download an unlimited amount of content for free while everyone else suffers for it by decreased content and increased prices? sound good to you? i am all for free editing of a console you purchase but they have no right to bring it online and disrupt the 'playing experience' that people are paying for.

Moddod box or not, your example is simply impossible. You are talking about stuff thats controlled server side, clients cant just "change" things like this with "hacks".

As far as i know, theres no "hacks" for Xbox games?

Can you come up with a single real scenario where modded box would distrupt other online users?

hacks: http://youtube.com/watch?v=IYow1wqzxWs
cheat devices: http://newestrelease.stores.yahoo.net/maxxbox.html

people think xbox games are unhackable.. why? its software just as easily manipulated as ps2 games or old n64 games.

real scenario: modded xbox allows modded halo 2 game to be played, person with modded game pressed x to import 5 vehicles at a time.. they hold it down lag is generated and people are booted... game disrupted.
as far as the info being stored server side yes thats true and a modded xbox that can play burnt games cant do anything to affect it. but if indivudals have enough knowledge they can code for the system and run homebrew applications and with unlimited access to xbox live servers if they have a gold package they can then use homebrew apps to check statuses of other ppls accounts as an example and possibly retrieve personal information that would be stored server side. modding consoles inst only useful for playing backups, it can also allow malicious software to be run off the device.

There are NO hacks for any Xbox 360 games.

There are exploitable glitches in most though.

Well, for now anyway. I would like to keep it that way.

I agree with Microsoft. If your going to hack your 360, which I personally don't care, just keep it offline. I don't want hackers cheating with Trainers [cheats, like a Gameshark] playing online.

hacks for the 360, dont manipulate the games, they let you play copied games via a modified DVD drive, and there are no gamesharks or action replays for the 360. Honestly if you're going to argue about a point, make sure you know what you're talking about.

Nice, WGA for 360, from your beloved Microsoft...

Enjoy it, it's just the begining...

this is nothing new to what other makers do with their hardware/software. pc game makers do the same thing if your find trying to use hacks online you get banned as well, why should you be using a hacked xbox online? Using a hacked xbox I am sure can be utilized to use hacks as well which give an unfair advantage. This is nothing new it specifically states if you go online and are using a modded xbox you can be banned. It sucks if yours hasnt been modded not sure what causes it but nothing is perfect.

"Nice, WGA for 360, from your beloved Microsoft...

Enjoy it, it's just the begining..."

Beginning of what? A company enforcing their rights? A company trying to stop people from stealing their games? Or is it the beginning of a giant corporation lying to its customers, including DRM infestations on their audio CDs and then installing it on people's computers even if they decline the user agreement, the manufacturing of exploding laptop batteries, a class action lawsuit brought on by faulty optical drives in a console, or the next generation console that came a year late and nobody's buying? Oh wait, all that already has happened and it wasn't Microsoft.

How many times have you played online and had the game ruined becausae of some cheating arse with Aimbot etc?

This is along the same lines. Already there are hacks out that allow someone with a modified firmware to you to modify the data on a certain driving game, so you can drive around at 600MPH without ever leaving the track, and burn a new disc with the modified content.

If you knew anything about "aimbots" or online games in general, you would know it isnt just that easy. Single player "trainers" or "hacks" is one thing, "hack" for online games is completely different.

Modifying CONTENT in online game isnt possible. Theres a reason why aimbotting aholes cant just walk through walls or affect other players, other that what the game allows (like shooting). Its because most of it, more likely all of it, is controlled by the server.

I remember years ago when I used to play the Delta Force games, and trainers and junk popped up for those where you could walk through walls and when you jumped you floated to the sky... It was interesting, but quite annoying as they worked for multiplayer online games. So to see 10 people flying around the game and making it quite difficult to spot and shoot with a saw, it was rough. ;] Not to mention, they never ran out of ammo.

"If you knew anything about "aimbots" or online games in general, you would know it isnt just that easy. Single player "trainers" or "hacks" is one thing, "hack" for online games is completely different."

Sorry but Counterstrike proves you wrong.

Who are you, a M$ lawyer. Get out of here with that crap. M$ cheerleader/lawyer/follower/lover/investor

play Halo 2 on Live, you'll see that isn't true

My 360 is not modified or has ever been open from the day I pulled it out of the package on 12-25-05. And my console has been banned as well. I've seen throughout the internet that there are many people who have not modified a thing that are affected by this ban!

I smell a class action law suit!

Why does everyone always need to go to a lawsuit??!??

Its no wonder our court systems sucks.

If someone is banned and they shouldn't be, they need to call Microsoft support and deal with it. There's no need for a class action lawsuit over something as trivial as this.

Because Microsoft is a huge cash cow and if you sue them, you'll probably get some money just to stop making noise... easy money.

Sadly it distracts the justice system from performing its actual job. And for some reason there are people that think they deserve things for free... missing the concept of exchange.

I guess it was more of a rhetorical question :) I knew why - people suck and always are looking for the easy way to make money, whether its right or not.

half the people already did, and support came back with this "There's nothing we can do." sorry

Hmmm...Console users. Need I say more?

That's what you get for putting your console online so big brother can check on you. MS will have it's hands full with the innocent people who got shafted, like they always do.

The next logical step is do disable modded consoles and render them useless.

The next logical step is do disable modded consoles and render them useless.

Unless it is leased or licensed equipment, this would be a violation of the law. They are allowed by law, however, to deny anyone they choose access to their online service.

I don't own an Xbox, so I am curious as to legitimate purposes of modding them? Is it just so one can play downloaded games, or are their mods out there for various things like Linux, Media-center type things, or what? (and if you've modified your Xbox for Linux or MC capabilities, why would the access Live service matter?)

Anyone out there modding Xboxes?

technically based on user agreements there is no legitimate reason to mod and xbox. the 'legit' reasons people do it is: -to play backups of games (which their original may have been damaged) and yes to possibly play older games or run linux, and the reason why the access would matter is because your paying for a monthly subscription which you hoped you could use but didnt realsie they would eventually catch you. i agree completely with how ms handled it tho, the blocked the box not the account which that have every right to block both.

So you I guess you propose doing away with online gaming?

And I think very few innocent will have issues.

legally that cant do that, they just control the service they provide

Whats up next in the future ?

Good riddance. They should have done this with the Fall update.

This problem follow the same path as WGA.

Hardly. There are a million and one PC configurations and frequent changes that can give WGA headaches. MS knows exactly what a 360 should be.

Piracy was so much more fun when everything wasn't linked to internet checks :(

That's half the fun of the chase! Finding sneakier ways to pirate. Not just running at them shouting "DOUBLOONS!"

Haha, that's a good point. Time for us all to get better ways to hide our treasure then ;D

This will mess up. I've seen a story about a guy who had his console banned for being modded and it wasn't. He practically had to send it to them to prove his innocence.

So it now becomes "Guilty until proven innocent." Oh wait, that's how it's always been. My mistake.

That has always been Microsux's policy.

You're complaining about the wrong people. Blame the pirates. If they didn't do this in the first place, MS wouldn't have to take the action it has to try and protect the revenue stream of MS and other Xbox 360 developers.

Already good quality game creating companies are going to the wall because of piracy.