Microsoft recently started a campaign to rid Xbox Live of modded Xbox 360's. Stephen Toulose, director of Policy and Enforcement on Xbox Live, began the banhammer with a warcry via twitter.
You know, when you play a pre-release title on LIVE when I know you shouldn’t have it, it’s not hard for me to figure out. #forza3hammertime
Like a SWAT team Stephen and his crew kicked pirates off Xbox Live. We've gotten several tips from anonymous modders that have gotten several different messages after banning. Some are getting messages via Xbox Live saying they're banned for 24 hours and some for a couple of days.
These users are later greeted with an email stating other wise.
While the task force is away rounding up the Forza 3 pirates, a backlash has already started on twitter. People are questioning why Xbox is only banning Forza 3 pirates and not other games? Did Microsoft purposely leak out the game to catch pirates? Alot of question will arise from this incident but for now duck for cover.
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October 16, 2009 at 7:56 PM
EXACTLY @ People are questioning why Xbox is only banning Forza 3 pirates and not other games?
I want to know why? Microsoft has only had a history of banning people for Halo 3, Halo 3 ODST and now Forza 3. Do they not care if any other developers games get leaked?
I say they’re fucking greedy.
October 16, 2009 at 8:09 PM
There is something different in the code of the pirate copy from the pressed copy. That’s the only way they can tell. I’d say some pirate messed up the early leak. Likewise, some sectors were bad in Halo and Halo 3 ODST, from what I understand.
October 16, 2009 at 8:17 PM
Its odd that you can see people playing games like Borderlands, Fifa 10 and Borderlands early and there are not actions actions taken against them. Only time will tell. For now lets pour out some liquor for those who didn’t make it.
October 16, 2009 at 8:23 PM
@The_Delanator
There is no difference in the code. It’s the fact that it’s 2 weeks out from release and people are playing it.
The firmware on the DVD drive for “pirate” 360’s just reads the security sectors from a different part of the disc, the console itself cannot see it.
Microsoft runs in the dark to figure out who mod’s their consoles.
October 16, 2009 at 8:36 PM
I don’t see the problem here. This only affects pirates. Besides, even said pirates wouldn’t have to worry about this if they were smart about when they played certain games. Here is a tip. Now would not be a good time to be playing Alan Wake or Gears of War 3! Smh!
October 17, 2009 at 12:21 AM
Forza is Microsoft’s baby, they did this because they knew we would take the bait. I got Banned… Whatever
October 17, 2009 at 1:05 AM
Shouldn’t be pirating software, retards.
October 17, 2009 at 6:05 AM
My girlfriend recently bought a few games off of Ebay and come to my surprise, I’m now banned for playing a pre-released game. I am highly upset at Microsoft for not taking better care to keep these legit copies off the market! I now have to deal with losing my account to some horrible security these game publishers have!
When will Microsoft and the game publishers release that good people are being hurt also with these frivolous bans. Is their not a way to ban people until the game they were playing comes out due to many of us NOT having a clue to a release date is?
I believe this may be my last run in with Microsoft’s terrible way of handling business if my account is not reinstated. I hate the fact that I am being treated like a second hand customer!
Microsoft… FIX YOUR OWN PROBLEMS BEFORE BANNING GOOD PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF!
October 17, 2009 at 11:01 AM
DAMN @ Roberts. That blows man.
October 17, 2009 at 6:21 PM
For cats like Robert, I understand their annoyance. I am hoping MS fixes this for you man. Keep us updated.
October 17, 2009 at 11:22 AM
I was on Live yesterday with Forza 3, enough time to install disc 2 and played the first race. Afterward, I spent 2 hours with Borderlands (extremely awesome, decided to buy that one) and my console/gamertag isn’t banned.
October 17, 2009 at 1:35 PM
Well from what I understand there’s a task force. So if they didn’t catch you yesterday, they might get you today. Enjoy it while you can, but I’ll pour out some liquor for your gamertag too
October 17, 2009 at 2:00 PM
Robert that sucks bro.
Hats off…
October 18, 2009 at 11:32 AM
You who got banned, what release did you play? I jusy played FM3 offline without the cable in, i guess i’m still smoked. Maby I they wont ban me if a don’t connect it untill the game is released?
October 18, 2009 at 11:42 AM
same here i got my xbox modded last week and ever since i had it modded my ethernet cable has been disconnected…..i played forza3 got quite a few achievements now im shitting bricks about connecting to live after the release date
October 18, 2009 at 1:03 PM
Well, I spoke to a few people at customer support and come to find out anyone that was banned they are permanently suspended from xbox live. I now know that Microsoft is benefiting financially due to this ban and will be moving my game play over to PS3.
I will not tolerated being treated like these scumbag pirates! At least PS3 has better security and free online. At least with playing on PS3 I know when I buy a game I will not be banned for playing it.
Good luck to you Microsoft. I can’t wait till the day you guys go under!
October 18, 2009 at 2:53 PM
i thought if u cud prove u gota legit copy thy wud unban ppl? i think the security said dat on 1 of majors podcasts’ but maybe he was stretchin the situation?
October 18, 2009 at 7:33 PM
This is true. I am not sure what all that anti-microsoft jazz was about. Just prove to them that you bought a legit copy of whatever game it was that got you in trouble and you are fine. Besides, from what I have seen, it is a account ban, not a system ban
October 18, 2009 at 6:08 PM
lol@robert – you got caught plain and simple. so what if you “bought” some games from ebay its up to YOU to make sure that the game is legit.
I hope everyone who plays a pirated copy is banned, shame its only the accounts and not the consoles.
October 19, 2009 at 9:05 AM
Microsoft is retarded. if people get banned they just walmart swap the guts of the xbox with a brand new one and get a new account. Microsoft loses even more money. besides i know too many people not banned yet for playing pre-release games including forza 3. maybe it will happen maybe it wont. either way they’ll still get live back.
October 19, 2009 at 9:56 AM
LOL!
Haterz hating on m$ coz they got banned.
Morale of the story is…”DON’T PLAY GAMES BEFORE THEY ARE RELEASED!”
Or…don’t mod your box, SIMPLE.
October 19, 2009 at 11:20 AM
Like Jay-Z said “its the allure of the game” I think its an addiction to pirates to bootleg games. Its in there blood.
October 19, 2009 at 3:06 PM
Smh @ quoting Jay-Z like he is a man of intellect. Quote Aristotle or something. Not a crap rap artist.
October 19, 2009 at 7:52 PM
You guys act like you’re all saints. Like you don’t pirate something in some shape or forum. Either music, movies, software… something. Do I feel bad for the people getting banned? No. One day I’ll be banned from Live, and I know that. It’s apart of the game. It does no good to cry about it when it finally happens.
October 20, 2009 at 9:32 AM
Well ya know… It’s the ongoing debate of whether someone with a lesser crime should get the same conviction as someone who killed lots of people. I would never pirate. To see the hard work that people put into their material and just go ahead and steal is criminal imo.
@Hated, do you know where I can download some movies at? I still haven’t seen Angels and Demons.
October 20, 2009 at 10:38 AM
LMAO @ asking for pirated movies in this thread. I have no clue what you are talking about good sir.
October 20, 2009 at 1:22 AM
ban or no ban…to the idiots thinking just because they unplg their ethernet cable and waiting till release date won’t do shit!! First abgx360 usually doesn’t verify a game either the day before or the following days after a release. Second the second you go online with your system microsoft will know exactly when and how long you played the game..doesn’t matter if the hard drive is out or anything. XBOX360 has onboard memory so no matter what you do “offline” no one is safe PERIOD
October 20, 2009 at 3:03 AM
Good points. My advice was for them to not play the games AT ALL until the release date. Even better advice, DON’T BOOTLEG GAMES!!!
October 20, 2009 at 10:04 PM
anyone who is talking about, how they say don’t bootleg or stuff like that, if you could pay nothing for a game, you’d do it, just cause you don’t have the capabilities to. don’t hate on us. we really don’t care if we get caught and we wont stop if we do.
October 20, 2009 at 11:14 PM
when you bootleg games, your already know that one day your going to get caught. Its ride or die I completely understand ya man but imma pour out some liquor for ya gamertag for when you do get caught
October 20, 2009 at 11:29 PM
You are an idiot, plain and simple. You ASSUME that people who don’t pirate don’t do it solely because they can’t. You ASSUME that all people lack ethics like you. Don’t make such foolish assumptions. I could easily pirate on my 360. I don’t because I respect video games as a hobby, art, and means for people to feed themselves and their families. Do what and think what YOU want, but don’t don others to be the same ethic-less person you are.
October 25, 2009 at 9:53 PM
HAHA Michael, You sir sound like an Idiot, and You still think that “flash” involves a woman, or dude in your case. FIrst thing is first, if you claim you could do it, YOU WOULD HAVE DONE IT. Don’t claim that you can do something that guys like ME and my fellow pirates have spent years developing and creating.
October 26, 2009 at 3:06 AM
Please tell me you are joking. You developed nothing. Shut that crap up. You found out how to do it online like most people. Also, I know plenty of people who do it so even if I couldn’t do it I could just have one of them do it for me. I funny thing is I can do it, I just CHOOSE not to. Simple as that.
October 28, 2009 at 4:29 PM
You guys just shut up already we pirate games because we can were not idiots like you who go out and pay $60 dollars for a game we play games for free don’t like it TOO DAMN BAD
October 28, 2009 at 5:48 PM
LMAO!!! You do know that I don’t pay for games right? Companies send them to me for free to review. If you want to look at it from that moronic view, you are the idiot. You see, you pay for the blank DVDs and such. I on the other hand pay for nothing. It is ironic that I am the law abiding one too. Calling people who pay for the games they like idiots shows how little intellect you have. Go take a nap in traffic!!!
October 28, 2009 at 9:21 PM
i see the liberty city stories is out for bootlegn what time does the actual DLC drop?
October 30, 2009 at 1:57 PM
Michael Ajibade,
I am with you. I don’t pirate because it’s morally wrong. Not that I can’t do it, I choose not to. People that got banned, that’s why you don’t pirate games, and that’s why you don’t play them early.
November 5, 2009 at 12:27 PM
Michael you are totally Right ! If it wasn’t for us ( the ones that actually pay for the games) The video game business wouldn’t have grown this big. Just think about it, What do we gain when we don’t pay for the Genuine copies if we All know That the business of video gaming depends on the Genuine copies we buy Right ? Realize that when you don’t buy the genuine copies you are disrespecting the hobby of video gaming and the people who with great effort have created them. So there is not excuse for having non-genuine video game copies. Just save a little more money and be a honorable gamer.
November 19, 2009 at 6:04 PM
you know statistics show, that people who pirate games sped more money on new games than people who dont, same with music and movies, to be fair, i pirate movies and music (not games because my tech knowledge is rubbish) ad i spend more money on the real deal than my friends who dont. all im saying is you pirate because you love games and the developers and thus, you generaly end up buying most of the games any way, i mean pirates are cool, but it dont beat having the shiny new box and disk on your shelf, its called being a consumer, and we live in a consumer world. so… DEAL WITH IT
November 20, 2009 at 12:52 AM
Can I get a link to these statistics?
January 2, 2010 at 1:25 PM
i believe that game developers dont care about the consumers…the ceo of activision just made over 10 mill off of us consumers….and yet prices of games keep going up…the rich have ripped us off for years…so a little payback wont hurt at all…