Xbox Europe chief, Chris Lewis has said he's "unapologetic" over a recent wave of modified console bannings on Xbox Live.
Speaking to Sky News, Lewis said the platform holder is "committed" to stamping out Xbox 360 piracy.
"It's an issue not only for Xbox, it's an issue for the industry as a whole, it's an issue for Microsoft generally," he said.
"Clearly it's important for us to be able to stamp down on that to protect the 10 million people that are already on Xbox 360 in Europe for instance. So we take it very seriously."
"If it's clear someone is downloading pirated copies or have modified their Xbox in some way that will allow them to download games that they haven't purchased legitimately and yes we lock that account down and we're unapologetic about that," he added.
It was reported earlier this week that up to 1 million modified consoles could have been banned.
Good. I've heard of someone at work who makes copies of 360 games for about £7 each, and I hope he gets caught. There's no excuse for it; if you don't have the cash, either rent or go without.
They have no reason to be IMO. Whilst it's unfortunate that innocent users who have bought used consoles in good faith may get banned, it ultimately benefits the majority of the Live community and the industry.
I've no sympathy either. Break the rules of an online service, pay the price.
Does just having the chipped console make a difference? I thought it was only if you played pirated games on it, which shouldn't affect any honest users who buy chipped boxes.
Nice bit of trapping Microsoft did here. Not really doing anything about it so the people with pirated consoles thought they were outdoing them. Then on the eve of the biggest game launch in history, they drop the axe. NICE.
I hate the fact that these people glorify what they do by calling themselves pirates, as if they're not just some spotty pillock living in their parent's basement and leeching of their broadband.
I think they should go further. Microsoft should ban the person for life, at least by name/address details. It wouldn't make it impossible to get back on Xbox Live, but it would make it difficult, and that may be future deterrent enough. They may lose a few customers, but anyone chipping their console surely isn't a welcome customer to any console manufacturer. If only the police took piracy seriously, Microsoft could well inform the authorities of everyone who clearly has pirated games.
They have no reason to be IMO. Whilst it's unfortunate that innocent users who have bought used consoles in good faith may get banned, it ultimately benefits the majority of the Live community and the industry.
I agree, however I do feel that they should only ban those that have chips to play pirated games. There are those that chip their consoles simply to play import games and it is a little unfair that these get banned (although it is possibly a minority of those with chipped consoles). I had my PS1 chipped to play import games but it would not play pirated games.
I think they should go further. Microsoft should ban the person for life, at least by name/address details. It wouldn't make it impossible to get back on Xbox Live, but it would make it difficult, and that may be future deterrent enough. They may lose a few customers, but anyone chipping their console surely isn't a welcome customer to any console manufacturer. If only the police took piracy seriously, Microsoft could well inform the authorities of everyone who clearly has pirated games.
What about those that i mention in my post above, that chip only to play import games? Also you would have a problem getting the police to take notice of people that buy pirated games as it is not technically theft. Why also do these companies seem to go after the customers (I would bet that it is only a small minority that pirate games and never buy any games at all) when in places like Iran, China, India etc it is very difficult to even find legitimate games! Would it not be better to put the effort in to cracking the large pirating operations (which are the ones that are really causing the financial damage)?
Someone in the last thread was complaining about the bans but I don't know if they had been banned themselves. Bookmark their profile page and keep watching
You can report gamertags for piracy too, you don't have to sit around waiting for MS to find them.
Its good to see someone take a foward and heavy approach to piracy. There are millions of us out there who pay good money to own legal copies of games and only when they are released while there are millions who just take it for free and don't give a damn about the people who've worked hard and spent money producing these games.
if your just downloading for yourself fair enough,you take risk but no one else harmed,but on live it f**ks up service through cheats and instability,im glad these modders banned but ms bans console not the account,microsoft probably does this to keep the pirates as customers,basically ms cares only for profits,why doesnt ms ban all the bottomholes,bec ause theyd lose half there customers thats what
I think they should go further. Microsoft should ban the person for life, at least by name/address details. It wouldn't make it impossible to get back on Xbox Live, but it would make it difficult, and that may be future deterrent enough. They may lose a few customers, but anyone chipping their console surely isn't a welcome customer to any console manufacturer. If only the police took piracy seriously, Microsoft could well inform the authorities of everyone who clearly has pirated games.
Nah they won't do that. If MS banned them the first time, there's always the chance they'll learn their lesson and buy legitimately from then on.
Well done Microsoft for not backing down and as another reader commented, fantastic timing. The price of the secondhand market and the rate at which new releases become discounted (MW2 for £26, a case in point) means there's absolutely no reason to used pirated software.
Well done Microsoft for not backing down and as another reader commented, fantastic timing. The price of the secondhand market and the rate at which new releases become discounted (MW2 for £26, a case in point) means there's absolutely no reason to used pirated software.
Possibly true for Consoles, but for PC it is a different matter. Ubisoft screwed me over with Far cry and so I was only able to play it at all due to a pirated version I downloaded. Plus I must again mention those that chip consoles to play imported games. They are often large purchasers of software and therefore it is a shame if these people get banned.
Also how many of those speaking up against pirating games are using a pirated copy of Windows or have at some point Ripped a CD to their computer? If so then it is very hypocritical...
Someone in the last thread was complaining about the bans but I don't know if they had been banned themselves. Bookmark their profile page and keep watching
You can report gamertags for piracy too, you don't have to sit around waiting for MS to find them.
I shall keep one eye on the profle Dajmin, much like a Pirate with an eyepatch (sorry terrible joke but it is Friday)
Well done Microsoft for not backing down and as another reader commented, fantastic timing. The price of the secondhand market and the rate at which new releases become discounted (MW2 for £26, a case in point) means there's absolutely no reason to used pirated software.
Possibly true for Consoles, but for PC it is a different matter. Ubisoft screwed me over with Far cry and so I was only able to play it at all due to a pirated version I downloaded. Plus I must again mention those that chip consoles to play imported games. They are often large purchasers of software and therefore it is a shame if these people get banned.
Also how many of those speaking up against pirating games are using a pirated copy of Windows or have at some point Ripped a CD to their computer? If so then it is very hypocritical...
I just use work's licence for Windows. Windows 7 Ultimate - legit and free on my home PC = ace.
Ripping a CD that you own for the convenience of MP3 library playback is not the same as downloading a game that you haven't paid for.
As far as I can tell, from a few web sites I have looked at Microsoft can not tell if an Xbox has been modified (Almost all hacks are done to the firmware on the DVD drive! which Microsoft made unreadable to the Console). They can how ever tell if you are using copied games as they have added random information and differing burn angles to the disks of which standard copying software can not read.
I have a modded console, did it myself! I have not been ban............... but then again I do not play any copied games only two imports I have.
I think they should go further. Microsoft should ban the person for life, at least by name/address details. It wouldn't make it impossible to get back on Xbox Live, but it would make it difficult, and that may be future deterrent enough. They may lose a few customers, but anyone chipping their console surely isn't a welcome customer to any console manufacturer. If only the police took piracy seriously, Microsoft could well inform the authorities of everyone who clearly has pirated games.
What about those that i mention in my post above, that chip only to play import games? Also you would have a problem getting the police to take notice of people that buy pirated games as it is not technically theft. Why also do these companies seem to go after the customers (I would bet that it is only a small minority that pirate games and never buy any games at all) when in places like Iran, China, India etc it is very difficult to even find legitimate games! Would it not be better to put the effort in to cracking the large pirating operations (which are the ones that are really causing the financial damage)?
Perhaps it's difficult for Microsoft to differentiate between chips. It's similar to those people who never watch any BBC channel, or listen to BBC radio, yet they're forced to buy a TV licence when all they want to do is watch commercial channels or play DVDs or games.
Well done Microsoft for not backing down and as another reader commented, fantastic timing. The price of the secondhand market and the rate at which new releases become discounted (MW2 for £26, a case in point) means there's absolutely no reason to used pirated software.
Possibly true for Consoles, but for PC it is a different matter. Ubisoft screwed me over with Far cry and so I was only able to play it at all due to a pirated version I downloaded. Plus I must again mention those that chip consoles to play imported games. They are often large purchasers of software and therefore it is a shame if these people get banned.
Also how many of those speaking up against pirating games are using a pirated copy of Windows or have at some point Ripped a CD to their computer? If so then it is very hypocritical...
I just use work's licence for Windows. Windows 7 Ultimate - legit and free on my home PC = ace.
Ripping a CD that you own for the convenience of MP3 library playback is not the same as downloading a game that you haven't paid for.
Have your work explicitly allowed that? otherwise it is piracy just the same as downloading a copy from the net.
Also ripping a CD may not be the same in your eyes but it is still illegal and classed in the same bracket of copyright infringement.
all you anus's must be rich who dont like pirates. You props thin Micro$oft derserves all the money they have. Would you say the same to an african who was working for a dollar a day... you fags ill batter all of you! Long live the pirate!
Well done Microsoft for not backing down and as another reader commented, fantastic timing. The price of the secondhand market and the rate at which new releases become discounted (MW2 for £26, a case in point) means there's absolutely no reason to used pirated software.
Possibly true for Consoles, but for PC it is a different matter. Ubisoft screwed me over with Far cry and so I was only able to play it at all due to a pirated version I downloaded. Plus I must again mention those that chip consoles to play imported games. They are often large purchasers of software and therefore it is a shame if these people get banned.
Also how many of those speaking up against pirating games are using a pirated copy of Windows or have at some point Ripped a CD to their computer? If so then it is very hypocritical...
I just use work's licence for Windows. Windows 7 Ultimate - legit and free on my home PC = ace.
Ripping a CD that you own for the convenience of MP3 library playback is not the same as downloading a game that you haven't paid for.
Have your work explicitly allowed that? otherwise it is piracy just the same as downloading a copy from the net.
Also ripping a CD may not be the same in your eyes but it is still illegal and classed in the same bracket of copyright infringement.
Our company is small but is signed up for the MS Partner Programme so we pay annually for about 15 licences of Windows 7. That's more than we would ever use so if we want to use it on our home PCs then they're perfectly ok with that. We never exceed our number of licences.
In the US it's legal to rip CDs if it's for personal use. Not sure what the rules are here, but I gather they are the same otherwise MS would not be allowed to supply Windows at retail with the capability to do so:
Its all well and good MS banning millions of consoles from LIVE but the problem is, its not actually stopping or even helping to stop piracy on the xbox.
They are only banned from Xbox LIVE, so it doesnt actually stop people pirating games. They can STILL download games and can STILL play them, they just cant play on LIVE.
all you anus's must be rich who dont like pirates. You props thin Micro$oft derserves all the money they have. Would you say the same to an african who was working for a dollar a day... you fags ill batter all of you! Long live the pirate!
Well, there's nothing anyone can say to such a well-contructed, well-written and sensible argument such as that one. You must be thrilled
Well done Microsoft for not backing down and as another reader commented, fantastic timing. The price of the secondhand market and the rate at which new releases become discounted (MW2 for £26, a case in point) means there's absolutely no reason to used pirated software.
Possibly true for Consoles, but for PC it is a different matter. Ubisoft screwed me over with Far cry and so I was only able to play it at all due to a pirated version I downloaded. Plus I must again mention those that chip consoles to play imported games. They are often large purchasers of software and therefore it is a shame if these people get banned.
Also how many of those speaking up against pirating games are using a pirated copy of Windows or have at some point Ripped a CD to their computer? If so then it is very hypocritical...
I just use work's licence for Windows. Windows 7 Ultimate - legit and free on my home PC = ace.
Ripping a CD that you own for the convenience of MP3 library playback is not the same as downloading a game that you haven't paid for.
Have your work explicitly allowed that? otherwise it is piracy just the same as downloading a copy from the net.
Also ripping a CD may not be the same in your eyes but it is still illegal and classed in the same bracket of copyright infringement.
Our company is small but is signed up for the MS Partner Programme so we pay annually for about 15 licences of Windows 7. That's more than we would ever use so if we want to use it on our home PCs then they're perfectly ok with that. We never exceed our number of licences.
In the US it's legal to rip CDs if it's for personal use. Not sure what the rules are here, but I gather they are the same otherwise MS would not be allowed to supply Windows at retail with the capability to do so:
You gather wrong. We have no such rights here. In the US they are called Fair Usage rights which allow copies to be made for backup and personal use. This has now been crippled slightly by their DMCA which restricts the ability to crack DRM. However in this country we only have the Fair Dealings Right which gives us the right to copy a small percentage of the pages in a book or possibly a part of a music track for non-commercial research purposes (ie school projects etc). If you have been ripping CDs you have been committing copyright infringement just like all these pirates.
Wavebans tend to hit around November so that MS can keep it's shareholders happy with a shed load of Christmas console sales. Big respect to the users on here who are honest enough to never ever downloaded anything untoward on the net
You gather wrong. We have no such rights here. In the US they are called Fair Usage rights which allow copies to be made for backup and personal use. This has now been crippled slightly by their DMCA which restricts the ability to crack DRM. However in this country we only have the Fair Dealings Right which gives us the right to copy a small percentage of the pages in a book or possibly a part of a music track for non-commercial research purposes (ie school projects etc). If you have been ripping CDs you have been committing copyright infringement just like all these pirates.
Perhaps in law, but would you still call me a pirate for doing so?
Well done Microsoft for not backing down and as another reader commented, fantastic timing. The price of the secondhand market and the rate at which new releases become discounted (MW2 for £26, a case in point) means there's absolutely no reason to used pirated software.
Possibly true for Consoles, but for PC it is a different matter. Ubisoft screwed me over with Far cry and so I was only able to play it at all due to a pirated version I downloaded. Plus I must again mention those that chip consoles to play imported games. They are often large purchasers of software and therefore it is a shame if these people get banned.
Also how many of those speaking up against pirating games are using a pirated copy of Windows or have at some point Ripped a CD to their computer? If so then it is very hypocritical...
I just use work's licence for Windows. Windows 7 Ultimate - legit and free on my home PC = ace.
Ripping a CD that you own for the convenience of MP3 library playback is not the same as downloading a game that you haven't paid for.
Have your work explicitly allowed that? otherwise it is piracy just the same as downloading a copy from the net.
Also ripping a CD may not be the same in your eyes but it is still illegal and classed in the same bracket of copyright infringement.
Our company is small but is signed up for the MS Partner Programme so we pay annually for about 15 licences of Windows 7. That's more than we would ever use so if we want to use it on our home PCs then they're perfectly ok with that. We never exceed our number of licences.
In the US it's legal to rip CDs if it's for personal use. Not sure what the rules are here, but I gather they are the same otherwise MS would not be allowed to supply Windows at retail with the capability to do so:
You gather wrong. We have no such rights here. In the US they are called Fair Usage rights which allow copies to be made for backup and personal use. This has now been crippled slightly by their DMCA which restricts the ability to crack DRM. However in this country we only have the Fair Dealings Right which gives us the right to copy a small percentage of the pages in a book or possibly a part of a music track for non-commercial research purposes (ie school projects etc). If you have been ripping CDs you have been committing copyright infringement just like all these pirates.
Perhaps in law, but would you still call me a pirate for doing so?
Well possibly not and I think it is ridiculous to the point that I have been campaigning to get the law changed (although it is only going to get worse as we get the top secret ACTA being passed without our knowledge to effectively introduce the draconian US DMCA regulations), however according to the record companies you are hurting their sales by not purchasing the Music again for a different use. It is like Buying one windows licence and then putting it on multiple PCs. That is very close (well pretty much the same) as piracy.
Perhaps in law, but would you still call me a pirate for doing so?
Well possibly not and I think it is ridiculous to the point that I have been campaigning to get the law changed (although it is only going to get worse as we get the top secret ACTA being passed without our knowledge to effectively introduce the draconian US DMCA regulations), however according to the record companies you are hurting their sales by not purchasing the Music again for a different use. It is like Buying one windows licence and then putting it on multiple PCs. That is very close (well pretty much the same) as piracy.
If you read the EULA for Windows I think you're actually allowed to install one purchased copy on a desktop and a laptop in the same household - but let's not be pedantic
This conversation led me to find an article from the chap at the head of the IP board who has campaigned for ripping for personal use to be made legal. And rightly so - why should we have to pay twice for the same thing? It's that kind of attitude that really doesn't help the music industry in it's fight against piracy. It's just an outdated rule that needs to be updated in the light of common sense.
But back to my original point, I try and keep out of piracy's way these days (I was a big fan of the free stuff when I was younger and penniless, it must be said - although apparently as a non-pirate of music I'm statistically spending less money on music than those who are.... imagine that).
I'm glad that MS has taken this stance. They're fortunate that their industry has a stable system in place that actually allows them to find those people. I doubt Sony would be able to do the same via PSN.
I am laughing at my mates!! lol lol lol I did warn tem this would happen...but NO NO NO!! They still did it anyway! PMSL!! Loving it MS!!!No need to appologise though...it their own fault!!!
Perhaps in law, but would you still call me a pirate for doing so?
Well possibly not and I think it is ridiculous to the point that I have been campaigning to get the law changed (although it is only going to get worse as we get the top secret ACTA being passed without our knowledge to effectively introduce the draconian US DMCA regulations), however according to the record companies you are hurting their sales by not purchasing the Music again for a different use. It is like Buying one windows licence and then putting it on multiple PCs. That is very close (well pretty much the same) as piracy.
If you read the EULA for Windows I think you're actually allowed to install one purchased copy on a desktop and a laptop in the same household - but let's not be pedantic
This conversation led me to find an article from the chap at the head of the IP board who has campaigned for ripping for personal use to be made legal. And rightly so - why should we have to pay twice for the same thing? It's that kind of attitude that really doesn't help the music industry in it's fight against piracy. It's just an outdated rule that needs to be updated in the light of common sense.
But back to my original point, I try and keep out of piracy's way these days (I was a big fan of the free stuff when I was younger and penniless, it must be said - although apparently as a non-pirate of music I'm statistically spending less money on music than those who are.... imagine that).
I'm glad that MS has taken this stance. They're fortunate that their industry has a stable system in place that actually allows them to find those people. I doubt Sony would be able to do the same via PSN.
Indeed and I was part of the public consultation that lead to the comment you mention. There are also many other stupid laws like the public performance law that could charge you if you play your music loud enough for others to hear!
My point is not to label you as a criminal or someone without morals, but to point out that many people (sadly including the government) think that the piracy debate is black and white. You are either a pirate and therefore harming the industry or you never pirate and therefore help the industry. It is not nearly as simple as this though. There are many pirates that buy as much as they pirate (in fact a number of studies shows that quite often the biggest pirates are also the biggest purchasers) and there are many people that do not pirate but only buy one or two products.
Who is supporting the industry the most out of one person that pirates say 30 games and buys 30 more or another person that only buys 3 games?
Also the biggest problem is that the content industry massively overstates the losses attributed to piracy. They assume that every pirated copy directly maps to a lost sale which is nonsense. In fact the vast majority of pirated copies would never have been purchases in the first place as they are only getting the pirated version as it is free and therefore worth a go. The only reason the record companies are complaining is because they are loosing control in this digital world. Why use a music publisher when you can easily and cheaply make very professional music in your bedroom and distribute it yourself via the net and all while keeping all the profit you make rather than getting the small percentage the publishers decides to give you after they have bought their new yacht? All the new laws are designed to give them leverage to keep control and therefore be in a position to enforce the multiple sales model without worrying that people could just go elsewhere to get their music. (Certain music publishers have openly stated that they would very much like to be in the position to charge for multiple copies of the music per user).
Perhaps in law, but would you still call me a pirate for doing so?
Well possibly not and I think it is ridiculous to the point that I have been campaigning to get the law changed (although it is only going to get worse as we get the top secret ACTA being passed without our knowledge to effectively introduce the draconian US DMCA regulations), however according to the record companies you are hurting their sales by not purchasing the Music again for a different use. It is like Buying one windows licence and then putting it on multiple PCs. That is very close (well pretty much the same) as piracy.
If you read the EULA for Windows I think you're actually allowed to install one purchased copy on a desktop and a laptop in the same household - but let's not be pedantic
This conversation led me to find an article from the chap at the head of the IP board who has campaigned for ripping for personal use to be made legal. And rightly so - why should we have to pay twice for the same thing? It's that kind of attitude that really doesn't help the music industry in it's fight against piracy. It's just an outdated rule that needs to be updated in the light of common sense.
But back to my original point, I try and keep out of piracy's way these days (I was a big fan of the free stuff when I was younger and penniless, it must be said - although apparently as a non-pirate of music I'm statistically spending less money on music than those who are.... imagine that).
I'm glad that MS has taken this stance. They're fortunate that their industry has a stable system in place that actually allows them to find those people. I doubt Sony would be able to do the same via PSN.
Indeed and I was part of the public consultation that lead to the comment you mention. There are also many other stupid laws like the public performance law that could charge you if you play your music loud enough for others to hear!
My point is not to label you as a criminal or someone without morals, but to point out that many people (sadly including the government) think that the piracy debate is black and white. You are either a pirate and therefore harming the industry or you never pirate and therefore help the industry. It is not nearly as simple as this though. There are many pirates that buy as much as they pirate (in fact a number of studies shows that quite often the biggest pirates are also the biggest purchasers) and there are many people that do not pirate but only buy one or two products.
Who is supporting the industry the most out of one person that pirates say 30 games and buys 30 more or another person that only buys 3 games?
Also the biggest problem is that the content industry massively overstates the losses attributed to piracy. They assume that every pirated copy directly maps to a lost sale which is nonsense. In fact the vast majority of pirated copies would never have been purchases in the first place as they are only getting the pirated version as it is free and therefore worth a go. The only reason the record companies are complaining is because they are loosing control in this digital world. Why use a music publisher when you can easily and cheaply make very professional music in your bedroom and distribute it yourself via the net and all while keeping all the profit you make rather than getting the small percentage the publishers decides to give you after they have bought their new yacht? All the new laws are designed to give them leverage to keep control and therefore be in a position to enforce the multiple sales model without worrying that people could just go elsewhere to get their music. (Certain music publishers have openly stated that they would very much like to be in the position to charge for multiple copies of the music per user).
You're right it is a very grey area. When I used to download music, the way I saw it was that "if I like it, I'll buy it" which I often did, but more importantly, "If I didn't download it, I still wouldn't buy it - so the artist can either have me listen to their music or not - they will get no cash either way". While I don't download anymore, I think that reasoning is still fairly valid and the industry should certainly embrace that kind of mentality and use it to their advantage (Spotify is a good example) rather than "download = evil".
But where there is a clear black and white situation it's good that people do something about it. Prison/fine is not the best answer - but taking the ability away should help the pirates learn a lesson and give them the opportunity to pay for these things properly.
You seem to know quite a lot. What's your job, if you don't mind me asking?
Perhaps in law, but would you still call me a pirate for doing so?
Well possibly not and I think it is ridiculous to the point that I have been campaigning to get the law changed (although it is only going to get worse as we get the top secret ACTA being passed without our knowledge to effectively introduce the draconian US DMCA regulations), however according to the record companies you are hurting their sales by not purchasing the Music again for a different use. It is like Buying one windows licence and then putting it on multiple PCs. That is very close (well pretty much the same) as piracy.
If you read the EULA for Windows I think you're actually allowed to install one purchased copy on a desktop and a laptop in the same household - but let's not be pedantic
This conversation led me to find an article from the chap at the head of the IP board who has campaigned for ripping for personal use to be made legal. And rightly so - why should we have to pay twice for the same thing? It's that kind of attitude that really doesn't help the music industry in it's fight against piracy. It's just an outdated rule that needs to be updated in the light of common sense.
But back to my original point, I try and keep out of piracy's way these days (I was a big fan of the free stuff when I was younger and penniless, it must be said - although apparently as a non-pirate of music I'm statistically spending less money on music than those who are.... imagine that).
I'm glad that MS has taken this stance. They're fortunate that their industry has a stable system in place that actually allows them to find those people. I doubt Sony would be able to do the same via PSN.
Indeed and I was part of the public consultation that lead to the comment you mention. There are also many other stupid laws like the public performance law that could charge you if you play your music loud enough for others to hear!
My point is not to label you as a criminal or someone without morals, but to point out that many people (sadly including the government) think that the piracy debate is black and white. You are either a pirate and therefore harming the industry or you never pirate and therefore help the industry. It is not nearly as simple as this though. There are many pirates that buy as much as they pirate (in fact a number of studies shows that quite often the biggest pirates are also the biggest purchasers) and there are many people that do not pirate but only buy one or two products.
Who is supporting the industry the most out of one person that pirates say 30 games and buys 30 more or another person that only buys 3 games?
Also the biggest problem is that the content industry massively overstates the losses attributed to piracy. They assume that every pirated copy directly maps to a lost sale which is nonsense. In fact the vast majority of pirated copies would never have been purchases in the first place as they are only getting the pirated version as it is free and therefore worth a go. The only reason the record companies are complaining is because they are loosing control in this digital world. Why use a music publisher when you can easily and cheaply make very professional music in your bedroom and distribute it yourself via the net and all while keeping all the profit you make rather than getting the small percentage the publishers decides to give you after they have bought their new yacht? All the new laws are designed to give them leverage to keep control and therefore be in a position to enforce the multiple sales model without worrying that people could just go elsewhere to get their music. (Certain music publishers have openly stated that they would very much like to be in the position to charge for multiple copies of the music per user).
You're right it is a very grey area. When I used to download music, the way I saw it was that "if I like it, I'll buy it" which I often did, but more importantly, "If I didn't download it, I still wouldn't buy it - so the artist can either have me listen to their music or not - they will get no cash either way". While I don't download anymore, I think that reasoning is still fairly valid and the industry should certainly embrace that kind of mentality and use it to their advantage (Spotify is a good example) rather than "download = evil".
But where there is a clear black and white situation it's good that people do something about it. Prison/fine is not the best answer - but taking the ability away should help the pirates learn a lesson and give them the opportunity to pay for these things properly.
You seem to know quite a lot. What's your job, if you don't mind me asking?
Does just having the chipped console make a difference? I thought it was only if you played pirated games on it, which shouldn't affect any honest users who buy chipped boxes.
No one seems to know the reason behind the bannings apart from the obvious leak of MW2, so honest users could possibly be affected too. I'll guess you'd just have to ask around to find out.
Well its good to see microsoft arnt sorry especially for us inocent who got our consoles repaired in high street places to save money as microsoft rip people of with rrod repairs and its also good to see they arnt sorry for the people who may of gone to gamestationgame cex and got a pre owned machine to find they are banned out the box yes this is great customer service. I dont condone piracy at all but i dont like smart bottoms who dont care about the bigger picture. Take a long look at yourself bIll you may be rich but you should never of dipped your toe into the console game busines if you dont care.
Does just having the chipped console make a difference? I thought it was only if you played pirated games on it, which shouldn't affect any honest users who buy chipped boxes.
No one seems to know the reason behind the bannings apart from the obvious leak of MW2, so honest users could possibly be affected too. I'll guess you'd just have to ask around to find out.
The leaked MW2 bans were something different - same as the leaked ODST bans.
I would like to find out if it is modified consoles or pirated games that trigger it.
A majority of you all make me sick on here this entire nonsense about the fabled banhammer won't do a bloody thing to us modders right now I have installed the brand new firmware which will keep us in the community safe for another few years. All of you who claim you are legitimate gamers are the biggest butch of lying hypocrites walking gods green earth. 1 in 20 xbox 360 consoles are modded so the financial impact on microsoft is minimal at best because of all thosse so called evil modded consoles 2 thirds are on xbox live so microsoft are still getting their all important revenue via live. Don't you get it people Modders arn't the bad guys thieving bastards like actvision and microsoft are.No one remembers that Microsoft doest allow a third party developer to give it's loyal fan base a free piece of DLC (Anyone remember the Left 4 Dead debacle ?) and Activision is no better when the next Modern Warfare can only be played if you subscribe to play you all will be singing a different story. I understand that this is the Videogame business but what kind of company produces a product knowingly sells a faulty product then expects to be lauded when they put right their own mistakes (RROD) so please get off these big companies dicks they don't about YOU the consumer they just care about their shareholders.
P.S. If anyone has suffered due to this current wave of banning I can help you UNBLOCK your s**t mail me here pp1pirate@googlemail.com i'll be happy to redirect you to our Forum and give you links to all sorts of like minded modders who will be happy to help you MOD, PLAY, And ENJOY YOUR CONSOLE..... Haters carry on hating i'm going to play my Assasins Creed 2 now bitches, not next week NOW !!!
Does just having the chipped console make a difference? I thought it was only if you played pirated games on it, which shouldn't affect any honest users who buy chipped boxes.
No one seems to know the reason behind the bannings apart from the obvious leak of MW2, so honest users could possibly be affected too. I'll guess you'd just have to ask around to find out.
The leaked MW2 bans were something different - same as the leaked ODST bans.
I would like to find out if it is modified consoles or pirated games that trigger it.
I would say its the games. Zavvi sent me borderlands a whole week early and i played it without any problems.
Before i did play though, i googled about playing games early and came across a forum where they were talking about how to pirate games and play them on LIVE without getting caught.
All i was interested in was making sure i didnt get banned for playing a legit game early.
Why the hell would MS be sorry. The guys with hacked firmware will wait a couple weeks till some kind of new version comes out. Buy a new 360 and start again.
Their yearly bannings help drive sales of their hardware.
It's got nothing to do with combating piracy or they'd ban peoples actual ip address and strip them of their live accounts. they don't do either.
Why the hell would MS be sorry. The guys with hacked firmware will wait a couple weeks till some kind of new version comes out. Buy a new 360 and start again.
Their yearly bannings help drive sales of their hardware.
It's got nothing to do with combating piracy or they'd ban peoples actual ip address and strip them of their live accounts. they don't do either.
IP addresses change so that would only work for a short time (Perhaps hours or max of a month or so). They can also get new accounts as it is worth it for them to pay another £20 or so to get another years live with a new account in order to save on any games they play. However those that have chipped their machines to play import games and actually give the industry lots of money will probably not come back at all.
Will anyone on here admit to having their console banned and if so what do you intend to do now?
I was banned as i have a modified console, but i only downloaded game iso's i actually had because in my household my parents and brothers dont care about discs so i always leave the copied discs out to play so the real one doesnt scratch. And i was banned for this which takes the mick Sad but o well i just went out and brought a new xbox. I doubt il even bother modifying it again, Il just have to keep my games out of their hands!
Ive never had mine modded as games are that cheap now anyway, play.com, the hut etc, games for £4.99 delivered, quite a few of my mates have theres modded, one of them only has one game COD and its the only one he plays? waste of time really, but they have got away with it for the last 2 years playing online everyday. Ive got a decent collection of games over 30 all originals, some are old though but who cares? I aint breaking the law and have nothing to worry about.
A majority of you all make me sick on here this entire nonsense about the fabled banhammer won't do a bloody thing to us modders right now I have installed the brand new firmware which will keep us in the community safe for another few years. All of you who claim you are legitimate gamers are the biggest butch of lying hypocrites walking gods green earth. 1 in 20 xbox 360 consoles are modded so the financial impact on microsoft is minimal at best because of all thosse so called evil modded consoles 2 thirds are on xbox live so microsoft are still getting their all important revenue via live. Don't you get it people Modders arn't the bad guys thieving bastards like actvision and microsoft are.No one remembers that Microsoft doest allow a third party developer to give it's loyal fan base a free piece of DLC (Anyone remember the Left 4 Dead debacle ?) and Activision is no better when the next Modern Warfare can only be played if you subscribe to play you all will be singing a different story. I understand that this is the Videogame business but what kind of company produces a product knowingly sells a faulty product then expects to be lauded when they put right their own mistakes (RROD) so please get off these big companies dicks they don't about YOU the consumer they just care about their shareholders.
P.S. If anyone has suffered due to this current wave of banning I can help you UNBLOCK your s**t mail me here pp1pirate@googlemail.com i'll be happy to redirect you to our Forum and give you links to all sorts of like minded modders who will be happy to help you MOD, PLAY, And ENJOY YOUR CONSOLE..... Haters carry on hating i'm going to play my Assasins Creed 2 now bitches, not next week NOW !!!
Why dont you post me your house and car keys then when your away on holiday ill nip down and steal all your worldly goods. Its cool, you can just claim the insurance and I promise not to sh*t all over your house, well maybe just a small one.
Will anyone on here admit to having their console banned and if so what do you intend to do now?
I was banned as i have a modified console, but i only downloaded game iso's i actually had because in my household my parents and brothers dont care about discs so i always leave the copied discs out to play so the real one doesnt scratch. And i was banned for this which takes the mick Sad but o well i just went out and brought a new xbox. I doubt il even bother modifying it again, Il just have to keep my games out of their hands!
I dont really understand what you did, but if your buying genuine Games then thats a bummer. Still, dont modify the console and you'll be a content Gamer like myself.
Will anyone on here admit to having their console banned and if so what do you intend to do now?
I was banned as i have a modified console, but i only downloaded game iso's i actually had because in my household my parents and brothers dont care about discs so i always leave the copied discs out to play so the real one doesnt scratch. And i was banned for this which takes the mick Sad but o well i just went out and brought a new xbox. I doubt il even bother modifying it again, Il just have to keep my games out of their hands!
I dont really understand what you did, but if your buying genuine Games then thats a bummer. Still, dont modify the console and you'll be a content Gamer like myself.
He was essentially playing backup copies of the games that he had bought in order to keep them in good condition (which is stupidly illegal).
A majority of you all make me sick on here this entire nonsense about the fabled banhammer won't do a bloody thing to us modders right now I have installed the brand new firmware which will keep us in the community safe for another few years. All of you who claim you are legitimate gamers are the biggest butch of lying hypocrites walking gods green earth. 1 in 20 xbox 360 consoles are modded so the financial impact on microsoft is minimal at best because of all thosse so called evil modded consoles 2 thirds are on xbox live so microsoft are still getting their all important revenue via live. Don't you get it people Modders arn't the bad guys thieving bastards like actvision and microsoft are.No one remembers that Microsoft doest allow a third party developer to give it's loyal fan base a free piece of DLC (Anyone remember the Left 4 Dead debacle ?) and Activision is no better when the next Modern Warfare can only be played if you subscribe to play you all will be singing a different story. I understand that this is the Videogame business but what kind of company produces a product knowingly sells a faulty product then expects to be lauded when they put right their own mistakes (RROD) so please get off these big companies dicks they don't about YOU the consumer they just care about their shareholders.
P.S. If anyone has suffered due to this current wave of banning I can help you UNBLOCK your s**t mail me here pp1pirate@googlemail.com i'll be happy to redirect you to our Forum and give you links to all sorts of like minded modders who will be happy to help you MOD, PLAY, And ENJOY YOUR CONSOLE..... Haters carry on hating i'm going to play my Assasins Creed 2 now bitches, not next week NOW !!!
Why dont you post me your house and car keys then when your away on holiday ill nip down and steal all your worldly goods. Its cool, you can just claim the insurance and I promise not to sh*t all over your house, well maybe just a small one.
I think you'll find that it's his mum's house and his mum's car keys. But feel free to s**t where you like.
A majority of you all make me sick on here this entire nonsense about the fabled banhammer won't do a bloody thing to us modders right now I have installed the brand new firmware which will keep us in the community safe for another few years. All of you who claim you are legitimate gamers are the biggest butch of lying hypocrites walking gods green earth. 1 in 20 xbox 360 consoles are modded so the financial impact on microsoft is minimal at best because of all thosse so called evil modded consoles 2 thirds are on xbox live so microsoft are still getting their all important revenue via live. Don't you get it people Modders arn't the bad guys thieving bastards like actvision and microsoft are.No one remembers that Microsoft doest allow a third party developer to give it's loyal fan base a free piece of DLC (Anyone remember the Left 4 Dead debacle ?) and Activision is no better when the next Modern Warfare can only be played if you subscribe to play you all will be singing a different story. I understand that this is the Videogame business but what kind of company produces a product knowingly sells a faulty product then expects to be lauded when they put right their own mistakes (RROD) so please get off these big companies dicks they don't about YOU the consumer they just care about their shareholders.
P.S. If anyone has suffered due to this current wave of banning I can help you UNBLOCK your s**t mail me here pp1pirate@googlemail.com i'll be happy to redirect you to our Forum and give you links to all sorts of like minded modders who will be happy to help you MOD, PLAY, And ENJOY YOUR CONSOLE..... Haters carry on hating i'm going to play my Assasins Creed 2 now bitches, not next week NOW !!!
Why dont you post me your house and car keys then when your away on holiday ill nip down and steal all your worldly goods. Its cool, you can just claim the insurance and I promise not to sh*t all over your house, well maybe just a small one.
I think you'll find that it's his mum's house and his mum's car keys. But feel free to s**t where you like.
Its not all rainbows and butterfly's, I got banned for playing MW2 early, and it was a legitimate retail copy of the game I got early from Argos. They just assumed that because I was playing it early it was a rip and f**king banned me. I am trying to appeal it now, but they are stone-walling me.
Also, when they ban your console they f**k it up internally, making it corrupt saves you re-load and it will no-longer play installed games. This is BS, and has got to be illegal to tamper with features you would have got even if you never touched XBL.
Its not all rainbows and butterfly's, I got banned for playing MW2 early, and it was a legitimate retail copy of the game I got early from Argos. They just assumed that because I was playing it early it was a rip and f**king banned me. I am trying to appeal it now, but they are stone-walling me.
Also, when they ban your console they f**k it up internally, making it corrupt saves you re-load and it will no-longer play installed games. This is BS, and has got to be illegal to tamper with features you would have got even if you never touched XBL.
That is a perfect example of why many anti-piracy measures just do not work properly. As far as I know it is quite common for people to get games early, especially when they are ordered from the net.
You should however be able to take MS to court over your situation.
Good that Microsoft are doing something, it was getting out of hand. However, I would say, you should be allowed to make a copy of your product, just in case the disc breaks, or your PC formats itself. I'm sure there are similar implications with importing CDs into iTunes. I frequently import CDs I own, because it's a supported feature. It's not as if I'm using pirated software to rip them. It should be made legal, for sure.
I whole heartedly agree with banning the culprits but it is a masterstroke by M$...Often the modders that buy pirated games are the hardcore gamers and whos betting that out of the 1m banned users over 90% will rebuy a 360? Thats another Million sales M$, Kerching!
But the problem I see is most games stores who take PX only check if the console works by plugging it in and do not check if it is able to go online, so there will be a swill of banned Xboxes floating around and that can't be good...
Thanks for not completing backwards compatibility and forcing me to buy another Xbox 1 to be able to play those fine Xbox 1 titles I bought after selling my first box in the assumption that I would be playing them soon on my new 360!...
Thanks for making me pay 100 Euros for the legendary edition of Halo 3 and f**king up the sound mixing levels on the ridiculously weak sounding guns, to the point that I didn't even wanna play the game anymore after a mere 30 minutes!...
Thanks for the ridiculously overpriced hard discs for 360!...
Thanks for the ridiculously overpriced wireless antenna!...
Thanks for not completing backwards compatibility and forcing me to buy another Xbox 1 to be able to play those fine Xbox 1 titles I bought after selling my first box in the assumption that I would be playing them soon on my new 360!...
Thanks for making me pay 100 Euros for the legendary edition of Halo 3 and f**king up the sound mixing levels on the ridiculously weak sounding guns, to the point that I didn't even wanna play the game anymore after a mere 30 minutes!...
Thanks for the ridiculously overpriced hard discs for 360!...
Thanks for the ridiculously overpriced wireless antenna!...
i find it hilarious that people assume everyone pirates...
oh so just because im not pirating xbox 360 games i must have pirated a movie DVD or music album?
really?
LOL
That's a point. I'm sure there's a good chance that out of the many people here (and not only just here) that complain about console pirates have and probably do download music, films and whatever else for free which is still pirating.
It's like one of my friends; he hates game pirating and thinks it's wrong but yet ironically thinks it's perfectly ok for him to download anime. It's contradicting and now matter how much I point that out to him he just won't agree and admit he's wrong
Personally I have no dislike or liking towards MS or the pirates. They're as bad as each other. Sure it's wrong to get the product by illegal means but MS aren't exactly going up for the nobel peace prize themselves, they just want your cash and no amount is too much.
of cobottom there not sorry this is their brilliant plan to increase sales. natals not ready to release till later next year, so they had to look for other measures to push up the sales rate. since theres no games to do that for them, they just ban people so said people go out and buy new consoles.
What if like mine, your 120gb hard drive got corrupted by, i dont know, FALLOUT 3 DLC. Do they ban you for making a back up of your new hd data on something like xport? A device like that lets you screw around with things like your gamerscore etc, as well as backup data incase it gets corrupted buy Microsoft licensed software.
These threads make me chuckle, there is always a bunch of people trying to out do each other over who is the most anti-pirate, or who hates them more. Its almost like they are looking for that one post that will somehow end piracy and make them the hero of the day, when in reality no one actually cares, besides the other anti-pirate types that is.
While MS might not be sorry about the bannings, I expect there are a lot more people who aren't sorry they downloaded MW2.
all you anus's must be rich who dont like pirates. You props thin Micro$oft derserves all the money they have. Would you say the same to an african who was working for a dollar a day... you fags ill batter all of you! Long live the pirate!
Wow. I count nine errors in that one brief rant (and I wasn't counting the "Micro$oft" one since that was deliberate). You really are a special grade of idiot aren't you? Yes I would say the same to an African who was earning a dollar a day. I'd also be a bit suspicious as to how they got a chipped machine while on that wage.
The fact is thieves are scum, thieves who glorify it and act as if petty theft makes them Robin Hood are even worse.
flameswordsman:- That is really unfair, I'd suggest talking to trading standards about that. I remember recieving Halo3 a day early in the post and beind paranoid that Microsoft might do something like that to me.
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