Xbox LIVE Bans

Microsoft has banned up to 1 million Xbox LIVE users that have been playing on modified consoles.

Microsoft claims that it's just an coincidence that their ban-hammer has been put to use around the same time that Modern Warfare 2, the most anticipated game of the year, was set for release.

"All consumers should know that piracy is illegal and that modifying their Xbox 360 console violates the Xbox Live terms of use, will void their warranty and result in a ban from Xbox Live," Microsoft said in a statement Wednesday. "We can assure you that if an Xbox Live member follows the Xbox Live terms of use, purchased a retail copy of 'Modern Warfare 2' and played the game on an unmodified Xbox 360, no action will be taken.”

Dave Taylor, publishing director for GamerZines.com, said he understands why some people may want to modify their consoles.

"It's fair for people to feel that they should be able to do whatever they want with something that they have bought, but it's also fair for Microsoft to do everything it can to reduce the risk of piracy," he said. "[..] the biggest problem in banning modded consoles — and this gets missed by most people — is that it is the console itself that gets banned. So many of these consoles get sold secondhand, even sometimes unwittingly by stores (that) accept them as trade-ins, to people who assume they have just bought a functioning console. And while it might technically boot up, the console is blacklisted and therefore pretty much useless to them."

As can be read in the "Terms of Use" agreement », Microsoft has the right to send data to detect unauthorized modifications. In addition,

"any attempt to disassemble, decompile, create derivative works of, reverse engineer, modify, further sublicense, distribute, or use for other purposes the Service, any game, application, or other content available or accessible through the Service, or any hardware or software associated with the Service or with an original Xbox or Xbox 360 console is strictly prohibited and may result in cancellation of your account and/or your ability to access the Service, and the pursuit of other legal remedies by Microsoft."

So let this count as a warning to those wanting to buy a secondhand console, as it might be banned from Xbox LIVE!

Source: MSNBC.com »