Microsoft Timed Ban Spree to Maximise Profits

This makes zero sense. How does banning people, who can then no longer buy and play games, maximize MS's profits?How is it MS's fault that some people broke their terms of use and therefore are now whining and crying about it? Is it MS's fault that these people were, at the best, completely ignorant, and at the worst, completely negligent and tried to rip off the company who made the console they supposedly love so much?

Seriously, what am I missing here?

ZIMdoom

[QUOTE="ZIMdoom"]

This makes zero sense. How does banning people, who can then no longer buy and play games, maximize MS's profits?How is it MS's fault that some people broke their terms of use and therefore are now whining and crying about it? Is it MS's fault that these people were, at the best, completely ignorant, and at the worst, completely negligent and tried to rip off the company who made the console they supposedly love so much?

Seriously, what am I missing here?

mythrol

[QUOTE="mythrol"][QUOTE="ZIMdoom"]

This makes zero sense. How does banning people, who can then no longer buy and play games, maximize MS's profits?How is it MS's fault that some people broke their terms of use and therefore are now whining and crying about it? Is it MS's fault that these people were, at the best, completely ignorant, and at the worst, completely negligent and tried to rip off the company who made the console they supposedly love so much?

Seriously, what am I missing here?

HuusAsking

[QUOTE="WWIAB"]MS will still Win, Obtaining Information from a Console without permission from the owner? I believe you wave that right every time you log in to Xbox live, They will not sell the information, but you submitted it willingly, and I believe MS can monitor the console and your information freelyVandalvideo

Adequately presented? Keep in mind a number of people have consoles that oveheat because they sit them on carpet....which every console manual since the SNES said not to do. Keep in mind a number of people who have no idea that you can legally change the HDD in a PS3 even though a portion of the PS3s manual specifically explains how to do this.

The fact is most people are idiots who don't bother to look at the manuals, let alone ever read them cover to cover. And frankly, ignorance is no defense.

Listen I'm not for piracy , I agree more so it's a problem for developers they don't get the revenues, no sequel plus they have to put food on their tables.. But If these pirates knew the consequences why even connect your system to live at all?

And frankly, ignorance is no defense.ZIMdoom

[QUOTE="ZIMdoom"] And frankly, ignorance is no defense.Vandalvideo

[QUOTE="blue_hazy_basic"] What are you talking about? If you don't read a contract or terms of agreement and you violate it then youc an plead ignorance? You're mistaken.Vandalvideo

[QUOTE="blue_hazy_basic"] Which not only is clear in the ToU but also any reasonable person would know that pirating software or going to great lengths to modify a 360 is not going to be legal.Vandalvideo

Microsoft could still very well lose a misrepresentation case

Legal Wall of Text blue_hazy_basic

Oi!! My head hurt just looking at that, never even mind reading it :P

[QUOTE="blue_hazy_basic"] Legal Wall of Text AdobeArtist

Oi!! My head hurt just looking at that, never even mind reading it :P

[QUOTE="blue_hazy_basic"] from the terms of XBL - these are not written in complex legal jardon *insert little yellow face here* Vandalvideo

Microsoft could still very well lose a misrepresentation case

I think its just right, all they have to do is buy a new (affordable)console and use it legally. If MS were to outright ban the user from using the service ever. I think that would be too harsh.

[QUOTE="BlackTragedy"]

lol who cares if they banned the hackers at a time so they would feel the pain. Microsoft can ban them when they want and thats the risk of being a hacker.

OneLazyAsian

Yes, cause wanting a reasonably priced HDD is hacking.

I applaud Microsoft for doing this.

I applaud Microsoft for doing this.

mdisen2

[QUOTE="hot114"]

* Disabling/altering Xbox functionality *NOT* associated with Xbox Live or piracy (HDD functionality for example);

* Disabling/altering Xbox functionality *NOT* associated with piracy (Netflix, game add-ons, music, and arcade games for example);

Furthermore, Xbox console functions that have nothing to do with piracy were also affected or disabled.

hot114

I don't think it worked. I was shopping around today and saw cases full of Xbox 360 systems, only one Wii, (they had previously had excess units at most locations) and sold out of the PS3 Slims. At Wal-Mart they put back out some unsold 160GB Phats bundled with Uncharted. But you can get a 250GB Slim for that price, then just go get Uncharted used next door at gamestop for as little as twenty bucks, so that seems like a raw deal to me.

Arn't they, by pursuing this lawsuit, practically admitting that they pirated games? Which, pirating in of itself, is a crime punishable by jail time and/or massive fines? Microsoft should counter-sue and claim damages by the hackers.Stevo_the_gamer

typical MS, always looking to cash in on its customers.InfiniteBlak

Since when are pirates customers?

typical MS, always looking to cash in on its customers.InfiniteBlak

[QUOTE="InfiniteBlak"]typical MS, always looking to cash in on its customers.AdobeArtist

Since when are pirates customers?

I guess MS should have sat down with the pirates, and decided a time to start banning them that suits everyone ...

How dare they "possibly" profit from defending, and upholding there own rules.

[QUOTE="AdobeArtist"]

[QUOTE="InfiniteBlak"]typical MS, always looking to cash in on its customers.HuusAsking

Since when are pirates customers?

[QUOTE="navyguy21"][QUOTE="HuusAsking"]I can see the online cheating thing, but why the hard drive? If they're so afraid of game hacking, why not encrypt the contents to tamper-harden them? Doing that, they could also allow the use of external USB Mass Storage devices for all gaming tasks, which would make a tempting selling point.HuusAsking

Exactly, this is just another way for M$ to promote their monopolistic activities and make EVERYTHING their property. Luckily they are now being sued, I hope they lose.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6241212.html?tag=latestheadlines;title;2

[QUOTE="HuusAsking"][QUOTE="AdobeArtist"]

Since when are pirates customers?

WilliamRLBaker

And lets not forget, as conventional wisdom dictates, that the REAL long term profits for all the companies is in the software sales. That's why they're willing to take a hit on the hardware costs early on during the initial introduction when that isn't bringing in the profits.

[QUOTE="HuusAsking"][QUOTE="navyguy21"]Because even if you encrypt them, hackers will still find a way if they have free access to the HDD like they would with 3rd party hard drives. I know its not easy to break, but opening the door just a little bit allows at least some hackers/pirates in. MS learned that the hard way last gen by using a standard PC hard drive, and the console was hacked to death, allowing people to upgrade, and even install retail games. So they closed the door this gen. I dont agree with it, but i fully understand it.RedruM_I

Exactly, this is just another way for M$ to promote their monopolistic activities and make EVERYTHING their property. Luckily they are now being sued, I hope they lose.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6241212.html?tag=latestheadlines;title;2

The situation isn't the same. STEAM and such like don't own the PC. Microsoft own the Xbox. They do a good job in keeping thing undercontrol, as they have no choice but to keep things on there end.

MS on the other hand can simple disable your console functions. And they're within right i believe.

You may think it's not fair, and that MS are just looking to make money, but who cares what you think? They're pirates ...

[QUOTE="RedruM_I"]

[QUOTE="HuusAsking"]So how do Steam and other PC-centric systems (which have no choice but to use open hardware) keep hacking and cracking under control? And why can't Microsoft use a similar or tighter model?Stats_

Exactly, this is just another way for M$ to promote their monopolistic activities and make EVERYTHING their property. Luckily they are now being sued, I hope they lose.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6241212.html?tag=latestheadlines;title;2

The situation isn't the same. STEAM and such like don't own the PC. Microsoft own the Xbox. They do a good job in keeping thing undercontrol, as they have no choice but to keep things on there end.

MS on the other hand can simple disable your console functions. And they're within right i believe.

You may think it's not fair, and that MS are just looking to make money, but who cares what you think? They're pirates ...

oh noes!!! are people ripping off software pirates??? poor widdle pirates, there they are just innocently stealing things and teh big bad corporation come in and starts acting all greedy...

this changes my whole attitude towards property, before if i caught someone burgularizing my home i prolly woulda got upset but now i know i should just consider them houseguests and help them to their van with my property, after all i would not want to be greedy with my stuff would i?

[QUOTE="Stats_"]

[QUOTE="RedruM_I"]

Exactly, this is just another way for M$ to promote their monopolistic activities and make EVERYTHING their property. Luckily they are now being sued, I hope they lose.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6241212.html?tag=latestheadlines;title;2

RedruM_I

The situation isn't the same. STEAM and such like don't own the PC. Microsoft own the Xbox. They do a good job in keeping thing undercontrol, as they have no choice but to keep things on there end.

MS on the other hand can simple disable your console functions. And they're within right i believe.

You may think it's not fair, and that MS are just looking to make money, but who cares what you think? They're pirates ...

[QUOTE="RedruM_I"][QUOTE="Stats_"]

The situation isn't the same. STEAM and such like don't own the PC. Microsoft own the Xbox. They do a good job in keeping thing undercontrol, as they have no choice but to keep things on there end.

MS on the other hand can simple disable your console functions. And they're within right i believe.

You may think it's not fair, and that MS are just looking to make money, but who cares what you think? They're pirates ...

SecretPolice

[QUOTE="SecretPolice"]

[QUOTE="RedruM_I"] I'm not defending pirates but they locking foreign memory hardware is a sign of things o come (the link was from a lawsuit of a hardware company not the pirates lawsuit). They can do whatever they want but it is the same kind of practices they do on the computer business and that hint at a monopoly. I'm pretty sure that for them locking access of third party memory units is not a move they are interested to promote to defeat pirates (the other companies don't do such things and they have other means to deal with pirates) but they do it to monopolize with their proprietary stuff. The exact same kind of BS they do on the computer world.RedruM_I

strange how they all get banned at the same time right before the holiday season....ms you done it again, bravo!!!

[QUOTE="RedruM_I"][QUOTE="SecretPolice"]Curious, do you find it appalling that Sony has a monopoly on B.R. and should that evil be remedied so MS & "N" can share & share alike? :twisted:

SecretPolice

[QUOTE="mdisen2"] MS can do no wrong for some people. [QUOTE="hot114"]

[QUOTE="hot114"]

* Disabling/altering Xbox functionality *NOT* associated with Xbox Live or piracy (HDD functionality for example);

* Disabling/altering Xbox functionality *NOT* associated with piracy (Netflix, game add-ons, music, and arcade games for example);

Furthermore, Xbox console functions that have nothing to do with piracy were also affected or disabled.

LOXO7

Hey, I hate MS and am no fan of the Xbox. You can check my post history to see for yourself. But I support MS's right to do this. Yes, the HDD is a rip off and MS making a money grab.I've openly mocked them for years regarding their idiotic decision to NOT make HDD standardafterthey mockedSony and Nintedo about standard HDD being the future of gaming and an absolute necessity. I've openlymocked them for insisting to the public HDD would be standard in the 360 when, behind the scenes, they were telling developers the exact opposite.MS has ripped off their cusomters with this HDD decision. But you know what, if customers don't like it and wanted the ability to replace the HDD theirself, then they should have bought the PS3 instead. They bought the Xbox and whether they like the peripherals or not, they violated their terms of use and have no right to now turn around and cry about it.

Like it or not, MS is fully within their rights here.

so many people misinformed on this thread:

1. You dont get banned for having a custom hard drive. Yes they have made it so you cant use Datel drives anymore but NO WAY are you getting banned for having it.

2. The only people being banned are who modified their dvd firmware. And the only reason to do that is to pirate games. Period. There is no grey area for this at all. They figured out a way to detect people who have their dvd firmware modified.

[QUOTE="SecretPolice"]

[QUOTE="RedruM_I"] BluRay? Do you see Sony trying to prevent other manufacturers to produce or use Bluray players or Bluray didcs working only on Sony devices?That would be the equivalent of M$ doing what they love to do.RedruM_I

$ony lol tries but is not as successful at it - does that make them better ? :P

[QUOTE="RedruM_I"][QUOTE="SecretPolice"]Not without a fee they don't, I mean, do you think others should have to pay Sony for the licencing or can others just go ahead & pirate it since ya know, it's to much like a monopoly. :P

SecretPolice

$ony lol tries but is not as successful at it - does that make them better ? :P

Curious, do you find it appalling that Sony has a monopoly on B.R. and should that evil be remedied so MS & "N" can share & share alike? :twisted:SecretPolice

[QUOTE="SecretPolice"] Curious, do you find it appalling that Sony has a monopoly on B.R. and should that evil be remedied so MS & "N" can share & share alike? :twisted:Animal-Mother

so many people misinformed on this thread:

1. You dont get banned for having a custom hard drive. Yes they have made it so you cant use Datel drives anymore but NO WAY are you getting banned for having it.

2. The only people being banned are who modified their dvd firmware. And the only reason to do that is to pirate games. Period. There is no grey area for this at all. They figured out a way to detect people who have their dvd firmware modified.

trick91_basic

This. Do you see THIS, fanboys? That's called reason and logic!! And you too can enjoy the benfits such perspective once you take off your tinfoil caps :)

strange how they all get banned at the same time right before the holiday season....ms you done it again, bravo!!!

Zaibach