I believe that much of the problem lies in the fact that these firms rely on customers to report other customers. http://support.activision.com/articles/en_US/FAQ/Reporting-Hackers-or-Cheaters

That is the real reason for not telling customers why they were banned and that is why some are banned for really no reason – it is just because someone dislikes another person. They do not want to get into an argument between the two customers, so they only keep the reporter’s identity private, even if that person is lying and don’t tell me that doesn’t happen or that it only happens occasionally. I believe that is the source for most of these bans.

Some of you have stated that permanent bans are necessary to stop certain words from being used such as curse words and racial slurs. Even though these are reasons listed as why permanent bans are sometimes issued, they are also the same words that gaming firms are fighting others who want to stop them in using in their games. As an article http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gdc-2009-the-new-face-of-game-censorship/1100-6206796/ on this site states:

"Think about that for a minute. Would we ever in a million years tolerate the government passing a law that movies cannot have profanity, racial jokes, or derogatory language? That would eliminate practically every movie made," he said.

"Now we can debate all day long whether racist stereotypes or derogatory language is even appropriate in video games, but that's for us to debate, and not for the government to decide," Walters said. "If this law passes, I think it will open the door for some very dangerous forms of thought control the likes of which we haven't seen in this country."

These firms apparently think that their customers should be held at a higher moral standard than themselves and should not have the same “rights” as they do. If they truly oppose the use of certain words, then they should lead by example and stop using these words in their games, negating the supposed necessity of having such laws of forcing them to stop using them.

It is bogus to claim they are protecting the gaming environment by permanently banning a customer for using the very words that they use in their games. That is called a double standard, one standard for themselves while imposing another standard on their customers. How do you explain that as being “okay”?

@Byshop: Again you are trying to sugar coat the problem. Most of the games/consoles are purchased for the very reason to play with friends online, yet these firms do steal from customers by denying them access to certain items/games online, denying them the right to get the full use out of their fully paid purchases.

Just because certain games are no longer sold, that doesn't mean that these firms are justified in denying customers access to their fully purchased items. You cannot buy certain cars anymore, but that doesn't mean you cannot use your old car -- unless you can't get parts for it, but that is a different issue. The auto industry doesn't come out and disable your vehicle on purpose because they do not want to sell that type of car anymore and simply want you to buy a new one.

Apparently the main reason permanent bans are issued is for "cheating, hacking, glitching, and boosting"; not piracy. The following is a typical response to someone who complains about a ban:

Activision Publishing takes cheating, hacking, glitching, and boosting very seriously. For this reason there is a Code of Conduct for online play in Call of Duty: Ghosts. All players are required to adhere to this code of conduct or face disciplinary action. It is strongly recommended that this customer review this online Code of Conduct because repeat offenses can and will result even stricter disciplinary actions. The Call of Duty: Ghosts Code of Conduct can be found at the following link: ********************************************************************************************

Activision Publishing has reviewed this customer's records and found that customer support provided them with accurate information. It is Activision's policy that we do not divulge the reason for which a suspension or ban is issued. All bans or suspensions are final and can't be appealed.

- See more at: http://www.bbb.org/losangelessiliconvalley/business-reviews/video-games-wholesale-and-manufacturers/activision-blizzard-in-santa-monica-ca-13075134/complaints#sthash.eHrWOa5n.dpuf

@Byshop:

Problem 1: These firms claim that their systems are perfect; declaring that there are no “false-positives.” Therefore, those who are wrongly accused normally are not heard and no refunds or reversals of these bans are made. They make it very clear that they do not want to discuss the matter by stating: “all permanent bans are final and cannot be reversed.” Calling and writing them doesn’t help either.

“Activision's boilerplate response is to refer you to their code of conduct page and insist they have a zero false positive system. In other words, once you're banned, you're out of luck.”

http://aaroncraig.com/activision-and-infinityward-ignoring-unjust-cod-ghosts-bans

Problem 2: These are just games; not murder. The punishment is like sentencing the death penalty to a jay walker. Is your reputation of how well you play your games more important than the risk of you losing everything from a false positive permanent ban?

I say the punishment is excessive and that the system is too unreliable. I believe it to be an industry-wide problem, not just one or two companies: http://www.steamgifts.com/discussion/aW6Th/do-we-own-our-steam-games-somewhat-relevant-for-our-little-group

There are other ways to deal with the situation that doesn’t involve people losing hundreds of dollars and being forced to spend 100’s more if they want to continue with the games. Of course, most don’t have that kind of money to burn which is making gaming fast becoming just a rich man’s past time. That is regrettable since there are some real benefits of gaming, especially for kids as this article points out:

http://www.medicaldaily.com/how-video-games-can-help-children-succeed-school-246201

Problem 3: I don’t doubt that any system of theirs isn’t fool-proof, even for piracy. However, that doesn’t justify them stealing/damaging their customers’ property – no matter how much they supposedly lose. I also do not believe that piracy is as big a problem that you and others claim it to be:

https://software.intel.com/en-us/blogs/2012/09/22/gaming-piracy-separating-fact-from-fiction

http://www.techradar.com/us/news/gaming/the-truth-about-pc-game-piracy-688864

@Byshop:

So, are you now claiming that piracy is the real problem? You and others kept claiming that it was “Modding”, so now that I mentioned how the firms changed their story, now you are also changing your story?

You and others claimed that the goal was to ensure that only certainly players had the best gaming experience (and to heck with the other guys). Yet, are you now claiming that because companies can lose millions of dollars from piracy, that it is “okay” for them to steal 100’s of dollars from their customers?

Innocent victims are not isolated cases and these firms do not provide any refund for them or resolution for them. If you would bother to research that, you would know this. You would also know that just because the main stream media doesn't cover something, it doesn't mean that problems don’t exist. In addition, you would know that you can’t believe everything that the mainstream media tells you.

It is wrong for just one customer to be harmed by this policy, but apparently you claim that these firms’ potential loss of profits somehow “justifies” them harming these individuals. I totally disagree.

As far as piracy is concerned, Microsoft clearly already has the capability to verify software, so I believe that their Xbox division can do the same, and most likely they are doing so. The firms don’t even mention now that piracy is a problem, but instead claim that cheating is a problem. Therefore, they apparently feel they have resolved the piracy problem; again most likely by the way they do their other products like Windows and MS Word.

Again I will repeat, there are other ways to deal with the issue of cheating that does not involve stealing from their customers. Customers should not be forced to subsidize these firms’ losses through such tactics. If these firms would not be so lazy; but more innovative instead, then they would realize that they do not “need” to resort to these and other unjust, unfair tactics. They need to focus more on creating more interesting games; not on how they can make the customer re-purchase products they already bought.

Here is the definition of a lease:

Lease^: a contract renting land, buildings, etc., to another; a contract or instrument conveying property to another for a specified period or for a period determinable at the will of either lessor or lessee in consideration of rent or other compensation.

From: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/lease

Apparently the person who made the claim that consoles are not owned by customers, but are instead leased by the customer is suggesting that gaming firms can issue permanent bans on a console because the firms own the consoles much like satellite firms own their equipment.

This is clearly not the case as stores like Gamestop and Hastings would not buy any used consoles from customers; they would instead have to buy them from gaming firms. Therefore all consoles would eventually receive a permanent ban, regardless of a gamer’s behavior, or the companies would come and pick up the consoles at some set time. Of course, that would all be totally ridiculous. That is just as much a false statement as what someone else made who claimed that people don't own the games. People are not repackaging the consoles/games and claiming them to be something that they made. That would be a totally different issue all together. People own cars, but there are still GM, Ford, Chrysler, etc. -- and these car companies do not permanently ban people from using their cars which they have paid for in full. That too would be ridiculous.

Regarding closed petition:

I missed that point probably because it is very unusual since the firms declare that all permanent bans are final, they won’t discuss the matter with the customer, there is no recourse for permanent bans, and they arrogantly declare their permanent banning system as being “perfect”. Perhaps having a petition such as this is the only way to get these gaming firms to listen to their customers since it supposedly helped that person.

Please note that some of you have wrongly assumed that I support “cheating” and other behaviors, but that is not the case. Those of you who support permanent bans claim on one hand that these practices are important, yet on the other hand, you also claim that complaining about a permanent ban on anything as being “petty”. If the issue is so petty, then why is there a “need” for permanent bans? And yes, I am very serious. I do not know why anyone would claim otherwise.

Rather than sugar coating the problem, why don’t you instead suggest other ways to handle any real problems – that is, if there are any real problems that need to be addressed. I’m not convinced that there are any real problems because of the way these firms treat customers.

“It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled.” – Mark Twain

"Now...on to the trashing: Xbox's official support outlet has clarified something some of you may have missed or didn't know, and it's that if you get banned from Xbox Live on the Xbox One you will lose access to any and all game licenses tied to your account.

Now this has been one of the biggest questions regarding the Xbox One: What happens to your games when you get banned if they're tied to your Xbox Live account? Well, now you have an answer...you lose your games."

http://www.cinemablend.com/games/Banned-Xbox-Live-Accounts-Lose-Access-All-Xbox-One-Games-56755.html

"Commentary: So Jackson did not really cheat, and I will give him the benefit of the doubt that he just did not know any better. Should Microsoft give him a break? Probably. We all know that, as a matter of policy, that is not going to happen and Jackson is going to be marked down as a cheater. His best bet - now that Microsoft wiped the Achievement slate clean - is to start from scratch with a new account."

http://www.gamepolitics.com/2011/01/31/follow-autistic-boy039s-xbox-live-039cheater039-punishment#.VQQ0co7F-PY

They seem to change their story for the "reason" to have permanent bans. Supposedly it used to be to fight "pirating", but now they claim it is to fight "cheating". I do not think either are real problems, but are instead simply excuses to create the "need" to repurchase the item banned.

"In some cases though, modding (modifying) is done to allow a bigger hard drive, and given that the supplied hard drives are still very small comparative to what is available on the market, and expensive also, you can see why some people are going to be very angry." http://www.nbcnews.com/id/33866696/ns/technology_and_science-games/t/microsoft-bans-million-xbox-live-users/#.VQQ-PY7F-PZ

@Warlord_Irochi: I don't play games, therefore I did not get banned on any Xbox Live account and I do not have a banned console either. I know of people who receive these bans for unjust "reasons".

These firms force you to "agree" if you want to get the full use out of the product you purchased, that is, play online. This is one-sided, because when they issue permanent bans, there is no way to have it reversed -- even when it is unjustified. Most of the time they follow their policy of not telling customers why they received a permanent ban, that also makes it one-sided, as well as the fact that they do not give any refunds. Some people sell their banned consoles, (some tell customers they are banned and some, sadly don't), but the new owner cannot get the full use out of the console either. Some games/consoles are purchased for the very purpose to play online with their friends -- real friends and not faceless people they don't really know. This attitude that a company can do whatever it wants "because it is in the EULA" sets a very bad precedent that can mean more and more people being abused, even people like you.

On one hand, you apparently claim that it is very important to have permanent bans for your sake, yet for a victim of permanent bans -- even truly innocent victims -- you claim that it is a petty issue ("Grow up"). I am not saying "don't do anything about Modding", what I am saying is that this practice does more harm than good. There are more fair ways to handle this such as multiple servers, ones for Modding and ones for non-Modding like smoking areas and non-smoking areas.

Apparently, the idea is to "teach you a lesson" by forcing you to buy a new product. That is definitely one-sided -- benefiting only the gaming firm -- to me, especially when I believe that most permanent bans are either bogus or petty due to the lack of transparency by these firms. Forcing the middle class/poor out of the gaming world so that only the elite can play. Yea, that's a great system. Not!

Both adults and children are being falsely accused of breaking rules/cheating. All gamers and parents of children who play these games need to be aware of this problem. Many of the “Codes” are vague and some specific reasons are not listed. Since much of the time these firms do not tell customers their offense, they cannot learn what traps to avoid.

All gamers need to know these things:

• If you are in a game and see someone using a Mod that increases everyone’s scores or uses “tricks” such as flying, then get out of the game fast. You can be falsely accused of cheating just by being there even as an observer. Kids are especially victimized because they do not understand this. Just because they are kids, it doesn’t justify these firms stealing/damaging their property.
• Don’t even joke about cheating or using/giving away Mods. Both adults and children have been shocked to receive permanent bans, even those who report “cheaters”.
• This may have changed with the purchase of Mojang, but if you win an item for your avatar in Xbox, do not use it or you can be falsely accused of “changing your avatar”.

Please share any other tips that people need to know about to avoid receiving permanent bans. Just because you may despise cheating as these firms claim they do, it doesn't protect you from false accusations or pettiness by these firms. These firms claim to have such high morals against cheating, yet they cheat customers every day by issuing permanent bans and not giving any refunds to the customers. Everyone needs to know this.

@Installing: Something like that might work, but within reason. These firms still should not give bans to customers for bogus reasons or petty reasons. After asking Microsoft Xbox again and again why my love one's account was banned, the customer service person finally admitted that it was because he changed his avatar. How he changed it? By putting a Minecraft shirt on his avatar -- a shirt that he/she won while playing Minecraft. Mojang verified through an email that it was an easy item to unlock (I think it was something like eating a pork chop) while playing the game.; however, Microsoft Xbox didn't care.. I do not believe that even a temporary ban for reasons such as this (a time when Microsoft Xbox was jealous of Mojang --- and now has bought Mojang) is justified.

To illustrate the problem with gaming companies having too much power over the gaming world, I’ll talk briefly about a real-life problem with the federal government and the NDAA. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) gives a president, any president, the power to lock up anyone for any reason – and no reason needs to be given. This is a power in which presidents can use to stop political opposition by simply locking away indefinitely all those who opposes his/her policies. Then the opposition is eliminated. Tragically, most Americans do not recognize this power as being a problem because they, as you all who support permanent bans do in the gaming world, believe that it is “okay” since it “only applies to the criminals (rule breakers); not me or my love ones.” Imprisoned indefinitely (no time limit) for any reason means any reason, justified or not, real or not. People need to recognize that it can happen to them and/or their love ones by condoning this presidential possession of power; not because they are “criminals” (rule breakers), but simply because a president (gaming firm) feels like it.

Of course, the gaming world is not about real life, but I believe that this illustrates the problem with anyone having more power than he/she should. Truly innocent people can and are being harmed by this policy. Many people want to do away with the death penalty for the same reason – it is too easy for the innocent to be grossly harmed and as permanent bans are final, death is certainly final.

Again, the gaming world is not about real life problems, but companies do not have the right to do whatever they want to customers – including destroying/stealing their property. Once someone is your customer, you cannot take away the product without giving full refunds. However, that is indeed what is happening with permanent bans and that is why I say: Nothing justifies a permanent ban.

Rich people are not the only ones who play video games, so telling people “just buy another (game, console, etc.)” is a heartless statement. I will not “move on” until the voices of these truly innocent people are really heard on as many sites as I can find. Our Country would still be under British rule if our Founding Fathers had just “moved on” and our Country would still have foolish/childish/racist laws such as forcing Blacks to ride in the back of the bus if Rosa Parks had not shed light on the problem by refusing to “move on.”

Again, other gaming sites, including the gaming firms themselves such as Activision, have deleted my comments regarding the problems with permanent bans. I am pleased to see that this particular site, so far, has not stooped to such dirty tactics. Thank you, Gamespot.