Tag Archives: xbl bans

Xbox Live general manager, Marc Whitten, has told VentureBeat that there “wasn’t a million people” banned for having modded 360 consoles, and is unsure “why people would think it was a million”.

“These were people that were pirating software. We try to keep sanctity of life from a safety and anti-cheating perspective and we protect our partners. We didn’t release the [banned] number.

“I cannot explain to you why people would think it was a million people. It wasn’t a million people. Check the veracity of that claim. It was one news source.

“I think we do a really good job understanding what people are doing on the system. That applies to intellectual property (piracy) and how we treat the community in terms of harassment. We are committed to making it better and better.”

The original source of the large number was InformationWeek, which reported that up to one million consoles could have been banned globally, but it does not cite where it received those numbers.

More through the link.

Microsoft has responded to the wave of bans on Xbox Live over modded 360 consoles, and while it has decided to remain mum on specific figures, it was quick to remind consumers that piracy is illegal and subject to consequences.

“While we don’t comment on specific numbers, Microsoft’s commitment to combat piracy and support safer and more secure gameplay for the more than 20 million members of the Xbox LIVE community remains a top priority,” a Microsoft spokesperson told VG247.

“All consumers should know that piracy is illegal and modifying their Xbox 360 console violates the Xbox Live terms of use, will void their warranty and result in a ban from Xbox Live.

“We can assure you that if an Xbox Live member follows the 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.”

We assume that this also applies to pirated versions of games like Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust, but since there is apparently not a demand for it, MS decided to only mention Infinity Ward’s latest.

While the gaming world’s aware that Microsoft has put the hammer down and started banning folks with modded Xbox 360′s, a new report states that the number of players tossed could be higher than originally thought.

When the news first broke this week, it was estimated that around 600,000 were toast, but now it seems that up to 1 million could have been affected.

“All consumers should know that piracy is illegal and that modifying their Xbox 360 console to play pirated discs violates the Xbox Live terms of use, will void their warranty and result in a ban from Xbox Live,” Microsoft said in a statement.

With over XBL 20 million users worldwide, expect that number to get even higher.

Via Guardian UK.