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Week of November 1, 2009
More on LIVE Bans, HDD Crippling, Possible Ban Causes
>> Kushan wrote a nice little article on #FW@EFnet summarizing all kinda info we have about the current (still ongoing) Console Live Ban Wave:
[QUOTE]
- What does this mean for you and what can you do about it?
Firstly, and most obviously, you cannot connect to Xbox Live on this console any more. This means no more game updates (aka title updates), XBLA games, marketplace content, netflix/sky player and so on. There is no way around this, all online capabilities are now disabled PERMANENTLY.
In all likelihood, your gamertag has NOT BEEN BANNED. When your gamertag gets banned, Microsoft sends you an email detailing why, if you have not recieved this email then your profile should be ok, to a certain extent.
Hard Drive installs are now disabled on the banned console. This means any disk-based games you have will no longer play off of the hard drive. If you attempt to play a game, it will tell you that it was installed on a different 360 and needs to be deleted/installed again. When you delete the game and attempt to install it, you are given a message telling you that it is not supported. There is no way to fix this, that functionality is simply gone from the banned 360.
The hard drive itself is left untouched - you can place it in another 360, even an unbanned one, and it will still work just fine. You do NOT need to reformat it to regain any kind of functionality. Any installed games will need to be reinstalled for the console you want to play them on. This is normal behaviour and happens when swapping HDDs on unbanned/legit 360's.
Windows Media Centre functionality is disabled. It is still possible to stream video/music content via the video library.
Your Gamertag may be corrupted. This does not mean your gamertag has been banned, you can recover it using any live-capable 360, however ANY ACHIVEMENTS YOU HAVE EARNED SINCE BEING BANNED WILL BE LOST. Your gamertag will be corrupted EVERY SINGLE TIME it is used on a banned console. This means you cannot use your banned console to play backups offline just to get achievements - it wont work, the second you put your profile back on a good 360, it will be corrupted and all progress lost. There is no way around this.
The same applies to game saves - if you access a game save on a banned 360, it too will be corrupted when accessed on a legit/unbanned 360! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! There is no way around this, either.
Your XBLA games and DLC will still be valid, however to play them on a different 360 you will need to be signed into Xbox Live. This is normal behaviour on unbanned/legit 360's as well. They may be corrupted and have to be re-downloaded if you attempt to access them on a banned 360. You can transfer all of your downloaded content to a new 360 here: http://www.xbox.com/en-US/support/systemuse/xbox360/licensemigration/default.htm however note that you can only do it once every 12 months.
So, in summary:
Your Banned 360:
* Cannot go on Xbox Live
* Cannot install games to the HDD
* Cannot use Windows Media Centre extender
* Cannot be used to get achievements from backups without corrupting your profile
You cannot do anything about this, short of buying a new 360.
There may be more functionality disabled than mentioned here, things are still being discovered.
- So what caused my ban?
There are MANY theories as to what is causing so many consoles to get banned this time, however as of yet there is nothing concrete, just a lot of circumstantial evidence and speculation. Please do not add to this, a full investigation is under-way.
c4eva, the main guy behind iXtreme, had this to say:
<+c4eva> fw itself not detectable
<+c4eva> suspect they are going hard on warez releases and incorrect use of abgx!
He also added the following:
<+c4eva> just to let you know that im looking into the current ban wave. I am currently running several brand new xboxs on live! These xboxs are in various configs. All are running ixtreme 1.61
<+c4eva> One is running original discs, another is running on xbl (no discs) , another is running a backup from my region!
<+c4eva> until tests are completed, no eta on liteon fw!
When we know more, YOU'LL no more, so please do not ask for updates!
A full transcript is available here - http://pastebin.ca/1660777
Remember, if you really want to blame someone, blame the person that decided to modify your 360 in the first place - most likey, that would be you ;
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Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
How investigators tracked down a Modern Warfare 2 cyber pirate
>> From venturebeat.com:
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The posting last Thursday on Craigslist was alarming. Someone was selling a Modern Warfare 2 Xbox 360 bundle, with both a console and a game, for $500. The problem was that Modern Warfare 2, one of the most anticipated games of the year, doesn't officially go on sale until Nov. 10.
Activision Blizzard, the game's publisher, called in IPCybercrime.com, a Dallas private investigation firm that specializes in online investigations. The investigators tracked down the seller and stumbled into a scheme to pirate the game and sell a bunch of fake copies over the Internet. While the bust led to the arrest of just one hacker among many, it sheds light on the shadowy underground of the business of illegal piracy. It also offers a peak at how investigators try to head off a major piracy disaster before it happens.
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Full Story: venturebeat.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Twitter, Facebook, Last.FM and Xbox 360 Family Settings
>> From majornelson.com:
[QUOTE]
As some of you might be aware, those under the age of 18 are not able to access Twitter, Facebook and Last.fm in our public preview. I want to you let you know that this will remain the case when it launches to the world soon. We made this decision because as it stands now, parents aren't able to use Family Settings to customize which of these applications their children can access. In order to offer an age-appropriate environment for everyone, we decided to turn off these applications for those Gold members under the age of 18. As expected, this has been a hot topic with the preview users. We want to make sure everyone was aware, however, that the development team is working on an update that gives parents the choice of which social applications their children can access. This means that Xbox LIVE members between the ages of 13 and 17 will be able to use Facebook, Twitter and Last.fm as long as their parents approve. The team hope to roll this out several weeks after launch and I will update you on the exact date as it gets closer.
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Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
OTX: Xbox 360 Gamers Defecting To PS3 For Holiday Sequels?
>> From gamasutra.com:
[QUOTE]
It's coming time for the Holiday launches of anticipated multiplatform sequels -- and new data provided to Gamasutra by OTX's GamePlan Insights finds that many sequel-buyers might be switching platforms, defecting from Xbox 360 to PlayStation 3 for more than one major release.
OTX data shows that 15 percent of those who plan to buy the PS3 version of Assassin's Creed 2 own the Xbox 360 version of the original, while only 7 percent of those who plan to buy the Xbox 360 version own the original game on PS3.
Moreover, the trend for Modern Warfare 2 is the same, according to OTX. "The PS3 seems poised to shift the ratio of Xbox 360 to PS3 sales for most major multi-platform releases in its favor among dual owners," Williams tells us.
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Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Major Nelson Talks about Latest LIVE Ban Wave - More Bans Today
>> From majornelson.com:
[QUOTE]
As you may have read online, we've been actively banning consoles from Xbox LIVE that have been modified to play pirated games. Our commitment to combat piracy and support safer and more secure gameplay for the more than 20 million members of our Xbox LIVE community remains a top priority. 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. The health of the video game business depends on customers paying for the genuine products and services they receive from manufacturers, retailers, and the third parties that support them. This would also be a good time to remind you that the warranty on an Xbox 360 console is not transferrable and if you purchase a used console that has been previously banned, you will not be able to connect to Xbox LIVE.
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While the 'banhammer' went quiet since last Friday's wave, it looks like Microsoft is banning users again today as reported by users on our forums and IRC.
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Xbox 360 With Free 100usd Gift Card Deal at Walmart *Updated*
>> From kotaku.com:
[QUOTE]
A retail tipster sends word that Walmart will be selling an Xbox 360 Arcade with a $100 gift card for $199 this Saturday.
Sounds like a great deal, though as with all rumors, make sure to take this with a grain of salt until we can get verification or the official news hits on Wednesday.
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*Update* News is confirmed on walmart.com
Full Story: kotaku.com | walmart.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
MS forcefully removes private chat from upcoming titles
>> From examiner.com:
[QUOTE]
Do you like to use the party chat option on your Xbox 360? Well, if you do, you may soon find yourself being forced out of using that option. Microsoft appears to be offering developers the option to negate the private chat option the Xbox 360 offers.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 will force players to decide whether or not they'll play the game and join the game chat, or choose to stay in a private chat and not play in the multiplayer game. The private chat feature became a way of telling other players of enemy locations after being killed.
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Full Story: examiner.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
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