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Microsoft unapologetic over Xbox Live bans

by on16 November 2009

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Company committed to dealing with piracy issues

With the news that Microsoft has dealt a serious blow to Xbox 360 users with modified consoles, the fallout has been about what you might expect. According to our sources, the straw that really broke Microsoft’s back this time around were the number of users with modified consoles that were engaged in playing the recently released Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 by downloading it prior to the actual release of the game.

Microsoft seems to be unapologetic over the banning of consoles and users. The company is dedicated to attacking the industry-wide problem of piracy on their platform. As part of the clamp down, estimates are that as many as over one million consoles worldwide have been banned due to modification of their consoles.

While the company has not released specifics on how the identification process works or how the company determines if a ban is warranted, sources report that it is likely that that the bans were justified due to the use of downloaded pirated copies of games that were being played on modified Xbox 360 systems.

With all of the consoles that have been banned, the sales of used Xbox 360 systems have also taken a hit; with the company warning users about the fact that the company will not reverse a ban on a console, even if the console now has a different owner. Many retailers are reporting that banned users are attempting to dump banned consoles and purchase a new one. Some retailers are already stopping the practice of accepting for trade or purchase any Xbox 360 consoles. As one retailer told us, “Until I have a good, accurate way to check and make sure that the console isn’t banned, I am not accepting any additional systems, and I will only be selling new ones for the time being.”

Some retailers that we have spoken with have expressed to us that they would like to see Microsoft post an updated list of the Xbox 360 console serial numbers that the company considers banned.

Last modified on 16 November 2009
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