New crackdown on Xbox 360 mods |
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New crackdown on Xbox 360 mods
In some Xbox 360 forums recently, some gamers have been reporting that their consoles have been banned from connecting to the Xbox Live online gaming network. In a blog post last night, Microsoft's Larry Hryb (better known as Major Nelson) confirmed that the company has, in fact, been cracking down again on consoles that have been modified to play pirated games -- "mods," as they're known. Here's his full explanation.
In our our continued effort to keep gameplay safe and secure for our community of more than 14 million members, Microsoft has taken action against a small percentage of Xbox 360 consoles that have been illegally modified in order to play pirated games. You should know that modifying your Xbox 360 console is also a violation of the Xbox LIVE terms of use, will void your 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, both from manufacturers and the local companies that support them. We will continue to employ and bolster anti-piracy security measures to counter piracy in the gaming industry and improve security in the Xbox LIVE community.
The move comes a week before the scheduled release of the New Xbox Experience -- a big Xbox Live overhaul that gives the service avatars, a new look and added functionality. It's scheduled for a Nov. 19 release. It's not clear if the timing of the crackdown is related.
(Via Neowin.)
About Todd Bishop
Todd Bishop is co-founder and managing editor of TechFlash. He has covered Microsoft and the technology industry for more than five years, most recently as a daily newspaper reporter and blogger based in Seattle.
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