Bans abound as Microsoft drops the Live hammer

by Stevie Smith - Nov 12 2009, 12:25

Clearly taking the problem of software piracy very, very seriously, Microsoft Corp. has caused something of a high-profile ruckus amongst the Xbox 360 community by issuing Xbox Live bans to a whopping one million console owners.

According to technology industry magazine Information Week, the Redmond-based software company's sweeping bans have been enforced against users guilty of modifying their console hardware to play videogames downloaded illegally from online file-sharing Web sites.

“All consumers should know that piracy is illegal and that modifying [modding] 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,” warned Microsoft in an official statement released earlier this week.

While Microsoft has not divulged exactly how it was able to determine which console owners should have their Xbox Live access denied, the reported one million bans equate to around five percent of the 20 million users registered to the online service.

Those Xbox 360 owners attempting to log-on to Xbox Live – only to find their accounts banned – are being met only with a cursory message that reads:

“This console has been banned for violations of the Terms of Use. To protect the Xbox Live service and its members, Microsoft does not provide details about console bans. There is no recourse for Terms of Use violations.”

In related news, PC World reports that auction site eBay has suddenly become flooded with modified Xbox 360 consoles that are being sold off at competitive prices by 'the banned masses' now that they're useless as online machines.

For those prospective Xbox 360 owners with not much interest in Xbox Live, the current spate of banning could well see them scoring a hardware bargain, and one that's probably chock full of pirated and playable software. However, it's worth noting that any second-hand Xbox 360 that has been subjected to a ban will remain blocked from Xbox Live regardless of the change in ownership.

Around the Web