Last week, Microsoft revealed it was ramping up its efforts to crackdown on Xbox 360 modders by issuing widespread console bans. Today, The Guardian reports that somewhere between 600,000 and 1 million consoles have been banned so far.
Microsoft had previously said that a “small percentage” of 360 users have been affected by the bans, but without any actual numbers, it was hard to really grasp just how significant the screw tightening really was. These new figures also reveal just how expansive the modding community truly is, even though it only identifies the users that have been caught.
Clearly, Microsoft is going to have a very difficult time ever stopping modders entirely, but obviously it’s a fight that the company is more than willing to continue waging for the foreseeable future.
Source: The Guardian
Comments
Displaying 1–20 of 38
122
lucidity
I guess this means there would have been 3.35 million players on MW2 yesterday if it weren't for modders.
JohnnyRotten73
So, roughly 1 in 20 have been banned if the high estimate is correct. The fight never stops, but fair is fair....
hysonmb
Microsoft hasn't had a blind eye at all. They've been banning consoles for years, since the first Xbox and getting better at it over time. This has nothing to do with th PS3 price drop, it's about people getting better at what they do (both modders and Microsoft)
Yatzee1000
They must have been building the infrastructure for this for a good while to get up to a million consoles in a week. They have probably been planning this for some time.
SouthernCDogg
That's what you cheap gamers GET! NAH!
Sterling McGarvey
It's the annual Banhammer.
If you haven't noticed the pattern, it seems to hit every year with the release of a widely popular multiplayer shooter.
2007: Halo 3
2008: Gears of War 2
2009: Modern Warfare 2
It's the best time for a sweep, since it adds insult to injury.
skakiddru
well flying car in forza 3 never hurt anyone... until it lands on my car.
ralph1628
Can someone answer this for me (I might get flamed for this.). What exactly does a modded xbox 360 do? besides looking different? I don't get it. I would like to know, thanks in advance.
InHumanMarine
Rrodisback is like an itch you get on your butt h o l e. You want to ignore it, but its so god darn annoying.
CreamPieBaby
i understand that they want money, but why ban people that are paying you to play online. All they are really doing is modifying something they purchased. Find a way to prevent people from modding and copying your games, why ban people from paying you 50 dollars a year? That's between 30 and 50 million dollars they just threw away. Oh wait they still get the money they just force people to buy new systems if they want to use the services they already paid for.
I wonder if they would ban people if everyone was paying monthly. I mean probably if there was some sort of cell phone like 2 year contract and you got penalized for canceling early. But otherwise, they wouldn't want all those canceled subscriptions.
N4N
@ralph1628
A modded X360 has a custom dvd drive firmware that allows the console to play ripped/downloaded/pirated games.
bolo73
@ralph
A modded xbox has been altered interally at the software level. Modding allows changes to be made that are not allowed by Microsoft or sony as well. Like adding bigger hard drives, modifing games in ways like adding maps, emabling cheating, installing games from torrent type plays or games not designed for that consoul for example. The problem really is the pirated games that happens to come with modded xboxs. They also sale. Just look at what up to a million caught plus how knows how many others they did not catch.
sn34k
This has nothing to do with people cheating online. You don't have to have a modded console to use an aftermarket memory card. This is about piracy. People with moded consoles can play burned games. I think this was a bad idea from microsoft, I'm not crying or anything, I knew the risks but that is 1 million people who will not be buying live subscriptions anymore. Thats a lot of money and most people will not be buying another system.
nvserg
ralph1628,
like N4N said, so now picture this. you rent all the games and copy them on your blank DVD discs, now you own them. I'm glad MS keeps fighting, gives those cheap scats a fight they can t win, or lose. hopefully they will realize its not worth the hassle.
will7654
If I use the penny trick to fix my RRoD, will that get me banned from Live, citing the reason as 'modding'?
tentaro
@yatzee
rrod is talking about prior to now, like since release.
but yeah, I think this could be one of their biggest mistakes ever. They are practically begging ~1mil people to go to PS3 or Wii. Who in their right mind would play another game from a company like that? Don't get me wrong it was the right thing to do but some times the "right" thing to do isn't what's right for their bank accounts or the current market. Good Luck to M$ after this.
thepsychogamer
In other news Microsoft delivered a huge financial blow to Microsoft, how much are the loosing from gold members from this?
sn34k
From what I have heard and seen also, they cought everyone. I know several people who were super careful and they all got banned, it seems to be they can see the custom firmware now.
bolo73
The PSP is another modded system. Too many friends bought the system with just one or two games and the rest are pirated or mame.
slimmer
Any person with half a brain knows how to use a modded 360 w/out getting caught.
Displaying 1–20 of 38
122
Add a Comment