Microsoft issues Xbox Live bans for 'Marketplace theft'

@superfrick

I was going to post the exact same thing. They also had articles telling people how to circumvent the security on their PS3 & PSP.

@DokiDokiBawanga A highly ignorant post if ever I saw one. Extra Credits is a show based strictly around opinion. And to him, morally, piracy in that case is fine. However it is still illegal.

@DokiDokiBawanga
Normally I would shoot back saying it's not ok to break a law that isn't yours, but I'd rather save that sort of argument for a relevant article.

@superfrick

Grow up.

@superfrick

maybe they have....changed? lol

@superfrick
Well, the Xenoblade Chronicles Wii hacking article related to purchasing the game and finding a way to play it. I don't foresee Joystiq posting an article condoning theft on the XBL Marketplace.

@Robborboy yeah it's based on opinion and this opinion is right by me. i'm not American but i know who if feels not get game you want to play even it's already in English. illegal or not i will be playing game i relly want and i will not be punished by publishers just because it was not viable to bring this game where i can easily buy it.

@darkinchworm

Huuurrr Duuurrr

See your insight into the matter has a huge gaping flaw....

The information pertaining to the Wii (while it could potentially be used for piracy) is distributed with the intent to show people who would LEGALLY IMPORT the game how to play it. Since NOA to date is as far as I an aware still refusing to release it in the US, where as NOE is releasing it localized in English.

Where as telling people explicitly how to steal from the XBLA has no redeeming value and would EXPLICITLY be used for theft.

@superfrick

I had no issue with the Xenoblade article.
I actually imported the game thanks to that easy to follow guide.

Hacking your wii you can still have legitimate uses for it (such as region free)

Getting free content off XBL is stealing no matter how you look at it.

@DokiDokiBawanga
Just because Japanese boxes usually have labels on them that state "illegal to sell outside of Japan" doesn't make it legal to pirate those games outside of Japan.

@Jawmuncher Agreed. When I was in college my roommate came back from a semester in Japan with a stack of PS2 games that were unavailable in the US. He also had a modded PS2 so that he could play them along with his American games. The only burned game that was ever placed in that system was actually a backup after one of his discs got scratched to hell.

Another roommate's original Xbox had a failing disc drive. Rather than pay a ridiculous repair cost we modded it and played games off the hard drive instead. Again, no piracy, we just played the games that we owned. It also became a pretty sweet media center for our TV.

@darkinchworm

I would like to apologize that was not directed to you I hit reply on the last comment like a goof :(

That was to be directed @superfrick

@mcnichoj i don't but i do it anyway.

@louiedog
How did he get the games onto his Xbox hard drive if his disc drive was failing?

@Scuffles
Thank you for that apology. I was thinking, "this dude agrees with me, why is he flaming me?"

@Co If this ban is about people sharing purchased DLC etc then how are Xbox users any different from PS3 users given that it's actually easier on the PS3?

@Robborboy

Technically, in many countries without any major distribution channels, it very well may be legal to copy games/movies. Foreign countries are actually still sovereign, despite what the US or EU would believe.

@superfrick

you guys are confusing 2 different issues. Its apples vs oranges.

not telling people how XBLA games can be pirated =/= telling people how to mod their consoles to play x game. Its almost like jailbreaking your iPhone there are ways to pirate once you have but thats not why most "mod" it. Right? Its up to the individual to morally know that its wrong to steal but right to modify your own stuff. Finding a way to steal from XBLA has no right and all wrong.

@carbonize

that's a huge "if" to try and make your post seem like a legitimate question.

@PR0F3TA "Its almost like jailbreaking your iPhone there are ways to pirate once you have but thats not why most 'mod' it. Right?"

ಠ_ಠ

@Hoops
It's not 'funny', you can feel free to punish someone stealing your stuff whenever you like. Think of it as cleaning house.

@Justice551

I call bullshit on that one....Even though MS is free to ban whenever they like, they always do it when they have a big game releasing.

I agree with Hoops. Funny....

@Hoops Its in their interest to protect their fall lineup. Throw a few speed bumps in there for the pirates with some bans, its not expensive to do, and if they get some new subscriptions and hardware sales from the really determined pirates, its a net win.

@Hoops
But they should do it right after it. This way those banned people might not buy it...what am I saying?

@D3m0sthenes

*hole

It's early...

@KreativeMente Wait so your saying it's not your mates fault because he was 'Hacked'

BULLSH*T.

His Account is his responsibility he shouldn't have let it be stolen (Yes I said Stolen because we all know you can't get 'Hacked' over Xbox LIVE)

Theres a slim chance that you can meet someone that can actually do that type of 'Hacking' but the chances are really slim.
(and they use there Computers/Program to do the actual 'Hacking' They don't force their way into the Xbox LIVE Servers and find your info otherwise everyone would of been 'Hacked' by now.)

Face it your friend was 'Phised' as in he either gave his Accounts Information in return for 15th/10th Prestige in CoD (Funny how your link goes to CoD Related Videos) or Recon in Halo etc. It could of been for MSP or Xbox LIVE Gold.

The other way of getting 'Phised' is that his Email/Password/Memorable Question were way too easy to figure out and the 'Phiser Stole it that way'

Either way your Friend isn't innocent in all this. He allowed his GamerTag to be taken out of his possession. He has to be responsible for everything that happened. If he didn't allow the GT out of his possession he wouldn't have been banned. FACT.

OR your friend could be lying to you and Actually did steal stuff from the Xbox LIVE Marketplace and is trying to get away with it by crying wolf and saying BUT I WAS 'HACKED' Either way it will always come back to the Account Holder who is to blame.

ShadowMonkey987

@ShadowMonkey987
I agree with everything you have said here except that it's "phished" not phised and "could have" not could of.

@SuperWoody64 I thought he had something against Phiser water faucets.

@R Planteer

A lot of those deals such as the 40% off one often wont let you purchase them if your current subscription was purchased on a deal such as that as well.

@R Planteer

The situation you have explained isn't a fault from Microsoft's part, however all the fault rests on your girlfriend and that you didn't check properly the payment and the various resources which explain how the billing works.

Plus, Microsoft's support isn't that bad. I have called to the support many times and it wasn't any difficult to get things sorted out or time-consuming.

This is no accident; I call it incompetence.

@LuckyFlaming

Wow, someone needs a time out.

Where did I say that it was MS's fault in my comment? No where. Where did I say that it was not my gf's fault? No where. So, way to fail at reading comprehension.

That being said, I do think that banning someone forever from XBL for something as simple and easy to do as forgetting to update CC information would be pretty heavy. Notice that no where in my story am I saying that MS has done this, but I can see how similar situations could play out on accident, without any malicious intent.

MS support is hit or miss. Sometimes I get someone who speaks proper english and my issue is resolved quickly, or I can spend 45 minutes being lead around in circles.

And, in conclusion, don't call my girlfriend incompetent.

Actually I bet its because theres a mismatch of information on her "microsoft account" and her "xbox live account." There is a secret Microsoft billing account most people dont know about since they never signed up for it and were never told it existed, and it often conflicts with people's Live accounts when it comes to address changes and credit cards expiring, when they conflict you cant buy anything on Live.

Go to https://billing.microsoft.com and make sure the details are updated and match the details on Live.

@Camel Carcass I guess they could just not have a firewall protecting their customers info. Wonder who did that a few months ago...

@Camel Carcass LOL. Banned without warning for stealing. 1) Common sense FFS. 2) The EULA that people agree to when signing up for Xbox Live is a warning.

Tell them what they did wrong? I'm sure people accidentally stumbled on a piracy site, downloaded the games, and then just happened to find a tutorial telling them what to do without releasing that it was wrong. They are told what they did wrong in their account suspension. Doing it once takes a colossal moron. Twice and you're probably too stupid to function in society. Besides, they don't need to get another Xbox because this isn't a console ban, despite what this article says, as there is no modding involved. It's an account ban.

@Camel Carcass My understanding was that people were downloading profiles or sharing profiles and using the License Transfer Tool to share/trade.

I know of one case where a person had hacked his/her profile, and possibly took off the DRM, so it could be used on multiple consoles. He put it up for download and people were using it and it's download history.

@Camel Carcass

a) I'm sure they are working to fix the system & close the holes, if they haven't already done so.

&

b) So, if I rob a bank, should the police just give me a warning that next time I'll go to jail?

@(Unverified) Except when you do that, you get a guest license and if your friend logs out of XBL, the content downloaded to your console is disabled. This is normal.

@(Unverified)
only difference is that it's legal on PSN. Up to 5 different accounts can download a single purchase. on XBL its one account per purchase.

@Arsenic13
MS probably knew for a while. Technically, their course of action was was most likely decided well before they did anything. My educated guess, based on my knowledge of product development and service terms of use, one holdup is legal. They have to ask questions that their legal team has to answer: Can we ban them? Can we suspend them? For how long? What's the liability? Are there regional laws that could be in play here for either side? What's a user's recourse for appeal?

Point is... the decision my not be a simplistic as people assume.