Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[How to kill a Skyrim dragon with a single arrow]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/01/how-to-kill-a-skyrim-dragon-with-a-single-arrow/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/01/how-to-kill-a-skyrim-dragon-with-a-single-arrow/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/01/how-to-kill-a-skyrim-dragon-with-a-single-arrow/#comments
Do you have the patience it takes to craft a mighty bow, capable of felling an elder dragon with a single strike? We ask because ... well, we'd love for you to take care of it for us. Here's our copy of Skyrim. Thanks!

[Thanks, Chris.]

JoystiqHow to kill a Skyrim dragon with a single arrow originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 01 Feb 2012 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bethesdabethesda-game-studiosbethesda-softworkscheatcheatercheatingelder-scrolls-5microsoftpcplaystationps3skyrimthe-elder-scrolls-v-skyrimxboxWed, 01 Feb 2012 21:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Battlefield 3 dev hiring 'anti-cheat administrator' to stop the evildoers]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/30/battlefield-3-dev-hiring-anti-cheat-administrator-to-stop-the/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/30/battlefield-3-dev-hiring-anti-cheat-administrator-to-stop-the/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/30/battlefield-3-dev-hiring-anti-cheat-administrator-to-stop-the/#comments Are you one of those guys in a helicopter hovering near spawn points in Battlefield 3 (say, an aircraft carrier), wantonly exploiting the game and infuriating players? You may not actually be cheating, but we still think you're the worst.

That aside, Battlefield 3 developer DICE is apparently looking to address all cheaters, and not just that guy who ruins the game for everyone with his stupid, stupid helicopter, as the company has posted an ad for an "anti-cheat administrator." The move follows a recent redoubling of DICE's efforts to combat cheating in its latest game release.

Said administrator will be tasked with a variety of responsibilities, many of which you'd expect a community liaison to handle, though the list is oddly missing "put up with staggering levels of infantile behavior from legal adults." Can you tell we don't like cheaters?

JoystiqBattlefield 3 dev hiring 'anti-cheat administrator' to stop the evildoers originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anti-cheat-administratorbattlefield-3cheaterscheatingcheating-cheatersonsdiceeaea-diceelectronic-artsmicrosoftpcplaystationps3the-worst-peoplexboxMon, 30 Jan 2012 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[DICE promises vigilance against Battlefield 3 cheaters]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/13/dice-promises-vigilance-against-battlefield-3-cheaters/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/13/dice-promises-vigilance-against-battlefield-3-cheaters/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/13/dice-promises-vigilance-against-battlefield-3-cheaters/#comments Finding out that cheating has apparently become rampant in Battlefield 3's online multiplayer is somewhat of a travesty, considering how much some members of our staff play it. Neither of our main combatants have ever actually spotted a cheater (at least not in any verifiable way) while playing on Xbox 360, but the game's developer is nonetheless tracking down these nefarious rogues, issuing stat resets and outright bans to offending players across 360, PS3, and PC. The Stockholm, Sweden-based devs at EA DICE "recently banned another batch of several hundred confirmed cheaters," and are only stepping up their efforts all the more as time goes on.

The first measure in this initiative will be an addition to Battlelog, one which allows players to report offenders via their online profiles, regardless of what platform they're playing on. With any luck, between the community and DICE, the contingent trying to ruin everyone's online experience will be stomped out quickly.

JoystiqDICE promises vigilance against Battlefield 3 cheaters originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>battlefield-3battlelogcheaterscheatingdiceeaea-diceelectronic-artshackersjerksmicrosoftpcplaystationps3xboxFri, 13 Jan 2012 10:25:00 EST<![CDATA[Gameloft working to patch hacked Modern Combat]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/09/gameloft-working-to-patch-hacked-modern-combat/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/09/gameloft-working-to-patch-hacked-modern-combat/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/09/gameloft-working-to-patch-hacked-modern-combat/#comments Gameloft's Modern Combat: Domination draws some heavy inspiration from another big FPS franchise. And ironically, it's facing the same problem as its higher-profile counterpart. Available exclusively via the PSN, Modern Combat has been struggling against cheats and hacks almost immediately since its release -- "a result of the PS3 jailbreak situation," a Gameloft representative told us. A YouTube video demonstrates how the game "is going to get f***d hard," as the poster describes it.

Cheaters are able to enable a few tricks, including smokeless smoke grenades, bullet tracing, the ability to walk through walls and even "God Mode."

A new patch, coming in a few weeks, will attempt to rectify the situation by implementing "anti-hacking protection," in addition to other tweaks. "We are confident this fix will eliminate hacking and add to the player experience on Modern Combat: Domination," the rep added. "The anti-hacking pretty much means that people using a modified code (including cheaters) won't be able to access the game." A full list of changes can be found after the break.

Continue reading Gameloft working to patch hacked Modern Combat

JoystiqGameloft working to patch hacked Modern Combat originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 09 Feb 2011 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cheatcheatinggamelofthackjailbreakmodern-combat-dominationpatchplaystationps3psnWed, 09 Feb 2011 03:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Sony: GT Academy round two ruined by cheaters, won't count]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/08/sony-gt-academy-round-two-ruined-by-cheaters-wont-count/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/08/sony-gt-academy-round-two-ruined-by-cheaters-wont-count/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/08/sony-gt-academy-round-two-ruined-by-cheaters-wont-count/#comments Sony's GT Academy competition, which was intended to provide the world's best Gran Turismo 5 players with a chance to win a spot as a real race driver using their virtual driving skills, has hit an ugly speed bump. The game's publisher has announced that the second round of the five-round tournament is being stricken from the records -- and the third round delayed -- because some participants were taking advantage of flaws in the game in order to achieve seemingly impossible lap times.

Specifically, cheaters were able to cut corners on the Rome and Madrid courses without being penalized by the game for doing so. Rather than reward the cheaters or end the competition entirely, Sony has decided to allow everyone who participated in round two to proceed to round three. Developer Polyphony Digital says that it's working to fix any potential exploits before conducting the third round of races, but can't put an ETA on the completion of the patch. That being the case, the planned start of round three on February 14, 2011 has been delayed indefinitely.

We're glad that the competition is (hopefully) being made fair for everyone, but have to admit that it would have been pretty funny to see one of the "winning" cheaters cutting corners on a real race track.

JoystiqSony: GT Academy round two ruined by cheaters, won't count originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 08 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cheatingcompetitionGran-Turismo-5GT-Academygt5playstationpolyphony-digitalps3sonyTue, 08 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Latest PS3 firmware update brings the bans for Black Ops hacks]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/28/ps3-firmware-bans-black-ops-cheaters/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/28/ps3-firmware-bans-black-ops-cheaters/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/28/ps3-firmware-bans-black-ops-cheaters/#comments Dirty, dirty Black Ops cheaters that downloaded the new PS3 firmware, update 3.56, are finding out exactly what Sony meant when it said the patch would help bolster "security." A grip of consoles have been permanently banned from Black Ops multiplayer servers for hacking or cheating after their users installed the new firmware -- though some of the outspoken among the banned are contesting the presumption that they are cheaters on the game's official forums. (Which is like, the first thing you'd do if you were a dirty, dirty cheater.)

In a seemingly cooperative attack executed by two mortal enemies, firmware 3.56 joins last week's mandatory Xbox Live update, which also stopped pirated and modded copies of Black Ops and Modern Warfare 2 in their tracks. Is Activision's cash cow so powerful that the publisher can request its own console updates at will? If that's the case, Activision: Would you please, please ask Sony to add cross-game chat?

Oh, and see if Microsoft will bring black the blades. We miss the blades.

JoystiqLatest PS3 firmware update brings the bans for Black Ops hacks originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 28 Jan 2011 10:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionbanCall-of-Duty-Black-Opscheatinghackingpermabanplaystationps3ps3-firmwareps3-firmware-3.56securitysonytreyarchFri, 28 Jan 2011 10:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Sega resets Sonic 4's leaderboards due to cheating]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/27/sega-resets-sonic-4s-leaderboards-due-to-cheating/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/27/sega-resets-sonic-4s-leaderboards-due-to-cheating/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/27/sega-resets-sonic-4s-leaderboards-due-to-cheating/#comments Look, Sonic the Hedgehog is fast. He can run faster than the speed of sound, but even if he ran full speed through Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1's shortest level, it would still take him longer than 0'00"00 to do it. That's just physically impossible, even for an improbably proportioned and colored hedgehog. And since some hackers have posted those times and impossible scores on the game's Xbox 360 leaderboards, Sega has decided to go through and reset the whole thing.

That means you might have to go back and try to re-earn that record time you picked up on Lost Labyrinth Act 2 (no easy feat). But you might not want to grab that controller right yet -- Sega hasn't actually announced a fix, just reset the leaderboards. So there's a good chance the hackers will still hack, and there will be another reset to come. Thanks for nothing, cheaters. Can't we all just let the hedgehog run?

(Also, cheating at Sonic? Where did our innocence go?)

JoystiqSega resets Sonic 4's leaderboards due to cheating originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 27 Nov 2010 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cheatinghackersleaderboardsmicrosoftpsnresetsegasonic-the-hedgehog-4-episode-1xblaxboxSat, 27 Nov 2010 02:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Treyarch working aggressively to squash Black Ops cheaters]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/11/treyarch-working-aggressively-to-squash-black-ops-cheaters/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/11/treyarch-working-aggressively-to-squash-black-ops-cheaters/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/11/treyarch-working-aggressively-to-squash-black-ops-cheaters/#comments Treyarch's David Vonderhaar has considerable emotional investment in Call of Duty: Black Ops, having served as Multiplayer Design Director. That helps explain his fiery comments regarding complaints that players had already hacked the game's online multiplayer component. On the official Black Ops forums, Vonderhaar explained that most of the videos circling the YouTubes feature older dev versions of the game, or use exploits that can be easily hotfixed or patched "just like we said we would."

Vonderhaar expressed disappointment in these complaints, saying, "What many of these people want is to be Internet nerd famous. I'm not going to make them famous and you shouldn't either." He later added, "We are disinterested in making mini-celebrities out of douche-bags."

Wow, we're actually kind of inspired by his passion, here. If everyone adopted the "no fame for douche-bags" credo, just think how much of a better place we'd be living in! There'd be no reality television at all.

JoystiqTreyarch working aggressively to squash Black Ops cheaters originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Nov 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionCall-of-Duty-Black-Opscheatinghackmicrosoftpcplaystationps3treyarchxboxThu, 11 Nov 2010 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Blizzard files copyright infringement suit against alleged StarCraft 2 hackers]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/18/blizzard-files-copyright-infringement-suit-against-alleged-starc/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/18/blizzard-files-copyright-infringement-suit-against-alleged-starc/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/18/blizzard-files-copyright-infringement-suit-against-alleged-starc/#commentsFiled under: , ,

If you thought that being perma-banned from the Battle.net servers was the most dire repercussion of cheating while playing StarCraft 2, you're sorely mistaken. Last week, Blizzard filed a lawsuit in the Los Angeles U.S. District Court against three players who allegedly created and sold StarCraft 2 hacks -- which we assume are responsible for a large portion of the 5,000 bans that were handed down earlier this month.

According to Blizzard's complaints, folks who use the hacks created by the trio actually engage in copyright infringement, using the game "in excess of the scope of their limited license, as set forth in the EULA and ToU." Blizzard also claims that these hacks "cause serious harm to the value of StarCraft II," by decreasing the game's legitimate players' capacity "to enjoy and participate in the competitive online experience."

It's unclear how much compensation Blizzard is seeking in the case, though a similar lawsuit filed in 2008 against a hacker who created an AI leveling bot in World of Warcraft netted the developer over $6 million in damages. We've contacted Blizzard for further comment on the lawsuit.

JoystiqBlizzard files copyright infringement suit against alleged StarCraft 2 hackers originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 18 Oct 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzardcheatingcopyright-infringementhacklawsuitlegalpcStarcraft-2Mon, 18 Oct 2010 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Blizzard bans over 5,000 StarCraft 2 cheaters]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/01/blizzard-bans-over-5-000-starcraft-2-cheaters/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/01/blizzard-bans-over-5-000-starcraft-2-cheaters/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/01/blizzard-bans-over-5-000-starcraft-2-cheaters/#commentsFiled under: , ,

You guys just couldn't listen, could you? You're way too cool to heed the warning issued by Blizzard a few weeks ago -- you know, the one that said that StarCraft 2 hackers and modders were about to feel the crushing blow of the permabanhammer? As you might have expected, that wasn't an idle threat. Blizzard recently announced on the game's official blog that it had banned "over 5,000 StarCraft 2 players who were in violation of the Battle.net Terms of Use for cheating and/or using hack programs while playing."

This group of unfortunate, unsportsmanlike souls won't be the only ones to suffer Blizzard's retribution, as the blog update explained, "maintaining a stable, safe, and secure online-gaming experience for legitimate players is a top priority for us, and we'll be continuing to keep watch on Battle.net and take action as needed." Keep it legit, friends -- we'd hate for you to join the ranks of the damned.

JoystiqBlizzard bans over 5,000 StarCraft 2 cheaters originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 01 Oct 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>banbattle.netblizzardcheatinghackingpcStarcraft-2Fri, 01 Oct 2010 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[StarCraft 2 cheaters and hackers not long for this virtual world]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/14/starcraft-2-cheaters-and-hackers-not-long-for-this-virtual-world/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/14/starcraft-2-cheaters-and-hackers-not-long-for-this-virtual-world/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/14/starcraft-2-cheaters-and-hackers-not-long-for-this-virtual-world/#commentsFiled under: , ,

It seems like it's becoming common practice for video game companies to warn their games' illicit players that trouble is swiftly approaching in their direction. Blizzard recently updated the official Starcraft 2 site with a warning, which explicitly states that if a player "is found to be cheating or using hacks or modifications in any form, then as outlined in our end user license agreement, that player can be permanently banned from the game." Like, forever. For-ev-er.

Later in the update, Blizzard warns "suspensions and bans of players that have used or start using cheats and hacks will begin in the near future." If you're guilty of exercising some dubious winning strategies, you might want to go ahead and put the kibosh on that ASAP -- provided it's not already too late.

JoystiqStarCraft 2 cheaters and hackers not long for this virtual world originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 14 Sep 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>banblizzardcheatinghackingpcpermabanStarcraft-2Tue, 14 Sep 2010 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Video: Halo: Reach Achievements made easy (and cheat-y)]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/09/video-halo-reach-achievements-made-easy-and-cheat-y/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/09/video-halo-reach-achievements-made-easy-and-cheat-y/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/09/video-halo-reach-achievements-made-easy-and-cheat-y/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Halo: Reach isn't even out in stores, but IGN has already found a way to exploit part of the game for the sake of easy Achievements. In this video, its outlines a surefire method for farming up a good amount of the game's cheevos by tweaking the customized Firefight system to be really hard and then giving yourself invincibility. Which means "you can basically shoot around in circles, and get massive amounts of points." Seems like fun ... we guess?

If nothing else, this shows off just how customizable the multiplayer system in Reach actually is. Bungie has made it so that the priority is coming up with fun gametypes with your friends, not just tweaking for as many points towards Achievement as possible. Not that we don't appreciate sweet, sweet cheevos, but that's not the only reason we're Firefighting against the Covenant, right? Right?

Continue reading Video: Halo: Reach Achievements made easy (and cheat-y)

JoystiqVideo: Halo: Reach Achievements made easy (and cheat-y) originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 09 Sep 2010 20:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>achievementbungiecheatingfarminghaloHalo-Reachignjessica-chobotmicrosoftxboxThu, 09 Sep 2010 20:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Valve apologizes for banning over 12,000 legit Modern Warfare 2 players]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/27/valve-apologizes-for-banning-over-12-000-legit-modern-warfare-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/27/valve-apologizes-for-banning-over-12-000-legit-modern-warfare-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/27/valve-apologizes-for-banning-over-12-000-legit-modern-warfare-2/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The anti-cheating software embedded in Valve's Steamworks platform recently took on a mind of its own, banning over 12,000 non-cheating Modern Warfare 2 players over the past two weeks. The cause for its insatiable ban lust? Valve president Gabe Newell explained in an email to those affected, "the problem was that Steam would fail a signature check between the disk version of a DLL and a latent memory version." See, we were just thinking that that had something to do with it.

Newell begged pardon for the erroneous bans, adding "this was our mistake, and I apologize for any frustration or angst it may have caused you." An apology and a swift reversal of the ban aren't all that these users will receive -- Newell promised a giftable copy of Left 4 Dead 2 to all those affected, as well as one copy for themselves, provided they don't already have it.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

JoystiqValve apologizes for banning over 12,000 legit Modern Warfare 2 players originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bancheatinggabe-newellinfinity-wardModern-Warfare-2pcsteamvalveTue, 27 Jul 2010 13:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Next Red Dead Redemption title update hunts down cheaters]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/21/next-red-dead-redemption-title-update-hunts-down-cheaters/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/21/next-red-dead-redemption-title-update-hunts-down-cheaters/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/21/next-red-dead-redemption-title-update-hunts-down-cheaters/#commentsFiled under: , ,

And not just any cheaters, but no good, dirty cheaters. According to a post over on Rockstar Games' site, the next title update to Red Dead Redemption will bring with it "measures to counter hacking and cheating" on both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Furthermore, a handful of "anti-grief" features will be added to the game's Free Roam online mode. Apparently, cowpokes enduring repeated harassment from other online players will be given the choice to jump to another point (of their choosing) on the map. The culprits doing all the griefing will get branded as such after six consecutive kills, earning them a Most Wanted status and wrangling the game's NPCs against the offender.

Rockstar also promises to continue monitoring online play for those doing bad deeds after said title update goes live "within the next month," but then, isn't the existence of outlaws an inescapable reality of the Old West?

JoystiqNext Red Dead Redemption title update hunts down cheaters originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cheatinggriefingmicrosoftplaystationps3Red-Dead-Redemptionrockstarrockstar-gamesrockstar-san-diegotitle-updatexboxWed, 21 Jul 2010 15:20:00 EST<![CDATA[The Conduit 2 to address online multiplayer hacking]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/01/the-conduit-2-to-address-online-multiplayer-hacking/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/01/the-conduit-2-to-address-online-multiplayer-hacking/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/01/the-conduit-2-to-address-online-multiplayer-hacking/#commentsOkay, so The Conduit 2 has new locations and new multiplayer modes. No one's complaining about that. However, anyone who spent any time with the first Conduit really only wants one thing for the sequel's multiplayer: less cheating. Luckily, developer High Voltage agrees. In a Q&A session on Sega's blog, High Voltage's David Pellas identified three aspects of the first game he didn't like: "Simple level design, online hackers and the cliffhanger ending" -- and then, when asked if The Conduit 2 would fix these issues, he said, "Yes, yes, and yes."

In other words, you should be able to get in at least one really good day of online multiplayer before someone figures out how to hack the new game.

JoystiqThe Conduit 2 to address online multiplayer hacking originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 01 Apr 2010 10:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cheatingfpshackhackinghigh-voltageNintendosegathe-conduitthe-conduit-2WiiThu, 01 Apr 2010 10:03:00 EST<![CDATA[Infinity Ward: Modern Warfare 2 glitches affected 'one percent' of players]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/31/infinity-ward-modern-warfare-2-glitches-affected-one-percent/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/31/infinity-ward-modern-warfare-2-glitches-affected-one-percent/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/31/infinity-ward-modern-warfare-2-glitches-affected-one-percent/#comments CVG had a chat with Infinity Ward's Robert Bowling recently, and surprise surprise, the guy is really good at towing the company line (he'd better be, especially when he's getting confronted with Modern Warfare 2 questions even during random PAX panels about Twitter). He easily fended off questions about whether or not the Stimulus Package's two older maps are worth the $15, the ensuing competition from Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and the supposed backlash from hardcore players, saying that MW2's popularity proves the company has done everything right so far.

Bowling was especially dismissive of the glitches that plagued what seemed to be most of the game's players, saying that only "like one per cent of our user base" of 25 million players "experienced those types of things and even participate in those types of things." Could have fooled us -- from our perspective, the frustration over the game's widespread cheating seemed significant. But Bowling persisted throughout the interview. According to him, Modern Warfare 2 is doing just fine, thanks.

JoystiqInfinity Ward: Modern Warfare 2 glitches affected 'one percent' of players originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 31 Mar 2010 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Activisionactivision-blizzardCall-of-Dutycall-of-duty-modern-warfare-2cheatingfour-zero-twoglitchglitchesinfinity-wardMicrosoftmodern-warfare-2robert-bowlingstimulus-packageXbox-360Wed, 31 Mar 2010 23:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Hackers apparently create dedicated MW2 servers, gain super powers]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/16/hackers-apparently-create-dedicated-mw2-servers-gain-super-powe/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/16/hackers-apparently-create-dedicated-mw2-servers-gain-super-powe/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/16/hackers-apparently-create-dedicated-mw2-servers-gain-super-powe/#comments Whoa! We've put quite a bit of time into Modern Warfare 2's online multiplayer offerings, but we've yet to unlock a perk that lets you rapid fire grenades, or jump 80 feet into the air without succumbing to death upon landing. However, the soldiers seen in the video after the jump seem to be doing just that. Is it, like, a prestige perk, or something?

Well, it couldn't possibly be because they're playing on a dedicated server, where such suspensions of the laws of nature are allowed. See, those don't exist. Sure, the video's description says that hackers have enabled these superhuman abilities on "a whole new wave of servers," but we all know that most of those people are total liars anyways.

Continue reading Hackers apparently create dedicated MW2 servers, gain super powers

JoystiqHackers apparently create dedicated MW2 servers, gain super powers originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisioncheatingdedicated-serversfpshackinfinity-wardmodern-warfare-2Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Shadow Complex cheaters will have scores deleted, Gamerscore reset]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/16/shadow-complex-cheaters-will-have-scores-deleted-gamerscore-res/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/16/shadow-complex-cheaters-will-have-scores-deleted-gamerscore-res/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/16/shadow-complex-cheaters-will-have-scores-deleted-gamerscore-res/#comments
Chair Entertainment is ready to lay the smack down on Shadow Complex cheaters. Major Nelson sends word that Microsoft will take action this week against those "verified as cheaters," deleting their records from the Shadow Complex leaderboards, as well as resetting their associated accounts' Gamerscore. Worse still, said accounts will be branded on Xbox.com (and dashboard) as belonging to cheaters.

For those looking to brush up on what constitutes cheating on Xbox Live, feel free to review Microsoft's policy on "Gamerscore corrections." Of course, if you're a cheater, then you probably already know.

JoystiqShadow Complex cheaters will have scores deleted, Gamerscore reset originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chairchair-entertainmentcheaterscheatinggamerscore-correctionmicrosoftshadow-complexxblaWed, 16 Sep 2009 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Xbox 360 version of GTA IV patched to prevent cheating]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/04/xbox-360-version-of-gta-iv-patched-to-prevent-cheating/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/04/xbox-360-version-of-gta-iv-patched-to-prevent-cheating/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/04/xbox-360-version-of-gta-iv-patched-to-prevent-cheating/#commentsComing just before the new DLC, which is sure to renew interest in Grand Theft Auto IV, Rockstar Games alerted us to a new Title Update that will make the game a bit harder for jerks, but more playable for the rest of us. It apparently fixes the glitch that allows players to appear invisible, and disables "cheat code exploits" in multiplayer.

Frankly, we're shocked to hear of cheating in Grand Theft Auto IV. That's immoral. Everyone should just play nice so that we all have a good time performing murder sprees in stolen automobiles.

Gallery: Grand Theft Auto IV

JoystiqXbox 360 version of GTA IV patched to prevent cheating originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cheatinggrand-theft-auto-ivgta-ivMicrosoftrockstartake-twotitle-updateXbox-360xbox-liveFri, 04 Sep 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Virtuous Team Fortress 2 players earn halos]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/03/virtuous-team-fortress-2-players-earn-halos/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/03/virtuous-team-fortress-2-players-earn-halos/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/03/virtuous-team-fortress-2-players-earn-halos/#commentsValve has instituted a policy against cheating in Team Fortress 2 on PC, and the consequences will be dealt out in the next few days. If players are found to have used an "idling" application to make the game think they've been in a server, in order to increase the occurrence of randomly-generated items, Valve will take away all their items. "Going forward, if we find users using external applications, we'll remove all of their items," Valve's Erik Johnson said. "If you're interested, only about 4.5 percent of the players in TF2's community will be affected by this cleansing process."

If you aren't found cheating, you'll get -- a free hat! Specifically, a halo. The rate of appearance of all hats has also been increased. And now we wait for the news of Halo players being given free fortresses.

[Thanks, Amun]

JoystiqVirtuous Team Fortress 2 players earn halos originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cheatingidlingteam-fortressteam-fortress-2valveThu, 03 Sep 2009 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Hacker claims The Conduit 'virtually unprotected,' easy to foil]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/16/hacker-claims-the-conduit-virtually-unprotected-easy-to-foil/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/16/hacker-claims-the-conduit-virtually-unprotected-easy-to-foil/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/16/hacker-claims-the-conduit-virtually-unprotected-easy-to-foil/#commentsA hacker by the name of "hetoan2" claims that it is relatively simple to alter variables in High Voltage's Wii FPS, The Conduit, allowing cheaters to attain infinite ammo, health, invisibility from radar, and other beneficial but unfair advantages -- even online. You can see some of the hacks in action in a video on hetoan2's site.

"Everything is virtually unprotected," hetoan2 discovered when he dumped the game's data and opened it up in a remote debugging program. "All values can be edited fairly easily, and there's virtually no sign of an attempt at hiding values, fixing bugs, or preventing online hackers." hetoan2 said that hacking the online version is as easy as hacking the offline version, because the code is completely identical. "The only difference is in the online mode the game sends the variables in real-time to their server."

hetoan2 released some patch codes for The Conduit, but initially altered them to corrupt the save files of anyone using them. Now, he told The Wiire, he's working with High Voltage to identify cheaters, whose MAC addresses are currently being sent to Nintendo for banning.

Gallery: The Conduit

JoystiqHacker claims The Conduit 'virtually unprotected,' easy to foil originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 16 Jul 2009 09:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cheatingfpshackinghigh-voltageNintendosegathe-conduitWiiThu, 16 Jul 2009 09:05:00 EST<![CDATA[Call of Duty 4 patch has cheaters in its sights, finger on the trigger]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/29/call-of-duty-4-patch-has-cheaters-in-its-sights-finger-on-the-t/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/29/call-of-duty-4-patch-has-cheaters-in-its-sights-finger-on-the-t/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/29/call-of-duty-4-patch-has-cheaters-in-its-sights-finger-on-the-t/#comments
According to @fourzerotwo, Infinity Ward is in the final stages of crafting a patch that will take aim at cheaters on the Xbox 360 version of Call of Duty 4. The patch is in the certification process right now and should hit the battlefield soon, so if you've found yourself on the receiving end of a nasty cheat (with 15 million players, odds are you have), know that reinforcements are on the way.

JoystiqCall of Duty 4 patch has cheaters in its sights, finger on the trigger originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 29 Apr 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>call-of-duty-4cheaterscheatingfpsinfinity-wardpatchtwitterWed, 29 Apr 2009 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Microsoft targets Gears of War 2 cheaters, resets their Gamerscore]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/28/microsoft-targets-gears-of-war-2-cheaters-resets-their-gamersco/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/28/microsoft-targets-gears-of-war-2-cheaters-resets-their-gamersco/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/28/microsoft-targets-gears-of-war-2-cheaters-resets-their-gamersco/#comments
Major Nelson drops word that Microsoft has taken some very awesome steps toward those glitching Achievements in Gears of War 2. Microsoft was able to target a specific group of people who unlocked Achievements in the game using a specific hack and, as you read this, is in the process of resetting their Gamerscores. Yes, folks, they're having their Gamerscores reset back to zero.

Is this too harsh a punishment, to have all of their Gamerscore reset? Should Microsoft just erase these individuals' Gears of War 2 Achievements?

JoystiqMicrosoft targets Gears of War 2 cheaters, resets their Gamerscore originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 28 Apr 2009 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cheatingepicepic-gamesgamerscoregears-of-war-2Tue, 28 Apr 2009 17:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Molyneux: Pub Games 'glitch' intentional, with consequences]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/16/molyneux-pub-games-glitch-intentional-with-consequences/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/16/molyneux-pub-games-glitch-intentional-with-consequences/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/16/molyneux-pub-games-glitch-intentional-with-consequences/#commentsFiled under: , ,

While we're sure you've already constructed your Scrooge McDuck-esque pool of golden, nefariously-obtained Fable II Pub Games earnings, Peter Molyneux might be preparing to pull off the biggest gamer prank since the anti-Spore Rick Roll.

According to a quick blurb in IGN's Fable II preview, "Just be warned. Molyneux has said that the cheat was no accident and that those who used it to earn their money will be in for a surprise." Something tells us that "surprise" isn't being filthy rich in-game. Is he bluffing? We'll find out soon enough when our sea of coins is quickly drained from under us. Fable 2 is due out October 21.

Need more Fable 2? We can't blame you. Check out our hands-on with the first three hours of the game, as well as our interview with Peter Molyneux, in which he talks about his game, Too Human and Lionhead's "shocking" secret project.

JoystiqMolyneux: Pub Games 'glitch' intentional, with consequences originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 16 Sep 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Carbonated-GamesCardcheatingexploitFable-2-Pub-GamesLionheadLionhead-StudiosMicrosoft-Game-Studiosmolyneuxpeter-molyeuxprankPub-GamespunkdPuzzleXBLAXboxXbox-360Tue, 16 Sep 2008 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Friday Video: Super Glitch Bros. Brawl]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/27/friday-video-super-glitch-bros-brawl/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/27/friday-video-super-glitch-bros-brawl/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/27/friday-video-super-glitch-bros-brawl/#commentsFiled under:


Sure, last week we highlighted Smash Bros. Brawl, but we felt the need to do it again. The above video, which is a collection of glitches and tricks you can pull off in Brawl, was too much to pass up. So, give it a watch, as it features a very cheap Sonic, a pair of Luigis pulling off ridiculous combos mid-air and Bowser being trapped in a very small space.


Each week, our Friday Video segment takes a look at the gaming landscape online and brings forth an interesting video that (hopefully) gets the dialog started. Past entries included a look at Mario going berserk, The Simpsons Game in a brief clip and Donkey Kong done with LEGOs.

JoystiqFriday Video: Super Glitch Bros. Brawl originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 27 Jun 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cheatingglitchesglitchingsmash-brossmash-bros-brawltipstricksFri, 27 Jun 2008 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Blizzard locked in legal battle with WoW bot maker]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/26/blizzard-locked-in-legal-battle-with-wow-bot-maker/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/26/blizzard-locked-in-legal-battle-with-wow-bot-maker/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/26/blizzard-locked-in-legal-battle-with-wow-bot-maker/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The BBC today has a nice little summary of the ongoing legal battle between Blizzard, maker of World of Warcraft, and Michael Donnelly, maker of bot program MMO Glider. In short, Blizzard says MMO Glider violates its copyrights and the end-user license agreement that players agree to when they install the game. Donnelly says he isn't breaking copyright because he isn't selling a copy of the game client itself, and that no one reads those stupid end-user license agreements anyway (we may have made up that last part of Donnelly's defense, but that doesn't make it any less true!).

WoW Insider also has an update on the latest round of legal wrangling in the case, which seems to be a somewhat split decision that leans towards the side of the bot-makers. Ethical issues aside, we definitely don't have the legal acumen necessary to work out which side is in the right here. If any commenters out there think they can untangle this one, have at it.

JoystiqBlizzard locked in legal battle with WoW bot maker originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 26 Mar 2008 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>battleblizzardbotcheatcheaterscheatingcourtlegalPCworld-of-warcraftWoWWed, 26 Mar 2008 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Cheaters branded on Xbox Live, Gamerscores reset]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/25/cheaters-branded-on-xbox-live-gamerscore-reset/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/25/cheaters-branded-on-xbox-live-gamerscore-reset/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/25/cheaters-branded-on-xbox-live-gamerscore-reset/#commentsFiled under:


The problems with cheating on services like Xbox Live are myriad, but our biggest problem is that, if we lose - which, of course, is almost statistically impossible and would likely cause a chrono-rift in the space-time continuum - we assume the other party was cheating ... especially if the other party's gamertag is an illegible gaggle of letters and numbers, flanked by various capitalizations of 'x'.

Well, now there's a far simpler way: Microsoft will label them "cheater." The Xbox Live Sheriff has begun targeting players who "gain achievements through avoiding game play and the use of external tools" and, as a punishment, resetting their gamerscores to zero, making them "unable to regain all previously earned achievements," and lastly (though, most deliciously), permanently labeling them "as a 'cheater' for the community to view." And, since the "gamerscore correction will remain permanent without any way to appeal" there's a good chance we'll have yet another easy way of identifying cheaters on Xbox Live: the tinny static of their whimpering sobs.

PS - Anyone know of any real accounts flagged "cheater" (besides CheaterMcCheat)? If so, point 'em out in the comments so we can all point and laugh.

JoystiqCheaters branded on Xbox Live, Gamerscores reset originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 25 Mar 2008 09:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cheatingXbox-360Xbox-LiveTue, 25 Mar 2008 09:56:00 EST<![CDATA[DS Daily: Cheating]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/20/ds-daily-cheating/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/20/ds-daily-cheating/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/20/ds-daily-cheating/#commentsFiled under: ,



It's a depressing fact that cheating will always be a part of online gaming, regardless of your platform of choice. For some time, those of weak moral fiber have been able to grant themselves infinite energy, infinite ammo, and the ability to levitate in Metroid Prime: Hunters (encouragingly, Nintendo claims it is now taking measures to prevent this), while the whole Mario Kart DS/snaking debate has rumbled on for some time (though we know of at least one Nintendo representative who would argue that the method isn't actually cheating, and we're sure many of you would concur).

Today, we'd like to hear about some of your own experiences of cheating opponents. Which games do you find attract the most online cheats, and have any of you indulged in this dark art yourselves?

JoystiqDS Daily: Cheating originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 20 Jan 2008 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cheatcheatingdsdhaxmario-kart-dsmariokartdsmetroid-prime-huntersmetroidprimehuntersonlinewi-fiSun, 20 Jan 2008 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Microsoft shuns XBL account sharing]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/31/microsoft-shuns-xbl-account-sharing/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/31/microsoft-shuns-xbl-account-sharing/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/31/microsoft-shuns-xbl-account-sharing/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Rocking in his comfortable, leather office chair, Microsoft's Larry "Major Nelson" Hyrb scours the landscape viewed through his widescreen computer monitor, his hand gently resting on an enormous and ominous banhammer.

... okay, maybe it's not Major Nelson personally banning accounts (although we love the scene we've envisioned), but the director of programming for Xbox Live has delivered a rather stern message to the community about the consequences of sharing and/or tampering with Xbox Live accounts. We're not sure what exactly prompted the public warning, although there is a specific reference to people sharing gamertags for the purpose of earning Halo 3 skulls (tsk, tsk people).

The short answer: just don't do it. If you need more motivation, Major Nelson outlines what will happen should Microsoft have to go to the pain on you.

[Via X3F]

JoystiqMicrosoft shuns XBL account sharing originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 31 Oct 2007 14:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bancheatingmajor-nelsonmicrosoftxboxXbox-360xbox-liveWed, 31 Oct 2007 14:08:00 EST<![CDATA[Major Nelson: don't share accounts or cheat at Gamerscore]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/30/major-nelson-dont-share-accounts-or-cheat-at-gamerscore/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/30/major-nelson-dont-share-accounts-or-cheat-at-gamerscore/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/30/major-nelson-dont-share-accounts-or-cheat-at-gamerscore/#commentsFiled under: ,

Major Nelson has posted a warning on his blog to all the folks out there thinking about sharing their Xbox Live accounts or using altered game saves to cheat at Gamerscore. In short, don't do either one. Major Nelson uses the example of giving someone your account so they can gather all the skulls in Halo 3 for you. If said person were to download XBLA games or movies onto that account, there is basically nothing Microsoft can do for you. The only recourse is for Microsoft to cancel the account altogether, and you'll still be out any MS Points spent by whoever you gave your account to.

Major Nelson also lays down a warning to anyone using artificial means to increase their Gamerscore. He notes that such accounts may have their gamerscore removed altogether and any achievements earned on such an account will not be able to be reacquired. And, as you might expect, such an account (and the console on which it resides) could also be banned from Xbox Live entirely.

We're not sure what prompted the warning (an increase in one or both activities perhaps), but we're sure it's good advice. Besides, what's the point of cheating to get Gamerscore? Where's the fun in that? Remember kids, if you cheat to inflate your Gamerscore, you're no better than a pro athlete.

JoystiqMajor Nelson: don't share accounts or cheat at Gamerscore originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 30 Oct 2007 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cheatinggamerscorehacksTue, 30 Oct 2007 15:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Wii Warm Up: How long before someone cheats at exercise?]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/14/wii-warm-up-how-long-before-someone-cheats-at-exercise/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/14/wii-warm-up-how-long-before-someone-cheats-at-exercise/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/14/wii-warm-up-how-long-before-someone-cheats-at-exercise/#commentsFiled under:


Not even one whole day of Power Pad ownership had passed before we were on the floor, drumming on the pad with our fists, flagrantly breaking the implicit rules of World Class Track Meet. Our other favorite move? Extending our long jump by simply stepping off of the pad. Yes, we are overweight now.

There's a new Power Pad in town, although it has fewer buttons and a more solid-looking construction. And it's meant more as an exercise tool than a game controller, really. But we're gamers, and we can't help the way we are. Some of us are going to cheat.

Do you think you have what it takes to play it straight, or will you take the hands-on approach to Balance Boarding?

JoystiqWii Warm Up: How long before someone cheats at exercise? originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 14 Jul 2007 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>balance boardBalanceBoardcheatinge307power padPowerPadwii fitWiiFitwwuSat, 14 Jul 2007 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Hacker gets revenge on Puzzle Quest's bullying AI]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/10/hacker-gets-revenge-on-puzzle-quests-bullying-ai/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/10/hacker-gets-revenge-on-puzzle-quests-bullying-ai/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/10/hacker-gets-revenge-on-puzzle-quests-bullying-ai/#commentsFiled under: ,

We're not certain what sort of demonic sacrifices Infinite Interactive made to grant Puzzle Quest its hellborn AI, but we imagine that the cursed contract that authenticated the ceremony was written with the blood of many innocents. The match-three puzzler does everything short of outright cheating, stealing your advantages and setting up multiple combos, each computer-cleared gem bearing the mark of Mephistopheles.

DS gamer Zaraf plotted a strategy that would tear down the AI's defenses and avenge dozens of unfair losses. Unwilling to spend months leveling up and making preparations, staying his vendetta, he hex-edited the game to to max out his character's stats. Zaraf then armed his warrior with a class spell called Deathbringer, enabling him to fill the screen with an amount of damaging skulls equal to half of his red mana. Head past the post break for the results caught on video.

Continue reading Hacker gets revenge on Puzzle Quest's bullying AI

JoystiqHacker gets revenge on Puzzle Quest's bullying AI originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 10 Apr 2007 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>actionreplayaibejewledcheatcheatinghackhackinghexhexeditinfiniteinteractivepuzzlepuzzlequestpuzzlerrevengerpgvendettavideowarriorTue, 10 Apr 2007 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Gears already riddled with cheaters]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/13/gears-already-riddled-with-cheaters/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/13/gears-already-riddled-with-cheaters/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/13/gears-already-riddled-with-cheaters/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Emergence Day was supposed to be a celebration. A celebration of chainsaws, headshots, and curb stomping. It looks like it was a celebration of something else entirely: cheating. Remember the hubbub about not having friends in ranked matches of Gears? It looks like it was all for naught, as getting into ranked matches with your friends is easy as hell. All you have to do is host a game and your friends find your name in the host list. So, in pursuit of points and prizes, there were plenty of stacked teams yesterday. Gamer Andy tells of a particularly nefarious exploit using 5 people. "But GOW uses teams of four," you say, and right you are. The fifth person is actually on the opposite team, a saboteur for whatever clan is trying to rise to the top of the leaderboards.

That not cheatery enough for you? How about the fact that the host has the power to start the match at any time, whether all members have clicked "Ready" or not? This makes it easy to stack games with uneven teams of 4v3 or even 4v2. Easy, ranked pickings for anyone.

But wait, there's more. Another nasty exploit can be employed during execution matches. In execution, players can only be killed via curb stomp or execution. After a predetermined amount of "bleed out" time, a downed player will simply revive. So, cheaters start by stacking a 4v3 game, execute 2 opposing players, and leave a third alive. The third player is then shot down, but not executed. Why? Because downing a player is worth more points than executing them. Once the player revives, cheaters shoot him down again, wait for him to revive, rinse, repeat. This continues for the duration of the round. This also leaves the victims with an unfortunate choice: quit a ranked match and risk negative feedback from cheaters, or stay and endure fruitless minutes of death and rebirth.

We'd like to believe that all this cheating was merely for the sake of winning some of the Emergence Day prizes, but we know better. Sure, cheaters may have hoped for a prize, but they would have cheated regardless. The unfortunate truth is that some people are just jerks (especially Pod 6).

A lot of these problems could be solved simply by tweaking the lobby system -- not displaying host names, not letting hosts force start matches, etc. Hopefully, this will be addressed in the upcoming patch. Has anyone experienced these exploits online?

[Via Inner Angst]

JoystiqGears already riddled with cheaters originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 13 Nov 2006 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cheatcheatercheaterscheatingepicepic gamesepic studiosEpicGamesEpicStudiosgears of warGearsOfWargowmicrosoft game studiosMicrosoftGameStudiosMon, 13 Nov 2006 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Fall update curbs GamerScore cheating]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/03/fall-update-curbs-gamerscore-cheating/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/03/fall-update-curbs-gamerscore-cheating/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/03/fall-update-curbs-gamerscore-cheating/#commentsFiled under: , ,

GamerScore whore awfullygood, from the appropriately named blog, "Confessions of a GamerScore Whore," describes how the Fall update made life more difficult for achievement cheaters:

With the Fall Update, Microsoft has introduced a hybrid locking mechanism that effectively harms the first method [ for swapping game saves] and squelches the second method. Method 1 has been smacked silly because the vast majority of existing game save files created on the previous update do not work on the Fall update software version. This renders those files useless until unscrupulous members decide to re-upload hundreds of saves based from the new dashboard version. This will most likely take months upon months or possibly never happen for very unpopular games.

Method 2 has been rendered useless as new console specific security is in place. Gamerscore thirsty gamers are taunted with a Corrupt Save message when the bypass method attempts to be used. Obviously, the new security may eventually be cracked by code junkies, but those game saves may also have to be re-uploaded. I'm unsure of any repercussions to method 3. I've always found trading accounts to be supremely idiotic as anyone could keep your account for themselves. Anyway, if anyone has heard if method 3 has been affected, let me know.

Former champ ST TheKing quit the GamerScore race after the upper reaches of the leaderboard became became clogged with fakes, including awfullygood himself (who admits he was cheating just to keep up with the Joneses). Sure Xbox 360 achievements are intangible and useless, but they are fun to earn and these a-hole cheats make a mockery of every pallid kid who spent a three day weekend in the basement going after that final Lumines Live time attack get. For God's sake, if putting endless hours into a crap game like Bomberman gives you a limited sense of accomplishment, stealing a game save must give you even less. Of course, these changes won't stop cheating, just slow it down for a bit. But it does serve as a reminder that you're not entitled to an elite score, unless you're playing that other console.

JoystiqFall update curbs GamerScore cheating originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 Nov 2006 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cheatingfall updateFallUpdategamerscorehacksFri, 03 Nov 2006 06:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Serious Games Summit: The cheat's the thing]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/31/serious-games-summit-the-cheats-the-thing/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/31/serious-games-summit-the-cheats-the-thing/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/31/serious-games-summit-the-cheats-the-thing/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Cheating in games is a bad thing, right? Not necessarily says Mia Consalvo, a University of Ohio professor who has spent the past five years studying cheating and cheaters in video games.

Where cheating in an academic or professional setting is severely frowned upon, Consalvo found through her research that almost all gamers consider cheating a natural part of video games. By conducting interviews with gamers and game-makers, wide surveys of players and direct experience with cheating in Final Fantasy XI, Consalvo has broken down the spectrum of video game cheaters into three general groups:
  • Purists, who consider it unethical to complete a game using any outside help from codes, strategy guides or even advice from friends. Purists tend to think of these things as cheating themselves out of the full experience of the game, like peeking at a gift before Christmas morning
  • "Code is law" followers, who believe cheating is all right as long as it is integrated into the game code by the developers. God mode in Doom is all right, hacking into Counter-Strike to create a god mode is not.
  • "Cheaters," who will take any possible advantage against other players, who they often assume are cheating as well. This group will use hacks and outside programs to affect the game, and believe cheating doesn't hurt the cheater's enjoyment of the game experience.
Consalvo also discussed the various motivations players had for cheating: Many players use cheats and guides to get unstuck or to add value to a game, but some use hints and codes as a way of fast forwarding through tedious sections or just to "be an ass" as Consalvo put it.

Given the insatiable desire for players to cheat at games, Consalvo suggested that designers focus on making hints and exploits a natural part of single-player games rather than trying to force complete order. In multi-player games, she said that systems where players police themselves and punishments that take away prestige work better than technological solutions.

JoystiqSerious Games Summit: The cheat's the thing originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 31 Oct 2006 15:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cheatcheaterscheatingConsalvoguidePCSerious Games SummitSeriousGamesSummitSGSstrategyTue, 31 Oct 2006 15:55:00 EST<![CDATA[Griefing and self-governance in online games]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/06/15/griefing-and-self-governance-in-online-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/06/15/griefing-and-self-governance-in-online-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/06/15/griefing-and-self-governance-in-online-games/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The Guardian has produced an excellent column that addresses the problem of "griefers", people that abuse, team-kill and cheat other players of online games, particularly MMOs. Griefing has always been a problem where real players compete against their peers, although with massively multiplayer online games the problem has become much more serious. Earning a battleship in Eve Online or crafting a special item in World of Warcraft can take weeks if not months of game time. On top of that, the recent trend for people to sell items on auction sites like eBay has meant that rare online items have a monetary value.

The article cites several high profile situations where griefers have bent moral codes with the Guiding Hand Social Club's ruination of Ubiqua Seraph in Eve Online and the funeral crash in WoW being the two main examples. Solutions that companies have come up with to limit these types of situations from happening are also looked at with the Xbox Live points system and strong community measures (like guilds and friend lists) being top on the list of letting players self-govern the problem. Effective community governance is essential if companies want to keep players inside the game and so that the owners don't have to resort to more drastic measures, like Blizzard does with its periodic account banning binges.

Update: fixed a couple of minor grammatical errors.

JoystiqGriefing and self-governance in online games originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 15 Jun 2006 06:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AbuseAuctionsCheatingCheatseBayEve OnlineEveOnlineGriefingGuardianGuardian UnlimitedGuardianUnlimitedGuild WarsGuildWarsHackingLawsMMOMMORPGSOnline lawOnlineLawPunkbusterRulesteam killersteam killingTeamKillersTeamKillingtkWorld of WarcraftWorldOfWarcraftWoWThu, 15 Jun 2006 06:30:00 EST<![CDATA[F.E.A.R. patch to include PunkBuster]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/02/06/f-e-a-r-patch-to-include-punkbuster/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/02/06/f-e-a-r-patch-to-include-punkbuster/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/02/06/f-e-a-r-patch-to-include-punkbuster/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Vivendi announced today that there's a new patch for the psychological shooter F.E.A.R. in the works. This patch will include PunkBuster anti-cheating software and the option to kick players from multiplayer matches, as well as three new maps.

This is eerily similar to the recent Call of Duty 2 fiasco, in which players threatened strike action unless something was done to reduce the levels of in-game cheating. A patch was released with PunkBuster, and everyone seemed to be satisfied. Cheating can make or break a title in terms of its multiplayer success, and as developers will inevitably have to patch anti-cheating in, it's surprising that neither game launched with the functionality.

JoystiqF.E.A.R. patch to include PunkBuster originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 06 Feb 2006 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cheatingf.e.a.rPCpunkbusterMon, 06 Feb 2006 19:00:00 EST