Microsoft Bans Hacked X-Box 360s from X-Box Live Just in Time For Modern Warfare
Apparently Microsoft has a way to determine if people have hacked their X-box 360 consoles to play pirated games and they've had just about enough. In a move reminiscent of cable and satellite providers turning off pirated boxes an hour before the Superbowl, Microsoft has rendered about 600,000 X-box 360 consoles impossible to connect to X-box live. In addition to the inability to X-Box Live, the zapped game consoles will no longer receive software updates or content downloads.
Live is the software giant's online gaming service, which is the preferred way to play games such as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. The new game is expected to be one of the most popular in history. It's been long awaited by gamers and heavily promoted by the gaming industry. The game's release, timed for the eve of the holiday shopping season has been anxiously awaited by the gaming community.
If you hacked your console, and were expecting to play COD:MW2 in your home theater this Christmas Morning, you should be thankful that new X-Box 360s are now under $200. You'll need a new one to hack now, or you could just play the old fashioned way.
Microsoft's position on the situation was articulated in a statement released earlier today:
"All consumers should know that piracy is illegal, and that modifying 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,"
