Enough With the Xbox Modder Sob Stories Already
To me, the punishment seems fair enough: Modify your Xbox 360 to play pirated video games, and you lose the ability to play games online. So why is the BBC running a sob story on the plight of these modders, likening Microsoft’s enforcement measures to 1984?
The latest article on the matter leads with a quote: “It’s like telling someone their dog’s just died,” says one anonymous modder who was kicked off Xbox Live in a recent anti-piracy push. The meat of the article explains modding in general, including the technical knowledge needed to modify a console, the benefits of doing so and Microsoft’s unwavering stance that such behavior is off-limits.
What the BBC doesn’t mention is that mods can be used to cheat in online play, but that’s besides the point. What’s really puzzling is the conclusion of the article, which raises the question of whether the remote shutdown of Xbox Live on a modded console is unethical. The BBC quotes a gamer who brings up how Amazon pulled a couple of books from its Kindle e-reader due to copyright issues (an entirely different situation that had nothing to do with piracy, mind you), and ends with a quote from seemingly random gamer Chris Gutteridge: “”How much will people allow their freedom to be remote controlled?”
Let’s get a one thing straight: Xbox Live is not a fundamental right. If you break the rules, you get kicked off the service. To put it another way, if I let you into my house, and can’t behave yourself, I get to kick you out. It’s not about freedom, it’s about refusing a service to customers who violate the conditions on which that service is offered, simple as that.
No one’s saying modders can’t keep playing their modified Xbox 360s. The functionality is still there, only not online. And because modders may also be cheaters, or babies who whine over a misguided sense of entitlement, the less of them on Xbox Live, the better.
Thursday, November 12, 2009 6:26PM
So I was ready to go on a rant about property rights. But after thought, this actually does make sense. It's not like you bought something and they are modifying it after the fact. Whats happening is: They gather data about your system (this is my main concern but not part of this discussion) they find out its modded and they stop you from using their service. It's akin to the right of store owners to deny service to people.
I don't like the fact they are getting a bunch of info about my system every time I log in however. I didn't know that was part of the deal. (yeah its probably in the EULA but seriously, no one ever reads those)
Thursday, November 12, 2009 7:14PM
Hey Fyzzle,
Thanks for the comments. For what it's worth, I think people should be more incensed about Microsoft disabling third-party "unauthorized" memory cards in the upcoming Xbox Live update. That is, as you put it, a case where "you bought something and they are modifying it after the fact."
My sympathies align much more with folks who didn't do anything wrong and are being punished than those who knowingly broke both the law and Microsoft's rules.
Thursday, November 12, 2009 8:31PM
Interesting article. I don't have any gaming equipment. But I guess you guys next mod should be something that tells the other end you hav not modified anything.! LOL
Friday, November 13, 2009 10:17PM
Nice job MS!
Saturday, November 14, 2009 1:42AM
you can't mod your xbox 360 to cheat in online games
stop talking crap
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 6:56PM
Sure you can. Pleanty of Youtube videos showing modded Gears 2 and Halo 3 gameplay…even in matchmaking.
Monday, December 14, 2009 2:27PM
They are fake, or at least not made by modifying the game. The games are digitally signed, you cant modify them or the console wont play them (even if its modded). Thats also the reason why you cant change the Region Coding on the Games.
I don't think MS should ban modified consoles. Its my right (at least here in Germany) to make private copies of my games, and if they ban my console from live they are in fact taking away a part of the games i have purchased. I think its totally OK to ban people playing pirated games (and as i have heard most of the people getting banned do, e.g. because they play the games before they are actually released). I think its not OK to ban people for modifying there console in general. (However, if you do you loose warranty which is fair i think)
Monday, December 14, 2009 2:48PM
The only real issue with shutting off the console is that the console will get sold to someone without being told the console they just bought has been banned. MS does need to account for that.
No issues with shutting down the modders otherwise.
Monday, December 14, 2009 11:01PM
the main problem is for those who use non-microsoft accessories such as memory cards, controllers, or ethernet adaptors. Not the ones who hacked their consoles to play pirated games.
It's like Windows refusing to start after 6 months of using a Logitech keyboard because it's not a MS keyboard. If it didn't work from the getgo, there would be no problem.
They have disabled certain things later on, in order to force these people to go and buy genuine memory cards, genuine ethernet adaptors etc. Right before Xmas.
No matter which way you look at it, it's collusion of a monopoly to force more money from preexisting users.
My Ipod still works if i plug 'normal' headphones in. If apple updated the software to stop this happening, now, after the pods been out for a while, there would be riots in the streets.
But because the 360 is a microsoft, the general consensus is that you should just roll over and take the 22" poker.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009 6:47PM
But when your box scatches all of your games to high hell and microsoft wants $120 to fix it, alas my only option was to mod my box. But now since my box is banned it is now a useless pile of junk, much like it was when it left the factory. I wouldn't buy a rotten apple from the grocery store, because you can't fix it. But i might buy a broken down car from a junkyard. The xbox is like the broken car, when you get it, the equipment is absolute junk, breaking new parts you put on it (in the xbox's case disks). Now microsoft has taken away my right to use a product that i purchased in the only way that i can use the product. So my final note. Microsoft, go fuck yourself with all the money you have stolen from me, my friends, and my family. Nearly everybody that i've ever talked to that owns a xbox360, has owned a broken xbox360. FUCK MICROSOFT SOMEBODY PLEASE O SOMETHING I AM SICK AND TIRED OF THEM STEALING FROM GOOD, HONEST, AMERICANS. I thought this was America, not Microsoftland
Wednesday, December 16, 2009 8:40PM
I am a modder who got the ban hammer thrown at me. I am not bitching about losing XBL because I KNEW the risks gong in. That said, though, Micro$oft killed much more than online game play. They disabled my 120 gig hard drive, disabled my wireless adapter, and disabled media centre. I will take the consequences for XBL, but I paid damn near $500 for just the X-box elite system alone to have the 120 gig hard drive. I paid the extra $100 for the wireless adapter. I paid the extra $60 for the nice remote control. This is ACTUAL HARDWARE they disabled. That is not right in the least. So basically it is like owning a car and after modifying it, Ford disables my radio, my automatic transmission, and gives me limited braking because I made my car better. For me at least, this whole ban hammer has had the exact opposite effect that microsucks had in mind. I am getting a PS3 for x-mas from the wife and saying adiós to paid online gameplay and crappy hardware.
Friday, December 18, 2009 12:07AM
In reply to Unbounds post, this happened to me 2 weeks ago I brought a 2nd hand elite console off trademe ( New Zealand site) and I asked the seller if x box is modded he said no, so i then brought tekken 6, moddern warfare 2 both at retail which was about $260, then finally go on xbox live and that message above comes up I went to local gaming store and asked what happened and he almost fell over laughing at my misfortune, then told me the console had been modded, contacted the sellerto try and get money back but he never replied so i contacted number he left, when i finally talked to him he denied the whole thing and apparantly I had tampered with the x – box myself and that he would claim no responsiblity. Money spent altogeather around $800, I was so angry I almost punched a whole in the wall.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009 8:06AM
Modding does not always lead to stealing games it can be used to fix glitches in the xbox itself or creating new HUDs for easier access. Is that really cheating customizing your xbox to better fit you're play style. In fact many PC leagues allow customized HUDs while playing the game in turniment play. Also being as you pay $50 a year for XBL do they really have the right to disable you're account and xbox?
Wednesday, December 23, 2009 9:54AM
No, the videos aren't fake. Jtagged xboxes with homebrew software is whats threatning the online community on the xbox. Hackers are getting their hands on codes and files that are supposed to be protected by the xboxs security barrier.
Detecting the Jtagged xbox are hard, since the people who do this actually don't sit and game with their thumb up their ass, like the people with the flashed consoles that pay a certain amount of cash and get their xbox pirate-ready.
Friday, January 1, 2010 2:12AM
Yes. Of course they do. If they wanted you to be able to do all the things you can do on a pc on their system they would give you that ability. You are modifying their product in ways they don't want you to, also giving you the ability (whether or not you use it) to pirate their games, and giving you unfair advantage over other players (who can't modify their xbox to better fit their playing style), why wouldn't they have the right to stop allowing you continue to misuse their service?
And lets be honest, what do you think the percent of modded xboxs NOT running pirated games is?