ban
December 3rd, 2009 at 12:15pm
Under Xbox 360
Oh, you think it’s funny, making your virtual soldier explode with the force of a small supernova every time he gets killed? Yeah, we suppose it is. Know what else is funny? Getting banned from Xbox Live. Oh, wait, did we say funny? We meant really unpleasant. However, according to Xbox Live’s Director of Policy and Enforcement, Stephen Toulouse, using Modern Warfare 2’s Javelin glitch (an unsavory practice demoed in this video) is cheating, as defined by the service’s Terms of Use. According to Toulouse, anyone caught self-detonating will be banned for 24 hours, or if caught repeatedly, two weeks.
For us honest folk, it seems the wait for a patch, which will cull the kamikaze epidemic, will be short. Infinity Ward’s Robert Bowling tweeted yesterday that a fix is currently being tested, and, “once it’s cleared, we’ll be urging it through Microsoft & Sony certification as fast as possible.” Keep the fire, troops. We can make it through this thing together.
Xbox Live moderators getting serious about Modern Warfare 2’s Javelin glitch originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tags: activision, ban, call-of-duty, call-of-duty-modern-warfare-2, glitch, infinity-ward, javelin, microsoft, modern-warfare-2, patch, stephen-toulouse, xbox-live
By Mister-X
Continue Reading Xbox Live moderators getting serious about Modern Warfare 2’s Javelin glitch
November 22nd, 2009 at 06:00pm
Under Xbox 360
In response to a possible class action lawsuit resulting from a recent round of Xbox Live bans, Microsoft has now asserted the legality of its position. A spokesperson has told the Financial Post that piracy is a violation of the company’s terms of use and that Microsoft is “well within its legal rights” to ban users from its Xbox Live.
It was reported earlier this month that the law firm AlbingtonIP is “investigating” the possibility of a class action lawsuit against Microsoft over the bans. The firm argues that timing of the bans — shortly after the release of Halo 3: ODST and just prior to the launch of Modern Warfare 2 — was designed to get as much money from Xbox Live subscriptions as possible. In other words, the firm believes that Microsoft personally waited for a time when many people — modders in this case — would be purchasing Live subscriptions for popular games — money that probably wouldn’t be refunded after a ban.
Joystiq’s Law of the Game columnist, Mark Methenitis, classified the suit as a likely “cash grab,” explaining that anyone savvy enough to mod an Xbox would know to stay well away from Xbox Live. We might add that major releases, like ODST and Modern Warfare 2, are the biggest targets for piracy, and likely correspond with rises in illegal downloads. And that just might have something to do with the timing of the bans in question.
[Via Kotaku]
Microsoft says it’s ‘well within legal rights’ to ban consoles originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tags: ban, halo-3-odst, lawsuit, legal, microsoft, modding, modern-warfare-2, piracy, xbox-live
By Mister-X
Continue Reading Microsoft says it’s ‘well within legal rights’ to ban consoles
November 20th, 2009 at 11:00pm
Under Xbox 360
Speaking to VentureBeat, Xbox Live general manager Marc Whitten discussed the recent round of Xbox Live bans. According to Whitten, banning users from Xbox Live is “a cat and mouse game.” Said Whitten, “These were people that were pirating software.” He added that Microsoft looks at banning users “from a safety and anti-cheating perspective” and that the company looks out for its partners. Responding to the widely reported story that Microsoft banned over a million Xbox Live users, Whitten said that the figure is inaccurate. “I cannot explain to you why people would think it was a million people,” said Whitten, then adding quite succinctly, “It wasn’t a million people.”
Whitten went on to state his belief that Microsoft does “a really good job” of monitoring the activity on Xbox Live, specifically in terms of piracy and online harassment. He concluded that the company is “committed to making [Xbox Live] better and better.”
The interview also covers the recent integration of Facebook on Xbox, the effect Modern Warfare 2 had on Live activity (hint: a big one) and whether or not we’ll be playing Facebook games on our consoles anytime soon. Don’t expect a straight answer on that last one though, as the closes Whitten gets is, “In the future, they will move much closer together.”
Whitten: Xbox Live banning ‘a cat and mouse game’ originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tags: ban, banning, business, facebook, marc-whitten, xbox-live
By Mister-X
Continue Reading Whitten: Xbox Live banning ‘a cat and mouse game’
October 31st, 2009 at 07:00pm
Under Xbox 360
We hope your recent forays into piracy merely involve you donning a hook and eyepatch for a debaucherous costume party, or else you likely received a message from Microsoft like the headline of this post. The company recently dispatched a wave of bans to owners of modded Xbox 360s who’ve been playing pirated copies of games. A Microsoft spokesperson confirmed to IGN that “we have taken action against a small percentage of consoles that have been modified to play pirated game discs.”
The spokesperson went on to explain that this batch of console bans wasn’t conducted on any particular time frame, and that the company was merely following up on its standing policy against piracy. In other words, Microsoft isn’t trying to ruin your Halloween weekend — it just, you know, worked out that way.
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Happy Halloween! You’re banned from Xbox Live. originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tags: ban, burned, console-ban, microsoft, mod, piracy, pirates, xbox-live
By Mister-X
Continue Reading Happy Halloween! You’re banned from Xbox Live.
September 30th, 2009 at 05:44pm
Under Xbox 360
Australia has a long, sordid history when it comes to banning the sale of mature games. Titles which exceed the limits of the Office of Film and Literature Classification’s MA15+ rating are refused classification, preventing them from being sold in the Land Down Under. Following such a ban on Valve’s Left 4 Dead 2, the introduction of an R18+ rating has been feverishly debated by the nation’s officials — however, a South Australian attorney general named Michael Atkinson is holding up the proceedings by vehemently opposing the adoption of the mature rating.
Atkinson told Australian news outlet News.com.au that he’s uncomfortable with the interactive nature of the medium. “People are participating and ‘acting-out’ violence and criminal behaviour when they are playing a video game,” he explained, later adding, “it certainly does restrict choice to a small degree, but that is the price of keeping this material from children and vulnerable adults. In my view, the small sacrifice is worth it.”
Rarely can governmental actions be attributed to just one person, but the OFLC’s refusal to rate mature titles is a direct result of Atkinson’s opposition. Remember, this is the same guy who tried to censor a public document which canvassed Australians on the issue in an attempt to better advise the nation’s ratings officials. He censored the study on censorship. Consider our mind truly boggled.
[Via GamesIndustry]
Australian attorney general refuses to support 18+ game rating originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tags: australia, ban, law, left-4-dead-2, mature, michael-atkinson, oflc, r18, rating, valve
By Mister-X
Continue Reading Australian attorney general refuses to support 18+ game rating
September 19th, 2009 at 08:00pm
Under PC+ Xbox 360
It seems Australian zombie enthusiasts aren’t alone in their dismay over the OFLC’s recent ban on the sale of Left 4 Dead 2 in the Land Down Under — Valve’s Doug Lombardi recently told Shacknews that the ban came as quite a surprise for the developer as well. “Obviously, everyone at Valve is pretty bummed,” Lombardi explained, as a grief-wracked Gabe Newell wept openly into his shoulder.
It’s a real shame that the OFLC added L4D2 to its expansive list of titles prohibited from being sold in Australia — not only because Aussies will be robbed of one of the most promising multiplayer titles of 2009, but because it effectively invalidates the two parties’ pre-existing peacemaking efforts.
Valve is ‘bummed’ by Australia’s Left 4 Dead 2 ban originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 19 Sep 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tags: australia, ban, Doug-Lombardi, government, left-4-dead, left-4-dead-2, oflc, valve
By Mister-X
Continue Reading Valve is ‘bummed’ by Australia’s Left 4 Dead 2 ban
September 17th, 2009 at 07:00am
Under Xbox 360
Gabe Newell may be going to Australia, but his latest game, Left 4 Dead 2, is not. The Australian government has refused classification to the upcoming zombie shooter’s “realistic, frenetic and unrelenting violence.” Because the Australian ratings system doesn’t offer an 18+ rating for games, Left 4 Dead 2 joins the growing list of games banned by the government.
While Valve is unlikely to look upon this decision favorably, it can turn this ban into a marketing bullet point. The first game received a MA15 rating, meaning Left 4 Dead 2 must have a totally noticeable and sequel-worthy increase in violence. Doesn’t that warrant another $60 purchase (for those of you outside Australia)?
[Thanks, Jake and Dai!]
Australia’s turn to ‘boycott’ Left 4 Dead 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tags: australia, ban, fps, left-4-dead, left-4-dead-2, valve
By Mister-X
Continue Reading Australia’s turn to ‘boycott’ Left 4 Dead 2
August 31st, 2009 at 01:15pm
Under Wii / Nintendo
Even long after Bruce Willis has saved the universe, identified cheaters will still be unable to play Monster Hunter 3. At least that’s the case for one Japanese player, who tried to connect online and was given a dismissive prompt (in Japanese; machine translation here), indicating that he’d been banned until December 12, 9999.
The message cited “modded data” as the cause for the banning, and while we can’t confirm that there was any questionable data on the system, we will say that if you’re looking to hunt monsters (possibly around early 2010), you may want to avoid the uber hax!!1! option. We’d hate for you to have to go on living a lootless life for the next couple thousand years.
[Via Kotaku]
Cheat at Monster Hunter 3, get banned until 9999 AD originally appeared on Joystiq Nintendo on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tags: ban, banning, capcom, monster-hunter, monster-hunter-3, Wii / Nintendo
By Mister-X
Continue Reading Cheat at Monster Hunter 3, get banned until 9999 AD
July 29th, 2009 at 09:35am
Under Uncategorized
During the beginning of June it was revealed that the government of Germany was moving to place a complete ban on the sale and production of violent videogames in the country.
The catalyst of this action was the tragic school shooting on March 11th in Winnenden, which left 15 people, including the shooter, dead. The event was attributed to the shooter’s exposure to violent videogames.
Plans put in place to move forward with the ban have been hampered, however, by the lowliest form of protest – an internet petition.
Around the rest of the world, an internet petition is usually something viewed with great derision, but in Germany the government is required by law to hold public hearings on any online petition that is signed by 50 000 or more people.
The internet petition concerning Germany’s ban on violent videogames has risen past 50 000, now approaching 70 000 signatures.
While the number of signatures, and the existence of the petition itself, doesn’t guarantee that the ban will be avoided, it will stall the process and definitely give the government officials something to think about.
If the ban does go through, however, not only will consumers of videogames in the country be at a serious disadvantage, major developer and technology leader Crytek have announced their plans to leave the country should such a ban be put in place.
Continue Reading Internet petition stalls German ban on violent videogames
Tags: ban, crytek, germany, internetpetition, News, violentvideogames
By Mister-X
Continue Reading Internet petition stalls German ban on violent videogames
