Report: Xbox Live Bannings Upwards Of 1 Million

November 12th, 2009, 21:25 Posted By: wraggster

Microsoft's ban hammer may have whacked as many as one million Xbox 360 owners following a new wave of cracking down on modified consoles.

That figure comes from InformationWeek who reports on the bans that effectively lock out consoles, not just Xbox Live gamertags, from playing games online.

Microsoft spokesperson Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb warned Xbox 360 owners of the banning plan earlier this month, saying that Microsoft was "actively banning consoles from Xbox LIVE that have been modified to play pirated games."

"Our commitment to combat piracy and support safer and more secure gameplay for the more than 20 million members of our Xbox LIVE community remains a top priority," read a statement issued by the company at the time. "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.

"The health of the video game business depends on customers paying for the genuine products and services they receive from manufacturers, retailers, and the third parties that support them."

These bannings, which were preceded by similar actions alongside the release of Halo 3 ODST, hit prior to the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

When reached for comment, a Microsoft spokesperson issued the following statement.

"While we don't comment on specific numbers, we have taken action against consoles that have been modified and were used to play pirated game discs. In line with our commitment to combat piracy, and support safer and more secure gameplay for the more than 20 million members of our Xbox LIVE community, we are banning these modded consoles from Xbox LIVE."

http://kotaku.com/5402591/report-xbo...s-of-1-million

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