Microsoft using Halo 2 to find hackers?

Xbox News | Modified Xbox's banned from Xbox Live after playing Halo 2.

It seems many Xbox mod chip users have been banned from Microsoft’s online gaming service, Xbox Live for those under that rock, after trying to play Halo 2 with a modified Xbox.

Mod chips for gaming platforms are a controversial topic within the gaming industry as they allow pirated games and homemade software to be utilized within a variety of gaming consoles.

The Xbox Live user agreement states that "Xbox Live may only be accessed with an unmodified, except for Microsoft-authorized repairs and upgrades, Xbox video game console. Any attempt to disassemble, decompile, create derivative works of, reverse engineer, modify, further sublicense, distribute or use for other purposes either the hardware or software of this system, is strictly prohibited and may result in termination of your account and/or your ability to access Xbox Live."

A Microsoft representative addressed the issue, stating “Microsoft listens carefully to the Xbox Live community and reserves the right to take steps necessary to preserve the integrity of the user experience. Our goal is to provide our users with secure, consistent and fair online game play. Users are not permitted to manipulate the system to the detriment of others."

It is unknown if Halo 2 carries an updated security protocol, but one would think so after so many users being banned after trying to play the game online. Fair or unfair? Hmm...

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10 Comments

onggie

7 years ago

Well, at least it's still not illegal to mod the thing!

I was watching TechTV the other day, and there is a way to get mods on your xbox, without actually open the case and putting new componets in!

ObsoletE

7 years ago

i was just reading an article from The Australian about this... they say it wasn't Halo 2 that causes the ban, but it was the catalyst...

the end user agreement for XBox Live allows for Microsoft to collect data from the machines, and it was in the days before Halo 2 that this was done to around 1 million machines...

the article doesn't mention how many of that 1 Million were banned, or how they collect the information (both of which are questioned, but MS declined to answer)...

i think it's fair enough, PC users get banned if they use a cracked/hacked game, why not console users?

besides there are plenty of alternative XBox Online servers to Live that it probably won't matter...

BTW: the article i just read is here...

onggie wrote

Well, at least it's still not illegal to mod the thing!

I was watching TechTV the other day, and there is a way to get mods on your xbox, without actually open the case and putting new componets in!

AFAIK the XBox mods were a firmware flash anyway...

Daylen

7 years ago

Beepos wrote

XBOX News: Modified Xbox's banned from Xbox Live after playing Halo 2.

Sweeet!

Gtpod

7 years ago

That'll teach the impatient haxors.

Quin

7 years ago

OMG TEH L33T HAX0RZ GOT BANZ0RED

onggie

7 years ago

GTPod wrote

That'll teach the impatient haxors.

Not all modded Xboxs are for the use of playing pirated games! Some people buy it to back up games because they dont want to get it wrecked or they have little kids, they import games from overseas or they want to play DVDs from other regions!

So the banning is good in one way, but bad in another!

razzathenemesis

7 years ago

Incorrect banning is bad!!! With a capital B A D
Banning games leads people to modding their Xbox coz they can't get the game they want the way it was made cough, "GTA3, GTA VC, Man Hunt, Hitman Contracts, etc".

The same principle applies to banning modded xbox's from using xbox live through security protocols. All that will happen is some smart little hacker will find there way through the protocols, and into the xbox live network and from there they can change access paramiters, etc.
OR they will simply make a new version of dash board software for the xbox that overides the protocol.

Failing that you can use "xlink ki" a program for modded xbox's that allows you to network thourgh your pc, to gain acces to game lobby's etc. There are already a large sellection of hacking tools for xbox at: http://www.xboxhackz.com/

If you think this won't happen you are wrong, you can already put linnix and windows on an xbox, and the internet is riffe with hackerz and virus'.

Matt Bassos

7 years ago

Better to make the hackers work for it to get into Xbox Live, rather than allowing them to get in from the get-go.

razzathenemesis

7 years ago

No better to release a console which isn't restricted by regions of dvd's and can run both ntsc & pal games. And what in the flying hell is the point of having a hard drive on ya xbox when you can't access it and put what you wan't on it, rather than what some companies will let you put on your hard drive.

Xbox hit the money with the hard drive and let us down by lack of access to it. If microsoft had used its pea brain better we could have an Xbox with a custamisable start up and desktop, instead we get to save games and music, which is good but could have been great.

Daylen

7 years ago

Beepos wrote

Better to make the hackers work for it to get into Xbox Live, rather than allowing them to get in from the get-go.

Agreed.

razzathenemesis wrote

No better to release a console which isn't restricted by regions of dvd's and can run both ntsc & pal games.

I'm no fan of region locking myself, but the Xbox is Microsoft's product and as such, if they want to region lock it then that's their right. If you want to play American games, get an American console. Nothing makes modding ok.

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