Silver™

Xbox Live not for everyone

By David Becker
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
November 19, 2002, 1:11 PM PT

Last week's launch of Microsoft's new online service for its Xbox video game console created headaches for some customers, who reported not being able to use the service or their game machines.

The company on Friday released Xbox Live, a $50-a-year service that allows Xbox owners to tap into an existing high-speed Internet connection to play games online. The service has become the cornerstone of Microsoft's strategy to distinguish the Xbox from competing game machines made by Sony and Nintendo.

While Xbox fans were pumped up for the debut of the service after a successful test version, those who had altered their consoles with "mod chips" were out of luck. Mod chips are gray-market add-ons that allow the Xbox to play legally and illegally copied discs, imported games and homemade software. Microsoft has followed through on earlier threats, originally reported by CNET News.com, to use Xbox Live to detect and bar consoles outfitted with mod chips.

According to a document posted on one of Microsoft's Xbox online forums, Xbox Live will check for the presence of mod chips or unauthorized software when a console connects to the service. If such modifications are detected, Xbox Live will record the serial number of the unit and permanently ban that machine from accessing the Xbox Live network.

Numerous owners of modified Xbox units reported in forums at the Xbox Hacker site that they were locked out of Xbox Live. "All I know is I have two machines--one modded, and the other not," wrote one poster. "The one that's modded can't connect at all, and the unmodded one works perfectly."


http://news.com.com/2100-1040-966419.html

SiGGy

you have seen this correct? screw that service...

check this out...

http://www.xbconnect.com/

Why do you hate the Xbox? Because you can't play the legit sites while the xbox is hacked?!? Go figure...

There's a few more options than just this too... This also allows you to do things that you can't do on the live system.

Shawn S

I think that's kinda FUNNY.

hornyleprechaun

so you hate the xbox because it won't let you illegally use it?...

Silver™

Unless something has changed...


XBconnect only works with System Link games, and because they emulate online play in games that weren't meant for it, they don't run as smooth as Xbox Live.

-Can you play non System Link games through xbconnect? No.
-Can you voice chat with xbconnect? No.
-Can you text chat with xbconnect? No.
-Can you download new content and patches for all your games with xbconnect? No.
-Are there fast dedicated servers for every game with xbconnect? No.
-Can you search for players, and buddies, play matches, and automatically keep track of your stats with xbconnect? No.

Silver™

You're right, Microsoft and Bill Gates need more of my money to play games online



Whats next, you can't mod your computer if you have Windows installed :shakehd:


And I don't hate the Xbox, I just think MS has done a sucky job of trying to build a rival to the PlayStation. $30 billion in cash and they need more money...

SiGGy

You pay when you play with illegal activities. And yes there are other options besides XBconnect. If you go looking

YES you can voice chat with it (beta)
YES you can text chat with it (beta)
YES there is fast dedicated server for it, it's just getting going..
YES you will be able to search for players/games give it some time...
NO you can't DL new content, DUH, it's a hack/pirated...

Time to go back to the website and readup more...

Chill out dude, the hacks are in favor of your hatred... But give them time to develop

Red Nj-s

I don't know anything about video games, but I do know a little about economics. Microsoft is in the game to make money. As much as possible. When a company makes money everyone in the company benifits. It can create more jobs, and ever better products.

By the way don't hate on Bill Gates, because he is better at making money than you.

Silver™

Dude, there is no hatred here...

I guess my two topics regarding MS (Moding Xbox / Xbox Live) got intertwined.

But as of right now, according to you re: XBConnect.

There is no text chat - "still in beta"
There is no voice chat - "still in beta"
There is no large dedicated servers yet - "it's just getting going"
There is no ability to search for players/games - "give it some time"
There is no ability to DL new content - DUH, then you will have to pay for Xbox live anyways.

And I realize that there are others out there besides XBConnect, but they are the best of whats available, and even they don't have nearly all the good features of Xbox live. Which as I am sure you've heard the rumors will begin to charge a monthly fee (I've heard $4.95 - $19.99 a month from different sources) next year. Those fees are on top of your normal ISP charges.

And I'm sure that if XBConnect gets going, that MS will find some way to make you use Xbox Live. Perhaps embeding something in the game that requires you to be connected to a MS server

I guess I just prefer the PlayStation2 model more...

Red Nj-s

can u connect with any service on ps2, and what do i have to buy to do it, also what games

SiGGy

I'm not a MS fan at all myself. (lol, note my avatar) But I would have to believe your right... sucks

Silver™

If MS wants to make Xbox successful they need to do two things;

a: get some killer (exclusive) titles. All of my favorite console games are PS2 exclusives.

Gran Turisimo 3
Grand Theft Auto 3
Grand Theft Auto : Vice City
Final Fantasy X
Ace Combat 4
etc...

if a couple of those games (especially GTA : VC) were exclusive to the Xbox, then I would have a much higher opinion of MS and the Xbox. Sony paid about $30 million to make GTA : VC an exclusive for the PS2, and so far it's sold nearly $200 million worth of that single title. I just can't understand why MS didn't offer $50+ mil in order to steal it away to the Xbox

b: they need to make the Xbox Live a free feature for life. The PS2 has outsold the Xbox nearly 10 to 1. It needs something to make it stand out.


Beta vs. VCR = Xbox vs. PS2

In the end I think the Xbox may have the same fate as the Beta VCR. While Beta was the better product, Sony screwed up the whole introduction of it and dug itself into a hole. And we now all have a VCR in our home.

KavexTrax

astro

makes me laugh too..suckers..buy your games,use your x box accordingly...and there are no problems...LOL

Silver™

For the record I don't own a Xbox, but would it make you laugh if someone said the same thing to you about your Acura.

What about people like Rockdog who got screwed by the dealer because he modded his Cl with a CAI.

It's the same shit in my eyes. Some people buy the mod chip to play games from a different region (i.e. Japan), what's the big deal with that???

Shawn S

Not a good analogy.
Adding a CAI isn’t costing Acura a dime.
If you buy an X-Box but don’t purchase any “legal” games that’s costing the developers tons.

I’m no angel myself when it comes to software piracy, but your argument is WEAK if your running a MOD chip to bootleg games.

Shawn S

Silver™

Umm, no Shawn my argument concerned playing games from different regions. That does not cost them a dime...

I know several people that have modded PS2's and the only reason they bought the Mod chip was to play games from Asia. Not pirated ones.

And do you do not agree the modding your car, putting more strain on the enigine and suspension components does affect the overall car? Adding headers and a CAI can add 40hp, and droping the car affect the suspension. Yet Acura 9 times out of 10 will still honor their warranty. And not punish you for modding you car.

Shawn S

Well, I used this argument when I did the MOD chip to my Gen 1 Playstation, but somehow after a few years I ended up with only about five Japanese imports and around (150) bootlegs.

I've pretty much given up video games though and don't even own a PS2 or X-Box.

Shawn S

Silver™

Anyways, I would virtually guarantee a work around mod in a few months, if there is one thing you can count on from MS is buggy software with more holes than a slice of swiss cheese.

Silver™

See, it's people like you that ruin it for the rest of us.

astro

you mod the ecu of your acura, and see if you have a warranty left smarty pants... :P:

malu

hahaahaa... i havent heard someone say that in a long time...

O-Town_TypeS

Right On!

People hate on Gates because he know's how to make a dollar. The man didn't become the world's richest man by luck.

Think of all the money MS loses on pirates. Their OS's and apps are all over IRC and the web. I'm glad Microsoft found a way to temporarily (I mean this because yes there will be around it soon) ban modded Xbox's. They now spend a lof of their money trying to prevent pirating.

Pirating=higher prices for people who are honest and purchase software.

JSuppi

Hehe you don't know how close to reality that is fixing to become do you???

Silver™

You are still in High School right? Well ecconomics is a little more complicated than what they might have taught you there.


No shit aren't we all. Or do you plan on working for a nonprofit company and donate all you extra money to charity.

The problem is when that company takes advantage of the consumer, and that means money out your and my pocket.

FYI - Microsoft has over a 85% profit margin on Windows and Office products. Isn't that a little excessive? What if it only cost Acura $4,000 to make the CL, but they charge you $30,000 and don't let you mod your car???




Great so they company makes money and some people in the company make money, around 10,000 MS employees in this case. But what about the consumers, the millions of us that pay 85% markup for MS products. How does that benefit me?

More jobs for Microsoft = outsourcing to India (That's a fact)



ha ha you said "ever better products" and Mircosoft in the same topic.

If you know about IT then you know that most MS products suck compared to their competitors, at least until MS buys them out :shakehd:



I don't hate Bill Gates becuase he is "better at making money than me". I think he is a greedy SOB though.

If I had $50 billion ($50,000,000,000), I would be using it to make a big difference in the world, like Andrew Carnegie or hell, even Ted Turner. Instead Bill Gates does little or anything to improve the world that has allowed him to reach the level of success that he enjoys today.

Silver™

"Product Activation" :thumbsdn:

Shawn S

The first comment you’ve made in this thread that I agree with.

Shawn S

dbox

xbox sux ass

Universe93B

2 xboxes with linkup is pretty fun.

HellaWhat

So let me get this straight..
These ppl are mad at a console maker that loses about 100 dollars on every console sold? One that attempts to make it's money via selling software to run on these consoles and it locks u out cause u have *illegally* modded your console? Oh let the rivers of tears begin...

Silver™

They already have a workaround... there is a switch for the mod chip that you turn off when you use Xbox Live.

:pfawk: Microsoft

Plus all a "pirate" has two do is copy 4 Xbox games (4x$50=$200) and he/she has saved the equivalent of a "clean" non-modded Xbox that they could buy and use if they want to play Xbox live.

So the pirates aren't affected, but people that want to play games from other regions are... typical MS :shakehd:

soopa

MaCe

hmmm so theres a switch for the mods now ...... interesting

DDT-TypeS

AS MUCH AS YOU FOLKS HATE TO ADMIT IT, the world today would not be what it is if not for Bill Gates + Microsoft.

I am kind of glad to see how they broke all the modded xbox's when they tried to play halo 2 with live. Paying for services suck, but it's only $50/year. Consider that when you have to pay $53 (cumcast) for cable internet service/MONTH (3.3Mbps downstream though). You can bootleg cumcast cable internet services but do you want to when you can get banned for life? Same thing for xbox live, they caught your ass modding the xbox so they ban your xbox for life. Fair game.

As for XBCONNECT, I have used that since the early beta days. It's fairly decent minus the small number of players on it. Not to mention you lose all the benefits of having xbox live! messagings, friends list, parties, etc. Simple one step connect with xbox live and supported games are many. With xbconnect, you have to hook it up to a host computer then log on from that host computer. It's really a hassle and setting up games is a chore compared to live!

XBCONNECT will probably last a bit longer then probably stay the way it is until it dies off. With halo 2 out, there's a bit of an increase of users on the live! network. Besides, it's only about $4.XX a month. It's cheaper than my call waiting phone service per month and I use xbox live more than that. Besides, if you have a computer and can connect to the net via broadband, why not just play pc games.

Davediego

from what I understand people with modded xbox's and live accounts havent had any problems before halo2 as long as they simply turned off their modchips before signing in to live. with halo2, microsoft added some code that scans your hard drive for any "unofficial" files and bans your xbox hd's serial number if they find some evidence that you have a modchip. this is just plain wrong imo, why should microsoft care if you connect to live with a retail copy of the game and with your modchip disabled? thats what the new controversy is about.

but of course theres already a work around for people who got banned

oh and silver, while of course you could always say that bill gates could do more to imrpove the world, to his credit he HAS establed the worlds largest charity orginastion that has something like $30billion. and when microsoft had its big dividend payout a little while ago,bill put all his proceeds from that into his charity. so i dont think its entirely fair to call him selfish, at least he makes attempts

Silver™

I don't know if you have noticed, but that was said over two years ago and during the last couple years the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have steped up their giving...