Hacked Xbox 360's on the Chinese Market

Similar to their impressive gaming aptitudes, the Chinese have proven equally inventive when it comes to hacking Xbox 360. While the system does have its flaws, like any other, Microsoft always claimed to have the console security rock solid. Yet according to Gamasutra, game piracy seems to spread steadily across the country. During a Shanghai visit for this week's ChinaJoy game exhibition, the editors saw vendors offering cracked Xbox 360 games. Titles as Hitman: Blood Money, Fight Night Round 3 and Project Gotham Racing 3 are publicly available, sold for as much as 30 Yuan (roughly $3.50) down from an average of $50.

Recent developments shouldn't come as a surprise, since hackers managed to flash BIOS changes on the Xbox 360's Optical Drive as early as March 2006. This bypassed authentication, allowing copied games to be played. Further information on the hack was available just two months later, when a public version of the exploit was released. Yet another Microsoft announcement is made regarding the issue, this time coming from John Porcaro: "The core security system has not been broken. However, on some Xbox 360 consoles the authentication protocol between the optical disc drive and the console may be attacked via a complex software and hardware modification which could allow people to play illegally copied and modified games. We continue to invest in the security of the platform and will respond appropriately as unauthorized activity is identified."

As with every exploit, problems can be fixed once they're localized. The best bet lays with Xbox Live's presumed system updates, that once downloaded, will prevent access for the pirated tiles. Xbox 360 still has a steep price compared to the average Chinese wages therefore current generation console titles for Playstation 2 and Xbox are a lot more common in Shanghai. This doesn't prevent stores or individuals from flashing the Xbox 360's disc drive BIOS for a fee.