14 DAY TRIAL // We've already written about how Microsoft has begun to ban modded Xbox 360 home gaming consoles from the Xbox Live service, which includes severing access to multiplayer gaming and friend communication.
There are estimates saying that no less than 600,000 users have been banned for modifying their devices, most of them in order to be able to get access to pirated titles. The ban was designed to hit at the same time as the launch of Modern Warfare 2, the first person shooter widely targeted by pirates because of its popularity in multiplayer.
A spokesperson from Microsoft told IGN that “If you purchase a modified console second-hand, the warranty is not transferable and the purchaser assumes the risk for any previous modifications. If you purchase a console that has been previously banned, you will not be able to connect to LIVE.” It seems that the company is pretty interested in making sure that all the revenue from the sale of the console comes back to it and none of it gets to secondary resellers.
The Xbox 360 was hit by a high failure rate early in its product cycle, the so-called “Red Ring of Death” syndrome, that affected around 20% of the devices. Some have even speculated that Microsoft is responsible for the high failure rate, which was introduced as a sort of guard against second hand sales as users would be reluctant to get a console without warranty because it could fail on them at any moment. The reliability of the Xbox 360 models sold at the moment is much improved.
Piracy is a concern on the Xbox 360, as it is on the Nintendo DS, the PlayStation Portable and the PC. Both console manufacturers and videogame developers are taking measures to limit its impact in the future, from introducing download-only devices to threatening pirates with lawsuits.