14 DAY TRIAL // Just as Microsoft released a firmware update, banning all the "burned" users on Xbox Live Arcade, modders got angry and check mated the company with firmware modifications to block Microsoft's efforts. What do you reckon will happen next...?
Well, if everything goes as everything went so far, Microsoft's next move will be the release of another firmware update, banning self-unbanned "modded" XBLA users. Of course, modders will soon have their say after that and so on. But until "The New Episodes of Microsoft and the Modders" commence, I suggest we all have a little discussion on the topic.
The firmware upgrade is for TS-H943 DVD drives, used to play backup copies of legally purchased Xbox 360 titles, as Joystiq reports. It "defeats all current and some future Xbox Live detection attempts," according to the release notes revealed by Xbox 360 Fanboy.
Back when Microsoft made their first attempt of blocking "modded" Xbox 360 users over XBLA, the electronics giant commented on their move as "an important part of our efforts to try and maintain a fair gaming environment for the large majority of gamers that play by the rules."
The best part however, was when Microsoft stated that they have "a no tolerance policy towards inappropriate behaviour like hacking or cheating" and that "this topic is more important than ever given the recent release of the Halo 3 beta. We have stated in the past that customers can only enjoy access to the Xbox Live community through the use of a genuine, unmodified, Xbox console and we will continue to enforce this rule to ensure the integrity of our service, the protection of our partners and the benefits of our users," said a MS official as Eurogamer posted back then.
So much for all that fancy talk huh? Like I said, new episodes from "Microsoft and the Modders" are to be heard of, but until then, those who have started using the firmware mod already should not get carried away. Who knows, it may very well end with some time in the slammer for them.