IS THIS TRUE?

Xx Binno xX

New Member
source http://kotaku.com/#!5796081/has-microsoft-un+banned-outlawed-xbox-360-consoles

Night of the living xbox
Has Microsoft "Un-Banned" Outlawed Xbox 360 Consoles?

Luke Plunkett — That's what internet chatter throughout the course of the evening would have you believe, with reports coming in that some banned Xbox 360 consoles (and their associated Gamertags) can suddenly re-connect to Xbox Live.

Users of various forums, including xbox-scene, have over the last few hours found that modified consoles banned from Xbox Live for using "flashed" disc drives are being allowed back on the service. Sort of.

While we've received confirmation that banned consoles are now able to reconnect to Xbox Live, we've yet to hear of anybody doing anything more than simply sign in (as in, play online or purchase content), so there's no word yet on whether these consoles are genuinely "un-banned" or whether they can now simply go one step further than they could previously go before being locked out.

Note that this applies to consoles that were banned for being modified, specifically with a flashed disc drive (not other means, like a "JTAG" mod). It does not apply for bans handed out to people being assholes over Xbox Live.

What's interesting here is the timing of the move, right in the middle of rival Sony's extended PSN outage. While some will no doubt point to this as the first signs of Microsoft's online security being compromised, it appears more likely it's part of the company's own internal testing, which is surely being kicked into overdrive in the wake of Sony's problems.

Another entirely plausible theory is that it has something to do with Microsoft's upcoming change to a new disc format, which would render previous copy protection hacks (based on the old format) worthless.

That or, you know. It's a trap.

We've contacted Microsoft for comment on just why these dead machines have been brought back from the grave, and will update if we hear back.

UPDATE - The reanimated machines are now banned once more. That was fast!
I guess this was true but only for a few hours hahahaha
 

NickM

Member
The xbox's aren't "Outlawed" lmfao..
But yes, someone at Microsoft made a huge error and unbanned ALL banned xbox's, although Jtags are banned immediately again on boot up.
 

odingalt

Well-Known Member
Staff member
This is a strategy play and not a mistake. Let me run a common scenario by you...

A lot of people are running hacked consoles to play pirated video games. A lot of people used to play with their pirated discs on-line. Then MS dropped the ban hammer twice, so a lot of people stopped playing on-line (or bought a second 'legit' console and would only purchase their favorite video game to play multiplayer). But these people would continue to pirate a large number of titles 'offline' because Microsoft did not actually do anything to shut down the console. Probably because they didn't know how to.

I'm wondering if they are 'allowing' banned consoles back on Live! service with the hopes that they can send code to your hacked console (that you've had unplugged for the last year or two) to disable it once and for all.

That's just one of about 3-4 possible scenarios. In any case, none of the possible scenarios involve a 'huge mistake' by Microsoft. Rest assured this is all part of a strategy.
 

NickM

Member
odingalt said:
This is a strategy play and not a mistake. Let me run a common scenario by you...

A lot of people are running hacked consoles to play pirated video games. A lot of people used to play with their pirated discs on-line. Then MS dropped the ban hammer twice, so a lot of people stopped playing on-line (or bought a second 'legit' console and would only purchase their favorite video game to play multiplayer). But these people would continue to pirate a large number of titles 'offline' because Microsoft did not actually do anything to shut down the console. Probably because they didn't know how to.

I'm wondering if they are 'allowing' banned consoles back on Live! service with the hopes that they can send code to your hacked console (that you've had unplugged for the last year or two) to disable it once and for all.

That's just one of about 3-4 possible scenarios. In any case, none of the possible scenarios involve a 'huge mistake' by Microsoft. Rest assured this is all part of a strategy.


True, they talked about this on TTG, how unbanning consoles will get more people to play XBL again, just a thought of some speculators. Makes sense to me.
 

odingalt

Well-Known Member
Staff member
I was going to write that first and then backed it out and wrote more of a conspiracy theory. If they are fairly certain they can prevent pirated discs from going on live, then 'unlocking' the consoles and allowing them back on the live service can do no harm other than make them some extra cash, both through live subscriptions, new retail game purchases, map pack upgrades, etc....

If I were MS and I could find a way to stop the pirated discs from going on Live, then it seems like a no-brainer to let the pirated consoles back on the network. Otherwise the people will just keep on hoarding pirated discs to play the off-line single player modes.
 

Fredrow

Active Member
Another thing that could have maybe played a part into this is the new technology Microsoft is cooking up in regards to changing around there source codes..

Microsoft has found out that the data needed to make video games greater, better, and more realistic is too big to fit onto the current disc. So I heard that they are working on a new way of either optimizing the data to be put onto the discs or "some new process I don't know about"...

Microsoft was looking for "testers" to try out this new technology, but the catch was that this new technology could damage/destroy your Xbox 360......


This could be related 'maybe' to these dead XBL consoles coming back to life!!!

Just a theory!!!!!!
 

WetterThanWater

New Member
To be honest, it could be absolutely anything, even just an error on microsoft's part. I personally think they did it to get them online, get them to download an update on a game or something, (Because if you tried to download an update on a flashed xbox) you would get an error message and it would be an attempt to stop piracy.

Also I heard about what Fredrow is talking about, how they're gonna put on a different type of security on the discs and it will free up something like 1.5 gb on the dvd.
 

obo

New Member
To be honest, I just enjoyed the video of DJ Keemstar freaking out about the ability to plan on his banned consoles again. The guy has like 15+ banned xbox consoles lol.
(If any of you guys don't know who DJ Keemstar is, he's pretty much the most famous trash talker on halo 3, or he was until Microsoft started banning any console he signed online with)
 

DirkSmoove

New Member
Fredrow said:
Another thing that could have maybe played a part into this is the new technology Microsoft is cooking up in regards to changing around there source codes..

Microsoft has found out that the data needed to make video games greater, better, and more realistic is too big to fit onto the current disc. So I heard that they are working on a new way of either optimizing the data to be put onto the discs or "some new process I don't know about"...

Microsoft was looking for "testers" to try out this new technology, but the catch was that this new technology could damage/destroy your Xbox 360......


This could be related 'maybe' to these dead XBL consoles coming back to life!!!

Just a theory!!!!!!
sounds like a reasonable theory to me
 
Top