Microsoft plays hardball with cheaters

Mostly PC, but console and mobile too
Post Reply
Leisher
Site Admin
Posts: 70452
Joined: Thu May 20, 2004 9:17 pm
Contact:

Post by Leisher »

Ouch.

Reset their gamer score to zero, removed all their achievements, and publicly label their accounts as cheaters.

It should be noted that this isn't aimed at in game cheating, but people who have hacked or cheated their accounts to get higher gamer scores or achievements they did actually earn.

Nice.
"Happy slaves are the worst enemies of freedom." - Marie Von Ebner
"It was always the women, and above all the young ones, who were the most bigoted adherents of the Party, the swallowers of slogans, the amateur spies..." - Orwell
TheCatt
Site Admin
Posts: 57665
Joined: Thu May 20, 2004 11:15 pm
Location: Cary, NC

Post by TheCatt »

Wow.
In a separate post, Microsoft said its judgments on whether a player had amassed their score by cheating are final. "The original gamerscore correction will remain permanent without any way to appeal," the company warned.

I sure hope they are right.
It's not me, it's someone else.
Malcolm
Posts: 32040
Joined: Fri May 21, 2004 1:04 pm
Location: Minneapolis

Post by Malcolm »

Yeah, that finality thing is the only mar in this action. If you're hacking your XBox Live stats, you are beyond pity & should be ruthlessly ostracized. I'm all for that. But Macroshaft acting like they're the one and only shining beacon of righteousness in this process, yeah, what a fucking shock.
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
Leisher
Site Admin
Posts: 70452
Joined: Thu May 20, 2004 9:17 pm
Contact:

Post by Leisher »

Yeah, I saw that too and was a bit cautious, but this wasn't the only article I read on the subject. (Why must one read many articles from various sources to get the full story? That's quality journalism!)

Anyway, in the other article, which I would've posted, but lost the link, thus I used the yahoo one...they did say that Microsoft was only going after folks who hacked their profiles, NOT people who "cheated". Although, they do ban people whom they catch cheating.

So I believe that they probably have a smoking gun as I would assume hacking an account stored on their servers is probably pretty easy to catch.
"Happy slaves are the worst enemies of freedom." - Marie Von Ebner
"It was always the women, and above all the young ones, who were the most bigoted adherents of the Party, the swallowers of slogans, the amateur spies..." - Orwell
Malcolm
Posts: 32040
Joined: Fri May 21, 2004 1:04 pm
Location: Minneapolis

Post by Malcolm »

Yeah, but if they're going to use public ridicule as a weapon, then I should be able to ask for public verification of my cheating. Otherwise, I'm at their mercy.
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
Leisher
Site Admin
Posts: 70452
Joined: Thu May 20, 2004 9:17 pm
Contact:

Post by Leisher »

Point, but again, if it's something that can't be refuted due to a "smoking gun", then cool.

If not, then Microsoft is making the wrong move.
"Happy slaves are the worst enemies of freedom." - Marie Von Ebner
"It was always the women, and above all the young ones, who were the most bigoted adherents of the Party, the swallowers of slogans, the amateur spies..." - Orwell
GORDON
Site Admin
Posts: 56735
Joined: Sun Jun 06, 2004 10:43 pm
Location: DTManistan
Contact:

Post by GORDON »

I hate people who cheat in online games.

I hate companies with this "zero tolerance" policy, with no possibility of fixing a wrong.

So I'm torn.
"Be bold, and mighty forces will come to your aid."
Leisher
Site Admin
Posts: 70452
Joined: Thu May 20, 2004 9:17 pm
Contact:

Post by Leisher »

Again, these folks were hacking their X-Box Live gamer accounts, not cheating in games.

There is already a ban policy in place for in game cheaters.

That's why I tend to think Microsoft has a smoking gun for each peep.
"Happy slaves are the worst enemies of freedom." - Marie Von Ebner
"It was always the women, and above all the young ones, who were the most bigoted adherents of the Party, the swallowers of slogans, the amateur spies..." - Orwell
Malcolm
Posts: 32040
Joined: Fri May 21, 2004 1:04 pm
Location: Minneapolis

Post by Malcolm »

Leisher wrote:That's why I tend to think Microsoft has a smoking gun for each peep.
If they could just explain & show me what it was, I'd be 100% on board for this.
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
TheCatt
Site Admin
Posts: 57665
Joined: Thu May 20, 2004 11:15 pm
Location: Cary, NC

Post by TheCatt »

I dont think they care what you think.
It's not me, it's someone else.
Malcolm
Posts: 32040
Joined: Fri May 21, 2004 1:04 pm
Location: Minneapolis

Post by Malcolm »

TheCatt wrote:I dont think they care what you think.
Then they'll earn slightly more of my ire than they already got.
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
TheCatt
Site Admin
Posts: 57665
Joined: Thu May 20, 2004 11:15 pm
Location: Cary, NC

Post by TheCatt »

Malcolm wrote:
TheCatt wrote:I dont think they care what you think.
Then they'll earn slightly more of my ire than they already got.
Again....
It's not me, it's someone else.
Post Reply