News Room Contributor Posts: 4911 Joined: 12 Nov 2002 | Microsoft Not Banning Early Halo 3 Players
Contrary to earlier reports, gamers who purchase and play Halo 3 prior to the official release date will not face a ban from Xbox Live, Microsoft has said.
Although slated for release on September 25, some retailers, particularly in Europe, have been releasing the game for sale prematurely. While these early sales have put copies of the game into the hands of a few lucky gamers legitimately, a Microsoft representative warned earlier today that anyone playing Halo 3 prior to the street date would have their Xbox Live accounts banned. Even gamers who played strictly offline would face sanction, as the game would set a flag informing Microsoft of its presence and use upon connection to the network.
Later, however, another Microsoft representative contacted U.K. gaming site Pro-G to retract the claim, saying it only applied to Microsoft employees. "We can confirm that Microsoft is not taking any action (such as banning Xbox Live accounts) against gamers who are playing Halo 3 before the official street date," the statement read. "Any rumors or speculation to the contrary are false." No reason for the confusion or change in policy was given.
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Infamous Scribbler Posts: 614 Joined: 13 Jul 2006 | I guess that they had to weigh the relative merits of adhering to their existing policy and keeping people out of the game servers before the game is shipped, versus risking major backlash from consumers who understand neither the policy itself nor why it would be in place. |
News Room Contributor Posts: 4911 Joined: 12 Nov 2002 | As close to release as they are, I'm not surprised. Bringing the hammer down on a few gamers who picked it up through legitimate channels would come across as pure bullying. Even Microsoft can see when too much is just too much. |
Microsoft Not Banning Early Halo 3 Players
Contrary to earlier reports, gamers who purchase and play Halo 3 prior to the official release date will not face a ban from Xbox Live, Microsoft has said.
Although slated for release on September 25, some retailers, particularly in Europe, have been releasing the game for sale prematurely. While these early sales have put copies of the game into the hands of a few lucky gamers legitimately, a Microsoft representative warned earlier today that anyone playing Halo 3 prior to the street date would have their Xbox Live accounts banned. Even gamers who played strictly offline would face sanction, as the game would set a flag informing Microsoft of its presence and use upon connection to the network.
Later, however, another Microsoft representative contacted U.K. gaming site Pro-G to retract the claim, saying it only applied to Microsoft employees. "We can confirm that Microsoft is not taking any action (such as banning Xbox Live accounts) against gamers who are playing Halo 3 before the official street date," the statement read. "Any rumors or speculation to the contrary are false." No reason for the confusion or change in policy was given.
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