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Just got my console (and I assume my account) banned from Live for playing Halo 4.

Eric C

Member
- The OP is accused of piracy. Stinkles, aka Frankie, aka "the Franchise Development Director for the Halo franchise at 343 Industries" offers to help.

- The OP claims that he sent stinkles an unaltered copy of his receipt on the condition that his store doesn't get in trouble.

- Somebody gives Microsoft a copy of the OP's receipt with information edited out. The OP claims he never contacted Microsoft. He let stinkles handle it. Microsoft refuses to take action until they see the unmodified receipt.

Speculation:

The Franchise Development Director for the Halo franchise personally viewed the receipt, edited out the damaging info, and sent it in, personally verifying it's legitimacy. This should be enough to dissuade any accusation of piracy.

But that's not good enough for Microsoft. They want the store's name. This was never about piracy. Stinkles is no longer allowed to comment on this matter.

Assuming everything the OP is saying is true. That's basically what I was thinking about this situation too.
 
If you have no proof why did you say it's not legitimate, period?

It's all about the definition of "legitimate".

There are those of us who define it as being simply an official Xbox game disc manufactured and distributed by MS. And then there are those who have an inexplicably narrower definition meaning one that has a receipt given at the very moment of purchase because if not the consumer is a borderline thief/criminal.

Whether the copy was acquired legally or illegally or through some not quite illegal tomfoolery, it's still a legit copy as in not a pirated one.
 
Because he got it early. Either he broke a rule, or the store did. Either way it's not a legitimate copy.

Time makes it not legitimate? Where does it say this?
Yeah, a receipt sure would have been handy for just such a problem.

I just drove a car off a lot, guess it's mine now since the police have no idea how I obtained it, so I shouldn't be charged. I could have paid for it, for all they know. Pink slip or receipt? Don't need it, it's a legitimate car right off the factory line.
He has one, I think I told you this before, but, keep going.
 
Their network, their rules.

Lets say that yes, this may be the case. Does that make it okay for these kinds of anti-consumer practices that come from them having control of their network to exist?

I mean come the fuck on. Things will only get worse as we further move into everything being digital and not actually "owning" any of our content. We need to get outraged and protest this kind of shit now, it's the only way to bring on change.
 
Because he got it early. Either he broke a rule, or the store did. Either way it's not a legitimate copy.

No, its not either/or. It's ONLY the store that broke a "rule". And its not a rule, its not a law, its an agreement. Either way an end consumer should not be punished for a store breaking a "rule".
 

PaulLFC

Member
Because he got it early. Either he broke a rule, or the store did. Either way it's not a legitimate copy.
If it's not pirated then of course it's legitimate. Getting a game a day early doesn't magically make it "not legitimate". By that logic I've played a hell of a lot of non-legitimate games because online retailers will often get preorders delivered a day or two early. Does that mean my games weren't legitimate? No it does not, and the same applies in the OP's case:

Real Halo 4 disc? Legitimate.
Pirated copy? Not legitimate.
 
It blows my mind that someone could be so anti-consumer as to say getting an actual un-pirated version of the game early isn't legitimate.

See, now you are just twisting my words. I'm didn't say the OP specifically "got it" legitimately or not. I said the copy wasn't legitimate because either he OR the store, broke a rule. And that is a fact. Either way someone DID broke a rule.

Stores are not allowed to sell games early.
 
And?

My point was that they've never banned one person for playing a stolen retail game. Yet they've banned plenty for playing a purchased retail game early. Thus they are not very good police on their own network.

I'm not sure why you're dismissing his point. The forum shows many people appealing their bans for having played stolen/pirated games.

In any case where someone is banned for playing a game early, the answer to resolving the issue has always been to show MS your proof of purchase and you'll be fine. OP apparently doesn't have one. The Policy Enforcement Team for XBL has always been very strict when it comes to banning people.

We would have to know whether the OP legitimately bought the game for anyone to decide whether the ban was justified. We don't know what he discussed with MS and whether or not he provided them with the retailer that sold him his copy, which would make it easier for them to determine if his copy is legitimate.
 

Kusagari

Member
See, now you are just twisting my words. I'm didn't say the OP got it legitimately or not. I said the copy wasn't legitimate. Because either he OR the store, broke a rule. And that is a fact.

Stores are not allowed to sell games early.

I know exactly what you meant. A store selling the game early does not make it illegitimate except in your rigid anti-consumer world.
 
No, its not either/or. It's ONLY the store that broke a "rule". And its not a rule, its not a law, its an agreement. Either way an end consumer should not be punished for a store breaking a "rule".

"le·git·i·mate
/liˈjitəmit/
Adjective
Conforming to the law or to rules: "his claims to legitimate authority"."

And again, you are taking OPs word for granted with no real proof by saying that only the store broke a rule.

I know exactly what you meant. A store selling the game early does not make it illegitimate except in your rigid anti-consumer world.

Except it does.
 
See, now you are just twisting my words. I'm didn't say the OP got it legitimately or not. I said the copy wasn't legitimate. Because either he OR the store, broke a rule. And that is a fact.

Stores are not allowed to sell games early.

All that agreement means is that the store could get fined and probably not receive games from the publisher in the future. It doesn't invalidate the games they paid for.
 

PaulLFC

Member
See, now you are just twisting my words. I'm didn't say the OP got it legitimately or not. I said the copy wasn't legitimate. Because either he OR the store, broke a rule. And that is a fact.

Stores are not allowed to sell games early.
Stop with the either, it was the store's decision to sell him the copy. He doesn't need to know street dates and I bet a lot of gamers wouldn't - whether he did is irrelevant, it was the store's mess up.

Besides, there's no law saying they can't sell games early. If there was then no preorders would be delivered early from online retailers because it would be illegal. It isn't illegal.
 

epmode

Member
This entire ridiculous thread could have been avoided if Microsoft bothered to implement a Live whitelist for pre-release copies. But I guess it's easier to ban pirates and force them to buy a new console. And if some legitimate customers get caught in the crossfire, fuck em, they'll buy a new console as well!
 

Orca

Member
If it's not pirated then of course it's legitimate. Getting a game a day early doesn't magically make it "not legitimate". By that logic I've played a hell of a lot of non-legitimate games because online retailers will often get preorders delivered a day or two early. Does that mean my games weren't legitimate? No it does not, and the same applies in the OP's case:

Real Halo 4 disc? Legitimate.
Pirated copy? Not legitimate.

You ever get one two weeks early? 10 days early?
 

dose

Member
Microsoft is fully aware of all the circumstances in this case. It was fully and properly investigated and reinvestigated. I am not going to comment on this specific case again. However for context, several people who bought legitimate copies of the game very early were temporarily banned, investigated and then subsequently unbanned, appropriately.

That's my last word on this particular case, period.
What a shitty way of treating a genuine customer.
 
Time makes it not legitimate? Where does it say this?

He has one, I think I told you this before, but, keep going.



Yeah, one dated for release day that could have been for any copy sold. It's not hard to obtain a receipt after the fact. I could walk into a store right now, buy it, walk out, take a pic of receipt, and then return it for a full refund.

He should have left the store with his game and receipt in hand absolving him of any wrongdoing and he should not have made any stipulations regarding the retailer. That's not very smart when you're trying to prove you did nothing wrong.
 
What a shitty way of treating a genuine customer.

And a diehard fan of the series who was just excited to play the next installment ASAP.

8211499189_796d1237b7_z.jpg
 
Yeah, one dated for release day that could have been for any copy sold. It's not hard to obtain a receipt after the fact. I could walk into a store right now, buy it, walk out, take a pic of receipt, and then return it for a full refund.

He should have left the store with his game and receipt in hand absolving him of any wrongdoing and he should not have made any stipulations regarding the retailer. That's not very smart when you're trying to prove you did nothing wrong.

A receipt on release day that he was told would be efficient.
And if he bought a game twice then he definitely has a legit copy of Halo 4, why is he still banned?
 
A receipt on release day that he was told would be efficient.
And if he bought a game twice then he definitely has a legit copy of Halo 4, why is he still banned?



I don't think you understand.

Let's just agree to disagree, we obviously don't see eye to eye on this and never will.
 

Diman

Member
I really dislike Microsoft for banning people who buy Genuine games. They should punish the stores instead, not the player.
This policy is just way too strict!
Although the banning of people who hack their console to play downloaded ungenuine games is something totally different, they have the full right to ban those people.

Still, I'm glad I got a ps3 and Wii instead of the xbox. I've never had any problems for playing games early and with the Wii you aren't even banned when playing backup games or homebrew.
 
unless he downloaded it illegally, doesn't fucking matter. If it's a genuine game disc that MS got paid for (a retailer bought it from them) then it shouldn't have been an issue.

Example 1: Op stole it
Example 2: Someone on the store stole it and sold it on the side
Example 3: Op paid extra to buy it before release, hence bribing someone on the store
Example 4: Illegal vendor


Just 4 that popped out of my mind, I'm sure there's much more, and I'm not saying any of them happened, but any one of is an issue and it absolutely does fucking matter. So stop saying stuff like that.
 
unless he downloaded it illegally, doesn't fucking matter. If it's a genuine game disc that MS got paid for (a retailer bought it from them) then it shouldn't have been an issue.

I think you hit one one of the more important factors that hasn't been brought up much. Even if a person is sold a copy early by a store, MICROSOFT ALREADY GOT THEIR MONEY FOR THE GAME. The sixty dollars you spend to buy a game is not money for Microsoft, its money for the store. If the store has games to sell you early, its because they already bought those games from Microsoft.
 
Example 1: Op stole it - it's still a genuine game disc and MS still got paid for it
Example 2: Someone on the store stole it and sold it on the side - still a genuine game disc
Example 3: Op paid extra to buy it before release, hence bribing someone on the store - still a genuine game disc
Example 4: Illegal vendor - still a genuine game disc
 

PaulLFC

Member
Example 1: Op stole it
Example 2: Someone on the store stole it and sold it on the side
Example 3: Op paid extra to buy it before release, hence bribing someone on the store
Example 4: Illegal vendor


Just 4 that popped out of my mind, I'm sure there's much more, and I'm not saying any of them happened, but any one of is an issue and it absolutely does fucking matter.
Thought you weren't taking sides? Those four examples all, strangely enough, paint the OP as the villain in all this.

Even IF one of those were true, it doesn't matter. If the disc is real, it's legitimate, argument over.
 
Example 1: Op stole it
Example 2: Someone on the store stole it and sold it on the side
Example 3: Op paid extra to buy it before release, hence bribing someone on the store
Example 4: Illegal vendor


Just 4 that popped out of my mind, I'm sure there's much more, and I'm not saying any of them happened, but any one of is an issue and it absolutely does fucking matter. So stop saying stuff like that.
Are any one of those the reasons they banned him?
 
Example 1: Op stole it - it's still a genuine game disc and MS still got paid for it
Example 2: Someone on the store stole it and sold it on the side - still a genuine game disc
Example 3: Op paid extra to buy it before release, hence bribing someone on the store - still a genuine game disc
Example 4: Illegal vendor - still a genuine game disc

Holy mother of fuck ahahaha. I'm done here.

Thought you weren't taking sides? Those four examples all, strangely enough, paint the OP as the villain in all this.

Even IF one of those were true, it doesn't matter. If the disc is real, it's legitimate, argument over.

Are you serious? If i'm trying to say that we have no way of knowing if this is all on MS or not I'm supposed to post examples that show the opposite? That makes sense how? Me showing that could be both stories to this is not me taking a side.
 

dose

Member
Example 1: Op stole it - it's still a genuine game disc and MS still got paid for it
Example 2: Someone on the store stole it and sold it on the side - still a genuine game disc
Example 3: Op paid extra to buy it before release, hence bribing someone on the store - still a genuine game disc
Example 4: Illegal vendor - still a genuine game disc
Beaten, but yep, totally.
 

Orca

Member
unless he downloaded it illegally, doesn't fucking matter. If it's a genuine game disc that MS got paid for (a retailer bought it from them) then it shouldn't have been an issue.

You can't see how Microsoft would ask someone playing 10 days early, who isn't on the whitelist for early copies, to prove it was a legit copy?

I remember seeing a flood of people complaining they got banned before a Forza game, Forza 3 I think, claiming they had legit copies and I believe it was revealed they were playing those "bought copies" before Microsoft shipped any copies to retail at all.

Again the takeaway is that you only get half the story, at best, from anyone involved.
 
You can't see how Microsoft would ask someone playing 10 days early, who isn't on the whitelist for early copies, to prove it was a legit copy?

I remember seeing a flood of people complaining they got banned before a Forza game, Forza 3 I think, claiming they had legit copies and I believe it was revealed they were playing those "bought copies" before Microsoft shipped any copies to retail at all.

Again the takeaway is that you only get half the story, at best, from anyone involved.
I don't care how much of the story I have when I see that he had a genuine copy that he used and it wasn't pirated. None of that other shit matters.

You shouldn't have your console banned for playing a genuine copy of a game if it can't be proven that you jacked it from a replication plant or some shit.. and again the burden of proof should be on MS and not the consumer. It'd be pretty hard for them to prove such a thing.
 

PaulLFC

Member
Are you serious? If i'm trying to say that we have no way of knowing if this is all on MS or not I'm supposed to post examples that show the opposite? That makes sense how? Me showing that could be both stories to this is not me taking a side.
Yes I'm serious. You said you were remaining neutral on the issue, then you go and post four scenarios that are supposed to show that the OP acted wrongly and thus deserved banning.

All that matters is whether or not the disc in question is a real, genuine, Xbox 360 copy of Halo 4.
 
I don't care how much of the story I have when I see that he had a genuine copy that he used and it wasn't pirated. None of that other shit matters.

Do you have any idea how ridiculous what you are saying is?

Someone ends up with a copy of Mona Lisa, IT'S THE REAL THING, totally genuine. Nothing can happen to him because it is genuine. How he got it doesn't matter AT ALL, because you know... it's genuine. If the Louvre decides to blacklist him lets all make a big fuss about it and call the human rights defenders!

Yes I'm serious. You said you were remaining neutral on the issue, then you go and post four scenarios that are supposed to show that the OP acted wrongly and thus deserved banning.

All that matters is whether or not the disc in question is a real, genuine, Xbox 360 copy of Halo 4.
I'll say again cause you obviously missed it the first time. "If i'm trying to say that we have no way of knowing if this is all on MS or not I'm supposed to post examples that show the opposite? That makes sense how? Me showing there could be both stories to this is not me taking a side." It's me saying, don't jump to conclusions. Period.
 

Pezking

Member
Well that's a load of crap. If the OP obtained it illegally then yes he should be banned.

But MS has no way of knowing where anyone's retail copy originated from!

Was it bought? Was it a gift? Was it stolen? They have no idea, and it's none of their business!

And nobody should be banned based on a hunch or some obscure circumstantial evidence. That's just ridiculous!

I was fine with the initial bannings that occured a month before the street date, when only pirated copies were out in the wild. But once the game has been shipped to retailers, that policy should have stopped immediately to make sure that no paying customer get's treated like a pirate.
 
Do you have any idea how ridiculous what you are saying is?

Someone ends up with a copy of Mona Lisa, IT'S THE REAL THING, totally genuine. Nothing can happen to him because it is genuine. How he got it doesn't matter AT ALL, because you know... it's genuine. If the Louvre decides to blacklist him lets all make a big fuss about it and call the human rights defenders!
Holy shit.

This is like Godwinning without actually Godwinning.
 

Cheerwine

Neo Member
I don't care how much of the story I have when I see that he had a genuine copy that he used and it wasn't pirated. None of that other shit matters.

As someone who hasn't resolved their opinion on the whole thing, this has me a tad confused. Even if it was revealed that he stole the copy, you don't think it reasonable that MS would ban such a person playing pre-release, and only unban them upon a showing of proof-of-purchase? They should be satisfied by a picture of the box and disc?

I don't have a dog in the fight, just genuinely curious.
 
The mona lisa lol
As someone who hasn't resolved their opinion on the whole thing, this has me a tad confused. Even if it was revealed that he stole the copy, you don't think it reasonable that MS would ban such a person playing pre-release, and only unban them upon a showing of proof-of-purchase? They should be satisfied by a picture of the box and disc?

I don't have a dog in the fight, just genuinely curious.
No they don't have a way to tell it was stolen and a ban first and ask questions later approach hurts regular customers.
 
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