Astor Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 Story. Original Source. What's a non-authorised memory device, you ask? Anything not made by Microsoft. Doesn't bother me, as I use my Hard Drive, but I can see that this is going to (and has) upset more than a few people. Smart move, Microsoft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rogue15 Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 hmm...will this include mp3 players? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarthParametric Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 Apparently it's designed to kill the 2GB and 4GB Datel MAX Memory cards (and others of that ilk I presume) - http://us.codejunkies.com/Products/XB360-MAX-Memory-4GB__EF000778.aspx The problem is a lot of people have been hacking saves and profiles of late, and these types of cards help facilitate it. Disabling them won't stop it completely, but it does make it slightly more difficult. Plus of course MS can't make their huge markup when you start buying unauthorised 3rd party products. USB storage devices (HDDs and MP3 players) will be unaffected as they can only be used to stream media, not store saves and profiles on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cire992 Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 I feel sorry for all the console gamers out there, they get taken advantage of to no end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynk Former Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 @ cire992: How so? Microsoft has been pushing towards having games downloaded directly to the system memory for quite awhile. They've recently put up 360 games you can download straight to your console... because of that, this move is not surprising AT ALL. Microsoft just wants to cut any chance of piracy on their consoles to stop people from exporting those games from the system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JediAthos Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 Coming from Microsoft this doesn't surprise me in the least...it has little or nothing to do with anything but money. Microsoft's memory devices and hard drives are overpriced and they know it. This is simply their way of forcing people to buy their accessories. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcesious Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 So what are we supposed to do about it? I seems to me that when companies do this sort of thing, people get flustered about it, the company soon knows that people don't like the upcoming change, and yet the company ignores its customers because it has nothing to gain by appealing to their wishes. Don't worry, I'm sure a genius workaround will come out a few weeks after this update. Edit: followed by another patch to block the workaround, followed by another workaround, followed by another patch, etc, etc... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarthParametric Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 Microsoft just wants to cut any chance of piracy on their consoles to stop people from exporting those games from the system.It's not an anti-piracy move, it's an anti-account tampering move. The update is designed to kill unauthorised 3rd party memory cards, like the Datel ones, that give easy access to save and profile data on a PC, making hacking easy. Microsoft has been pushing towards having games downloaded directly to the system memory for quite awhile.They can't move to a download-based system when half their install base doesn't have a hard drive (Core/Arcade users) and most of the rest only have a 20GB HDD. Even if that weren't the case, direct downloads are far from a practical option at this point, especially on consoles. There are people in the world still on dialup you know, or without an internet connection altogether. Physical media will be with us for a fair few years yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynk Former Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 It's not an anti-piracy move, it's an anti-account tampering move. The update is designed to kill unauthorised 3rd party memory cards, like the Datel ones, that give easy access to save and profile data on a PC, making hacking easy. Actually it's both. They can't move to a download-based system when half their install base doesn't have a hard drive (Core/Arcade users) and most of the rest only have a 20GB HDD. Even if that weren't the case, direct downloads are far from a practical option at this point, especially on consoles. There are people in the world still on dialup you know, or without an internet connection altogether. Physical media will be with us for a fair few years yet. I didn't say they were going to stop physical media and only release games on a download service. But Microsoft has started a section in Xbox Live where people can download selected 360 titles to their HDD. Google it and see. Hence, they've been investing in having games available for download as I stated before, though only for games that have been out for awhile now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingerhs Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 i really don't see what's wrong with this move. if it stops people from hacking files and accounts, then fine: let them do it. and all this crap about Microsoft just wanting people to only buy their products: just hush. if you didn't already know that a corporation is out to make money, then you obviously haven't been around too much. i'm actually kind of tired of everyone taking shots at Microsoft over stupid stuff like this whenever just about every corporation out there does the same darned thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarthParametric Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 Actually it's both.Not really. Piracy is pretty much exclusively with disc-based media on the 360. There are far more effective anti-piracy measures they could take. And you can't install games on memory cards, which are the primary target of this update. It's about account hacking. If you read Major Nelson's post he basically alludes to that fact. Microsoft has started a section in Xbox Live where people can download selected 360 titles to their HDD. Google it and see.I have a 360. I'm well aware of the digital downloads. However, given the lack of ubiquity of 360 HDDs (and publisher's persistence with outmoded region differentiation), it will remain a very minor distribution channel far into the foreseeable future as I said. and all this crap about Microsoft just wanting people to only buy their products: just hush. if you didn't already know that a corporation is out to make money, then you obviously haven't been around too much.There's a difference between a company making a profit and absolutely gouging their customers. Have you seen the price of official 360 HDDs? Do you know how much MS actually pays for the drives? just about every corporation out there does the same darned thing. That doesn't make it right. Blind acceptance is why they (and Apple and all the rest) can continue to get away with such practices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jae Onasi Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 I'm very happy with direct-to-HD downloads, after badly scratching a couple games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cire992 Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 ^ Did the console scratch those games? That started happening to me just before the disc drive in my 360 broke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarthParametric Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 Don't stand your 360 upright - that will destroy discs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingerhs Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 There's a difference between a company making a profit and absolutely gouging their customers. Have you seen the price of official 360 HDDs? Do you know how much MS actually pays for the drives? so, what's your point?? the technology that goes into the Wii continues to be much cheaper than the $200 price tag that it carries. yet for some reason, it just gets called "good business" instead of gouging. the point is that its all relative. you can rant and rave about Microsoft charging through the nose for accessories, but then, every other console manufacturer does the same darned thing in one way or the other. welcome to capitalism. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimartin Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 That doesn't make it right. Blind acceptance is why they (and Apple and all the rest) can continue to get away with such practices.Funny, I thought it was because they produced a product that people were willing to purchase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cire992 Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 Funny, I thought it was because they produced a product that people were willing to purchase. Or rather that bratty kids are willing to force their parents to purchase. When it's your own money, that you worked for and earned, you wise up and look on ebay or Craigs List for deals. Works every time. Makes me think, though. Nobody wants a console, what they really want to do is play the fun games that require the console. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Web Rider Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 @ cire992: How so? We have essentially NO control over out system. Something goes wrong? Send it in. Something breaks? Send it in. Won't read games? send it in. Company doesn't like something? Strange updates. Certain 3rd-party games more fun? Make them unreadable on the machine. With a computer, I can do and solve almost all those problems by altering hardware or software, and never needing to send my machine off to some tech in India and hope they actually fix it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Avlectus Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 Ohhh, yeah. No more little memory devices because we want you to buy our ridiculously overpriced proprietary memory devices. Anti piracy, Acct. hacking, a dent to work of console firmware hacking, oh and we might as well nickel and dime you to death. Oh and one more thing, we designed it with COTTON as a heat conductor/insulator instead of metals and plastics like a respectable electronic. If you open it to try to improve upon that or prevent its built in self destruction and obsolescence, your console will be banned from live. We have essentially NO control over out system. Something goes wrong? Send it in. Something breaks? Send it in. Won't read games? send it in. Company doesn't like something? Strange updates. Certain 3rd-party games more fun? Make them unreadable on the machine. Anything good ends up trashed. It's such a load of BS. You know it would not surprise me if they made it so that your products won't work (not even just for home play) unless you, like, registered it and had an internet connection. I wonder why they want to know every little thing. With a computer, I can do and solve almost all those problems by altering hardware or software, and never needing to send my machine off to some tech in India and hope they actually fix it. Oh, you mean like: replacing a hard drive because the original one got fried by a virus that norton antivirus was supposed to PROTECT you from? How they wanted $97.88 just to LOOK at it and diagnose what *might* have been wrong. Yet now the ram chipset won't allow you to reinstall the OS anymore. But you know that if you send it in you will spend $300 to have them esentially put a bandage on a broken bone. And get their scorn b/c you DARED to replace the hard drive yourself--possibly be charged a sir fee for going over their heads. (not directed at you web, just relating the infuriating experiences) Yeah, DIY is always an attractive solution but don't forget the grounded wrist strap. And uhh, hope you're not clumsy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynk Former Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 Not really. Piracy is pretty much exclusively with disc-based media on the 360. There are far more effective anti-piracy measures they could take. And you can't install games on memory cards, which are the primary target of this update. It's about account hacking. If you read Major Nelson's post he basically alludes to that fact. There are far better anti-piracy measures, but it's also a matter of killing two birds with one stone. If there are any ways one could possibly exploit the system, whether it's for account hacking or piracy or whatever, they're looking for ways to cover their back doors... but really, I fail to see why this really matters, what's done is done. I have a 360. I'm well aware of the digital downloads. However, given the lack of ubiquity of 360 HDDs (and publisher's persistence with outmoded region differentiation), it will remain a very minor distribution channel far into the foreseeable future as I said. Where did I say it'd become mainstream? I only mentioned the service but you seem to want to argue a point where there really is none to make. Don't stand your 360 upright - that will destroy discs. I've had my 360 standing up vertically since the day I bought it, absolute does nothing to the discs. Makes me think, though. Nobody wants a console, what they really want to do is play the fun games that require the console. Not really, a lot of people don't want to use their PC for video games because they see it as too much effort. With a console it's pretty much insert disc, press start. @ Web Rider: This is because it's a pre-packaged deal. You know how there are companies like Dell that offer PC's that already have all the hardware set up for you? Believe it or not but the same system applies for those PC's. You do anything to that PC that isn't part of the specs and your warranty will be void. You can do anything you want to a product once you buy it, that's your choice... but then these companies have a right to say that if you do modify your system or try to tinker with it yourself, then your warranty is void. With a PC you build yourself from the ground up on the other hand it's completely different. That's your PC, but then if you think about it, if there's a problem with, say, your DVD drive on your PC and you open it up to try to fix it yourself, then the manufacturer of that DVD drive will end up voiding whatever warranty was on that component. I've never really had to deal with any issues with my consoles though. There was this one time when my SNES stopped working and I sent it into Nintendo and they fixed it up free of charge, but that was about it. I'm surprised my 360 has lived for as long as it has though considering how many others have died on everyone else. My brother went through 3 and his friend went through 4 before they gave up and bought PS3s lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commander Obi-Wan Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 Heh, it doesn't worry me one bit. I've still have about 95 GB of free space on my HD. Either way, I've never used non-authorized memory devices for any console. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cire992 Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 Not really, a lot of people don't want to use their PC for video games because they see it as too much effort. With a console it's pretty much insert disc, press start. Get real. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avisto Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 Get real. ??? Plenty of people I know have a 360 or ps3 for that reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedHawke Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 Get real. He is being real... its sad too, to find out a vast majority of humanity are lazy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynk Former Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 He is being real... its sad too, to find out a vast majority of humanity are lazy. Accessability is not laziness. There are a lot of games I like that are never going to get a PC release for whatever reason. I also like using controllers over a keyboard + mouse, though I do like the keyboard + mouse combo for FPS games like a lot of other people. I also prefer to sit back on my couch and use my big screen TV and surround sound system to play. I don't have to worry about installs or whether or not I have the right hardware or even need to know that to begin with. @ cire992: I'm keepin' it real. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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