Microsoft: Xbox 360 Hack Threatens Entire Game Industry
- October 10, 2006 17:48 PM PST
- Email this!
Microsoft has responded to a new threat of mod chip activity on the Xbox 360, which lets players bypass the console's security system and play bootlegged games.
Hackers have breached the Xbox 360, and modded consoles are growing in popularity
In a follow up to yesterday's story, reported exclusively by GamePro, we reported on the growing practice of modding Xbox 360s to play pirated games. Today, a Microsoft spokesperson sent a statement to GamePro explaining the company's position.
"The health of the video game business depends on customers paying for the genuine products and services they receive, both from manufacturers and the local companies that support them," the statement reads.
"Microsoft will continue to employ and bolster its anti-piracy security measures to counter piracy in the gaming industry. Opening an Xbox for modification voids the warranty, and may cause the system to work improperly. Moreover, customers can only enjoy access to the Xbox Live community through the use of a genuine Xbox console."
Thanks to an anonymous source, GamePro can also reveal further information regarding the new Xbox 360 mod chips. The modifications work by flashing the console's DVD drive BIOS with new information. Bootleggers must first download "security sectors" from a pirating tools site, merge them with copied game data, and burn the hacked game to a dual-layer DVD using a special process and a specific program before the game will function in the Xbox 360....and even then, it requires a specific model of DVD burner to work.
Due to the somewhat complex copying process, some enterprising pirates have taken to selling copied games for as low as $10 on popular online auction sites. The mod chips themselves are also available for as little as $30.
Piracy costs the video game industry untold millions each year, and the Xbox 360's standard DVD format makes it more vulnerable to such hacks than the more exotic Blu-ray format used by the upcoming PlayStation 3.
