SydLexia.com - The Forums :: View topic - Microsoft unveils harsh penalities for Gamerscore cheaters

Posted: Mar 31 2008 05:58 am

From here: http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/87620

Quote:

Video game cheating comes in many forms, the most notorious of which involves people who use dirty tricks to make themselves more effective (or invincible) in multiplayer combat games. The solution for people caught engaging in this form of cheating has long been permanent cancellation of the account and a lifetime of shame... at least until he or she gets a new account, that is.

But with the rise of Gamerscore and Achievements on Xbox Live, a new form of cheating has become popular: people who manipulate their save files and account information to artificially boost their Gamerscore by unlocking Achievements they didn't actually earn. Of course, neither Gamerscore nor Achievement unlocking will help you actually play a game better—both serve as mere bragging rights... and so they have become something that cheaters have begun to manipulate relentlessly.

Better watch out, says Xbox Live's Major Nelson, the well-known public face of Microsoft when it comes to all things Xbox. Starting today, Xbox is punishing Gamerscore cheaters with some pretty heavy penalties. If you've used a cheat on your account, better check it out to see if you've been affected. How will you know?

Well, your Gamerscore will be reset to zero. You won't be able to regain any Achievement you previously unlocked (legitimately or otherwise), though you will be able to gain new Achievements. And your account will be permanently labeled as a cheater account (see blurry pic above for an example). At least you still get to keep your account.

There you have it. It's like your mom always told you: Cheaters never win, and... well, you know the rest.

So if you cheat at something that doesn't even matter, MS is gonna wreck your shit. Ha! They sure showed YOU. Rolling Eyes

Posted: Mar 31 2008 12:54 pm

Syd Lexia wrote:

From here: http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/87620

Quote:

Video game cheating comes in many forms, the most notorious of which involves people who use dirty tricks to make themselves more effective (or invincible) in multiplayer combat games. The solution for people caught engaging in this form of cheating has long been permanent cancellation of the account and a lifetime of shame... at least until he or she gets a new account, that is.

But with the rise of Gamerscore and Achievements on Xbox Live, a new form of cheating has become popular: people who manipulate their save files and account information to artificially boost their Gamerscore by unlocking Achievements they didn't actually earn. Of course, neither Gamerscore nor Achievement unlocking will help you actually play a game better—both serve as mere bragging rights... and so they have become something that cheaters have begun to manipulate relentlessly.

Better watch out, says Xbox Live's Major Nelson, the well-known public face of Microsoft when it comes to all things Xbox. Starting today, Xbox is punishing Gamerscore cheaters with some pretty heavy penalties. If you've used a cheat on your account, better check it out to see if you've been affected. How will you know?

Well, your Gamerscore will be reset to zero. You won't be able to regain any Achievement you previously unlocked (legitimately or otherwise), though you will be able to gain new Achievements. And your account will be permanently labeled as a cheater account (see blurry pic above for an example). At least you still get to keep your account.

There you have it. It's like your mom always told you: Cheaters never win, and... well, you know the rest.

So if you cheat at something that doesn't even matter, MS is gonna wreck your shit. Ha! They sure showed YOU. Rolling Eyes

Achievements are so embarrasingly meaningless. Oddly enough, I think its more impressive that you hacked your system to give yourself a high score than slogging through some game you hate but has a bunch of achievements waiting. It shows a sort of gordian problem solving ability.

Posted: Mar 31 2008 07:00 pm

That is sad on so many levels. Crying

Posted: Mar 31 2008 07:06 pm

What I think is even more sad, is that many people go out and rent crap games, just to unlock easy achievements to pad thier score.

Like, you can get a 1000 points playing Avatar: The Last Airbender in under 2 minutes, so everyone goes out and rents it to quick boost thier score.

Posted: Apr 03 2008 06:07 pm

Ha ha. My brother just bought Colin McRae Dirt for the 360. He hates the game (well, from what I can discern from the swearing and shouting, he seems to), yet he's only playing through it for the achievements.

Yet, he won't even download a demo of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, despite my constant pestering. Rolling Eyes

2010 SLF Tag Champ Joined: Jun 07 2006 Posts: 12294

I like the achievement system, but that doesn't mean I'll play games that don't interest me, just for them. I look at it more as a way to get more enjoyment out of the games that I DO play. like it pushes me to try harder, or to try weird things.

Posted: Apr 03 2008 08:01 pm

When I first heard about achievements, I thought they might work like Wiipoints, say ever 1,000 achievement points or whatever is worth like $1 on LiveArcade. Now that I know they're not, it's like what's the point?

Joined: Nov 03 2006 Posts: 763

When i heard about achievments i always thought they were done.. clever tactic on microsofts part, as it encourages users to play, and potentiallly purchase games they normally wouldn't play.