Just recently, it was reported that the newest upcoming version of the popular Halo series was leaked to the public through the Xbox Live Marketplace. It was also leaked via other places such as the highly visited peer-to-peer file sharing network infamously known as the Pirate Bay, among others. While online piracy throughout the entertainment world is nothing new, the fact that Halo: Reach has been prematurely made available online has ruffled Microsoft's feathers.
Contributed by wubayou Rating: / 152 August 25, 2010
Halo has been one of the most successful gaming series released for Microsoft's Xbox 360 console. Halo: Reach has a target release date of September 14, 2010. Obviously, with such popularity, the demand and anticipation for the game is quite high. While many fans of the series are capable of waiting for its official release, others are not so patient, and have looked for other ways to quench their Halo thirst.
As a way to build some upcoming steam and publicity for Reach's release, Microsoft decided to provide select reviewers premature copies of the game. To prevent possible security breaches and leaks, the manufacturer made downloads possible only with authorized redemption codes. Somehow, members of Game-Tuts.com, a website dedicated to enthusiasts of game modifying, was able to gain access to and bypass the redemption code protocol to receive unauthorized access to Reach. This is allegedly the source of the download frenzy now plaguing the officially unreleased title, although members of the site have denied any intention or guilt when it comes to the game's distribution through various channels on the net.
Although one can download Halo: Reach prematurely, running the game requires a modified Xbox 360 console. Microsoft is fully aware of this, and has decided to step up disciplinary efforts to those willing to participate in the game's unsanctioned use. Microsoft's Director of Policy Enforcement for Xbox Live, Stephen Toulouse, recently made the following post on Twitter: “As with all unauthorized play on Xbox Live, anyone playing any unauthorized title runs the risk of account 'permaban.'”
The aforementioned "permaban" may seem like a veiled threat, but Toulouse claimed that Microsoft has methods of finding out which members of the Xbox Live community are participating in such activity. Of course, it is likely that Microsoft does not want to lose customers of its online gaming service forever, but it is not out of the question that they would permanently ban some Halo: Reach violators to set an example for others. If they do so, the word will likely spread throughout online forums and deter many would-be downloaders of the unreleased title.
Since it appears as if Microsoft is serious about taking some kind of disciplinary action, many Halo fans will have to decide if downloading Reach is worth the risk. Considering that the game will be made available on a legitimate basis in less than a month, one would be better served in waiting as opposed to having their Xbox Live account permanently banned. As they say, “patience is a virtue.”
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