Report, edit, etc...Posted by MindArchon on 2005-10-13 at 22:22:42
QUOTE(GamesIndustry.biz)
Platform holder Microsoft may face a new piracy threat, as reports surface of ten Xbox 360 development kits being stolen from a warehouse in Duren, Germany, with the hardware believed to have fallen into the hands of hackers.
According to an article on Spiegel Online, the shipment of ten dev kits was delivered to a warehouse in Germany in unmarked packaging. The kits were supposed to be distributed onwards to developers in order to create games for the new console platform.
A few days after the shipment went 'missing', photographs of the kits appeared on the Internet, with the serial numbers edited out. Police raids in Austria and Germany recovered three of the units, but seven kits remain untraced at present as the investigation continues.
Microsoft's original Xbox console was plagued by piracy and modification, including the installation of mod chips which bypassed DVD region encoding and copyright protection measures. Pirated software and modified games which gave players an unfair advantage in Xbox Live matches have also been prolific on the Xbox.
In a recent interview with Gamespot.com, Microsoft's chief executive J Allard suggested that piracy on the new console was a given, which the company has already accounted for.
"The philosophy that we applied on 360 is 'It's going to happen," he said.
Allard also hinted that the inevitable bypass of security measures was less important to Microsoft from a financial perspective, but significant in its potential to ruin the online multiplayer experience for genuine customers.
The improved community gaming and media functionality of Xbox Live is a key strength of the new console, which Microsoft is hoping will attract a wider audience of casual gamers when the new console launches in Europe on December 2nd, 2005.
According to an article on Spiegel Online, the shipment of ten dev kits was delivered to a warehouse in Germany in unmarked packaging. The kits were supposed to be distributed onwards to developers in order to create games for the new console platform.
A few days after the shipment went 'missing', photographs of the kits appeared on the Internet, with the serial numbers edited out. Police raids in Austria and Germany recovered three of the units, but seven kits remain untraced at present as the investigation continues.
Microsoft's original Xbox console was plagued by piracy and modification, including the installation of mod chips which bypassed DVD region encoding and copyright protection measures. Pirated software and modified games which gave players an unfair advantage in Xbox Live matches have also been prolific on the Xbox.
In a recent interview with Gamespot.com, Microsoft's chief executive J Allard suggested that piracy on the new console was a given, which the company has already accounted for.
"The philosophy that we applied on 360 is 'It's going to happen," he said.
Allard also hinted that the inevitable bypass of security measures was less important to Microsoft from a financial perspective, but significant in its potential to ruin the online multiplayer experience for genuine customers.
The improved community gaming and media functionality of Xbox Live is a key strength of the new console, which Microsoft is hoping will attract a wider audience of casual gamers when the new console launches in Europe on December 2nd, 2005.
Quite interesting, it would be neat to see what the hackers do with the system. How did the thiefs figure out the systems were being shipped?
Report, edit, etc...Posted by chuiu on 2005-10-13 at 22:27:52
They didnt steal XBOX 360's, they stole the dev kits. Which is the XBOX 360 plus software, plus all information regarding how to make 3rd party anything, etc.
It's worth a lot more than you think. How did they figure out when it was shipped?
"Dude they're shipping today, they are labled as ... so swipe that when you see it."
It's worth a lot more than you think. How did they figure out when it was shipped?
"Dude they're shipping today, they are labled as ... so swipe that when you see it."
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Sessase on 2005-10-13 at 22:31:45
LoL...
That remind me of Half Life 2. Code source were on Internet 2 month before it comming out.
That remind me of Half Life 2. Code source were on Internet 2 month before it comming out.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Kame on 2005-10-13 at 22:35:39
Can I become a conspiracist and wonder if xbox planned this?
Report, edit, etc...Posted by T-MaStAA on 2005-10-13 at 22:36:52
Well, It depends how they were shiped. If it was by train then i know how. Alot of people have a sertain type of radio that lets them hear in on the trains sheduel, how many security guards there are and what its transporting.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by MindArchon on 2005-10-13 at 22:42:56
QUOTE(chuOS @ Oct 13 2005, 07:27 PM)
They didnt steal XBOX 360's, they stole the dev kits. Which is the XBOX 360 plus software, plus all information regarding how to make 3rd party anything, etc.
It's worth a lot more than you think. How did they figure out when it was shipped?
"Dude they're shipping today, they are labled as ... so swipe that when you see it."
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It's worth a lot more than you think. How did they figure out when it was shipped?
"Dude they're shipping today, they are labled as ... so swipe that when you see it."
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Oh I see.
Did the kits include data relating to the innerworkings of the 360? Such as wires, where things are located, etc. That would definitely lead to mod chips!
It says in the article http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=12122 that the serials were edited out. Why would a development kit contain a serial number?
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Rantent on 2005-10-13 at 23:04:04
QUOTE
Did the kits include data relating to the innerworkings of the 360? Such as wires, where things are located, etc.
Or you could just look at it...Not sure about that particular one, but most agme systems are easy to understand.
QUOTE
Why would a development kit contain a serial number?
One of the biggest things about serial numbers is that they can tell if the product made it from the seller to the buyer, (or simply location a to location b) because it was stolen, they knew already exactly which ones were stolen.Report, edit, etc...Posted by Freedawk on 2005-10-14 at 15:09:29
That's why Microsoft is one of the best companies that I ever bought a product on. They know exactly which products are sold. I wish I was one of Microsoft 
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Toothfariy on 2005-10-14 at 16:06:16
QUOTE(MindArchon @ Oct 13 2005, 08:22 PM)
Quite interesting, it would be neat to see what the hackers do with the system. How did the thiefs figure out the systems were being shipped?[right][snapback]333194[/snapback][/right]
lol i think it's funny how ur not angry that xbox proly wont release the 360 until they find all these missing ones.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Tmac on 2005-10-14 at 20:21:21
That would never happen, they're a big company 7 of the remaining devs won't do blam to stop them. People were gonna figure out how to mod them anyway.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by MindArchon on 2005-10-14 at 21:23:45
QUOTE(Toothfariy @ Oct 14 2005, 01:06 PM)
lol i think it's funny how ur not angry that xbox proly wont release the 360 until they find all these missing ones.
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It's already been stated they weren't XBOX 360s, they were the development kits :)
And it makes absolutely no business sense to push back the release data, except if the system is uncompleted.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Lithium on 2005-10-15 at 06:12:45
dev kits contain 'the road to' Xbox Live also, ever thought if we were playing some game on Xbox Live, the hacker wins for some cheap reason.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Oo.Jamal.oO on 2005-10-15 at 11:03:18
QUOTE
Xbox 360 pwns
Well nice job stealers. still wonder how they knew??? anywy PS2 (and soon PS3) is the game system for me (besides pc)
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Kashmir on 2005-10-16 at 18:54:39
What they need is more security on XBL. Make it harder for them to use mod chips or anything on XBL. That wya... let them hack it as long as they stay off XBL.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Ultimo on 2005-10-16 at 23:59:59
I don't think increasing the secruity on Xbox Live is just as easy as saying "Hey guys, let's make a patch today and increase our secruity!" They do the best they can. ;(
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Wilhelm on 2005-10-17 at 00:28:37
QUOTE
They do the best they can.
Funniest thing I read all day.Report, edit, etc...Posted by chuiu on 2005-10-17 at 10:19:22
QUOTE(Euro @ Oct 16 2005, 05:54 PM)
What they need is more security on XBL. Make it harder for them to use mod chips or anything on XBL. That wya... let them hack it as long as they stay off XBL.
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From what I hear, everything time they notice a person using a mod chip its instant ban.
ADDITION:
QUOTE(Jamals2fat @ Oct 15 2005, 10:03 AM)
anywy PS2 (and soon PS3) is the game system for me (besides pc)
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Agreed, but if Sony is going to stay alive they are going to need something like XBL to compete. If not they'll end up just like Nintendo, just a legacy console company for old schoolers who like something out of the ordinary.
EDIT: Then again, Blue-ray might be what keeps them going for a while. I seriously can see new X-Box and NR released to support blue-ray months after the PS3 is released.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Staredit.Net Essence on 2005-10-17 at 10:23:43
QUOTE(Wilhelm @ Oct 16 2005, 10:28 PM)
Funniest thing I read all day.
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You think they don't?
Report, edit, etc...Posted by SirhcTheForbidden on 2005-10-17 at 12:01:38
They should also steal a PS3 and pwn it.
Would be nice.
Would be nice.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by chuiu on 2005-10-17 at 12:53:07
QUOTE(Absolute @ Oct 17 2005, 09:23 AM)
You think they don't?
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They 'try' with what resources they have but this is Microsoft we're talking about. It takes them a long time to catch on to anything but when they do they have the mindless mass of people who hate them but at the same time love their products for some reason.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by PCFredZ on 2005-10-17 at 14:58:23
QUOTE(MindArchon @ Oct 13 2005, 10:22 PM)
Quite interesting, it would be neat to see what the hackers do with the system. How did the thiefs figure out the systems were being shipped?
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This would make an awesome movie. Either that or a cheap ripoff of Ocean's Eleven.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Revelade on 2005-10-21 at 02:41:24
QUOTE(PCFredZ @ Oct 17 2005, 01:58 PM)
This would make an awesome movie. Either that or a cheap ripoff of Ocean's Eleven.
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I'd like to see the faces of the hackers when they find out the prices for the games.[right][snapback]335740[/snapback][/right]