Full Disclosure mailing list archives
RE: Computer Sabotage by Microsoft
From: "Chris Wanstrath" <chrisw () cinci rr com>
Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2003 09:42:55 -0400
For some reason, it seems the fact that Stefan subscribes to Xbox Live and connected to their server is being overlooked by all but a few. This is a service offered by Microsoft that one pays to subscribe for. Every persistent online game I can think of auto-patches you. Earth & Beyond, Planetside, Star Wars: Galaxies, etc. That's the way it is because that is what you agree to in order to get everyone constantly on the same playing field. You paid for a subscription to Xbox Live, you gave them permission to modify your dashboard to connect, and you connected. It's not like you plugged in your Xbox fresh out of the wrapping and it started downloading like crazy... People cheat on Xbox Live, and if the font overflow is in any possibility way to cheat, then that's why it was taken out. Granted, I don't know that for sure. I don't know if any of the font/MA/AUF overflows specifically allow cheating on Live, but I'm sure Microsoft would say so if you asked them. It just seems unlikely under any jurisdiction that the argument, "I bought Xbox Live, connected to their servers, signed up for an account, and was auto-patched" would hold much weight. Microsoft is offering you the Live service and you are agreeing that, in order to connect, you will allow them to consistently update your software. I'm not saying any of this is right, but I doubt that this formula will change because we're talking about console games. The console game business is very different from the computer game business. As I'm sure most everyone knows, console makers actually lose money on every physical console they sell because they aren't selling simply a box; they are selling a channel in which you can be marketed a wider array of goods than you could have before you bought it. In a literal sense, that's how things like DVD players are, too, but when Microsoft is paid a licensing fee for every Xbox title and gets royalties on every game sold, they get tons of profit where DVD manufacturers and other electronics companies don't. When you get an Xbox, you are then presented with the opportunity to play and, more importantly, BUY all kinds of games. Same with the Playstation 2. Microsoft doesn't like people like Stefan because they use their Xboxes in ways that could potentially end their buying. Microsoft takes a loss on this because they lost money when they sold the console and now they're not going to recover it through the games, or lack thereof, the hacker buys. This is the reason Microsoft will do whatever it wants to your Xbox, and the way Sony will do the same thing when they are in the position to. Modding will always be the enemy of console makers because it is seen as a way to not just pirate games but end your dependence on the console company. -- Chris Wanstrath : chrisw () cinci rr com LW Consulting : www.lw-consulting.com _______________________________________________ Full-Disclosure - We believe in it. Charter: http://lists.netsys.com/full-disclosure-charter.html
Current thread:
- RE: Computer Sabotage by Microsoft, (continued)
- RE: Computer Sabotage by Microsoft Thor Larholm (Sep 11)
- Re: RE: Computer Sabotage by Microsoft Michael D Schleif (Sep 12)
- Re: Computer Sabotage by Microsoft Systems Administrator (Sep 11)
- RE: Computer Sabotage by Microsoft Presler, KennethX M (Sep 11)
- Re: Computer Sabotage by Microsoft Stefan Esser (Sep 11)
- Re: Re: Computer Sabotage by Microsoft J.A. Terranson (Sep 11)
- RE: Re: Computer Sabotage by Microsoft Rick Kingslan (Sep 11)
- Re: Re: Computer Sabotage by Microsoft Blue Boar (Sep 11)
- Re: Computer Sabotage by Microsoft l8km7gr02 (Sep 11)
- Re: Computer Sabotage by Microsoft Helmut Springer (Sep 12)
- RE: Computer Sabotage by Microsoft Chris Wanstrath (Sep 12)
- RE: Computer Sabotage by Microsoft security snot (Sep 12)
- Re: Computer Sabotage by Microsoft l8km7gr02 (Sep 12)
- Re: Computer Sabotage by Microsoft Stefan Esser (Sep 11)
- RE: Computer Sabotage by Microsoft Thor Larholm (Sep 11)
- RE: Re: Computer Sabotage by Microsoft Andy Wood (Sep 12)
- Re: RE: Computer Sabotage by Microsoft Andreas Marx (Sep 12)
- Re: RE: Computer Sabotage by Microsoft Sebastian Niehaus (Sep 14)
- Re: Computer Sabotage by Microsoft Ansgar Wiechers (Sep 13)