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Play Halo: Reach Early, Get Permabanned
In a shocking move that nobody at all could have seen coming, Microsoft is permanently banning users from Xbox Live for playing illegitimate copies of Halo: Reach. According to a ban notification provided to MaxConsole, the publisher is handing out non-negotiable lifetime bans to players who are detected playing a leaked prerelease version of the game.
"This email is to notify you that your Xbox LIVE account privileges have been permanently suspended due to illegitimate prerelease title play," the ban notice reads. "During your suspension, you will not be able to log into Xbox LIVE. Your Xbox LIVE privileges will not be reinstated. Customer Support is not able to modify or provide any further details about your suspension."
Though I'm not a huge fan of heavy-handed bans handed down from on high with no recourse for the player, I can't work up a whole lot of outrage. Pirating games hurts the industry, from developers and publishers all the way down the chain. Stop doing it. You're lucky you got off with an Xbox Live permaban, and aren't getting slapped with a copyright infringement lawsuit. Yet.
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