Microsoft hit with lawsuit over Xbox memory card ban

I don't think it's as simple as that.

What's to stop someone using the card to exploit a load of achievements, then remove the card and connect to live and update the service with their new achievements?

If they went with your method surely they'd have to either ban the profile and Xbox completely?

True. I forgot about achievements being related to someones profile which could be on another device.

Ban the profile from signing in then, or zero the gamerscore (they're done that before, and labled them a cheat). After all, that's a Xbox live terms violation, not a reason to stop someones bought and paid for hardware from working all together.
 
I don't think so, but I don't think Microsoft would be so bothered if the unlicensed cards didn't open up exploitation of their system.

Do the non-approved hard-drives exploit the system? Heard they were banning ppl for having those as well. Don't jump down my throat if this is not the case - just asking :D
 
I don't think you need a Datal device to save hack, aren't there cables available to read official memory cards?
 
I don't think you need a Datal device to save hack, aren't there cables available to read official memory cards?

there are also devices to read official Hdds as well.

I really don't know what to think about all this. Microsoft is trying as hard as they can lately to protect their investment into consoles and considering the amount of money they have pumped into the original xbox and the 360 I think that they are doing anything they can that prevents them from losing more money.

I would rather they ban these devices and make another xbox then loose all the money and decide its not worth making another one.

On the other hand though I think that they should change the licence to allow other company's to make accessories because that gives more choice to the consumer at cheaper prices
 
Main reason MS blocked these is because people have been using them to cheat by copying their profile to the datel unit then hex editing their achievements and copy the profile back to unlock achievements!

It's easy enough to do that using official card though, Datel (and others) do an adapter to connect the official 360 memory card to a PC via USB.

It's nowt to do with stopping cheats, and everything to do with MS wanting the to keep the monopoly on mem cards.
 
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This is a classic case of MS wanting to control the market, nothing new. Something that is just going to happen with large scale corporations like this.

ags
 
Pity its US based, if it was in the EU they could be done under the competition laws but so far only the os side of microsoft has been taken to court under those, idk why no ones done the same with the console side, initial outlay of legal cost probably.

Anyway this is no different from the monopoly they're running on hard drives. You can get a 2tb drive for ~10 quid more than the ms 120gb one, and banning consoles doesn't pervent cheats, it simply destroys the second-hand market which rather conveniently, it larger than the first hand one.

Big business breaking as many laws as it can before it gets done, so what's new? I takes almost a year for one of those cases to go through the EU court but at least every successive fine is an increase on the last, only a matter of time (read years).
 
Pity its US based, if it was in the EU they could be done under the competition laws but so far only the os side of microsoft has been taken to court under those, idk why no ones done the same with the console side, initial outlay of legal cost probably.

It isn't really a competition law issue. There is no requirement for them to allow other companies to make products for their console.
 
i would be interested to know whether there was legal documentation PREVENTING the manufacture and distribution of unlicensed memory units for the 360. Because i cant see why datel would go to the expense of a court case if there was as they would be up the proverbial creek.

I wonder what datels customer liability is for the units sold to the public. If the unit can no longer be used and datel were in a breach of contract to supply the units then they may be liable for compensation for every unit sold and the data therein.
 
If it was a day 1 decision to block 3rd parties it would be a non issue, but deciding to stop them 4 years into the 360 life cycle is wrong. Sony locked blutooth on ps3 for some reason so third parties cant make devices without dongles, but apart from being anoying, its not a problem since its how its always been.

They could just as easily change the way achievements work to stop save game hacks and can lock the game saves if they need too (as is done on ps3 (annoying as it is)).
 
I wonder what datels customer liability is for the units sold to the public. If the unit can no longer be used and datel were in a breach of contract to supply the units then they may be liable for compensation for every unit sold and the data therein.

If something you bought isn't fit for purpose, you have a right to a repair, replacement (though they would do no good in this case) or a refund. The retailer is responsible though afaik, not datel. It would be interesting to hear trading standards opinion.
 
company makes unlicensed product for console, console manufacturer updates console to stop said unlicensed product and YOU think they have a case.

It really is NOT that simple. It would be like Nvidia updating their motherboard drivers to only support their graphics cards, as they haven't given ATI a license. Or Sony decieding that their HDMI out verification from the PS3 will only be compatible with other Sony devices.

What will be more important will be if the changes MS made to their system was to fix a flaw and through an unforseen change, broke unlicensed memory cards, or if the intentionally tried to create a monopoly by blocking all hardware made by rival companies.
 
company makes unlicensed product for console, console manufacturer updates console to stop said unlicensed product and YOU think they have a case.

Of course they have a case, it's a monopoly. It's pretty much what ***** said "What will be more important will be if the changes MS made to their system was to fix a flaw and through an unforseen change, broke unlicensed memory cards, or if the intentionally tried to create a monopoly by blocking all hardware made by rival companies. "
 
There is a lot of back and forthing about the "unlicensed" nature of the cards and that MS are right or wrong to do this based on the "licensing" but does anyone actually know the licensing to which they refer or specifics thereof?
 
company makes unlicensed product for console, console manufacturer updates console to stop said unlicensed product and YOU think they have a case.

What's to stop Microsoft charging ridiculous licensing fees and pricing all 3rd party manufacturers out of the market?

I think it has more to do with the fact that Microsoft make a lot of money on their peripherals since they're all very low capacity for the price, whilst third parties were offering several gigabyte memory cards for the same price.
 
It isn't really a competition law issue. There is no requirement for them to allow other companies to make products for their console.

How can they license who makes peripherals for there consoles.
It would be like Dell stopping its customers from using non dell keyboards!
Its not up to MS for what you plug into your console.

As long as they have not used any MS Programming or design in the Memory card then they are doing nothing wrong!
 
Its not up to MS for what you plug into your console.


Erm, I hate to tell you, but it's entirely up to Microsoft what you are allowed to plug in to the console.

If you honestly believe peripheral licensing is a new thing, I would go and do a little research because it isn't by any stretch of the imagination.
 
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