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Microsoft labels cheaters as such  (Source: Xbox.com)
Microsoft gets medieval on cheaters obsessed with Achievements

“Cheaters never win,” as the saying goes, and Microsoft is making it apply to users of its Xbox Live service.

Today, those who have used exploits to artificially boost their Gamerscore, a numerical score presented alongside an Xbox 360 gamer’s profile account signifying their in-game achievements, found that Microsoft has reset their score to zero.

“Today we took action on some of the accounts we have identified as the most serious offenders who have violated the Xbox LIVE Terms of Use by tampering with their Gamerscore and Achievements,” explained Xbox Live community manager Larry Hyrb.

Hyrb last year on his Major Nelson blog warned potential cheaters not to share their Xbox Live accounts or tamper with game save files for the sake of boosting one’s Gamerscore.

Besides resetting a cheater’s entire Gamerscore back to zero, the Xbox Live account will be unable to regain all previously obtained achievements. Such players, however, will have the ability to gain future achievements by earning them fairly.

Even more, those who have been targeted by Microsoft will be clearly labeled as a cheater in the dashboard and for the community to view on the Xbox website. Microsoft has created an example of a cheater account here for public viewing.

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Joy!
By Malhavoc on 3/26/2008 8:08:41 AM , Rating: 1
How long until the lawsuits start?




RE: Joy!
By Marvlarv on 3/26/2008 8:11:52 AM , Rating: 2
probably in one month


RE: Joy!
By aeroxander on 3/26/2008 8:47:28 AM , Rating: 2
what are the lawsuits going to do?


RE: Joy!
By 16nm on 3/26/2008 9:14:37 AM , Rating: 5
Make lawyers rich.


RE: Joy!
By kkwst2 on 3/26/2008 12:24:24 PM , Rating: 2
-er


RE: Joy!
By KernD on 3/26/2008 8:45:14 AM , Rating: 2
So you think people who get caught will sue? or people who lose there points by mistake, which may never happen...


RE: Joy!
By wannabemedontu on 3/26/2008 9:13:46 AM , Rating: 5
Lawsuits for what? If you cheat, you stink. It's about time someone takes action on these low lifes that cheat honest gamers out of a good gaming experience. Why is it someone want's to sue when they are made to do what they should be doing in the first place, play honestly. Geez, does it matter to anyone that there are so many cheaters out there?


RE: Joy!
By ViRGE on 3/26/08, Rating: -1
RE: Joy!
By PAPutzback on 3/26/2008 9:26:22 AM , Rating: 5
Well if you cheat and get achievements some games give you better weapons. Take COD4 instance. More acheivements opens up longer sprints, increased health, the ability to cause more damage.

I think gamer points are gay anyways. They don't mean much other than show a scale of what life you have outside of the game. A high score means you spend way to much time playing. Get a ripstick and get outside.


RE: Joy!
By Regs on 3/26/2008 10:03:04 AM , Rating: 3
I like playing baseball in -10 degree weather.


RE: Joy!
By Regs on 3/26/2008 11:01:02 AM , Rating: 2
Ok, maybe I should make my point a little clearer....

People who don't suck at the game, usually people who are good at it or take the time to get good at it, normally play it a lot.

I won't sit at a park all day playing volleyball getting frustrated at myself every 2 seconds. I would move onto another game or activity!


RE: Joy!
By wannabemedontu on 3/26/2008 9:59:49 AM , Rating: 4
Well ViRGE, I think PAPutzback said it best:

"Well if you cheat and get achievements some games give you better weapons. Take COD4 instance. More acheivements opens up longer sprints, increased health, the ability to cause more damage"

If you don't see that as an unfair, unearned advantage and a cheat, than you either don't play games and know nothing, or are a cheat yourself. No real skills involved if you gain it all with cheats.


RE: Joy!
By Legolias24 on 3/26/2008 10:46:50 AM , Rating: 3
quote:
"Well if you cheat and get achievements some games give you better weapons. Take COD4 instance. More acheivements opens up longer sprints, increased health, the ability to cause more damage"


Bear in mind that I play CoD4 on my PS3; I thought the "longer sprinting" or "increased bullett damage" (etc.) perks were only unlockable as you play online and gain experience through kills and victories; not through cheating during a solo campaign. That's the way the PS3 version works anyway; does the 360 version work a bit differently?

The CoD4 example may not be the best example to use for answering the question "how does cheating to gain achievements affect other players?". Cheating isn't right in principle and practice. But sometimes, there is nothing more satisfying then switching on "God Mode", grabbing a Peon and proceed to utterly decimate your computer opponent; thereby exacting a measure of revenge for all the times you had to restart a map because you kept losing! :P (sorry...I just had a flashback to my youth and playing Warcraft 2; I had a problem with one of the maps :P)

But when cheating is used to gain the upper hand over a flesh and blood opponent, that's just lame and you deserve to get pwned by Microsoft as they take away your achievements!


RE: Joy!
By tdawg on 3/26/2008 11:12:41 AM , Rating: 2
Correct, COD4 achievements and XP points are two separate things. You get xbox achievements by completing aspects of the game, but it doesn't unlock anything for use against others. You gain XP points to unlock perks by playing MP against others online. The better player you are, the quicker you unlock new perks.

Cheating to get achievements seems utterly pointless. The only way I can think it would affect others is during those MS contests to see how many achievement points you can earn in a given period to win prizes. And since MS can tell if you're cheating, it's a no-go there as well.


RE: Joy!
By Legolias24 on 3/26/2008 11:17:17 AM , Rating: 2
ThanksTdawg, I thought that was the case. It didn't make sense to me why Infinity Ward/Activision would set the multiplayer up so differently on either system.

Boo cheating! Yay for gamer skills! :D


RE: Joy!
By Vanilla Thunder on 3/26/2008 10:11:36 AM , Rating: 2
The only people who would defend cheaters, are cheaters themselves. I've never understood why someone would want to cheat at a game. Where is the gratification in winning anything, when you can't lose? I say kudos MS, keep the field level.

Vanilla


RE: Joy!
By rdeegvainl on 3/27/2008 4:06:37 PM , Rating: 3
It's not always about winning, sometimes, you just want to finish a game and see the story. Is there an option to turn off the achievements when in that scenario? I don't LIVE so I don't know how it works.


RE: Joy!
By masher2 (blog) on 3/26/2008 11:35:58 AM , Rating: 2
> "How on earth do you cheat (i.e. negatively affect other users) at your own game? "

So you're saying its impossible to cheat at solitaire? Cheating doesn't necessarily involve "negatively affecting other players".


RE: Joy!
By kkwst2 on 3/26/2008 12:34:50 PM , Rating: 2
I think the point of the post was really "Who cares". Do you care if someone cheats at solitaire? Sure, technically they violated the rules, but who gives a shit?

I'm not saying I agree with the point, but I must say I'm pretty ambivalent about is issue.

I also could empathize with, say, a guy who lets his little brother use his account and gets it reset. Not all cheating is created equal.


RE: Joy!
By ViRGE on 3/26/2008 7:15:50 PM , Rating: 2
That's exactly what I'm saying. For cheating to be a "bad" thing, someone has to be harmed. If all you're doing is unlocking a bunch of SP challenges for yourself, who am I to care? It's your game.

Or is there something I'm missing here? I'm a PC-only gamer, so I don't have a 360 nor have used one for more than a few minutes. The achievements thing crosses me as an oddity; they gave you challenges to add depth to a game (a good thing) and then they make the results of this public, turning it in to an e-peen contest.

I can't see how MS has a stake in any of this, if someone wants to ruin their own gaming experience*, that should be up to them.

* Note, I'm specifically talking about achievements here. When we're talking about real cheating and hacking, like aimbots, wallhacks, and other methods that give a player an advantage in a MP game, then I'm clearly against that. In fact I've been rather surprised the 360's closed-platform design hasn't been more cheat resistant


RE: Joy!
By InsaneGain on 3/26/2008 1:24:14 PM , Rating: 2
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