Got banned from Xbox LIVE lately? Oh, you and just about everybody else.<\/p>\n
Apparently Microsoft has deployed one of its semi-annual banhammer hit squads, this time for something vaguely described as “Marketplace theft”. Don’t worry though; the bans aren’t permanent and will lift in the year 9999.<\/p>\n
Of course, everybody affected is loudly proclaiming their innocence on the official forum<\/a>, but that’s pretty much how it usually works. I mean, this is the same forum that has people demanding to know why their account has been banned when the username’s tagline reads: “I MOD MW2 1600MSPOINT<\/a>”.<\/p>\n That said, the response from the current rollout of bans is significant enough that Microsoft has issued an official statement on the matter:<\/p>\n “During the course of a recent investigation, we have discovered users who illegitimately accessed Xbox LIVE Marketplace downloadable content. Our investigation reveals that this access was intentional and not accidental, constituting a blatant violation of the Terms of Use for the service. We will not divulge additional information regarding individual suspensions for these offenses.<\/p>\n “Please know that we are being very careful regarding these suspensions, and have clear evidence regarding each account issued a permanent suspension from the service. We apologize for any frustration or confusion resulting from our inability to share individual details, and thank you all for your cooperation in this matter.”<\/p>\n My gut says those people whining about bans are guilty, but I’d be lying if I said this sort of thing didn’t make me feel just a bit nervous. Or maybe I’m hungry. It’s hard to distinguish sometimes.<\/p>\n