Gaming WARNING: Ban wave has started, STAY AWAY FROM LIVE!

[War]

New Console Ban Wave on Xbox LIVE?
>> We're currently seeing lots of discussions on our forums (like here or here) and on IRC about console/hardware bans again, so it seems Microsoft is busy with a new Xbox LIVE console (not gamertag) ban wave atm.

Right now we don't have a lot of details, except it doesn't seem to be linked to any particular FW version or drive model, as users with all type of FWs and drives report bans, while others with the same configuration still seem fine.

Report your status in the thread below.
More details soon ...

Source

I'll see if I can find more info on this matter. I know MS does this about once a year or so, but I dunno how long they last or how to evade them... I would assume just stay disconnected from Live until further announcements.

 

[Rock Raiyu]

I'm not going on live for a while anyway. Going to wait for MW2.

 

[Joe88]

so can we still go on if we play legit retail games not burnt?

 

[Rock Raiyu]

so can we still go on if we play legit retail games not burnt?

I doubt you'll get banned from playing a retail game.

 

[War]

so can we still go on if we play legit retail games not burnt?
Yeah, retail games are fine. Microsoft hardly ever bans people who play retail games, and whenever they do, it's a mistake on their part.

QUOTE(Rock Raiyu @ Oct 30 2009, 02:36 PM) I'm not going on live for a while anyway. Going to wait for MW2.

I think they're probably doing this ban wave in preparation for MW2/L4D2 :

 

[triassic911]

I just hope it's all a coincidence.

I want to play some Call of Duty 4.

 

[Gaisuto]

It's definitely true. While I can't speak for myself, as my 360's currently gutted, I'm seeing people all over the place getting banned with no real connection determined.

I'm seeing people banned who have never played a game early before, and I'm seeing people who played Brutal Legend and Borderlands a week early without getting hit.

 

[quepaso]

I just checked, a-ok here!

Never played a early release online, always wait a week or so go burn after release in stores, abgx360 every release, etc. Patience people! *snip

 

[War]

I just checked, a-ok here!

Never played a early release online, always wait a week or so go burn after release in stores, abgx360 every release, etc. Patience people! *snip

Not to be overly negative or anything, but just because you're "a-ok" now doesn't mean you will be later. These ban waves usually go on for a few days/weeks, so you're still at risk :|

 

[quepaso]

I just checked, a-ok here!

Never played a early release online, always wait a week or so go burn after release in stores, abgx360 every release, etc. Patience people! *snip

Not to be overly negative or anything, but just because you're "a-ok" now doesn't mean you will be later. These ban waves usually go on for a few days/weeks, so you're still at risk :|

I know how this stuff works, ive had a flashed 360 since the beginning of the flashing, i bought my first 360 at launch.

 

[Lakerfanalways]

I just checked my XBOX, so far so good. I don't have XBOX Live, but I do have a silver account there(am I still at risk?) also, right now I am on firmware 1.51, if I update to 1.61 am I putting myself at higher risk of being banned when I play a game? I never play games til they have been officially released and have been verified through abgx

 

[R2DJ]

I just checked my XBOX, so far so good. I don't have XBOX Live, but I do have a silver account there(am I still at risk?) also, right now I am on firmware 1.51, if I update to 1.61 am I putting myself at higher risk of being banned when I play a game? I never play games til they have been officially released and have been verified through abgx

Technically, you have a Live account. It's still Live...

Any modded console is at risk of getting hit by the hammer.

 

[Lakerfanalways]

I just checked my XBOX, so far so good. I don't have XBOX Live, but I do have a silver account there(am I still at risk?) also, right now I am on firmware 1.51, if I update to 1.61 am I putting myself at higher risk of being banned when I play a game? I never play games til they have been officially released and have been verified through abgx

Technically, you have a Live account. It's still Live...

Any modded console is at risk of getting hit by the hammer.

So updating the firmware, its the same risk right? And what exactly does it mean being banned..does the xbox no longer work, or does it mean I cant update games when I put them in the xbox?

 

[Bloodgod]

doesn't really concern me. I do my online play with PS3 now. but it's gonna be bad if I can't boot backups

 

[Lakerfanalways]

doesn't really concern me. I do my online play with PS3 now. but it's gonna be bad if I can't boot backups

Is that what happens when you get banned..you can no longer play game that you have burned? Just want to get an idea what banned means..I have not been banned but I want to know what I would be dealing with if I ever was

 

[Gaisuto]

You just can't do anything involving online any more. No online play, no Xbox Live Marketplace downloads... You'd still be able to play games just fine.

 

[War]

From what I understand, there are 2 types of bans - console ban and account ban.

If your Xbox Live account is banned, you cannot sign in to Xbox Live using that account. You can still play your games offline using that account, or you can simply make a new account on that console and play online. You will not be able to sign in to Xbox Live, play online with other people, or basically do anything with that banned account.

If your CONSOLE is banned from Xbox Live, you cannot go on Xbox Live at all using that console. It doesn't matter if you make a new account or not. This means you cannot play games online, download updates, play XBLA games, etc. You CAN still play games offline, though. The "advantage" of this type of ban is that your Xbox Live account itself doesn't get banned, which means that if you get a new Xbox 360, you will be able to go on to your old account and use it online.

Regardless of which type of ban you get, you will still be able to play any and all Xbox 360 games.

 

[Lakerfanalways]

You just can't do anything involving online any more. No online play, no Xbox Live Marketplace downloads... You'd still be able to play games just fine.

thanks..so updating the firmware to 1.61 doesn't increase my risk of being banned right..its the same risk like it always has been right? Also, I am wondering if I should burn a few of the wave games I have on my computer right now or wait til abgx comes out with their updated version..the reason why I ask is because yesterday I used abgx to scan Tekken 6 and I got this message..


???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
\\//\\//\\//\\//\\/?\\//\ \ \/ /?????????\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\
//\\//\\//\\//\???\???\???/ /\ \ ?????? ?//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//
??????????????????????????????????????????v1.0.1???????[http://abgx360.net]????
???
Checking for updates to GameNameLookup.csv and abgx360.dat...
Server file GameNameLookup.csv no newer than local file - not retrieving
Server file abgx360.dat no newer than local file - not retrieving

C:\Users\Lakerfanalways\Desktop\Tekken 6 XBOX 360\dgr-tkn6.dvd is valid

Checking Game
ISO: "C:\Users\Lakerfanalways\Desktop\Tekken 6 XBOX 360\dgr-tkn6.iso"
Size: 7572881408 bytes (normal size)
Files in ISO: 44, Folders in ISO: 0
Total bytes used: 7078935580 (96.99%)
Game appears to have random padding

Checking default.xex
Original PE Filename: 360.exe
Original PE Timestamp: 2009/09/23 13:26:54
Game Name: TEKKEN 6
Developer: NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc.
Publisher: NBGA/NBGE
Genre: Game - Fighting
Achievements: 50 Achievements totaling 1000 Gamerscore
XEX CRC = 2382B6C7
XEX Media ID: 76FEB70D9A7616F3FADCF177-2087A9ED

Region Code: 0xFFFFFFFF
Region Free!

Checking SS
Timestamp of Authoring: 2009/09/24 00:00:00
Timestamp of Mastering: 2009/09/26 02:33:35
SS CRC = B16FFF7B (RawSS = 4BE970EC)
SS Media ID: 76FEB70D9A7616F3FADCF177-2087A9ED (matches game)
SS looks valid

Checking DMI
Timestamp of Authoring: 2009/09/24 00:00:00 (matches SS)
DMI CRC = 70B77FEF
DMI Media ID: 76FEB70D9A7616F3FADCF177-2087A9ED (matches game)
DMI looks valid

Checking PFI
PFI CRC = 05C6C409
PFI does not match known data (could be corrupt or a new wave not seen before)
Displaying suspicious PFI in hex and ascii:

OFFSET 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F
0x0000 01 02 31 10 00 03 00 00 00 FC FF DF 00 03 AD 7F 1 . ...? ?. ¡
0x0010 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................
*

Video partition found
Checking Video padding... Video is zero padded
Video CRC = 1914211B (V0 = 29D07E66, V1 = EAE76B94)
Video partition does not match known data but neither did PFI

Stealth status is uncertain

Starting Verification
Looking for B16FFF7B2382B6C7.ini in the online verified database
Server file B16FFF7B2382B6C7.ini no newer than local file - not retrieving

Using B16FFF7B2382B6C7.ini (337 bytes)
Video CRC matches
V0 CRC matches
V1 CRC matches
PFI CRC matches
DMI CRC matches
SS CRC matches
Xex CRC matches

Checking Game CRC... (press Q to cancel)
Percent Elapsed Estimated Time Average Current Errors Total
Done Time Time Left Speed Speed Recovered Retries
100% 42:59 42:59 0:00 2.7 MB/s 1.9 MB/s

AnyDVD style corruption was not detected
Game CRC = 243AD229 (matches)

All CRCs match
Verification was successful, Stealth passed!

Cannot check SplitVid due to invalid or uncertain PFI/Video

Press any key to exit . . .


So those errors highlighted in bold all have to do with wave 4 right and have nothing to do with playing the actual game?

 

[War]

You have the same chances of getting banned regardless of what firmware you use.

As for the Tekken thing, I'm sure it's fine if you burn it, but if you want to be 100% sure you may want to wait for the new version of abgx. Its probably giving you that error because the game is wave 4 or maybe it's not in the abgx database yet. I've been away from the 360 scene for a while so I'm not completely sure.

 

[FAST6191]

There is a third type where your 360's signing privileges are revoked, this is usually reserved for would be save hackers* though. I tried to dig up the link but could not find it with a quick search.

*possibly for those who up their gamerscore as well. Snide remark because I can, I will spare a discussion on the merits of gamerscore as my opinions are known to all that care to find them but I can not possibly think of a more stupid/risky use of such things.

Anyhow thanks for the news, when I get around to posting up another 360 release I will link back here.

Oh and there is supposedly a p2p version of Modern Warfare 2 doing the rounds (thanks to luke_c on IRC for the heads up today), leave it the hell alone people unless you can argue otherwise:
supposed ABGX360 screenshot (SS, DMI, PFI all missing):
http://i33.tinypic.com/2nkdwg.png


edit: @Lakerfanalways clue is in the message: PFI does not match known data (could be corrupt or a new wave not seen before)
ABGX360 needs an update for wave 4 but they were waiting to find the cutoff date among other things before doing it (there was a big post on the frontpage of their site a few days back).