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Xbox Live account sharing and game save tampering: Don't do it

majornelson.com — Seriously don't use hacked game saves or sharing account information to pad your gamerscore. It can only come back to bite you when you login to Xbox Live to find your gamerscore and achievements reset to zero. Play games the way they were meant to and don't put so much value into a simple number.

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  • sUGArDawg, on 11/14/2007, -12/+66How about you just ban them (meaning CC #, IP address, address, email, name, everything) from eeeeevar rejoining XBL? That'll surely stop the cheaters
    • xdeliriumx, on 10/31/2007, -5/+18Don't be alarmed that you are getting dugg down. The cheaters are just getting scared.
      • Xolotl2, on 11/07/2007, -8/+1In soviet russia, pigs ***** down your intestines!!

        Hail bush.
    • thomasX, on 10/31/2007, -13/+3I know a guy who was banned from XBL for using copied games.
      • MaynardJK, on 11/07/2007, -2/+11They ban your console for that, not you.
        • thomasX, on 11/07/2007, -5/+5His console won't connect to XBL. It's banned. I thought I made that clear in my first comment.
          • MaynardJK, on 11/07/2007, -3/+5No you didn't make it clear. The article is about having your gamertag (Live account) banned. You said "a guy" was banned as if he was banned the same way. If your console is banned, you can buy a new one and still use your gamertag on Live. Get it?
          • JudgeMonkey, on 11/01/2007, -2/+4It was clear to me that neither were clear, folks jump to random conclusions online. You've got to s-p-e-l-l things out... not literally of course.
          • objectcode, on 11/07/2007, -3/+2you didn't write a paragraph and go into great detail therefor you didn't make it clear. a simple sentence about someone being banned just doesn't work here. you should have said you know about a console that got banned because it was reading a copied game. after that you have to specify how the game was copied and that it was done illegally. the game could have been copied to a disc and packaged by the company that sells them. including the type of xbox package that the xbox came with would also help when describing what happened.
          • CarzorStelatis, on 11/07/2007, -1/+2Seeing as it's impossible for MS to know what individual is playing any given console at a particular time, I'd say you made it pretty ***** clear to most rational human beings that it was the console which had been banned. Unfortunately Digg contains a higher-than-average proportion of morons.
      • merdiesel, on 10/31/2007, -0/+2I like the tin man.
    • Rijnzael, on 11/06/2007, -0/+27Banning by IP and name is a mistake because so many people share them, as names are common and IPs are usually recycled by the ISP via DHCP. Email addresses are automatically banned because they're associated with the WLID/Passport that controls the Live account and can't be used multiple times for multiple Live accounts. Still, banning the CC# used to pay for it (if they use one) isn't a bad idea.
      • sUGArDawg, on 11/07/2007, -11/+2True dat
      • Jomwilli, on 10/31/2007, -2/+2MAC address blocking, all machines that connect to the Internets have a unique one.
        • anonymous666, on 11/07/2007, -0/+7Router MACs can be spoofed
        • CarzorStelatis, on 11/01/2007, -0/+1Plus you could just buy a new router for less than the price of a new 360 wireless adapter
    • rudy23, on 11/07/2007, -1/+27CC # - fair enough
      IP address- bad idea. usually changes and can affect innocent roomies.
      address - again can affect innocent people in shared apts.
      email - take 5 mins to make anew one
      name- too common
      everything - not sure what this means
      • sUGArDawg, on 10/31/2007, -6/+1Everything as in ban alotta stuff so they can't get back on w/ their own account...DNA, fingerprint, EEEEEEEVERYTHING
        • Dragular, on 10/31/2007, -0/+9Exactly! Everything! Install retina scanners on the consoles, ban the controllers they use, ban people who drive the type of vehicles they drive. Eventually, we'll have to up the ante though. Ban everyone with hair styles similar to theirs, check last.fm to find out what music they listen to and ban everyone with similar tastes. Develop an alliance with AT&T to get their phone records and ban everyone who has called this person on a regular basis, as well as ban everyone who has called THOSE people.
        • sUGArDawg, on 10/31/2007, -1/+1Now we're talkin'!!
      • jp3550, on 11/07/2007, -0/+5Credit card numbers could be easily passed with the use of a Visa check card/gift certificate
        • Deranged, on 10/31/2007, -0/+3Yeah, prepaid credit cards cost $5 at any convenience store around here, and everyone 18 and up no matter your credit can get one.
          Besides that, I have an XBL account without a ccn associated with it. I just always used the mspoints cards and the monthly cards..
    • DrTall, on 11/07/2007, -2/+12Sure XBL wants to avoid cheating, but if you are entirely banned from it, will you pay for it? M$ doesn't want you to leave and never return.
    • Scheissen, on 11/01/2007, -1/+2aww sugardawg is a nerd. No surprise. It's just gamer point and you want to ban them over that? LOSER! ahahhahahah
    • sardiax, on 11/01/2007, -0/+2well to be fair, this isn't about cheaters who exploit glitches or alter the game to their advantage, and ruin games for other players - those ***** need to be banned. they're just unfairly padding their score with achievements. i'm for integrity and keeping them from doing that, but i think it's still pretty harmless and not really an offense worth a total ban.
  • fatadamblog, on 11/07/2007, -19/+5Don't do it or Major Nelson is going to tell on you.

    Come on they need a better title for this:

    "If you share your Xbox 360 account with anyone your gonna get baned sucker! MR.T will climb right up in your ass!"
  • NaziHatinChimp, on 11/01/2007, -8/+12Can they tell the difference? I had my buddy copy his tag onto my system so we can play Halo 3 and then we copied it back.
    • sUGArDawg, on 11/01/2007, -26/+5You're the ***** problem you mooch
      • Rijnzael, on 11/01/2007, -0/+19He's talking about a legitimate usage, not cheating.
    • Rijnzael, on 11/07/2007, -0/+4I would hope they can tell the difference. Recovering your account so you can play it at a friends house when you forget an MU is something I've done before. If you were talking about doing it with an MU, that doesn't require a transaction with Xbox Live, so I think you're safe.
    • inajeep, on 11/07/2007, -1/+9That's not what he's referring to. IDs are transferable.
    • UFSanity, on 11/01/2007, -0/+2That's fine, what the post is referring to is giving someone your account so they can unlock achievements for you, artificially boosting your gamerscore.
  • xdeliriumx, on 11/07/2007, -3/+49People who cheat to make their gamerscore better are punks. If you suck that bad just give up. Your 100,000 gamerscore means nothing to me when I beat you in Halo by 20 kills. We all know you suck.
    • daridave, on 11/07/2007, -3/+7I say, if one person is so desperate to be someone else in the virtual world of Xbox Live, he must be an even more desperate person in real life. Cheating achievements is basically cheating your own self, anyway... I feel sorry for those who do it.
      • reed311, on 11/07/2007, -3/+4Oh, please. It's not that big of a deal.
      • tyywebb, on 10/31/2007, -0/+5I don't think there's a real need to ban people who do this. Their lives probably suck enough already...
    • synce, on 11/01/2007, -10/+2People who actually care about Gamerscore are losers, whether they earn it honestly or not.
      • xdeliriumx, on 11/01/2007, -2/+8Wrong. You lose.

        Go to the PS3 section to vent your frustration.
      • betterth, on 10/31/2007, -0/+8Agreed. Gamerscores are one of the best "innovations" of the 360. It's fun to have a score for how much you play, kind of like a level or experience in an rpg. Most people (myself included) don't care about them alot, but we still like trying to get them. Adds to the games.
      • yarukizero, on 10/31/2007, -0/+1Agreed. I really, really don't get why people give a damn about those things. It's not like you actually get something for it.
      • CarzorStelatis, on 11/01/2007, -0/+1I don't care about the points, but the achievements themselves are quite fun. They're the sort of dumbass 'I finished the game, what should I do now?' ideas we used to have to come up with on our own. Get 25 headshots in a single game! Play Ravenholm with only the Gravity Gun! Points don't bother me, but I like the actual challenges themselves.
    • endlessoul, on 11/07/2007, -0/+9Agreed. I'll admit fully that I'm an achievement whore. But I play the game. I do it legit. If you have some desire to cheat to get even 1,000 gamerpoints for doing nothing, then I'm happy to say that Xbox Live Admins will see to you.

      Kudos to XBL.
    • mllawso, on 11/01/2007, -7/+0I think most of the appeal to cheating is that you can "buy" download-able content off live with gamer points.
  • totorototoro, on 11/07/2007, -1/+27Wait...people cheat for video game "gamescores" and "achievements"?
    • itsthebrod, on 11/01/2007, -3/+4Yes they do. They are quite teh lame.
      • totorototoro, on 10/31/2007, -0/+13Seriously? Isn't cheating to get an "achievement" pretty much pointless? :p
        • itsthebrod, on 10/31/2007, -0/+1Yep, which is why it still perplexes me. Hell, even after Bungie removed the public leaderboard for Halo 2 not allowing anyone to see who was ranked #1 people still cheated constantly. Why? No clue.
    • hoowahman, on 11/01/2007, -1/+13The whole system is stupid anyway. Cheating with this system is like printing out your own award certificates and putting them on your wall as oppose to having someone give you one. They both are pointless anyway and a waste of time. Play the games to have fun and stop spending so much wasted life on printing out certificates for yourself.
    • BillDoE, on 11/07/2007, -0/+3I no longer call these low lives. people. If these morons have to cheat at video games, I can just imaging how they make a living.
  • frankyk, on 11/01/2007, -12/+7whats the big deal..It's just a gamerscore...if people want to pad it, so they have a false sense of gaming accomplishment with 100,000 points, let them..they still haveno skill
  • frygar, on 11/01/2007, -16/+10Wow, you buy the console, but MS still dictates how you can and cannot use it. I can understand wanting to ban cheaters *online*, but offline? That's just obscene. If someone wants to sell themselves short of an experience by cheating, then by all means, let them. It's their game, their prerogative. It's offline and affecting no one.
    • MaynardJK, on 11/01/2007, -2/+10Why would anyone want to pad their gamerscore if they don't play online? So you can look at it and think "Damn I'm good!!"?
      • frygar, on 11/01/2007, -0/+4Hell if I know! But it's their choice, not MS', so let the cheaters cheat - so long as it's not affecting anyone else (like on Live), there isn't a problem - aside from a bloated, dishonest gamerscore, but again, that only affects the cheater in question.
        • zengonzo, on 10/31/2007, -1/+4I think that the GamerScore thing is actually a marketing point for Live, though. They push the competition. If some people are spoofing the results then it waters down the value.
        • tyywebb, on 10/31/2007, -0/+1A lot of people probably do weird crap like that just to see if they can.
      • Firehed, on 10/31/2007, -0/+2Some people like the sense of achievement of finally maxing out a game, online or not.

        Of course, I think that cheating to get those achievements rather defeats the point, but it's no different than wallhackers being satisfied that they're going 200-0 in counterstrike. Some people want points for points sake, but most people just see it as some small reward for pulling off a complex move or finding a secret area or whatever.
        • frygar, on 10/31/2007, -1/+1It's their experience, if they wanna blow it by cheating, let 'em. So long as it's not affecting anyone else, who cares?
    • adamuffa, on 10/31/2007, -6/+5Obviously you do not have a 360 and are just talking out of your ass. All cheaters should be banned.
      • JudgeMonkey, on 10/31/2007, -0/+2Ok, well I do have one and couldn't care less. I play a lot against various people, and guess how many gamerscores I even look at. None. Who the hell cares? Seriously. People who say people are pathetic for cheating a high gamerscore attribute WAY too much worth in the score as well.
    • madcow181, on 10/31/2007, -3/+2Achievements are not only from offline gaming. It's really annoying when you are in a ranked game and all you hear or see is people trying to cheat there way to the online achievements. The cheatings is getting ridiculous and it needs to be stopped. I paid my 50 bucks to play online not to have it ruined by people with no skill.
  • TheZorch, on 10/31/2007, -8/+7Cheaters suck especially on MMORPGs. Gil Farmers are killing Final Fantasy XI and as soon as SquareEnix bans them they create whole new accounts and start all over again.
    • sUGArDawg, on 10/31/2007, -11/+3I'm sorry, I don't speak nerd...wtf are you talking about?
      • zengonzo, on 10/31/2007, -0/+8Then I'd recommend either picking up a nerdinomicon or getting the ***** out of nerdtopia.
  • 8bit_Hero, on 10/31/2007, -12/+1I would also assume that your gamerscore effects matchmaking.
    • MaynardJK, on 10/31/2007, -0/+6It doesn't really affect anything.
      • fallenone05, on 10/31/2007, -0/+4exactly, it's pointless
        • Evari, on 10/31/2007, -0/+1the points are pointless - I think you just blew my mind
  • Aanidaani, on 10/31/2007, -3/+4Who really cares about their score anyway? Kinda detracts from the fun of playing the game if all you're trying to do is increase your score.
    • neiltc13, on 10/31/2007, -0/+4Yes but I am a BETTER PERSON (in every way) than you if my gamerscore exceeds yours.
    • xdeliriumx, on 10/31/2007, -3/+2It actually is nice to be able to show something for what you have completed in the game. In the past you just say, "Yeah I beat that game" and thats it. It does give a sense of accomplishment. With that said, it does detract from people who are genuinely beating games if people are being toolbags and just making it seem like they did.

      In short: It can be good for a personal sense of accomplishment but cheaters use it for praise from others (though undeserved).
    • zengonzo, on 10/31/2007, -0/+2It's an e-penis.
  • JesusXP, on 10/31/2007, -4/+6this is pretty ridiculous! How can they really tell the difference if I was to go to my friends (Like I do), recover my gamertag, and play some co-op, like Gears, Halo, and Guitar Hero.. So if they see me get too many achievements from that they will think I lent it to a friend to pad my GS?

    I was bragging the other day how the Recover Gamertag option was probably the least known, but one of the most useful features when you're at a friends house.. I would like to understand how they intend on making these judgment calls..
    • termeric, on 10/31/2007, -1/+1so we shouldnt do this? when my brother comes over he recoveres to my console, and i do the same when i go to his house.
    • raublekick, on 10/31/2007, -0/+0I am concerned about this as well. I did this the other night at a friend's house, not really aware of the consequences (I'm pretty new to the 360).
      In my opinion this is a feature that should be there already. If the gamerscore isn't that big of a deal, then why is MS so concerned about people inflating it by "sharing" and account? Cheating in multiplayer matches is a big deal, it ruins the fun and integrity of the system. Cheating by letting someone else get an achievement for you? Big deal...
      I guess the concern is money for MS, as the real "cheating" concern is that player's could screw Microsoft out of multiple Live accounts by sharing it and playing at different times.
  • NeoCortex, on 11/01/2007, -2/+7But then how will we know whose e-penis is actually bigger?
    • phre3k187, on 10/31/2007, -4/+1(()======================================================================================================D
  • Jumile, on 10/31/2007, -1/+9How stupid and insecure do you have to be to cheat against other people in games, for God's sake?! It's not "hacking", it's not "information wants to be free" - it's cheating. And what's more, you're risking your future online gaming capabilities. It's not smart and it's not clever, h4x0r.
  • BooostedAWD, on 10/31/2007, -16/+3Getting banned with the 360 is a something I never want. In most instances, M$ bans the console, not the user ID or ip address. Once you get banned, there is NO WAY to undo it, unless you get a new console. I've seen one scenario where the some guy was bragging on the microsoft forums about cheating.. and his user ID got suspended.. until the year 9999. He's going to be wating a long time, haha.
    BTW the Gamerscore is like currency for XBL. You can buy new tracks and cars for Forza 2, New Maps for Gears of War, updates for Bioshock. All with your gamerscore, so the more you play, the more money you get towards these updates and addons.
    • RaGaGoneHome, on 11/05/2007, -1/+8Gamerscore does not equal MS Points - sorry dude you are very wrong with this one.
    • adamuffa, on 11/05/2007, -1/+7LOL, this is totally wrong. You buy points to purchase games, tracks, maps, etc. Your earn gamer score by completing games.

      What are you smoking? please pass it this way.
    • codered1322, on 11/05/2007, -1/+7hahahahaha. Do you even have a 360?
    • zengonzo, on 11/05/2007, -1/+4I think you're mixing up GamerScore with Live Points.
    • MaynardJK, on 11/05/2007, -1/+2I wish you could buy ***** for getting achievements. That would be sweet.
    • Nhoji, on 11/05/2007, -1/+1ya, dude is totally wrong, but if achievement points could be converted to live points, id be all about that.
  • weside, on 11/01/2007, -2/+6I wish Major Nelson would explain this:
    http://live.xbox.com/en-US/profile/Achievements/Vi ...

    Dude has 1000 points in games that require him to be online, and has never been in online in them. Someone explain to me how you get 1000 points in Final Fantasy XI ONLINE without going online.
    • sUGArDawg, on 11/01/2007, -0/+5He pretty much does explain it.....it's the gamesave tampering
    • bangerznmash, on 10/31/2007, -1/+1That dude needs to explain how he got 1000 in a game that can literally take you about 8 years to get all the achievements.
  • guinpen, on 10/31/2007, -1/+6it says to not take the numbers so seriously... but at the same time says that we should work hard for the points and hangs the prospect of losing them in our face? gah.
  • HBNDonut, on 10/31/2007, -2/+3If "StripClubDJ" got his score reset, I would laugh so hard.
    • poprocker, on 10/31/2007, -1/+3LOL. him and sufoor need their accounts disabled. How funny would it be for them to lose all of that gamerscore and have to realize there is a life to be lived outside of gaming.
    • TimSpeedle, on 11/03/2007, -1/+3Get laughing: http://live.xbox.com/en-US/profile/Achievements/Vi ...
      • poprocker, on 10/31/2007, -0/+1what's to laugh at . It's 19,253 to 237,355. Can you see the difference? If not ...just subtract...or as your mom calls it...take away.
  • zyl0x, on 10/31/2007, -1/+2"Play games the way they were meant to and don't put so much value into a simple number."

    Maybe they DON'T care about that simple number, and as such, wouldn't care if it was reset to zero.
  • xcwarrior, on 10/31/2007, -0/+1It's good to see they are doing SOMETHING about the problem. I think a better punishment though would be to give the cheaters the red ring of death!
  • iwaldo, on 10/31/2007, -13/+4Dear Major Nelson, ***** You.
    • xdeliriumx, on 11/01/2007, -2/+6cheater.
    • endlessoul, on 10/31/2007, -1/+4No, ***** you.

      Cheaters don't prosper on XBL. If you have a problem with abiding by the rules you pay to play for, then don't play.
  • poprocker, on 10/31/2007, -1/+3Are you listening StripClubDJ and Sufoor??
  • 4degrees, on 11/14/2007, -0/+12"...login to Xbox Live to find your gamerscore and achievements reset to zero. Play games the way they were meant to and don't put so much value into a simple number."

    note the phrase "dont put so much value into a simple number"; so why then are they taking this "simple number" so seriously as to feel the need to reset it if someone lets a friend play? damn hypocrites.
    • frygar, on 10/31/2007, -0/+1Perhaps Maj. Nelson should take some of his own medicine. I mean, if it's just a "simple number," why the big fuss?
  • CollapseControl, on 11/02/2007, -0/+3Despite what many may say Achievements with the 360 are great. I personally use Achievements as "bookmarks" for my games. It lets me know where I left off and what I have left to do.
    I would have to say that because of Achievements I get the most out of my $60 entertainment investment, which is wonderful in its own right. The devs put in Achievements pretty well and it is like a guideline to get the most out of the game.
    As for the cheaters of the system, no matter what you do to cheat during a video game it is dumb. It is bad enough we waste our time playing them, but to cheat at it is horrible, but to each their own. I hope MS keeps up with the banning of nitwits.
    FYI: I have nearly 1,000 individual achievements that equal over 21,000 points.
    • Burninsensation, on 10/31/2007, -0/+1that's probably an indication that the average achievement is worth about 21 points...never thought about it
  • HappyScrappy, on 11/03/2007, -2/+3Yet another reason to hate gamerscore. Now I can't play in the way I want to play, even in a single player game, because it somehow hurts someone else who is gamerscore whoring.
    • myranttoyou, on 10/31/2007, -0/+1How are you unable to play the game you want to? Who is getting hurt? Just play the damn game and don't worry about it if you don't like the numbers.
      • HappyScrappy, on 11/04/2007, -0/+1Major Nelson says they'll cancel my account if they don't like the way I play. Even if I'm playing single player.
  • BobsYourUncle, on 10/31/2007, -0/+2If they can delete achievements then they should pass on that functionality to the users (us). I'd love to be able to delete certain achievements (and the related gamerscore). Get rid of any renters that accidentally got played on your gamertag. Should be simple enough.
  • hurtsdonut, on 10/31/2007, -1/+1I've never understood why people want to rank up their gamerscore. Personally, when i spot a high gamerscore i instantly imagine what a ***** loser he/she must be. It's also annoying how every time a game comes out, almost every room you go into there are 3 or 4 guys saying, "this is an achievement match" or "Hey can you guys help me get my _______ achievement" In short, if games didn't insist on having leader boards and achievements, imagine how much more relaxed everyone would be.
  • aerotive, on 11/01/2007, -4/+2Major Nelson can go to hell. And it's a rich ***** irony to be lectured on ethics by Microsoft.
  • rowlodge, on 11/02/2007, -5/+1major "peedo"
  • idledebonair, on 10/31/2007, -0/+0The purpose of games is to have fun. What if it was fun for someone to hack their score? Who cares? They had fun, you will have fun crushing them. Then they will get their score reset and they will have more fun making a new one. How exactly does someone's hacked score ruin your fun? Because someone will think you're not as good at Halo because your gamescore is lower? Well sir, that's just pretty sad. If we're "not putting so much value on a simple number" then really, who cares if your score is high or low? Or for that matter who cares if the admins reset your score to 0? We're "not putting so much value on a simple number," right?
    • PubeStache, on 11/12/2007, -0/+0Thank you! I always say, keep achievements but get rid of gamerscore. I'd be ok with that as I would still go after the achievements to fully complete a game.
  • CanIGetAWitness, on 11/01/2007, -1/+3Not that I cheat, but if XBL wants to ban or suspend me for *****, it will just be a great reason to sell what I have, never buy anymore and stop wasting my life playing video games. It's up to you M$.
    • frygar, on 11/09/2007, -1/+1I switched over to PS3 for that reason. MS was getting a little too close and personal for my tastes - and asking for way too damn much money, only to break down repeatedly. ***** 'em, I've moved on to bigger and better things. So long, MS, it was fun, well, it was fun with the original Xbox, but you lost me as a consumer with the 360. Now, on to some Warhawk.
  • lawday, on 03/31/2008, -0/+0There is a legel way to have someone find all the skulls in Halo 3 and it has nothing to do with gammer tag sharing or any illeagal means it is called Co/op play when you make a capagian match and invite a friend in to help you find skulls also this works towards yet one other achievement called capagain score or game scroe.
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