.jpg)
Oh, Bungie...you have a leaked game on the loose.
Yesterday a YouTube video was uploaded featuring a French guy unwrapping his brand new Halo: ODST copy for the whole world to see. In the video, it simply shows him taking it out of the package and showing it off. Apparently he purchased the game over the counter in a retail store. What's not legal is selling a game that's not due out for another four weeks. If you don't want the game spoiled for you anytime soon, I would not recommend searching anything Halo-related before the game is released on September 22, just to be on the safe side. Microsoft France has issued an official statement stating that anyone who is caught playing the game will ultimately be banned from Xbox Live. That's a tough blow.
Do you believe people who purchase games at a retail store should be punished for their actions or do you believe the retailer is at fault for selling the game to begin with?
Update: The Head of Policy and Enforcement for Xbox Live, Stephen Toulouse, has clarified the following:
"Clarity on the ODST thing. We will not be banning legitimate customers from Xbox LIVE who play early.
However, if you have Halo ODST achievements and haven't played the game, prepare for a gamerscore reset."
Comments
Can you get caught red handed by Microsoft if you play it offline?
And I think that the retailer should be slapped, not the consumer.
Yes, the retailer should be heavily sanctioned. I can't blame the guy too much for buying it if it's on the shelf. Why are all these leaks constantly coming from Europe? Every game that I can remember that has leaked came from Europe.
Is it that you don't respect the industry? Do you all have no ethics at all? It sure seems like it when it comes to games.
And then they wonder and complain why things come out later in EU. You can bet MS will make changes that will effect all of us thanks to negligence like this.
Playing offline will do nothing because the system records internally what you've played and will send it to MS. If you get banned don't go crying.
they should be banned
People playing the game should not be banned. Not everyone is aware of release dates. Plenty just go into a retail store and buy what they see on offer. Microsoft are stupid, they should just punish the retailer, not the consumer who gave them cash.
He should not be banned because he purchased the game legally at the store. Its the stores fault if they broke a release date. There is not a person out there that wouldnt buy the game and play it if they walked into the store and saw it sitting on the shelf a month early. A few copies of the game is not going to spoil the launch of a title. All it will do is make some fans more anxious to get the game, knowing people out there have got it when they do not. Unless it turns out the game sucks.
pwnd.
The question is, was it on the shelf or did the retailer make an inside sale.? These things do not always happen by mistake. I have managed at some major retailers and gotten a copy or a game well before release... the temtation is there, no doubt.
If the game is already at retailers then why the hell are they waiting until the end of September to release it? I don't think he should be banned if he actually bought it from the store, but Microsoft wants to set examples. This isn't the same as when that guy illegally downloaded Halo 3 Epsilon. Maybe he asked for a copy of Halo 3 and some employee who doon't know much about games saw Halo 3: ODST and though it was the right game.
I think as long as the kid doesn't post any gameplay videos online, there's no reason for banishment. As for the store, they keep a certain amount of games for release day ahead of time, so the kid may have tricked him into say something like "I heard they moved the release date a couple of weeks, do you have anymore in stock" or something similar so it requires the associate to tell him NO until notified by managers. In this circumstance, both are at fault. People need to learn to get a grip and wait like everyone else, or preorder if you can manage.
Banningthem from Xbox Live is a little Much.. People buy games over the counter before release dates all the time. Also, I'm not sure if they can completley follow through with the banning, because many reviewers will soon get their ODST copies. It is the retailer's fault. Someone is bound to buy the game not knowing about the banning or even that the game isn't supposed to be released yet, and they will question why their account is unable for use the next morning.. They shouldn't be approaching it this way, and farther dedicate their time preventing retailers from selling the game early.
-Ryan
This is a load of crap they cant ban you. If they do they would have one hell of a lawsuit on their hands. If he purchased this legally and played it today and got banned. He could sue because his entire investment in the 360 is gone. he cant play any games online, Lost his friends, Cant get games he purchased, and Netflix, etc subscriptions won't work all because he played a retail game he bought.
I would love to sue them for that crap. Scare tactics don't work anymore if your worried that game sucks thats one thing stop trying to scare people Microshaft.
The retailer should be at fault here obviously. If a game isnt supposed to be sold to consumers until Sep 22 then the retailer should get in trouble for illegally selling an unreleased game. If people play the game, they should get banned. Try having some damn patience and enjoy the game when the rest of the world gets to. If your too much of a dickwad to do that, then play without an internet connection. Just please dont spoil the good for everyone. Thats such a dick move.
hell yeah they can ban you. MS is not legally obligated to provide XBL to anyone.
Stupid F-ing French!!!
That picture looks familiar. Is that you Elizabeth? WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN UP TO, LIZ?!
Pretty hard to break the street date on a game that has not gone gold yet. I would like to know how he got the game from a french retailer since no retailer in the world has a copy yet. (I just talked with Joe Staten 3 days ago and asked him about the game's status which is how I know, unless of course he was blatantly lying) In other words, the video is FAKE my friends. Its pretty easy to print out fake cover and cd art and pretend its the real deal. W/o gameplay footage the video is an epic fail anyways.
As for the retaliation for broken street dates, the multi-player servers are generally turned off until a couple days before official release, and the consumer is not held responsible unless caught playing through modding of the 360 hardware or through similar pirate means.
The retailer is usually held responsible however, and may be punished through sanctions. (not that that has stopped sellers like 7-11 from breaking numerous street dates though)
Hmmm.. I got a question. if he bought the game, does Microsoft and Bungie still get royalties for it? Or does it all go to the store because it wasn't officially released yet?
Hopefully he rips that copy and puts it on the net for those of us who have a modded system! I only buy PS3 exclusives, bootleg MoneySoft games! Arrrrr
Pickles you stvpid A55H0LE !!!
now that is BS!
you pay for a game and support bungie and M$ and you get punished for it?
ok fine M$ i wont buy ODST is that what you want?
seriously its not the buyers fault, he probably does not even know what hes doing is illegal.
typical M$ they think they can buy everything, and boss people arround like the own the world.
well guess what YOU DONT!
its a shame there treated like they do though, if any other company made the 360 they would of been sued so many times they would be bankrupt by now.
its a shame M$ think there above the law, and a even bigger shame there treated like it.
The game looks a load of cr*p to be honest.
The problem is that it is stuck halfway between a full-title and an add-on, so you are left with something in-between.
Poor graphics and the same old tired gameplay.
Hey Pickles they are obligated to if you BOUGHT AND PAID for it. You can not be banned for doing nothing wrong. They would at least owe you some money back.
big farking deal man!
Game isn't leaked!
Just broken street date.
If the game was leaked, we'll be able to download the sh* online!
It would be the french. I spent a year there, and trust me, their concept of release/due dates is not as concrete as everyone else's.
To JoeBob:
First, why would MS issue a statement banning anyone that plays it before release if it wasn't available.
Second, Your Xbox records every game you play in memory, you do not need to play online to get banned, every time you log on Live it checks to see if you haven't played a unreleased game, and will ban you then if you did...trust me I learned that the hard way.
@glen
Actually, if you've already paid for an Xbox live subscription, they are obligated to provide service to you. Also, because you paid for it.
If MS has an issue with their games breaking street date, they should go after the retailer. For them to go after a player who may have no idea when the stupid thing is "supposed" to be out, is asinine.
Frankly, I hope whomever they ban turns right around and sues them. Don't one of those go for a few million a pop?
Response to Joebob -
He does really have the game. He has put up videos of the game on youtube. His youtube profile is hard to find though, but 3 people have copied the video and have reuploaded it themselves. Go to youtube and type in "Desempacando Halo 3 ODST" in the search bar.
OOOOOOOOOH PLEASE F*C* O**
ITS LEAKED OH MY GOTT WE ALL D*E SOON OMG OMG OMG
Time to get a PS3
learn how to mod at XBLmods.darkbb. com
that smelly frenchman should just upload the damn thing soe i can download it and play .i wanna see whats so damn diffrent with this "odst" name... whats the point in showing off the cover and discs and not uploading so ppl can DL it??
Obviously it's the retailers faut. If you were lucky enough to get an early copy I say congrats to you.
its uploaded to the net im downloading it now its french with english subtitles and menus
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!