Forthcoming Xbox 360 update locks out 'unauthorized' memory units
By Donald Melanson 
posted Oct 18th 2009 6:50PM
posted Oct 18th 2009 6:50PM
Using a less than official memory unit with your Xbox 360? Then you'll probably want to get your act together before diving into the upcoming preview program for the latest 360 update, as it will apparently lock out any "unauthorized" memory units as it adds all those nifty Facebook, Twitter and Last.fm features. That word comes straight from none other than Xbox Live's Major Neslon, who also warns anyone using said memory units that they'll basically be flat out of luck if they update before backing things up to an official storage device and then go looking for their saved games -- which, you know, would be a bit of a pain.
[Via Joystiq]
[Via Joystiq]
MS:1, Others:0
Bring the game on.
MS: 1 Consumers :0
Obviously there is no such this as "unauthorized" memory for the PS3 and Wii. You can use plain old SD cards for the Wii, and off-the-shelf 2.5" HDD for the PS3.
MS gets a hefty fee from "Officially Licensed" Xbox360 accessories. Which is why 360 memory and HDD are insanely expensive, and memory adapters that allow you to use cheap-old SD and micro-SD is a big non-no.
MS 1 MS -1
It will have an affect on sales when people realize what their direction is going to be, I'm sure this is just one of the 'enhancements' you can expect if they have decided to go lame.
Or effect.
So when is the actual release date for this update?
Too bad SONY took the memory card adapter off the PS3 after the 60GB SKU.
Furthermore, Microsoft has a right to do this because there is always the off chance one of these devices could cause an RROD. Its happened before on the original PS - causing fatal errors.
If you've got the HDD, you don't need a memory unit. Only if you have an ARCADE 360.
@Monkey: No, Sony would never block unauthorized accessories
http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/03/ps3-firmware-3-0-locking-out-knock-off-controllers/
For the record, I think it is bad for both of them to block devices like this. If you have a problem, take the manufacturer of the knock-offs to court, don't block out existing users.
Exactly, MS: 1 Consumers: 0
What douche bags... Seriously. I'm trying to refrain myself from going on a tirade about how annoying companies who do this are... But that wouldn't be too constructive now, would it?
@NohOne
Counterfeit =/= Third Party
NohOne = Xbox fanboy.
@Aguiluz: Justify it whichever way you wish, but Sony is doing it the same thing. But you are saying that all they needed to do is change the company name on the box, and Sony would have no problem and not block the controller?
@mmm?: I just did a google search of your posting history. Glass houses.
Ms 1 consumer 0
(until the Office of Fair Trading (UK) and EMCR (Euro) gets onto this and Action Replay + Datel both get a lovely payout)
Microsoft should have learned by now that monopoly pays until you land on someone elses square.
I usually defend moves that Microsoft makes, but this is stupid. It's a memory card, c'mon. This sounds like something Apple would do.
@NohOne
I think Sony didn't block out all third-party controllers, just the ones that try to "trick" the system into thinking it's a Sixaxis/DS 3 in order to sell it as an "Official Sony" controller and not have to use a USB adapter. I think we can agree that we both wouldn't like other companies making money by selling products under our companies name(if we owned a company lol). Also, they still allow third parties to make controllers and allow users to use non-proprietary HDDs as compared to Microsoft.
Both may close some features off, but Sony is a lot more open to third-party peripherals imo.
This measure is to prevent poorly constructed third party accessories from damage the consumers pockets.
Simply crazy...
Is there any reason for this other than forcing people to buy proprietary accessories?
@Badger, that is probably the big moving point, plus they will be moving larger hard drives shortly due to the holiday season approaching.
But it probably hurts the modding community in someway (not sure, don't really follow that side of things though).
Nope. Microsoft managed to bring the 360's price right down not just because the internal components became cheaper, but because the components in the accessories became cheaper too (like the WiFi adapters, HDDs, memory cards...etc).
It's a marketing tactic - get the price of the base console down so people feel like they can afford it, but then charge people way too much for accessories. Sony have a more expensive console, but you get more in it and can use any 2.5" HDD you like and save games to any removable flash media.
KarlW:
Supports the phrase "high cost of low price." Low price now, but costs more in the long run.
I hope this doesn't include hacked/self-upgraded 120GB HDDs :-(
I hope it does...
@Missionsparta
Why?
Yeah, Why?
If it does there will be ALOT of angry people. 99% of the drives on ebay are hacked. i myself have sold over 100 DIY kits. I have always stated at your own risk but still. alot of people will be SOL
Word to that! I think we'll be fine since we used a legitimate .bin during the process. I really don't see how they'd sniff that out, it's from one of their official drives.
"If it does there will be ALOT of angry people"
...and i'd love to see ALOT of angry people!
@missionsparta: Say, uh...you wouldn't happen to be a troll by any chance, would you?
Yes it should. Don't be surprised to find out your hacked non-"official" HDD to not work after the update. By all means, a harddrive is a harddrive, but if MS has a way to identify HDDs that haven't paid their fees expect it to be blocked...
But they don't Boudu. Don't go spreading FUD without facts.
Oh crap, I never thought of this! Wish I hadn't signed up to the preview now. :(
I don't wish to spread FUD on this, but my thinking is that there must be a million or so hard drives out there all with the same serial (they've all been flashed with the same firmware, after all, and I'm sure I remember my serial changing after I did mine), so that's a pretty easy way to tell which ones are not genuine.
What a douche-bag move.
All this JUST so they can RAPE us on overpriced accessories.
MS taking a leaf from Apple's notebook? .. get fool to part with munny for item .. lock them into overpriced connection plan .. require them to use official software/hardware .. win!!
Your comment makes no sense (not OP). And it's *money.
I know, I've been trying to find one of their wireless receivers so i can use my pad on the PC but jeeze I already spent $69 on the controller and charge cable now I have to fork out another $40 for a stupid dongle? not one of my smartest purchases
If you read it, it says "unauthorized" so I'm assuming there is authorized non-Microsoft ones out there?
Yup, licenced onces.
Just like how apple does it with third party add peripherals.
"Just like how apple does it with third party add peripherals."
what? There is nothing like that for mac hardware. What the heck are you talking about?
Yes there is...my own iPhone experienced it...
I dont see what the whining is all about I've a had hard drive since day 1. Can't play xboxlive live without it.Dee Dee deee!
What, exactly, is the point of that? Why not just allow transfer of games saves to a USB flash drive?
Does anybody know if this update will finally give the Xbox 360 the ability to play MKV files? I'm really hoping for this.
That's way too good to be true, lol.
I have been able to play MKV files for a while now through the Xbox 360 media center. The trick is to get the files to play on your media center computer that you are streaming the files from. I use a windows 7 computer and I used this guide:
http://www.hack7mc.com/2009/01/playing-mkvs-in-media-center.html
The instant you get them to play in media center on your computer, they will play on the xbox 360.
@Tom: that's not actually getting mkv to work on the xbox360, all it does is convert it 'on the fly' to a format the xbox360 knows. The problem with that is that you also need a hefty computer to do the converting....
MKV files are a container, it should be easy, but don't expect it. It unfortunately known as a pirates format, and MS needs to play nice with Hollywood for support for XBL. Besides, they would have made noise about it if they were adding such a feature. I just with they would add SRT support.
The news was released 2 days ago around the blogs / forums.
NO. Because it won't make a difference. So stop whining and decide whether you're going to buy it or not.
Lawsuit! Lawsuit! Lawsuit!
This is the equivalent of a car company saying that you have to use an OEM air filter (btw they can't). This really is a crappy move. Thank you MS for reminding me why I don't buy your crappy: phones with windows in it, mp3 player that only took you a few years to copy and bring up to date, gaming system (I can live without sending back a hunk of electronics every 5 months because of RROD), Vista, etc.
What's next, you have to buy MS certified cables too?
Apple beat them to it: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/15/third-party-ipod-shuffle-headphones-will-require-apple-licensed/
That was a good comment until you went naming off Microsoft products ;-)
But yes, I agree somebody should get on them for this.
??? Are you ignorant? No, it's not like an air filter. It's like replacing the fuel injectors, or the ignition system, or the transmission and then complaining when your car doesn't perform as it should and demanding the dealer to warranty it.
We have no "right" to use anything we want on ANY console. Never have. They're not like PC's and aren't licensed they way PCs are. Get over it or just don't buy one. They are meant to be "closed" systems. Tha'ts why they're cheaper and more stable.
Seriously. The issue is not ALL non-Microsoft accessories, it's ones that Microsoft hasn't "certified". And I hope that includes all those hacked hard drives. You're knowingly violating your license agreement. Not to mention, people who use those only do so to violate copy-right laws and most are also software pirates. So, cry away, honest people don't care.
We have every right to do JUST about anything to a console. No one signed a license agreement before purchase. It's the software that cuckolds us. In this case an update and we can choose not to use it which down the line may not allow us to play certain games, but it's still a choice up to us. Companies can't establish a police state in your living room with their wares...
Sure, you CAN modify your console however you like. And thankfully, Microsoft will BAN your ass from XBOX Live!
If you want to mod your system, build yourself a PC. I'm willing to sacrifice a little self control to avoid hackers in my games. Anything MS can do to stop people from using rapid fire controllers, modifying game saves / game data, and glitching graphic rendering to their advantage gets my approval, no matter the cost.
That's the best part about consoles: Everyone has the same hardware. The only advantage you can have in a game is your own skill and good QoS on your router.
@massmass
i really hope you don't own a macbook. cos that's exactly what apple does with their OS.
Jeff, Engadget was linking to iLounge, which seems to live apple products but HATE the company. They're always going for the worst possible spin on anything the company does. That article is wrong and completely filled with paranoia. Apple "required" their own headphones because they used one pin on the minijack (a 4 connector one at that), and singles had to be encoded to share that one pin. Some Apple dork called it an "Auth chip" and iLounge went off on that. Anyone can make headphones that work with the new Shuffle without paying Apple anything. You can do it with parts from radioshack, even.
Now, if you wanted to talk about Apple's auth chip in the video cables for the ipods/iphones, that would back up your point. I hate that Apple did that, requiring more expensive cables for something that shouldn't cost more than $10.
If you want to rip on Apple, fine, but get your facts straight.
singles/ signals
brrip, I'm on a macbook right now. Apple has never restricted what hardware I can use on this laptop. They've been a pain in the ass about the iphone/ipod, but they don't pull that crap with the actual computers. Get your facts straight.
So apple do this with the iPhone and you rejoice, yet microsoft cant? Fair...
No I don't believe Apple should be doing it either!
What exactly is apple locking out that any other phone company isn't?
@DoorsnotWindows: Apps from other sources than the marketplace?
Freaked Me out. I bought a second MU off of Ebay for cheap. I've spent the last two days looking for a contraband list and I cant find one. It looks real, has the sticker. I guess I'll move the data to the hard drive until Im sure. But F you Microsoft for making me freak out!
Well... it's good to know who not to buy from if I go ahead and get a console at any point.
What a seriously, seriously, seriously dick move.
That is unfortunate. Micro-sd adapters are great for everything.
Lol Xbox 360 users are constantly screwed over by MS and just keep taking it. Where do I start?
1. Monthly fee for xboxlive, but you get ads for products even though you paid for it!
2. $100.00 wireless adapter thats not built in, or cheap.
3. RRoD , that effects 60 to 70% (if not more) users
4. And now Ms locking you out of other services, just because they can't seem to offer them
Really wtf
Can you back up that 60-70% number? or are you pulling it out of your ass? I'm still on the same unit I picked up at launch. I'm not saying there isn't a problem with some units (my friend had units that RROD'd but they were modded so I'm not surprised).
1. $3/m a problem for good and reliable service?
2. Aww, too bad you can use the built in wired, which is more reliable and faster. Or if you absolutely need wireless buy a wireless router and set it up as a bridge. There, now you have 4 ports that you can use for anything in your media center.
3. You best backup your statements or you just make yourself look like a fool.
i understand that microsoft doesn't necessarily need to do this and that it shows that they are actually a for profit corporation,
but the truth is, that this effects the most minute of the 360 population,
infact if major nelson never posted this, some guy on some forum never heard of would have posted it once,
and nobody would have replied. and that would be the end of it.
im really going to file this under a non issue as of this point,
and if there's someone out there with these things that really think they have the right to expect it to work.
please speak up. remember, when this came out there was an article about it being unauthorized
and this is the same company that makes action replay / gameshark which are considered hacks.
I think I like in games ad if they are done correctly. It's good to integrate real life products into virtual world. It's truly exciting.
This is kinda following Apple's business model for certain products (iPod, I'm looking at you).
I feel sorry for people with "unauthorized" memory units but don't know they're unauthorized. Microsoft might be receiving a potentially huge backlash from their customer base here. Well, many consumers are complete idiots when it comes to things like this.
What about external hard drives? I use a 1 terabyte one for both the PS3 and 360.
Also as to the claim of sony locking out knock off PS3 controllers with 3.0. Thats false cause my buddy has two cheaper PS3 controllers that are not official PS3 dual shock controllers and they still work.
USB hard drives are still fine, they never let you save your games to them anyway, only watch videos, pictures, listen to music, etc.
on joystiq.
I'm still constantly amazed that that huge hunk of shit is capable of only 512MB (barely enough for the NXE, meaning those with Arcades can't do anything with them anymore), instead of the 4 or 8GB they can easily fit. EFF U MS!
this is stupid, and shouldnt even be there in the first place. why the hell cant microsoft use a REAL standard like the rest of the competition, like SD/SDHC? hell they dont even have to go that far! just let us use flash drives as game saves/storage mediums at the LEAST. absurdly priced accessories is not good for anyone but the company itself...and i wish the general public realized this and not have to reluctantly buy it having no other choice. :(
but of course, microsoft is "all about the consumer, giving them choice". riiiight. at least $70 for a wireless a/b/g adapter? $100 for the a/b/g/n adapter? dont even get me started. its 2009 for godsake. every console should have wifi built in, it seriously cant add THAT much to the price of the console. the wii, *most*/current ps3s, psp, and even the ds have wifi. forget about a/n, but at least b/g?
as for memory...microsofts absurdly priced hard drives take the cake here. the wii didnt/doesnt still really have a storage medium except sd/sdhc (not counting homebrew here), but at least those were cheap and readily available to buy. the ps3 lets you use any 2.5" hd and any flash drive/external hard drive you want for storage, and if you have the older models, any sd/cf/ms card too. 360? you have to buy horribly overpriced memory units (again, proprietary), or 20GB, 60GB, or 120GB hard drives. the msrp for the 60GB and 120GB are $99 and $149, respectively (for the average joe, not for us techies). you could go into any B&M store and see that their external hard drives for laptops/computers with at least 4x-5x more storage for that same price.
cliffs: even though they are a business and thats what business do to make a profit, microsoft seriously needs to bring the prices of their accessories down and stop overcharging people, but they wont because people still buy their accessories anyway because its the only choice they have.
bunch of commies
DO PEOPLE EVEN THINK BEFORE INSULTING? I MEAN, "COMMIES"??!? REALLY??? WHY NOT SOCIALISTS?!??
Actually this is capitalist.
Its amazing how many idiots who are out there who have NO idea what the definition of Communism is. Its like calling this a gay move by MS.....oh really. So MS is a homosexual. Seriously people. Is it any wonder why America is the joke of the world when it comes to its citizens. Too many idiots out there.
@John Doe.., kind of bold of you to jump on the idea that he is American. I would like to think we all have idiots in our various countries.
This + $99+ Wifi Adapters + monthly fee = the tip of the iceberg of reasons to buy a PS3
surely this is anti competitive and therefore illegal.
blocking fake products is one thing, but blocking 3rd party accessories? seriously.
Microsoft has done an abysmal job on the hardware-side on things with the Xbox name (both Xbox and Xbox 360).
I will continue to pirate Xbox 360 games, and buy the games I actually care to play online on for PS3.
"and let microsuck drown in their own greed" Nate (me)
if they were smarter they would just use regular old accessories and not official stuff, the people should have the option
Anyone that has followed the transformation from game platform to the visonary within the Media Center of the XBOX 360. I watch Internet Television and HD Netflix Movies and have purchased three (3) straight from the online service that is why your looking at locked memory. Pirates of software will always be the culprits and don't even start with Sony long time proprietory memory card that that are way more expensive than buying the XBOX Elite. Bill Gates is still watching his plan unfold and there are many of us who own all three units yet we play the 360 the most.
Lol Xbox 360 users are constantly screwed over by MS and just keep taking it. Where do I start?
1. Monthly fee for xboxlive, but you get ads for products even though you paid for it!
2. $100.00 wireless adapter thats not built in, or cheap.
3. RRoD , that effects 60 to 70% (if not more) users
4. And now Ms locking you out of other services, just because they can't seem to offer them
Really wtf
^^^^^ from someone else
i never realized they had to watch ad's besides that they already pay xbl and its not evena real servers but p2p connection
lol now we know assuming that 18million xboxes are all different ppl and not duplicate
around 5% of the US population cant defend themselves from getting screwed by major corporations lol
Sux to be a 360 user :P
This appears to apply to 3rd party memory cards that do not have an official Microsoft seal of approval, and possibly also the "hacked" 120GB internal Western Digital hard drives that users commonly purchase and flash to work with the 360 themselves for less than half of the price of the official one.
We won't know for sure until the preview program starts and some brave users with these devices test the waters.
Sometimes MS sucks so hard
What's that got to do with non proprietary mem cards
He's Microsoft approved.
Perhaps he's Microsoft approved?
Can GM tell consumers that own there cars they can only use "authorized" tires and charge us up the a** for them? How is this legal? I say we the consumers take them to court. The proprietary hard drive thing has bugged me from day one of my purchase.
who even uses unauthorized memory devices? Couldn't shell out that extra 50 bucks for a pro model and stuck with the arcade?
Q: "who even uses unauthorized memory devices?"
A: Cheapskate/casual gamers
That is silly BS to pull on customers. It's a good thing I don't buy their products. This is surprising to some degree though.
In other related news, in keeping with their other overpriced peripherals Microsoft will now charge $100 for a 512mb memory card.
There is no damn good reason to do this. Some people have paid a decent amount for 3rd party memory units, and MS had given no indication to consumers or manufacturers in the past that these would no longer work. All this will accomplish is to break customer loyalty.
I don't own an Xbox 360 yet (I'm not a true gamer) and this still infuriates me. In my brief search, Microsoft's unsultingly small 512MB memory module seems to be the single option. And then they charge an obscene $30 dollars for it when 2GB of flash memory can be had for under $10.
And any of the claims that "it has been exhaustively tested to work with Xbox 360 blah, blah, blah...." is a further insult. IT'S MEMORY!!!
I was wondering if the console was cheap enough for me buy yet ... I guess not.