Forthcoming Xbox 360 update locks out 'unauthorized' memory units
By Donald Melanson 
posted October 18th 2009 6:50PM
posted October 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]
This is fun fodder for the Internet tar & feather crowd but let's face it -- if you've already spend $300 for the console, another $100-$200 on software (or more), and maybe $50-$100 on accessories buying a first party memory unit isn't a big deal. People should understand by now that Microsoft is not a charity or non-profit. They are a FOR PROFIT company. They don't do much out of the kindness of their warm little hearts. If they are in a good position in any given market they will turn the screws on their customers for a few extra bucks. People can complain all they want but ultimately in this market Microsoft is producing a product people want and they will do what they're told to get it. (sad but true)
Maybe if 60gb hds for the 360 weren't $98 people wouldn't have to resort to buying knock off equipment.
I'll stick with my 20gb hd, IMO it's microsofts and game developers loss, because with 20 gigs, that's means i have to buy game discs, not downloads, thus i put used games back on the market.
This sucks. I just bought a Memory Maxx and I think it is awesome. There is no way I can get all my game saves on a 512MB MU! I have 3 XBoxes and I need a 2GB MU to take from console to console. This is what I get for buying multiple systems? Thanks MS.
This is another reason why I stick it to the man every chance I get
Well, you really shouldn't blame MS for this, they are protecting their business and their license-partners..
You should blame the producers of those 'knockoff'-cards as they released a device without the proper license..
Why didn't I buy a PS3?!!!
http://www.techflash.com/seattle/2009/10/microsoft_cracking_down_on_unauthorized_xbox_360_memory_units.html
According to that, MS have confirmed it's only targeting memory units that plug into the front of the console, not unauthorized hard drives. Phew, just hope it's true.
I didn't know people used memory cards. Everything has been on my hdd for years
I find it amazing that the 360 dosnt have at least 500gb in it - hard drive prices are cheap cheap cheap it must be hard work for MS to keep finding these low spec drives :)
This doesn't seem that bad to me... How many people use a memory card? And if you do, you only need to buy one. If they are bringing out features that require the memory card to be to their specs, it makes sense to disallow unauthorised cards; they shouldn't have to develop more code to handle these 'fake' memory cards.
Just because the technology is freely available and can be hacked, it doesn't mean that the compant has to support it. Much like with hackintosh's, you can install OS X, but have to deal with things not working quite right, or having to do a little extra work to get things working correctly. Thats the trade-off, pay full price -> everything works, pay less -> work to get everything. Just an example, don't turn this into a Apple vs. anything else argument :)
The XBOX environment isn't something you can easily replicate with off-the-self components, and noone complains that the contents of that cream/black box is overpriced. Just because you *can* get the components elsewhere doesn't mean that the company should support them.
If this is a monumental ball break for people, the hacking community will be up in arms, and within a day or two there will be a new method to use your unauthorised memory cards.
so people with these 3rd party memory units will not be able to load the old save games? Game Over? That's ridiculous- come on MS Fanboys if this were Sony or Apple doing this, you'd be bulging a vein in your forehead about consumer rights.
What is Microsoft going to do next? Make everyting propriatory, hike the prices, or even make a licencing scheme where you have to pay per month to use their storage device?
They had a history of monopolizing the market. I still remember the anti-trust suit against Microsoft before on their windows operating system.
I tell you one thing: Making a firmware that doesn't allow you to use third party storage devices for the system is not only unfair, it's anti competitive. It's just another one of those thing that the greedy big corporate giants can do to rip customers off and force them to buy only their gadgets to work on their systems.
Microsoft doesn't care about Xbox 360 owners.
http://accidentalninja.net/post/217272675/microsoft-doesnt-care-about-xbox-360-owners-and-what
what would this mean for people using unofficial hard drives hacked with hddhackr?
This is only targeting memory cards. Seems the "hacked" HDs will pass. I believe they are cracking down on the hacked game saves and gamerscore tampering, which MS bans for,...
Its more like MS = 9204 Consumers = 0
I really doubt this is the worst thing MS has done. Theres nothing worse than knowingly creating an inferior system that scratches your discs or dies on you, having a 54% failure rate (most likely higher than that). Sometimes I think the world is flat and you would fall off the edge of the world.
Oy vey! Make note to self... never, ever buy an MS game box, ever! WTF!? Do they at least come with a offically licensed bottle of Microsoft Lube by KY? What happens if i use Astroglide to ease the pain instead?
Petition to keep this from happening
http://bit.ly/2pVtXq
Imagine if Toyota or Dell did this. No aftermarket parts or ONLY Dell memory sticks were allowed... mass hysteria.