Datel reportedly looking to 'remedy' Microsoft's lock-out of unauthorized memory units

This brouhaha isn't officially on just yet, but MaxConsole has what it says is a letter from Datel's UK distributors, which details the company's response to Microsoft's locking-out of unauthorized memory units in the upcoming (and currently previewed) Xbox 360 dashboard update. While it's a bit short on specifics, Datel reportedly says that it is "aware of the changes that are required to remedy this problem and will shortly release a solution in readiness for this potential update." In the meantime, it's apparently telling retailers that they can send back the affected memory units if they like, and promises it will replace them with updated units in time for the dashboard update.

[Dustin F Posted Oct 28th 2009 7:26PM]

I have to say, this does point to a glaring inferiority the 360 has against the PS3.

Even the original XBOX had a hard drive. The PS3 lets you trade them out. PS3 users spend tens of dollars on hundreds of gigabytes, and Sony doesn't see a nickel of that (except through more purchases on their store... probably a lot of them).

But MS learned that this is a great way to make money. Peripheral sales aren't thought on very hard by most console buyers. They see the Console price and don't consider wifi or storage or online fees or even game price. MS made a solid move. That's why I invest in their stock and not their products.

[atm94404 Posted Oct 28th 2009 6:28PM]

There was one upside to Microsoft's exclusive control over peripherals- Rock Band/Guitar Hero controllers. Activision originally tried to block GH guitars from working with Rock Band. Sony rolled over and played dead for Activision (probably because they had no legal leverage), but Microsoft pointed to the peripheral licensing agreement and said "no you can't". Any piece of software has to be allowed full access to any peripheral on the 360, so you could in theory play DDR with the Big Button controller if you so desired. PS3 owners only got to use GH controllers because it looked bad that 360 owners could do something their PS3 brethren couldn't, so Sony negotiated with Activision. This is a case where Sony's lax attitude with peripherals came back to bite them.

[Dustin F Posted Oct 29th 2009 12:05AM]

Is this a serious comment? All my instruments are from diff games and work with diff games on my Ps3. You're talking about some short term little problem that Sony or someone fixed up just fine, and you're doing it because you have no defense to the fact that in THIS battle, the battle of storage, the PS3 is so much better than the 360 that you've got absolutely no choice but to dredge up irrelevant, untrue, and dumb points.

[JBaker Posted Oct 29th 2009 9:35AM]

When a 120gb hard drive costs almost the same as the console, how do Microsoft expect the 360 to be the media centre they want it to be?

This is surely staring them in the face. PS3 offers so much more for someone looking to stream media and store media on standard hard drives. Microsoft just launched full game downloads from XBL. Who on earth is going to upgrade their hard drive, spending hundreds to do so, just to download a game. And at the end of it all, they don't even have a physical item.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 4th 2009 1:56PM]

ERM,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, So is Microsoft going to get away with this ( I hate to say they is/will), Problem is, what happens if they decide to do this with their Operating systems..............................
Coz technically they can do it, but i gues they would'nt like to take on the might of all hardware developers, so just wondering do they really want to take on the buying public and continue with this ( oh yes, they do), coz they in the business of making money (monoplies, argggggg),. Personally I hate MS , someone bring back AMIGA OS to run naitively on PC hardware,............ Even NASA wont use MS, says something I beleive ;).....

Mike