I dont know where he got his info, but he is correct, the filesystem on the xbox dvds has been cracked, and the images have been released on the internet. The group doing this is called "ProjectX" but anyone who is into the console scene knows who it really is, the top group in console releasing. The images will completely work on a xbox developer unit, not the retail unit. Isonews is not going to add an xbox section until there is some type of boot disc or modchip, which in my guess i would say that is not very far away. The only drawback to this is the huge expense it would be to start downloading these. First of all, the images are around 2-5 gigs, which on a nice connection, is still a few hours downloads, and on a 56k, thats about 4 days of nonstop leeching, you could earn 50 bucks wiping dogs asses in that time. Then, you gotta buy a dvd burner (Its gonna have to be a ReWriter) and then the media is about 2-3 bucks each now. Anyhow, enough of my poor paragraph structure, good day.


-asc

You guys need to take a look at the DMCA. Just do a search in google.

It's a federal law that was passed about 2 years ago. It's really bad legislation, but it passed because not enough people knew what it was.

Among other things, the DMCA makes it illegal for any consumer to bypass any copy protection scheme. Possessing a backup copy of a movie or software that you don't own isn't illegal, but the process of making the copy -- if it entails using special software or any tools that breaks the copy protection -- is outlawed.

So MP3's made from regular CD's that you already own are legal to rip and encode. Most all DVD movies, however, are copy protected with Macrovision and CSS, so both analog copies and digital rips are illegal to make; even if you bought the DVD. All console video games are protected by some copy protection technology so the act of duplicating any of them is illegal.

great thread.. Ascenzion hit the nail right on the head though. the disc images are starting to hit the newsgroups already. it's only a matter of time... from the 'shrek' nfo file:

We tested this game on a developer XBOX, and it works. Since there is no mod chip yet, we have no idea if this release will work on retail XBOXes when/if a mod comes out. However, now that there is a release, a modchip developer will be inclined to get our releases to work, so we think a future mod will work with this release.

But this is the exception, not the rule. Most people who use "backups" use them in place of buying games. They either download them, or rent them and burn them. I know several people with PS1's and DC's that only have "backups," and lots of them.

The same is true of MP3s. Some people use them to see if they like something before they buy it, or just to get a song or two they wouldn't pay for otherwise. But the majority of people burn cds instead of going to the store and buying the actual album.

Sure the ability to play "backups" probably sold a good bit of DCs and PS1s, but that doesn't matter. Game companies make no money on console sells, in fact, they lose money on every console sold.

Games are where the money is made, and if people are burning games instead of buying them, companies are losing $50 a pop.

I do have to admit, when I found out you could burn Dreamcast games, I ran out and bought a system. I downloaded four or five games, but felt it was more hassle than it was worth. And this was back when you had to use the boot disc and swap. And I'm one of those people who likes having the original case and manual.

In my opinion, being able to copy XBox games is a little ahead of its time. It would take you 5 or 6 games just to account for the cost of a DVD burner and the media required. Not to mention the enormous amount of time it would take to download just one game and then burn it. Thats just my opinion.

Frankly, I am surprised it took them this long, if true.
It also disappoints me. As has been stated, the idea of backups, is not about backing up your games. I had a friend who would did multiple mod chip installs for the PS1 on our campus, and not one person did it for imports or backing up. THey simply wanted to rent and burn.

Now, most of those people were also not big gamers. So, even the games they got for free never saw much play time. BUT, just because they never intended to spend the money does not make the fact they pirated any better. It still hurts the industry, it is still an insult to the quality game developers. And, it should not be done.

yep, i knew it


now just gotta wait for the cube and the fun starts

belboz is correct.

According to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) passed in 1998 (HR 2281), you may not circumvent any anti-piracy measures built into most commercial software (including video games), and it outlaws the manufacture, sale, or distribution of code-cracking devices used to illegally copy software.

How can this possibly help MSOFT? As you state, they are losing money on the console right now, so most of the profits will have to come from software sales at this point. (Some comes from accessories)

If someone buys an XBOX because they can/will illegally copy games, just how much software will they buy? I'd say Zilch, so MS will never make money from that XBOX that is sold.

All that this will do is hurt the XBOX, so I really hope it will still be awhile before the XBOX will be pirated.

Is everyone here ignoring the developers? Do we think that they are going to actually want to produce games for a system that is being sold because they can be pirated?

Sure MS may see a surge in Xbox sales. But if that surge is from people that intendo to burn their own games, or buy burned games then its going to hurt MS. Developers are not in a box somewhere and only know the user base number, they know what's happening and if a market is made up of pirates they will be unlikley to support that market unless there is a large base that doesn't pirate.

Seeing how MS doesn't have a huge user base I could see this hurting MS in the long run. In addition many people that bought the Xbox are PC gamers. They are probably as a whole more advanced and also may look to burn.

I guess you have not read any of the follow up posts....ok, I'll re-state.

Although it is true that there will be a few cockroaches out there who will never buy a legit copy of any games if it is hacked, the vast majority will buy a XBOX with the intention of getting a few hacked games. These people will also buy legit games (as posted by numerous people above)

An excellent post listed how it usually works.
1. Hacked games come out
2. Sales of the console skyrocket
3. Pirate copies make the rounds
4. People get bored/tired of the hack process and start buying legit copies
5. MSOFT is happy.

I also did not buy a new console until the DC was hacked. I went and bought a DC but also metro Street racer, Crazy Taxi, Bass Fishing, and Ceasars casino (legit copies) Then went to the warez sites and learned how to burn. I Found a few things I wanted to try and burned a disk. Did this to about 5 disks. Let me tell you the final results.

Sega (or game companies) sold me :

1 Console $100.00
1 Xtra Controler $20.00
1 Fishing Controler $30.00
3 Memory Units $45.00
2 Rumble packs $30.00
1 S-Video hookup $15.00
1 Controler extention $10.00

Games

MSR $50.00
Crazy Taxi $25.00
Ceasars palace casino $20.00
Crazy Taxi II $35.00
Bass Fishing $20.00
Qbert $15.00
Ready 2 Rumble boxing $15.00
....and a few others I cant remember

GRAND TOTAL $430.00 + tax and sometimes shipping
Not too shabby for a system that was dead and I only bought because games were now able to be hacked.

The "backups" that I got?
Only one turned out to be a keeper. The rest were played once
and then thrown on the pile. So how much did the one game cost sega? Lets say $40.00. How much did sega/developers get because I thought I could hack the system? $430.00

My example is not extreme. I have several buddies who did the same thing with about the same results. Some used a few more pirated games, some never even DL'd one because of the hassle. It is a huge pain in the arse to download images and burn the disks. Most of the time you have no instructions or their is a glitch somewhere. The majority of this stuff is done because people want to know if they can hack, not to play games. It gets old real quick.

If their is a crack for XBOX, I think it would spark interest in the console and generate more sales of all things related, including legit games. For me, I have no interest in it anymore. I would rather read reviews or rent a game and try it that way. Far less hassle.

Bullsh1t. Your generalizing all people who pirate software based on your own experience. I know tons of people that only played burnt games on the PS1 and Dreamcast. It's not a hassle. If you have broadband you DL the disc image. If you don't you pay $5 to blockbuster or other rental chain (less to a mom and pop place) take it back and burn a copy. Pretty simple (if you have a burner and a modded system) and many think the "hassle" is worth not paying $50 for games.

People that use backup just to try out games, or get sick of the "hassle" and eventually start buying all games legitimately are in the minority, not the majority as you imply. The "cockroaches" are the vast majority.

Whatever Josh,
I know that you believe that your own experiences are the only ones that matter. I just told you that the majority of people that I know had this same sort of experience. Keep your assinine comments to yourself if you are not willing accept other peoples point of view. If you happen to hang out with a bunch of 16-year olds that have nothing better to do then crank out pirate software all day, then keep it to yourself.

I'm not a fan of pirating, but I do believe that their impact is VERY overated. 90% of people who own systems do not have the slightest idea of how to pirate or where to even begin getting the stuff. Hell, most people cant log on to their ISP's without getting out a cheat-sheet.

So save your self-rightous crap for the rest of the PS2 fanboys you love to chat with and stop attacking other peoples posts.

Give me a break. I don't even own a PS2 and I'm 23, so I definitely don't hang out with 16 year olds.


Your the one baseing your argument on your own experiences. I'm basing them on facts. Look around the internet at all the sites you can find on pirating, and message boards that allow the discussion of pirating, look at the black market for pirated games in hong kong and other places.

The majority of people using backups use them completely in place of buying games. It's a cold hard fact.

Sure some people use them like you and your friends, but that is the minority. And it's still wrong. Having a backup of a game you wouldn't have bought is just as bad as having a back up of a game you would pay for. If you aren't willing to pay for the game, you either rent it, or don't play it. Otherwise your no better than the "cockroaches" as you are still stealing.

Your using the same argument many people have used for MP3s. "People I know just get live stuff and try out stuff before buying." Sure, many people do this, but the majority of people use MP3s and quit buying CDs.

That's driving the knife in! I have to say I totally agree with you. I know people too who all they do is play burnt copies. Then I know people who find it so cool that they can burn their own copies, that the next thought is that they can make a business out it. I know people who sell "backup" copies for 5 to 10 bucks. Would you like a list websites selling this stuff to prove this point? Not that I'd give you the site but you could easily find a ton of them on the web now.

Let me explain my hardcore stance against pirating. I know it's off the subject but it has a point to it. I use to work with and manage local rock bands. When these bands got signed to a record deal, the band would think wow! our money suffering days are over. Wrong! The band would make under a $1.00 per album sold, usually around 50 cents. It gets better than that, they wouldn't see a dime until the record company recovered their costs for the album which was in the thousands, usually at least 10 thousand. Here's the band out doing everything they can to support their new album, playing clubs for free, just to get their music out their. Maybe one guy would buy their cd and then burn copies for all his/her friends because no one wants to take a chance buying a cd from a new band. In the end, maybe 5000 copies would sell but their would be 20,000 burnt copies circulating because everyone figured that it didn't hurt anyone. What about the band who just spent their lives making the best music they could, giving up any other life they had so they could go on tour, and spend 16 hours a day in a studio to in the end not see a penny! In other words, if you want to go burn copies of something, why don't you send a that guy who spent a good amount of his/her life, not seeing family, not out playing video games, dedicated to this project a $1.00. Yes, it's the publisher or the distributer who makes the most money in the end, but that artist or musician really counts on every sale! I know, how about those big bands that are making millions...let me tell you, there's a very small percentage of that when you look at everyone who is signed to a contract. You'd be surprised how many bands you hear on the radio that are still working part time jobs or struggling to scrape some money together. I'm just asking for people to think before they go out and burn copies, distribute them on the internet, or do anything else illegal with them on who they hurt in the end. It's not the big guy, it's the small guy like you and I who's trying to make a living.

1. Pretty much all systems are hackable.
2. Pirating is illegal.
3. The ability to pirate X-Box games may lead to more sales of the system or it may have no effect. Microsoft may benefit from this by selling more game systems, or they may get hurt by losing sales on games.
4. Whatever the case, you guys need to chill out. Many of the posts in this thread are personal attacks or borderline personal attacks. Things like "Bullsh1t" or "fanboy" are unacceptable here at DVD Talk.
5. Closing thread.