Just got my free Halo:Reach from FedEx a few minutes ago. If you're in the dashboard beta, yours should be arriving soon as well.

My buddy told me he got his by 8:50 this morning. Nothing for me yet, but I also have the GameShark.com RB3 MIDI adapter coming via FedEx today so I may be lower on the priority

Not that I'll probably play Halo: Reach...

Ugh.

I am in the beta and have the new update. My console has started overheating and I am going to have to buy a new one.

That isn't a huge deal (although I am bemoaning the outlay of cash and wish I could find a deal on a 250gig system without Kinect) but now I am concerned that I will get a new system, transfer all my hdd contents over, and be locked out of Live since the new console's ID# wouldn't match what the beta would expect.

I ignored the call for the dashboard beta because I don't give a shit. Didn't notice that there was a free game involved.

Don't let non-beta friends borrow the free Reach. The beta would be forced on them, and they would be blocked from Live until the update goes public.

Just because you're in the beta, your XBL profile isn't locked to that console. You could always play on a friend's console, so I don't know why you buying a different one would be any different.

I guess you didn't read the beta Terms of Service - you are contractually obligated to play 20 hours of Halo: Reach each week of the beta. If you don't, you lose ALL of your gamerscore.

That may be a fucking blessing.

Well there is a form that specifically is set up to change your console ID within the beta. It is supposed to be in case you sign up for the beta (with one console ID) and end up sending your console off for repairs and get a different one back.

I am assuming I can use that form for my situation. I just hope it works out since I would hate to be locked out of Live until the thing goes... well live.

Either way I am suffering a little withdrawal. If my BR player didn't have the ability to stream Netflix I would probably have the shakes right now.

I guess I don't understand why you think you'd be locked out of live just because you sign into a different console. It's no different than going to a friend's house with your profile on a thumbdrive.

I'm sure somebody will find away to accomplish this. A Reach-around, if you will.

With the beta it acts a little different. If somehow the update gets on someone else's console that shouldn't have the update yet then they are locked out of Live until the beta is released publicly and they are "allowed" to have it. I remember people getting stung by this back when the NXE was testing since folks wanted the update.

Right, but that's applying an update to a console that isn't allowed.

You're talking about moving a profile to a non-updated console.

The profile isn't targeted with the update, it's the console ID and S/N. If you sign into a different console, it won't be affected.

I don't know what's going on, but I'll assume that both of you are completely wrong.

Does this mean somebody can give me a reach-around?

But I wouldn't be simply signing in. I would be using the transfer kit to move all my DLC, save games etc. from my 120 gig hdd to the new 250. That is why I assumed the update would be applied.

I will probably just end up doing it and seeing how it works this week. Right now it overheats before one multiplayer match of Blops ends... so I'm already effectively locked out of Live. At least with a new console I could play single player games.

edit: And to Gramps' point - it is probably a safe assumption that, in general, I am wrong.

Possibly but I *think* that the data on the hard drive is not where the OS and its updates live. I would bet that it won't matter, but I'm not going to tell you how to live your life, ok? You do what you do.

There's only one way to find out: message everyone on your friends list and ask.

Not necessary. My DVDTalk PM box is already filled to the rim with offers!

I wondered why my message bounced.

My disc just arrived

Also, I don't think you can use the Reach disc on a non beta console either, lest that console be locked out as well. That's what it says on the disc anyway.

I put the disc in but it didn't prompt any updates. I think everything was included in the update the other day.

So, you just play Halo Reach and that's it?

You don't see any difference?

We have to assume that the disc has the new security format so just the fact the dashboard can recognize the disc should be enough.

Bingo.