Big Shocker: Microsoft Banning Halo: Reach Pirates

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Microsoft surprised a bit of everybody when they publicly listed Halo: Reach on the Xbox Live Marketplace early for an impossibly high price. The purpose of that was to allow media outlets easy access to the game for review purposes. Some pirates somehow got access to the game without the 25-character download code – and while they boasted about their achievements in message boards – their Xbox 360s have been banned.

Those who are having their consoles banned by Microsoft are receving some very stern e-mails from the tech giant:

This email is to notify you that your Xbox LIVE account privileges have been permanently suspended due to illegitimate prerelease title play.

Your conduct was brought to the attention of the LIVE Enforcement Team through the course of our operation of the service. The LIVE Enforcement Team has reviewed the evidence regarding this conduct and determined it violates the Xbox LIVE Terms of Use and/or Code of Conduct. Because your conduct is in violation, the Xbox LIVE Enforcement Team has issued a permanent suspension.

During your suspension, you will not be able to log into Xbox LIVE. Your Xbox LIVE privileges will not be reinstated.

We suspect that a lot of these pirates are already used to do the idea of having their consoles banned. According to website MaxConsole.net, both their console and their gamertags are being banned, which is a pretty steep punishment for these pirates.

This isn’t the first time that Microsoft has done such a thing for people who played pirated copies of games. In fact, it’s standard operating procedure for them. And, previous statements by Stephen Toulouse, Xbox Live’s head of policy and enforcement, they can tell if you played a game early because you bought it before the street date from a Wal-Mart or if you pirated it illegally with a modded Xbox 360.

Remember, Halo: Reach, Bungie’s last Halo game is coming September 14th and looks to be quite the spectacle. Probably the fall’s most anticipated Xbox 360 game.