Microsoft Pops A Cap In Cheaters Asses: Gamerscore Correction
Justice is a fair, but cruel (not to mention reasonably priced) mistress, particularly when it comes to the virtual scum that is the griefer or the just the guy/gal who wants his/her name on a leaderboard regardless of the means. Far too often have I seen an online game or match broken because of the stupidity of some of it's dumber players, ruining the fun, enjoyment and reward that comes from playing a fair game.
Well Microsoft have refused to sit back and watch such a thing happen (being the bastions of morality that they are), at least for it's gamerScore and Achievement system, by resetting all the gamerscores of all players found to have tampered with their "achievements" through methods such as gamesaves, which is apparently a huge no-no in their terms of use, to a big fat zero. A pretty fair punishment I reckon, but it's doesn't end there...
In addition to having your gaming penis destroyed, you'll also be quite literally labeled a cheater on the xbox.com community (as shown in the screenshot above) for all to see and on your personal 360 dashboard. Finally, you won't be able to gain any of the achievements you had before the banning, though you are able to redeem yourself on any future game you decide to play. Their reasoning:
We believe in players reforming themselves, which is why gamerscore correction only applies to previously earned achievements. This allows these players to earn achievements like other "fair" players without having to get banned from LIVE. However, any user who violates the LIVE Terms of Use is subject to having their gamertag banned.
Awww... aren't they sweet?
While I think that naming and shaming cheaters is a great idea and detractor to a degree, it doesn't address the problem completely. This is the internet, where usernames can be changed at whim. What's to say they won't just get another gamertag and repeat the process (unless they go as far as to mark the IP Address)? But, like Nintendo's recent monitoring of Mario Kart Wii, it's a huge step in the right direction for providing a level playing field to all.
The moral of the story: Be a good gamer and work hard for those points... or else! Tell us what you think!
Gamerscore Correction [Major Nelson]
[Via Gizmondo]
Mr.Mog!
Posted to Hot Stuff, Video Games on 28 April 2008
Other stuff like this: cheating, gamerscore
