920°

Man Loses Xbox Account To Thief, Gives Thief Virtual Smackdown

Kotaku writes: "On Sunday night, Eric Graff put his son to bed. He flipped on his 360 and got ready for a session of Borderlands 2 with some friends. But when he tried to log onto his Xbox Live account, the password wouldn't work. His account had been hacked."

yesmynameissumo4218d ago (Edited 4218d ago )

Yet another reason why I don't pay for Xbox Live. Or use a 360. I feel for the guy though. This seems like a huge, unnecessary hassle.

maniacmayhem4218d ago

I've been on Live for years and I have never been hacked. I know hundreds of folks that have never been hacked also.

These incidents while sad are few. Reading the actual article and the link inside the story it sounds like a lot of the problems stem from the actual MS support staff.

What they suggest and what I do is have a seperate account for 360. I have a seperate credit card and account I use only for 360/PS3/Wii.

HammadTheBeast4218d ago

I think that this is on the minds of many...

Cool Story Bro.

Tell it again.

KingMe424218d ago

Im PS3 and most of my friends are PS3 and none of us have been hacked. So yeah not a valid point seeing as even after the Sony hack those that did have credit infromation didn't notice a change.

Also noe how most of the free players didn't need to worry as much since they (like me) not once used credit information cause we didn't need to in order to play online.

maniacmayhem4218d ago (Edited 4218d ago )

@Kingme42

"So yeah not a valid point seeing as even after the Sony hack those that did have credit infromation didn't notice a change."

It is valid, anything you do online you should have a separate account. You don't want to put your main credit card or main account number on various gaming sites. These sites may be secured but they are not reliable to have the best security for this type of information.

"Also noe how most of the free players didn't need to worry as much since they (like me) not once used credit information cause we didn't need to in order to play online."

Ha, come to this site, try to be civil and just pass along information without being bias to one system and you always have to get at least one fanboy who has to throw some not needed remark.

Okay let’s play then.. well I do pay for a service because I like the service MS provides. Because of this I have taken extra precautions in making sure my money and identity stays safe while I enjoy my personal service of choice. And notice how I said I have never been hacked so I'm not worried.

Edit:
I just typed in "My PSN account got hacked" as
sofresh412 below suggested in a google search and suprisingly there are a lot of QandA, youtube and sony forums with these same problems over the years.

TreMillz4218d ago

"GenericScreenName and 2 more Reply
Did I miss the smackdown? I feel like I missed the smackdown."

LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

linkratos4218d ago

I'm pretty sure the PSN fiasco is the reason I had to switch credit cards. A couple weeks later some guy was using my account to buy stuff at Walmart on the other side of the country. I'll never know for sure but it's made me a lot more wary about paying for stuff online, or worse keeping my card number on account.

fr0sty4218d ago

It is important to differentiate between "hacked" and "phished", and sadly few sites bother to do that sort of thing. Rather unprofessional really, as it falsely implies that the security threat was on the side of Microsoft, and not just a user being duped into giving up their info. I'm no fan of XBL, but let's be realistic here people. If you're going to be a journalist, you must remain professional about it.

vega2754218d ago (Edited 4218d ago )

@ maniacmayhem

Its funny how sonyfanboy try to make it seem like only Xbox live accounts get hacked that when you do a search of psn account being hacked you also find that they are also getting their accounts hacked also. And even as far back as 2008. How convenient they don't want to put that out there also. Not only was the psn network hack but so are peoples accounts also.

Sonyfanboys swear no ones credit cards was stolen. But many people don't come to gaming forums and Sony's wouldn't tell anyone if they did. But even when people do say they had theirs cards misused the automatically are told it wasn't because Sony's network hack. Funny how they have an excuse for that,but theirs no excuse for live

I would love to hear how they spin that or will they just hit the disagree button and pretend its just live members

Godmars2904218d ago

Why do people feel the need to defend things like this by saying "Its never happened to me"? That's not the point.

The point, much like being part of a group charging a man with a single shot pistol; if you're the one who gets shot, you're the one who got shot.

PantherDST4218d ago

If there is a website dedicated just to selling stolen Xbox Live accounts, this problem is way larger than it appears on the surface. Knowing 100 people who have not been hacked out of several million accounts is not a good indicator of security.

My account has never been hacked so there must not be a problem right?

BertlSenix4218d ago

I could hack you - The way to do it is fast and known for years.
Its pretty easy on Xbox360 - I saw people get hacked a lot in previous FIfa Version(could be done with any other game too but you know in Fifa Ultimate Team who could have good stuff that is worth to steal).
But i just stole the game cards > Not the creditcards or the M$ points cause you don't have to be a complete asshole right?
But hacking is so easy on Xbox - Microsoft didn't do shit against it in 3 or 4 years now cause they still think they are flawless and its the fault of the gamers or the fault of the game company.
Its kinda funny - For example EA Sports said they made 43 Million§ on 360 over the last holidays thanks to the people who stole Credit Cards and Points to buy cards in Fifa12.
PS3 is btw unhackable in that way - You surely can hack it but you have to be an ultra nerd with 1337 knowledge.
The 360 stuff is hackable by 5 year olds.I think there are even YOutube videos that show how you have to do it.

edgeofsins4218d ago

But it is pathetic. XBox Live offers no better security then any other free service and no insurance but you have to pay for it.

Godmars2904217d ago

No, they offer better security for themselves. Better than Sony has shown anyway.

They need to show that your information is safe with them so that you and others will give your information. Otherwise with XBL's semi-required nature would have utterly failed as a business model.

Though as is when things fail on your end of their security measures they become a hindrance to you in fixing the problem.

+ Show (9) more repliesLast reply 4217d ago
dedicatedtogamers4218d ago (Edited 4218d ago )

It's sad when ANYone gets hacked. What needs to happen is companies (XBL, PSN, Steam) need to move away from the model of a strict DRM-controlled service (yep, Steam is DRM in case you thought otherwise) and instead focus on stricter login/account requirements. Steam happens to be on the right track: when Steam detects you're on a new computer or a new IP you're prompted to "confirm" your info via the email you've registered. Or you could use some sort of questionaire (like, list 10 random games with 3 of your own account-registered games and ask "which of these games have you purchased with our service?")

Bladesfist4218d ago

anymore than what steam gets and it becomes annoying for us people who keep our accounts secure. The biggest issue atm is people using hacked info from sony and the other big gaming hacks to check against other accounts. GW2 had a big problem with this.

ChunkyLover534218d ago

So because someone phished or guessed this guys password, that is why you don't pay for Xbox Live? People throw around the word "hacked" like its going out of style. (Mostly thanks to inaccurate movies and television shows)

Phishing and key logging can happen to anyone, at any time. I get phishing scam emails every day, like the ones that say there is a problem with my Runescape, WOW or Diablo 3 accounts, all of which I don't even have. I've even gotten a pretty legit looking one from Paypal saying my account would be suspended if I didn't enter my info.

The point is, you have to be careful when you use your password. Anyone can be phished, but as far as being hacked, Xbox Live hasn't had any problems with that, you can even use Paypal, which assumes all responsibility if someone does get into your account.

YodaCracker4218d ago

Finally, someone who knows what they're talking about. Well said!

silvacrest4218d ago

i have gotten that paypal one 3 times now and yeah, it looks real legit

where the scammers failed is where they said my account was suspended, i always just login to my account to see for my self, no suspension = scam

CaptainPunch4218d ago

Sad to see you get disagrees because of all the PS fanboys in denial.

TekoIie4218d ago (Edited 4218d ago )

I think that people are using this as an MS trashing excuse.

It isnt about who gets hacked more but about who can fix the problem best and honestly when I've called customer services for either Sony or MS i have gotten nowhere...

4218d ago
Christopher4217d ago

***but as far as being hacked, Xbox Live hasn't had any problems with that***

Not true. You could hack Live accounts through the Web site. The issue was that you could do brunt force attempts on passwords since Microsoft previously allowed you to 'reset' attempts to login to an account just by going back to the original login page. This was changed when it was pointed out to them during the mass account thefts earlier this year.

Otherwise, I would agree that most people lose their accounts through phishing, key logging, or using the same password across multiple sites (those sites themselves tend to get hacked).

Dee_914217d ago Show
jadenkorri4217d ago

@ ChunkyLover53

"The point is, you have to be careful when you use your password. Anyone can be phished, but as far as being hacked, Xbox Live hasn't had any problems with that,"

maybe you shouldn't post that stupid comment on an article specifically saying xbox live account hacked.

@ GamingFeud @ StreetsofRage @ crusadernm
MS still has problems with hacking since launch, just the same as any other company. It may not have happened as big a scale/media frenzy as sony, but MS still has problems with hacking even today.

+ Show (6) more repliesLast reply 4217d ago
geddesmond4218d ago

My brothers account was hacked and it took MS 2 months to sort it out

badz1494218d ago

maybe it took MS 2 minutes, not 2 months and it didn't really happened! /s

geddesmond4217d ago

You gotta love the internet and sensitive fanboys. Sure I lied about this because I thought it would start an interesting comment lol(sarcasm). Fangirls and their need to cry over anything aimed at their precious consols. If I was gonna lie about something I think of 100 better things than that. Fools grow the hell up

ChunkyLover534218d ago

You and your comments are the perfect example of what is wrong with this site. 20+ agrees and counting because you said you don't pay for Xbox Live because someone had their Live account Phished.

Xbox Live has never been hacked, to the best of my knowledge only Sony has ever had any true hacking done to their online service.

This site is a damn joke.

yesmynameissumo4218d ago (Edited 4218d ago )

U mad?

This shit with Live has been going on since 2006. Almost 7yrs of it should be enough for anyone to be weary. Random account theft is no "little" thing. I've spent 6yrs earning trophies, as many other gamers have spent years earning achievements. If my account was jacked and I had to play a game of ring around the rosie with Xbox support to get nowhere, I'd be pissed. The fact that the same thing had been happening for YEARS to others would only pour salt on the wound. Now, if that upsets you and your overly dramatic sensibilities, I'm fine with it. If the site is a joke, why are you here again? Go away. It's a win/win.

@AO1JMM
Your PS3 account wasn't hacked either. Just sayin

@OneAboveAll
It's up now, got free games and wasn't out a dime. *cough*

AO1JMM4218d ago

I have had Live for years as well and not once was my account hacked in any way. PS3 on the other hand....

just saying.

KingMe424218d ago

I have had psn for years and the funny thing is i never used credit information at all...so even if i am hacked all i loose is my data, my bill is safe since psn free doesn't force me to pay to play

badz1494218d ago

so, you're saying that since your account never got hacked, Live itself is not hacked thus all these people are just lying about their account being hacked? get off the high horse already as the world doesn't revolve around you! be grateful it doesn't happen to you but there are poor souls out there who got hit!

My PSN ID never got hacked too and I still got my credit card account on it even during the downtime! so...the hack was a lie too ha? It wasn't!

OneAboveAll4218d ago

Still better than live being down for months at a time due to hackers. *cough* PSN *cough*

I'v never had my account hacked.

calis4218d ago

Really?

Having your information stolen, your financial information stolen. The hassle of cancelling all your credit cards associated with the account with the banks is BETTER than not being able to play online for a month?

really?

REALLY?

idiot.

LackTrue4K4218d ago

It's up now, got free games and wasn't out a dime. *cough*

SegataShanshiro4218d ago

@onyoursistersback yeah cause ps plus doesn't cost a dime right?

awesomeperson4218d ago

@Andree

I think he was referring to the 'Welcome Back' package that all accounts were given regardless of being a Playstation Plus member or not. So yes, he got free games and was not out a dime.

Regardless, I have Plus and find it is more than worth it considering the amount of *rented* games I get (the whole not owning argument doesn't bother me considering I plan to renew my subscription as long as the benefits keep rolling).

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 4218d ago
OhMyGandhi4218d ago

@ yesmynameissumo

really? obviously your not going to pay for xbox live if you don't have a 360.

this stuff rarely happens.

hotrider124218d ago (Edited 4218d ago )

I have none of these problem of hacking i never play online games from PSN. so, therefore hacking is not a issue with me. also use pre-paid credit cards. if they want to steal from pre-paid go right ahead.

TheRealHeisenberg4218d ago

So why even bother coming in to MS/360/Live threads then? I know why. It is the same reason all of those that agreed with you came in. Same old N4G, still smoking my product.

r1sh124218d ago

There seem to be soo many misconceptions here.
Its not as if the accounts were accessed on a server where the hacker managed to get the server to output the password.
Its a more simpler form, I.E Go on this site for MS points, log in with your account for authentication.

Its like soo many people in this thread are saying
"Ive been on ps3 for years - not hacked"
"Ive been on Live for years - not hacked"

This is a small problem but its not as sophisticated as many people assume, its phishing scams, and forgot password techniques.

This is not a big problem, its a small one but MS can always do more and act faster (the support staff can).
Its also some users have pretty terrible passwords, the best passwords tend to not be words have upper and lower case, numbers and symbols.

neogeo4218d ago

yep. My N4G account just got hacked and some ahole logged into my account and gave you a disagree and a minus -1bubble then reported you as spam. Damn hackers!

lonesoul654218d ago

whole PS3 network was downed...it can happen to anyone...anytime. No reason to start a console war over it. Sadly it is just the world we live in. And people think cloud computing is a good idea? Were in trouble...

+ Show (10) more repliesLast reply 4217d ago
Emilio_Estevez4218d ago (Edited 4218d ago )

Gave him a smackdown, but the thief still has his account....I wouldn't really call that a win.

A-Glorious-Dawn4218d ago (Edited 4218d ago )

And this guy had his account stolen before, last year.

Now is this guy just an idiot who is not cautious? or are Xbox Live accounts just easy to gain access to?
ForumKorner would suggest people have gotten quite good at pinching accounts..

2 accounts lost in 2 years and none
retrieved. I'd be livid..

EDIT: It seems Kotaku was wrong about ForumKorner, they commented on the article

"Yet another false claim to my website. Try doing some proper journalism like real bloggers supposed to do. We do no allow sales of stolen accounts on FK, and do not allow any illegal material their either. We allow sales of Xbox accounts however only your own account/s. That breaks ms terms of service but is not close to illegal. The user was banned as soon as we found out the account was in fact stolen, just like we ban anyone trying to sale someone other than their own account/s. We are not mind readers, and we do not make assumptions such as you, therefore proof is needed in order for a ban. The only website that should be reported, if not sued is you guys for giving my forum a bad name only because you cannot do proper research. The last article you made about my website my attorney was contacted, and will be again. I have called, emailed, and posted before with no replies. Your professionalism is terrible."

I reserve judgement on that website.

TekoIie4218d ago (Edited 4218d ago )

Thing is he is basically saying this:

"We dont allow it....... but it could have happened in the past since certain people might not have been able to prove they are the legit owner of an account or not have known it was being sold there".

Still dont like him for allowing the sale of accounts. He damn well knows that some will be stolen.

specialguest4218d ago

If you read the comments on the Kotaku site, the hacker insaneyo commented and claimed to have sold it too. Seems like a win for the hacker if true.

wane4218d ago (Edited 4218d ago )

This is just a minor incident

yesmynameissumo4218d ago (Edited 4218d ago )

1 hack with virtually zero impact afterwards vs. daily, weekly, monthly account hacks. Sorry man, I'll take the 1 hack.

BlackTar1874218d ago

Ill take no hacks both suck

XB1_PS44218d ago

Search "My psn account got hacked" tell me what you see.

Reverent4218d ago (Edited 4218d ago )

@sofresh.... Lol, as if you couldn't type in the same thing about an Xbox account... God, it's like you're saying that as if you're implying that ONLY results regarding PSN accounts being hacked exist, when in reality, the exact same amount, if not more, will indeed show up if you switch out "PSN" with "XBL".

XB1_PS44218d ago

@Reverent I was replying to this statement

"1 hack with virtually zero impact afterwards vs. daily, weekly, monthly account hacks. Sorry man, I'll take the 1 hack."

He was making it seem like the only time anybody's account had been compromised was that single time. I said nothing about xbox. My account has been hacked on Xbox before.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 4218d ago
ziggurcat4218d ago

where's your proof that anyone's PSN account got hacked?

because the only thing that was ever stated about that incident was that there was the *possibility* that people's account *may* have been compromised.

the fact is that there have been *ZERO* reported incidents of people's accounts/CC info being taken over/used maliciously as a result of what had happened, and yet this is one of the many reported incidents of people's XBL accounts being hacked/stolen.

get your facts straight before you start trolling, buddy.

Simco8764218d ago (Edited 4218d ago )

As a PSN user, about 3 months after the hack someone in Korea used my CC info to run up a cell phone bill and pay for cable services. I believe it's the direct result of the PSN hack. If I want to buy anything on the network I buy the PSN cards at retail stores.

I would advise anyone on consoles to do this...Xbox 360 and PS3 alike.

On a side note: The article states that his account was hacked before....so it wasn't just one time *for all the Xbots out there, bubble me down ahaha YOU CANT!

DragonKnight4218d ago

@Simco876: Two reasons why your story is B.S.

Reason 1: CC numbers were encrypted. No way would hackers decrypt it in 3 months.

Reason 2: Sony set up an insurance fund of up to 1 million dollars for each affected user of the PSN hack. You're telling me you didn't go for free money to cover your alleged losses?

Credit Card fraud happens every day to millions of people. Don't try to place blame just because you were a victim of something pretty much everyone goes through.

Statix4218d ago

@wane:

I've had my PSN account for 5+ years, and I've never once had it hacked or stolen. *Knock on wood*

Besides, your passwords and credit card info were encrypted in that big PSN hack a few years ago, so there's no evidence that any personal information was ever actually stolen or used for illegitimate purposes.

ALLWRONG4218d ago

Every PSN account got hacked when PSN got hacked.

Millions vs thousands

cruxito4218d ago

same here, 5+ years no even once... but you know the haters are gonna denied it.

PSN hack was big bc it was like the Holy Grail for Hackers, so you had all these long time professional hackers attacking PSN at once, and even with that it took them quite a long time, however, NOTHING was comprise, and SONY even gave us free games.

X360 on the other hands is been hacked ever since it came out by average hackers, and microsoft dont give you nothing,

KingMe424218d ago

A minor incident that happens a few times a week in all of USA

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 4218d ago
rajman4218d ago

So where is the virtual smackdown?

ThanatosDMC4218d ago

Yeah, i dont understand... he still got jacked.

tiffac0084217d ago (Edited 4217d ago )

I know right, they didn't even caught the thief. The thief even had the gall to claim he works for Xbox.

Sorry for the spoilers but the title is very misleading.

4218d ago Replies(3)
Show all comments (122)
280°

Xbox's Preservation Step Sets A Much-Needed Example, Especially For Nintendo

Hanzla from eXputer inquires: "If Xbox can care about preserving its games and legacy, what exactly is wrong with Nintendo, trying to kill game preservation single-handedly?"

purple1012d ago

Ahh yes the good old game preservation of saving all your games to a removable hhd on the Xbox 360, taking it round your mates house, setting up multiple tvs to
Be met with “save data corrupted, please re download”

Or how about removing 360 games
From the store
, download them now or else, and, better hope to god that save data doesn’t corrupt, or it’s lost for ever

Nice one ☝️

Zeref1d 23h ago

It's better than what Nintendo and Playstation is doing. It might not be perfect but at least they are TRYING. Unlike the others.

DarXyde1d 22h ago

Trying? Take off the blinders for a moment, mate.

1. A failure to preserve games is just that: a failure to preserve games. Don't try to sugarcoat it: NO ONE is doing it properly. Better than awful is nothing to write home about.

2. At the time of this comment, isn't it the case that you need an internet connection to play Xbox games even if you buy physical discs that are hardly in circulation anymore? I don't have a Series X and I can't verify, but I think that is correct. I'm fairly certain you can at least play PS5 games at version 1.0 (not much of a win really when many games require day one patches). I think Microsoft's all digital, licensing approach is by far more aggressive than anyone else's. They really try to push you to game pass where you lose your entire library by umm.... Skipping a month of payments.

I don't think anyone is doing it right whatsoever. Don't get me started on Nintendo, who goes after anyone looking to preserve their games better than they ever would with extreme litigation.

Don't be a simp for any of these companies. Get it together.

PhillyDonJawn1d 22h ago (Edited 1d 22h ago )

@DarX never speak on Xbox again. You lost all credibility with your internet connection comment. Smh you have 0 clue and misinformed yet speaking on something you don't no squat about.

Einhander19721d 21h ago

What has Sony done exactly? You guys keep deflecting to Sony but I am not actually seeing any results, and ai am certain nothing that you can come up with even comes close to what Microsoft has done and what they have tried and failed to do, like tie all your disks to your account on xbone.

Microsoft removed their whole indie section when they moved to the xbone because they were going to only allow games on the service that came from a publisher, id@xbox started after xbone launched and it only exists because Sony embraced indie and Microsoft was forced to cancel their plans and reverse course.

And every single game that was part of games for windows live including disk games (I have gta 4 on disk that won't work) so hundreds of games that use that DRM no longer work unless the company themselves patched it out which of course very few did.

MrBaskerville1d 20h ago

Not trying. Tried. they killed of the backcomp program years ago. They set something up again, but sounds like it's more of an attempt to save the current library on whatever they are planning next. With luck they save everything and more, but let's see. I could see them killing off parts of the OG xbox and 360 libraries. Can't imagine that they would allow us to play Forza 5-7 in the future.

With that said, I do like what they've done and really wish they could have done more.

shinoff21831d 12h ago

Zeref

So killing off physical media is trying what exactly. Ms don't really give a fk if you think they do your kidding yourself.

Profchaos1d 11h ago

They are not trying this team is established for forward compatability the team is. It interested in preserving Xbox or 360 games.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 1d 11h ago
isarai2d ago

Is that why Hellblade 2 is digital only?

Zeref1d 23h ago

Just because it's digital only doesn't mean you can't preserve it. Just put it on an external and you have the exact same functionality of what a disc does.

MrNinosan1d 23h ago

Guess you're trolling, but if you actually think that's how it works, I'd recommend buying some braincells.

mkis0071d 3h ago (Edited 1d 3h ago )

Volitile vs nonvolitile data. A disc will not corrupt either. A drive can be corrupted.

Einhander19722d ago

This is just a scammy PR move to distract from the fact they are going digital only and trying to push streaming and subscriptions only.

No gaming company has pushed harder to remove ownership than Microsoft.

Without discs there is no preservation, preservation can't be done by the rights holders it can only be done by the consumers, anything else is a lie.

2d ago Replies(3)
Einhander19722d ago

Anyone remember xblig which Microsoft removed their whole 360 indie section removing hundreds of games from people?

2d ago
2d ago
Zeref1d 23h ago

Do you know you can put your games on an external and preserve them that way? There are no benefits to discs. ZERO. Idk why some of you are still obsessed with them.

DarXyde1d 22h ago

Because games like Persona 5 exist. It's STILL V1.00. On Playstation, that's a win because 1.00 is installed on the disc—no need to download anything.

If a game does not require any updates, it's all on the disc.

Extremely low bar in the modern era, of course. It's not much of a win by any stretch.

But for now, physical media does have a purpose, at least on Playstation.

Einhander19721d 22h ago

That is factually not how game licensing works, try plugging your hard drive into someone else xbox, It's not going to work, and it won't work if the licensing servers ever go down.

Einhander19721d 22h ago

Anyone remember games for windows live.

I have around a dozen games, some on Steam itself that will not work because Microsoft shut off the licensing servers.

BehindTheRows1d 21h ago (Edited 1d 21h ago )

I do. I STILL have games (Gears of War being the big one) I cannot access because Games for Windows LIVE is total garbage and no one has held Microsoft accountable.

Zeref1d 20h ago (Edited 1d 20h ago )

You don't have an Xbox apparently. Because you can 100 percent plug in your external and play games from it on any Xbox console lol. You just have to be logged in to prove ownership.

Chevalier1d 18h ago

"You don't have an Xbox apparently. Because you can 100 percent plug in your external and play games from it on any Xbox console lol. You just have to be logged in to prove ownership."

Damn how many times do people got to explain your idiocy to you? You can take a copy of Persona 5 like someone used as an example and play that game on ANY console WITHOUT logging in which means I can lend the game to a friend without internet and they can play my game. Can you lend your hard drive to anyone without logging in for them to play? NOPE. That is a huge difference and if you think otherwise then sorry you're an idiot.

Tacoboto1d 20h ago

"No gaming company has pushed harder to remove ownership than Microsoft."

Ubisoft is literally erasing games people bought from their libraries... My PS1-3 discs are useless on modern hardware. Nintendo's re-published and resold almost their entire Wii U library, and the eShop is completely dead with no BC mechanism in the Switch software. Microsoft publishes everything they make today day one on Steam and Xbox/Windows. Sony only brings to PC the titles they think you might want some years later and Nintendo won't even design a functional long-lasting joystick.

You're absolutely trolling and not serious if you think Microsoft today is the worst offender.

shinoff21831d 12h ago

Yay steam

Not everyone fks with computers though. The disc is still the best way as a console player. Period.

Tacoboto1d 10h ago

How do Sony and Nintendo feel about these discs from 2001-2013?

Don't be stupid, you know Xbox is the best at this today.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 1d 10h ago
Hofstaderman2d ago

Nobody wants this. Sales or the lack of it in the case of XBOX is very telling. I wonder how the adorably all digital series X will fare. Adorably dismal perhaps?

crazyCoconuts1d 20h ago

Only time will tell, but for from someone like me suspecting that Xbox is trying to gracefully exit the console market, that "forward compatibility" team is trying to get Xbox games playing on Windows PCs. I mean, it's nice that they're not planning on exiting with a "enjoy your games while the hardware still works" message, so that's nice. They still have a brand to protect via Microsoft so probably feel obligated to have a better exit strategy.

Xeofate1d 17h ago (Edited 1d 17h ago )

That is not their plan, their plan is to transfer users accounts to the cloud.

Phil Spencer himself said as much a few months back, plans could have changed but I think people are reading way too much into one statement where Phil said he would allow Epic on xbox because he wants to be able to sell xbox games directly on other platforms. Aka, instead of selling Sea of Thives through PSN he wants to have an xbox store to sell his games on PlayStation without giving PlayStation any money.

Again, it's extremely unlikely that Phil plans to put PC on xbox and licensing would prevent them from just giving out other publishers games purchased on xbox copies of thier games on PC, Microsoft does not own their games.

crazyCoconuts22h ago

The thing that doesn't align with the cloud strategy is the giving up on exclusives. You'd still need strong exclusives for cloud streaming - it's still a "platform" , just with a lower upfront hardware investment. I feel like they've learned what PS learned with PSNow long ago. We're not ready to stream games and it's only gonna lose them money to try at this point

FinalFantasyFanatic1d 6h ago

I would love that, I'd buy up some of the Xbox games if they could run on PC, like the Rare Replay, Lost Odyssey and Dead or Alive Ultimate, probably a pipe dream though.

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370°

Could Xbox Soon Become The Next Dreamcast?

Microsoft's future in the video game space is murky right now, so let's break it all down.

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thegamer.com
ApocalypseShadow14d ago (Edited 14d ago )

Not anytime soon. But they're on that path.

One thing not mentioned in the article is Microsoft's money bags. If Sega had Microsoft's money, they would have still been around as a hardware manufacturer. Xbox as a platform only survives because of the money bags. They can continue making consoles for the core and port to PC.

The multiplatform strategy is only the result of arrogance and misguided leadership that blew up in their face. They thought gamers would jump on Xbox in droves if they knew that many of their favorite games would be only on Xbox. But that's not happening at all. Sales didn't increase. They decreased. Why? Because the dumb asses thought giving away these expensively made games in a cheap service would also turn the tide.

Gamers on other platforms are willing to buy quality. They don't need to be handed nearly free games in a service that aren't even finished and sometimes average in their development. Gamers buy Nintendo games. They buy Sony games. Microsoft groomed their base to not buy games. Even the quality ones. It has always been their plan to go digital. But most gamers still like single player gaming. Still like physical releases.

Microsoft's problem has always been that they don't produce high quality games at the same output as Nintendo and Sony. Actually, they should be producing quite a lot more because they're worth over 2 TRILLION. How they don't have more is ridiculous and no excuse. Buying publishers to take away from competition only backfired. Because it still takes millions of dollars to continue to make those games from the publishers they snatched. Their only choice was to crawl back to their competitors to help sustain those developers because Nintendo and Sony platforms were the ones buying games.

Am I sorry for Microsoft? Hell no! They deserved last place for putting in the least effort. They deserved the fallout for buying up the industry and didn't make a single blip on the radar against their competitors where they now need those same gamers they took away games from to support them. Part of it may have been to cash in on their competition. But the result is the slow death of their platform. They may go 3rd party. They may keep making hardware. I don't give a shit about them to worry about it. I only give a shit about the destructive nature of their industry moves that only negatively affect gamers. They could sell and drop out of the industry and I wouldn't blink. Probably laugh. But not blink. They deserve whatever comes to them. At least Sega put in the effort when it came to games. They just had poor leadership. Microsoft has poor leadership and barely makes memorable games. That's a killer combination. And not in a good way.

Cacabunga14d ago

That would be an insult to Dreamcast.. it had a crazy line up of legendary critically acclaimed games.

Crows9014d ago

I was thinking the same. Dreamcast had incredible games in such a short amount of time. It was truly exceptional.

darthv7213d ago

...and yet all those great games were not enough to sway people from the looming release of the PS2 at the time. Sony just has that kind of brand loyalty.

Cacabunga13d ago

Darth

I do not agree.. Sony had even better games thanks to an unprecedented 3rd party support..
DC had amazing lineup but 90% were arcade games..

88313d ago

@darth:
And Sony showed off "The Emotion Engine" and their real time demos that made everyone think they would miss out on REAL next gen 128bit magic if they jumped in before PS2s polygon pushing monster (and early lack of anti-aliasing with a healthy heap of shimmer + DVD playback) stepped up. PS2 was a fantastic system though with amazing games.

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blacktiger14d ago

That's not true. Just because Microsoft has the money doesn't mean Microsoft can allow xbox to bleed entire Microsoft money. It doesn't work like they. Also SEC will be watching and investor won't allow it. Lot of reasons why Microsoft can not continue even if they wanted to. SEC regulations is expensive.

fr0sty14d ago (Edited 14d ago )

Exactly this... Microsoft is a publicly traded company, mostly owned by their shareholders (Approximately 59.24% of the company's stock is owned by Institutional Investors, 7.73% is owned by Insiders and 33.03% is owned by Public Companies and Individual Investors.). Their shareholders call the shots on the business decisions, and their shareholders want one thing and one thing only, for their stock price to go up. Losses do not make stock prices go up... so if the division continually posts losses on hardware, but shows profits on software and services (which has been the case with Xbox its entire lifespan, for over 20 years now), the shareholders are going to grow impatient and demand they stop making hardware and focus on the only thing that has ever made them money, software and services.

When Microsoft bought Blizzard and Activision for almost 100 billion, I knew that was the nail in the coffin for Xbox as a console... as the shareholders were going to expect a quick return on that investment, and when it didn't materialize, they were going to be out for blood... out to force Xbox to sell those games on as many consoles as possible, "and while you're at it, sell those first party exclusives that aren't selling well on other consoles as well... hell, just stop making consoles and sell games."

If there is another Xbox console generation, it will definitely be the last, but I doubt there even will be one at this point. I think the Xbox division planning on it just in case, but I don't think the project has been greenlit from Microsoft itself. The rumors that they have not yet even secured the chips needed from the chip fabrication facilities ties into this.

shinoff218314d ago

While I usually agree with you . Alot of what was said can just also be asked before any of that.

How long will the shareholders wait? It doesn't appear long at all

Babadook713d ago

I think I get your point. Like just because MS has money does not mean they are content to throw it away on a dying ecosystem. Xbox has to be profitable or “what’s the point?”

ifinitygamer14d ago

Money bags, yes, but are we ignoring that Xbox actually makes a profit on games and GamePass? Hardware is often a loss leader, and they're probably making profit 4 years into the life cycle, but games and services revenue have been very profitable while other parts of Microsoft's business is struggling. Say what you will about the quality of those games, of course, but this is kind of a reverse Dreamcast situation, where the console was dragging down the company and put it at risk of shuttering entirely. Killing that console saved the business and allowed it to continue to make games on multiple platforms. In this case, the service is very profitable, as are the games, and they're also double-dipping into Multiplatform to extend this further, while their hardware is just sort of what they believe to be the best for gamers and their own titles (whether that is the case or not...)

fr0sty13d ago (Edited 13d ago )

The issue is, they aren't selling enough hardware to make their exclusives profitable, and now that they've bought half the gaming publisher/dev industry, they have no choice but to go third party to make a profit... and that is making their shareholders take a real close look at their hardware division under the microscope... why keep making the hardware if the software is all that is making them money, and they continually, generation after generation come in dead last with hardware sales?

Look at a game like Spiderman 2... if it had been an Xbox exclusive, with the amount it cost to develop, it would have been a huge failure... simply not enough consoles out there to sell it on. They would have been lucky to break even.

ifinitygamer13d ago

@fr0sty agreed completely, which is why they're hedging by releasing other games to multiplatform, plus they have PC to make up for the difference in a lot of ways, which is why their games are not complete money pits. It brings up the question of whether or not those exclusives would drive sales of consoles, though. Let's say Spiderman 2 was an Xbox exclusive, it would certainly have pushed console sales, though who's to say how much is anyone's guess.

fr0sty13d ago

That's why you can't rely on just one exclusive, Sony has always delivered on a wide range of solid exclusives, even this generation (even if they haven't been strong on the first party exclusives, they've made up for it with third party). They don't rely on just one "system seller", they have a portfolio of them.

13d ago
JBlaze22613d ago

ApocalypseShadow To be honest Sony has more of a chance to go 3rd party because like you said Microsoft has money, Sony does not. Sony does not have games, Only games they have come from 3rd party. Sony has been losing money for years and you. Saying Microsoft has been putting the least effort just proves you have no idea what's been going on. All Sony has done is repeat and recycle, never innovating or doing something new. All Sony has is brand loyalty nothing else and it shows.

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LG_Fox_Brazil14d ago

Not sure about that. It's been two decades and I still think about Power Stone, Shenmue, Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio, Seaman and others, but I'm not sure I'll remember Xbox Series X/S games in a few years from now... Maybe I'll remember about the franchises that the Xbox brand spawned, but I don't believe that the Xbox Series lives up to the late Dreamcast or even to the Xbox name itself. I do have great memories about the 360 with Blue Dragon, Gears 2 and Lost Odyssey though

isarai14d ago

Nah, sega actually makes good games

Becuzisaid14d ago

No, Dreamcast was ahead of it's time and most still have very fond memories of it that had one. It also had some good games on it even in it's short lifespan. Xbox has none of these qualities.

Profchaos14d ago

I remember it coming out at the time in a really bad place they hit the market before the PS2 but it was during this transitional time when Sony was promoting the power of the PS2 and so many of the Dreamcast games were awesome but often third parties simply ported the PS1 version increased resolution and performance but rarely fully utilise the capabilities of the console.

I think in the end bad marketing done it in and like the GameCube so many people are fond of it now but at the time it was looked at in the lense of the day and it didn't stack up.

Personally I miss Sega in hardware they took risks that many companies won't

Becuzisaid14d ago

I never owned it, and got the PS2 right when it launched. But there were certain games it had that I was always jealous of that I didn't have access to - Sonic adventure, crazy taxi, power Stone, code Veronica, shenmue, skies of Arcadia. I always thought it was a really cool machine though. I've never heard a bad thing about it though from those that had it.

FinalFantasyFanatic13d ago

I only ever saw one Dreamcast, and that was one my friend owned, pity I never got to play it, I wonder what games he had for it?

It would be nice if some of those games got ported to modern systems.

Profchaos14d ago

Oh man sonic adventure on the Dreamcast made me so jealous as a huge sonic fan on the mega drive who also moved to PlayStation 2 I never got the chance to play it back in the day either. The Dreamcast in Australia where I am was always relegated to the smallest corner of EB Games it was kind of a strong first indicator that things were not going well at the time.

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80°

Microsoft Rewards app on Xbox and weekly streaks to be killed off soon

Microsoft has announced the Microsoft Rewards app on Xbox will be discontinued in April and has confirmed that weekly streaks will also be coming to an end.

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trueachievements.com