Microsoft lose $1.2 Million Due to Code Exploit

Yesterday afternoon a website started offering free Microsoft Points. I sure you if you type “free Microsoft Points” into Google you’ll still get pages upon pages of websites saying you will get free points if you just fill out 4 surveys and give them your social security number. This time, this really was a site giving away free Microsoft Points.

[FailOverHero]

He he he...i tried but I was too late, it was fixed by the time i heard of it.
That ought to teach you for making people desperate for xbox live. Free is free and people will always want that.

[DiRtY]

I gladly pay for Xbox Live. It is worth it.

[Joule]

No, it's not.

[The_Ultimate_Guy]

Oh yes it is.

[Ducky]

It might be worth it... but it kinda looses value when you can get a similar service for free from elsewhere.

[Izanagi-no-Okami]

Ignore El Jugador, he is a well know PS3 fanboy in the forums.

[mushroomwig]

Personally I don't think it's worth it, and I can say that after being a gold subscriber for nearly 2 years before switching to the PS3.

I say personally because opinions differ.

[BiggCMan]

You can't tell people its not worth it, who the hell are you? It may be more than worth it for some people who actually use all the extra features like Netflix, Facebook, Last.fm, and whatever else there is. It may not be worth it at all for someone who only wants to play multiplayer games. It is different for each and every one of us.

[MiloGarret]

At least Jugador is honest about it.

[winflasher0]

So if online play was free for silver member ship would you still par for gold? I know I wouldn't.

[TheDeadMetalhead]

"Xbox Live is worth it."

"No it isn't."

"Yes it is"

"How is it worth it?"

"Because it is."

"..."

[Perjoss]

"but it kinda looses value when you can get a similar service for free from elsewhere."

Not really, with PS plus they are starting to put more and more stuff as plus timed exclusives, so if you want to play some of the newer demos you have to pay, not so free after all.

[teething]

Hmmm... strikes me as an easy thing to track...

"who used the code?"

"here is the list sir"

"ban them! Make their 360 a paperweight!"

"Done sir."

[blumatt]

Exactly, man. If Live Silver allowed people to play online multiplayer, and all Gold did was give you Twitter, Netflix, Facebook, LastFM, etc. then hardly anyone would pay for Live Gold.

I mean, who would pay $60 a year for access to all those services when it's free on your computer, PS3, and every other device? That's why I'm a Silver member.

[DlocDaBudSmoka]

ps+ is sharable, so it only costs one person, if they share. can you share ur xbox stuff with other ppl, and still be able to purchase stuff on ur system? thats a legit question, i dont know but would like too.

[Sitris]

PS plus is a totally different service, can't be compared to xbox live for the simple fact that it is a games service.

If xbox live silver was online gameplay enabled it would be a similar argument. But plus gives me games every moneth, it is a game service, I still have online play free of charge. If xbox live silver was enabled for online play, would you still pay for gold, I hardly doubt it, features for it are not as abundant as getting discounts, free launch games, minis, classics, dlcs, avatars, themes as well as acces to almost all betas. Gold doesn't do all those things, it is primarily a online service, which you must pay to play online. If it didn't offer online, it would be a niche service, like plus is, for the hardcore only.

[No Way]

Explain to me how it's not worth it?
Everyday things you pay for should be free.
Some of these things you pay for could be free.

Yet.. are they not worth to be paid for? Yes.

[MisfitSmurf]

Its really not worth it, unless you want to play the other half of your game, which everywhere else lets you do.

[Brash_Attack]

37 agree, 37 disagree. We have come to nothing...

[duplissi]

@BiggCMan

you are correct, but only if that person ONLY has a 360, and not a blu ray player, tv, ps3, tv connected tablet, pc, wii that can do all of those extra services for free.....

granted not all tvs and blu ray players can access netflix/last.fm/facebook - but almost all sold today can.

[Kazu0 Hirai]

they lost 1.2 million? serves the cunts right

[kreate]

Playstation Plus - gives u a bunch of games and entertainment content via the PSN. as well as discounts up to 50% for subscribing. u get to keep those games too. the ones u buy.

Xbox Live - gives u the ability to play ur games online via the Xbox Live by subscribing to the gold membership for 60 bucks.
basically for 60 bucks. u dont get anything.

both PSN and XBL gives out free stuff every now on than via special events or just for the heck of it regardless of the online status.

EDIT: how can u thumbs down this comment?
isnt it the truth? or u cant handle the truth?

[Redgehammer]

I recently signed my family up for the Family Gold Plan, and the final tally for 15 months of XBL for 4 people came to 90 bucks. A price that you could say struck me (in the vernacular of Bill S. Preston, Esq. and Ted "Theodore" Logan) to be most excellent! XBL is a service, I have established multi-year friendships through its use, and most of all my son's and I have a fantastic time incorporating gaming into our active family time.
Worth is such a subjective topic; one that illuminates just how interesting the differences between human beings can be. However, from the moment I typed my first Load "*",8,1 I knew that PC gaming was worth something to me. And, I carry that love, and value for PC gaming still to this day. In 2004, imagine my sadness when after 21 years of steady enjoyment; a series of unfortunate events made gaming, from in front of a monitor, difficult and unpleasurable. Then, in 2007, my best friend, who ironically was always the "inferior" console gamer, introduced me to the Xbox 360 and GRAW 2, I was hesitant, but having had been away from gaming for a while, I was impressed a game could look that good on a console. Then he handed me what then, and still is the very best controller I have ever used, and I was hooked. I have been a happy owner of my own 360 since May 2007. As I mentioned, I am grateful, grateful to have a platform to game on that works for me, and as I've said , and I will keep saying it, I love XBL! It reminds me of a distilled, yet not comprehensive, take on PC gaming, and that is definitely worth something to me.

[ShinMaster]

/end sarcasm

[kreate]

PS3 has cross game chat.

[YodaCracker]

With a statement like that, I would love to see El Jugador's Xbox LIVE gamertag. Haha....

[radphil]

What I find it funny is that those defending Live neglect to mention any difference than the 5 out of the 6 platforms that don't charge you to play with others in terms of multiplayer.

People don't need Last fm, Facebook, etc on the console. Multiplayer DOES affect the purchase of the game.

How do you justify that?

[AntiHeroComplex]

"I gladly pay for Xbox Live. It is worth it."

It is worth it to pay for an internet connection which you are already paying for? Tell me... when you go to supermarket do you check out then turn around and check out again so you can pay twice for the same thing? How about when you are getting gas?

no? Then why pay for internet twice? Doesnt make any sense and all of you know it. Stop defending it at least. You pay because MS forces you to, and instead of making the sane choice and swapping 360 for ps3 you pay year after year.

Heh to each his own, i prefer to pay my bills once (or in this case not pay at all).

[Masterchef2007]

After switching to PSN XBOXlive isnt worth it to me. Cause i always had horrible conenction issues with XBOXlive but never had any with PSN. I mean with PSN i stream music videos all the time in HD and with XBOXlive i couldnt stream any videos at all without it skipping like crazy.

[Kurt Russell]

I am happy paying for live have done for 6 years. It's affordable and I spend many hours playing games online. When I decide it's no longer worth it, I will simply stop paying for it... shocking eh?

Nerds on this site can rage all they want, if it's not this it's some other inane pointless shit that in the grand scheme of things matters none.

[Vherostar]

its worth it to play online?? Why should you have to pay twice?? You already pay your ISP why pay MS too? You don't pay on your ps3/wii/pc/DC/ps2/gamecube/mac /linux/mobile/iphone do you? I seriously say to anybody if they made online play free and just charged for the other gold features would you pay and nobody could seriously say yes they would pay.

[radphil]

@Kurt Russell

Then explain why you spend away $60/yr on a feature that is free on 83% of the platforms?

5/6 for those that don't know math conversions.

Instead of just GIVING money away to them, companies contest for your service. If you don't question them, they don't change things that NEED improvement.

That's why GFWL for example is just low on the PC scale, because they tried to be cheap and scam people the same way they do to the console users. They tried it with Shadowrun, and they did not get a warm welcome for that, when people came to their senses and questioned why should they be paying on top of a game, where literally hundreds of other ones don't for a utility service that you already pay for to begin with.

[Active Reload]

It's not worth it if you don't have a 360...duh.

[paintsville]

"Mandatory" firmware update incoming!!!!! OH NO wait....that's PS3...oops sorry. Nevermind. OH my "Mandatory" 5 gig install for Mass Effect is almost finished on my ps3!!! Hey wait...I played this game on my 360 without it even having a hard drive?? What gives all mighty ps3?

[Theonik]

Not to me it's not. I get a better online experience on Steam for free. Besides that i am not paying a $60 extortion fee to use the online services i bought with my game.

[Zydake]

"...and give them your social security number."

HEH! yeah right.

[KingZFlipper]

@DiRtY

I agree with you. I pay approx. 40€/year of XBL. IMO it's a better service than PSN. Not saying PSN is bad or anything, it is also a good service. Just saying I like the features that XBL offers in Finland compared to what PSN offers. OK, PSN is free but still... That's like i would compare WoW and a normal shooter. The shooter's online is free, whilst WoW is about 25€/2 months

[Gamer_Z]

@DiRtY

Lol Thats what Microsoft wants you to think

[ChrisW]

BiggCMan,

DAMN 'well said!'

And remember, there's also PSN+. If you use everything that it provides, it is also DAMN well worth it.

[No Way]

Why pay for satellite to watch tv and shows..
Just to turn around and then pay for HBO?

Same thing. You want the extra services.
The examples you used were weak. Try again.

@Vherostar - Uh. You do pay extra to use features on your phone?
Some phones charge extra to send big files.
Some charge you for time on the internet..
Some charge you for minutes to talk on your phone.
Some charge you to send a regular text message.

Weak argument.

[Kurt Russell]

@radphil
I pay for it because it isn't free on Xbox, and if I don't pay I can't play. It's not fucking rocket science, if I didn't enjoy it I wouldn't pay for it.

I have a Playstation and a PC but neither have the games I am most addicted to... so are a moot point.

If you feel it's not worth paying your $60 to play, then don't pay for it... And if you're not paying for it, why the fuck are you poncing about on a message board raging about it?

[showtimefolks]

plus free psn if playing for free came with sliver i don't think many will pay for gold

facebook
twitter
espn

all free on pc plus tv

[Masterchef2007]

I think that for the majority of people who have gold. They have it for the online multiplayer. Which if you think about it since its not based off exclusive servers or anything should be free like PC and PS3.

[ChronoJoe]

Online MP and cross game chat I'd imagine.

[Mizz_mai]

This topica about xbl's worth always annoys me because xbox fanboys can never be truthful the TRUE QUESTION IS,if silver accounts would let us play games online for free would we still upgrade to gold ??

[FunkMcnasty]

No, why would we PAY for XBL service if silver allowed access to online MP for free????? What i don't understand is why the hell other console owners care if xbox players are paying for their online service?? Does it affect you personally if you don't own an XBOX 360?? What's the point in just being a flaming troll about it? Everyone needs to shut the F**k up and just enjoy whatever console they prefer and not worry about what other people are doing.

I actually prefer the Xbox Live service over PSN, mainly because the connection and servers for MP seem to be stronger with less lag than I've found on PSN (at least in my local area where i live)... Having said that, I DO wish XBL was free, but in the meantime I think it's worth it to shell out $60/yr for a solid connection.

So the short answer to your question: NO. 85% of xbox live users would likely NOT upgrade to a gold membership if silver allowed online play.

[dragon82]

Maybe because other console owners also own a 360. The thing that annoys me the most about this site is that most of you people think that everyone owns only one console like you do. The fact is there is a very large group of us that own them all and care what happens on all of them.

[Mizz_mai]

@Funkmcnasty above
Whilst you make good points,why other console owners should care is that if one company is successful with a pay-to-play online business model....others will copy simple as that and playstation plus is a prime example of that.

Nintendo probably dont charge because online gameplay isnt a focus for the wii as that isnt what it does best.

And whilst connection are usually better on xbl than psn,my gold sub just ran out and my boyfriend lets me play his ps3 online and now it just seems silly to renew my gold membership.

[xTruthx]

i think that people forget that you could stream almost everything if not everything with the ps3 browser. There are sites where you can download music,tv shows and movies directly to your ps3 for free. So basically your paying 60 bucks for p2p servers and c/s

[ChronoJoe]

I've seen these code generators work in the past. For XBOX live. Never looked into it for PSN.

Never used one on either, though. As stated the majority don't work... but this isn't the first that has.

[Solidus187-SCMilk]

I ended up not even playing it because im not too interested in fable.

Why do you people give a shit whether each other think live is worth it. $60 is worth different amounts to some people. Some people pay $60 for some shit ass games or pay $100+ for lame collectors editions, I don't care what they buy, you shouldn't either.

I use all online services and pay for live on and off. It shouldn't cost money but I've gotten my money's worth when I due buy some months tho.

[Mystogan]

Smells a little fishy to me.

you can't get 160 MS points.

I call Fake on this one.

[alex3369]

well i got 2000 microsoft points sunday night so yea its "Fake" just dont tell ms haha. btw the reason why it was 160 is becuase it was a promotion from microsoft.... hence why xbox.com was manipulated to giving out these codes! its like they shot themselves in the foot.

[MrBeatdown]

Don't tell MS? A little late for that.

That's like going to the bank, robbing it, then when they hand you the money, telling them to deposit into your account.

[YodaCracker]

Don't be surprised the next time you log in to Xbox LIVE and receive a message that you have been banned until December 31, 9999. I can't wait to check out the Xbox LIVE Suspensions and Bans forum to laugh at your post along with all the others!

http://forums.xbox.com/Show...

[Soldierone]

I would of done it once, maybe twice but to get 2000 points lol. IF MS is capable of tracking this at all, the easy targets are the ones that added too many points that day. 200 100 160 ....2000 ban him!

And by the sound of it, this is a "promotion" so either way its an easy track list.

[LunaticBrandon]

Suddenly they all get banned and MS smiles as they buy new accounts and maybe even 360s.

[SixZeroFour]

thats what i was thinking...i bet all they are doing is finding a loop hole to be able to either gt ban them or console ban them, then thatll make up for some, if not all, of what they lost

[Flexatron]

Or they buy a ps3 because they are tired of paying for online and having no exclusives aside from kinect shovelware.

[Brash_Attack]

I saw this one on the xbox360iso.com. Apparently there were a few generators

EDIT: The site added a screencap as proof.

[Injust07]

A friend told me about this one. I was too late to jump on it.

[StarScream4Ever]

My money sense says, "thats not alot"

[kudakadere]

IP ADDRESSES , just saying

[rodellison]

just what i was thinking.. hope those that took advantage made sure they did so from an ip address other than where their Xbox resides :)))

[alex3369]

why they were giving these out basically. the only logical thing they can do is revoke the points. also what about all those people who bought these on ebay? a seller was selling 160 for 1 dollar so i bet quite a few jumped on that. i think ms should let it go, i know that sounds bad but it seems like it would be worse to fight it. also 1.3mil is NOTHING from a huge corporation like them. consider this a reward for everything we already pay for?

[B1663r]

Dude, 1.3 million dollars is 1.3 million dollars, just because they are a big company doesn't mean it has less value to them...

[JiggaJ]

Where is everyone getting 1.3 mil from? The site said 1.2

[skrug]

@B1663r

that's only 200,000 of xbox live gold (at $60) subscribers

[Solidus187-SCMilk]

MS DIDNT DO SHIT TO ME WHEN I DL FABLE 2 FOR FREE WHEN THEY MESSED UP BEFORE.

I followed the link, and clicked on it when it said free. But MS had fixed it and it wouldnt let add it to my que and wanted money. I went on my xbox and selected it under Dl history or whatever, and It DL the full game for free.

Its possible that they let it go but this is a little different,

[ugabugaz]

It's just so hard to change your IP address, man oh man. Derp. It takes a little less than 5 minutes.