Outraged over Microsoft!

[Zachery]

If you want to put it that way yes, but here in lies the problem.

People have been able to freely modify their consoles for years, and many have become dependant on such things as modification chips to allow them to play imported games. Some do it to play titles early, most do it because a game is never released in their area.

3/4's of my ps-one collection is imported japanese games, most never released state side.

For a long time we could modify our hardware and not see such restrictions. You always void any support by poping open the case anyway . Obviously there is going to be a backlash when you ban all modified consoles from online play.

Honestly I don't see it as a good move, at least for geek's anyway, most xbox owners won't ever modify their consoles anyway.

Meh I don't even own an xbox and I know there will be a hack/patch for this floating around soon, trust me some guy with to much time on his hands wanting to use a modified xbox on xbox live is out there working on this very problem as I type this.

Support from Mircosoft would include the ability to play on xbox live

[Tolitz]

I'm sure any attempt to get past the restriction on modified xbox units from accessing xbox live will be met by MS countermeasures, making it more and more difficult, even for legit xbox users.

If modders are willing to shoot "their" foot trying to get past this restriction, it's their decision

Remember what a pain it was for legit D2 users to install or even play the game because of the copy protection put into place by Blizzard, which was prompted in the first place coz of massive piracy? Sure, it still didn't work as well as they hoped, but it caused a lot of inconvenience...

but I guess modders don't care about it as long as they get to play their xbox online, right?

[truz]

Modding a Xbox is aloud in the UK, but not in the US I believe. Not 100% though. I have my Xbox modded. I still buy most of my games as I like to onw the original. Main reason I modded my xbox is so I can use it as entertainemt centre. Also I have my games on the HDD.

[Dean C]

Surely it's legal to mod your xbox. It's when you copy the software that it becomes illegal

[Mike Warner]

What are the legit reasons for modifing an x-box? The main one I can imagine is remove any stupid DVD region lock. Would doing that stop x box live?

I have been considering a chip / hack for my X-Box but I have no interest in Pirating any games. The reasons for chipping an X-Box other than hacking / pirating:

1. Being able to hold games on the X-Box for faster load times.
2. (In the UK) Being able to access NTSC setting to enable higher resolution and progressive scan on my Panasonic plasma TV.
3. Ok - only two reasons I can think of right now.....

[John Campbell]

What are the legit reasons for modifing an x-box? The main one I can imagine is remove any stupid DVD region lock. Would doing that stop x box live?

You can do way more than that to a xbox.

[James Kojiro]

Yep. My X-Box currently runs Linux and also I store my game saves on the HDD.