http://majornelson.com/archive/2009/09/06/show-331-seattle-penny-arcade-expo-2009.aspx

Here is some recommended listening, especially for some very specific, very misinformed people on this board. This week's Major Nelson podcast has a panel from PAX '09 where Stephen Toulouse talks about Xbox Live policy enforcement. He goes quite a bit more in-depth than I have previously seen discussed on the topic.

The key take-away points are definitely that there an extremely small amount of automation in policy enforcement, and a hell of a lot of personal, real-human work. For example: Do you think that having all your friends complain about your Gamertag will save you from paying $10 to change it because 20 complaints flips a magical automated bit? Then you are wrong.

Be informed.

Thanks, I wasn't aware he even had a podcast. Going to Itunes to add him for my workouts.

Thanks, this was a cool q+a to listen to.

edit: interesting....they confirm that modded turbo controllers are allowed, no ban or punishment of any sort. I had heard this before but am sad it was confirmed by MS. It ruins most games. : (

Thanks, this was a cool q+a to listen to.

edit: interesting....they confirm that modded turbo controllers are allowed, no ban or punishment of any sort. I had heard this before but am sad it was confirmed by MS. It ruins most games. : (

That's the first I had heard of this. So it looks like our only recourse is to review those using the turbo controllers as avoided players?

http://majornelson.com/archive/2009/09/06/show-331-seattle-penny-arcade-expo-2009.aspx
for example: Do you think that having all your friends complain about your gamertag will save you from paying $10 to change it because 20 complaints flips a magical automated bit? Then you are wrong.

doh!

That's the first I had heard of this. So it looks like our only recourse is to review those using the turbo controllers as avoided players?

Considering that you can buy licensed 360 controllers off store shelfs with turbo functionality for the buttons, did you ever really think they were against it?

Considering that you can buy licensed 360 controllers off store shelfs with turbo functionality for the buttons, did you ever really think they were against it?

http://img396.imageshack.us/img396/3533/btilcreflex5qp4ff4ck.gif

Thanks, this was a cool q+a to listen to.

edit: interesting....they confirm that modded turbo controllers are allowed, no ban or punishment of any sort. I had heard this before but am sad it was confirmed by MS. It ruins most games. : (

They put the responsibility on the developer where it probably belongs. Devs do not have to accept increased input from these turbo buttons.

I loved the Halo:ODST story. Talk about ownage! :D

Anyone else find that stepto guy super arrogant though? Gotta love type A nerds. He had a panel of several people from his team there and he just kept answering all the questions and talking over the rest of the panel.

They put the responsibility on the developer where it probably belongs. Devs do not have to accept increased input from these turbo buttons.

Um, yes they do. Devs do a game update, then the modders fix their controllers, then they do an update, then the modders fix their controllers, etc.

"edit: interesting....they confirm that modded turbo controllers are allowed, no ban or punishment of any sort."

Listen again. Licensed "turbo" controllers are allowed. He goes on to specifically say that an end user that opens up their controller to mod it, or one that they get from a piece of crap company that does it for them, is a bannable offense.

Anyone else find that stepto guy super arrogant though? Gotta love type A nerds. He had a panel of several people from his team there and he just kept answering all the questions and talking over the rest of the panel.

You usually have to go through a lot of media training from PR folks before you are allowed at a panel like this. The other guys are probably too nervous to talk.

Cool listen. I wish someone would have asked if they ever planned to drop the hammer on everyone using unofficial 120GB hard drives.

I also had no idea you could actually "appeal" a ban.

I imagine it would be pretty hard though. They seem set on what they decide 99.9% of the time from the sound of it.

Cool listen. I wish someone would have asked if they ever planned to drop the hammer on everyone using unofficial 120GB hard drives.

I also had no idea you could actually "appeal" a ban.

Considering that you can buy licensed 360 controllers off store shelfs with turbo functionality for the buttons, did you ever really think they were against it?

Call me ignorant I've only owned non turbo controllers and I thought the only turbo controllers were either user modded or 3rd party branded.

I only ever said licensed, that means 3rd party controllers from companies such as Hori and MadCatz.

Microsoft controls what controllers are allowed to be released for the system on this platform due to built in security that prohibits non licensed 3rd party controllers.

So any 3rd party controller has to be licensed by Microsoft, making them official products. You can't expect MS to ban people using official controllers such as the excellent Hori EX Turbo because they're official products approved by Microsoft.

I don't agree w/ the name change policy statement...I know personally that this has worked for a non-offensive name for my Brother. That being said, perhaps they do implement human level interaction but could it be possible they didn't understand why it was reported x # of times and just instituted the name change requirement?

^ to Leo_Ames
Thanks for clarifying. This hasn't been that big of an issue as most players that use the turbo controllers don't usually do well with them in games that I've played in. It's just when they do kill me I get a little ticked knowing that they might not of had they played with a standard controller. If I have no doubt that they are using one I'll simply review them as "avoid player" in some last ditch effort as to not play with them again. In the end it's cheating, IMO, to use these controllers licensed or not.

lol, a lot of what this guy says is full of crap.


some interesting notes though... and a lot of CYA..... i love how he openly admitted that they cant detect if you're running a pirated game.... they need to improve security.

Anyone else find that stepto guy super arrogant though? Gotta love type A nerds. He had a panel of several people from his team there and he just kept answering all the questions and talking over the rest of the panel.

I didn't come away with that. Seemed more like a department head in charge of a panel. He came off as the funny guy with the crazy stories. (shrug)

lol, a lot of what this guy says is full of crap.


some interesting notes though... and a lot of CYA..... i love how he openly admitted that they cant detect if you're running a pirated game.... they need to improve security.

Please elaborate on what is full of crap. I also must have missed where he admitted to not being able to detect a pirated game.

"edit: interesting....they confirm that modded turbo controllers are allowed, no ban or punishment of any sort."

Listen again. Licensed "turbo" controllers are allowed. He goes on to specifically say that an end user that opens up their controller to mod it, or one that they get from a piece of crap company that does it for them, is a bannable offense.

Yeah, I did hear it that way. I just don't see the difference. "I'm shooting you 20 times in 1 second with my MadCatz controller" is just as annoying to me as "I'm shooting you 20 times in 1 second with my modded controller".

Yeah, I did hear it that way. I just don't see the difference. "I'm shooting you 20 times in 1 second with my MadCatz controller" is just as annoying to me as "I'm shooting you 20 times in 1 second with my modded controller".

Perhaps I'm wrong but do either the MadCatz or the Hori allow you to turbo the trigger buttons?