Microsoft is getting tough with cheaters on Xbox Live who artificially boost their Gamerscore, saying they will publicly humiliate them and reset their account.Microsoft’s Larry “Major Nelson” Hyrb, Live’s director of programming, says in his blog on Gamerscoreblog.com that Microsoft is now taking action against gamers who “tamper with their Gamerscore and Achievements”.
In Xbox 360 games, players can build up their Gamerscore and Achievements list by playing through games and completing objectives. Cheaters artificially boost their score by manipulating save files and account information. It doesn’t make them play any better, but gives them bigger bragging rights online.
So, what action will Microsoft take? Hyrb says they’ll reset the entire Gamerscore for an account to zero (ouch); the account will be unable to regain all previously obtained Achievements and Gamerscore, unless the gamer plays through the games again and earns the Achievement fairly; and, probably the most embarrassing, is that the account “will be clearly labeled as a cheater for the community to view on xbox.com”. Above is an example of what an offending Gamertag would look like.
Microsoft said it used “specific and automated criteria” to seek out players “who have used external means to earn achievements without really playing the game”.
It’s about time, really. I absolutely detest cheaters and while my Gamerscore is nowhere near huge, at least the Achievements that I’ve earned have all been done the old fashioned way through playing the games and putting in the (late night) hours. Your thoughts?
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