so they say every time a big game comes out.

I thought you had to have a modded 360 to play burnt games. As in, the ones Microsoft can tell are modded and kick off Live mega easily.

And I don't see how much this can actually matter. Are they going to ban people who are playing the game early just because a store broke street date? Didn't we just go through this with Halo 3?

I haven't seen that movie in years!!! An excellent choice for the pic.

we found 'em! (launches missile)

Just dont sign on Live.

Wouldn't that be the loophole or am I mistaken?

Well for anyone that wants it, here is a link with a live stream of someone playing GTA4.... [smotri.com]

@karasu is my homeboy: You can get banned pretty easy if you just update the firmware on your DVD-drive. But if it's modded internally, you're more likely to be able to play online.

@karasu is my homeboy:

Microsoft uses method to find people, modders circumvent method, microsoft uses different method, modders circumvent again. and repeat.

If you sign up for the social club and you show up on the completion page within the first hour of the games relesae...that might be a sign.

Actually, microsoft only can tell if you're playing on a modded console if you burn a game that is not a perfect 1:1 rip from the xbox game.

However, I bet that GTA4 is so hot, that I wouldn't risk playing a bootlegged on while being connected to XBL.

I don't personally have a modded xbox--trust me, I have a gen1 and i had to have sex with a goat to get it for xmas, so I aint fucking with getting my shit banned--but a buddy I know does have his modded.

@Darknight630: Would be if you're "non-approved," yes.

They might also be trying to make sure that journalists are actually going online and not just basing their reviews on the core single-player game. *shrug*

quick turn of the 360/PS3 Skynet is watching.

Before too long it'll be internet connection required to unlock.

@jynxycat: @aden.exe:

Oh, thanks for the info. I don't really keep up with the 360 mod scene. I had the impression people didn't bring their modded 360s online because Microsoft bans. Didn't know it's more of a back and forth situation.

Shall we play a nice game of chess?

@dead_red_eyes: Movie was on AMC last night. 25th Anniversary. Can't wait for the remake... although I'm sure the remake is gonna blow.

Anyway... what's to stop someone from getting an early release, playing offline single player, and just going online when the game is actually released. My 360 hasnt been online in oh... I think around 20 days... stupid emo 360 blog.

I would suggest that even given the above it's not an exercise in futility. The number of people willing or able to play downloaded 360 or PS3 games will be far outstripped by the numbers who would buy and play it if it went on sale early.

Yes, the downloadable version will up the level of background noise somewhat, but the signal will still come through loud and clear... if that's what they're looking for.

Doesn't matter if you're signed in unless you can erase the played games section or the ripped version specifically doesn't show up there. That'd be the easiest way to track people huh?

just burn play and stay offline till 29th

@CYG:
hahahah... i coulda sworn they said no load screens. after the idiot playing just got knocked out in a fist fight... it was on a load screen for oh.... 45 seconds.

coulda been cause its a bootleg, but ohwell... still hella funny

My copy of GTA4 is showing up as packing on play.com. Assuming they send it out tomorrow and I get it on the Friday or Saturday will I run the risk of rockstar forcibly inserting a weapon somewhere?

@Eville1:

Well if one really wanted, wouldn't creating a seperate gamertag that you never use online, and playing the game there destroy the problem of the records achievements unlocked/whatever else make?

Or does all of the gamertag info get uploaded when any tag on the xbox connects?

@CYG:

Nice link.

What if they had the ability to check friend lists? They could do scans for the journalist's tag with the highest percentage of non-approved players on their friends list. That evidence while not concrete would be pretty damning. Enough to take action against if that was Rockstar's goal.

Wait a minute , pirated PS3 games? I didn't know such things existed.

I would not count on that guess.

There just might very well be some way they can detect a pirate GTA disc. Want to take that chance?

It will be a great game. The developers deserve the money. Why not just buy it?

@GeeQnastie: hehe, i dont know why they claim no loading when ANY piece of software especially games NEED loadings, it may be short but there is a loading... and yeah it was probably longer than the original game since the 360 lens has trouble reading bootlegs..

@OGHowie: Your welcome :)

Just saw one of my friends drop from my list.Banned till 9999 I bet

@GeeQnastie:

REMAKE?! No way.

@jynxycat: they havent got me yet, and mines been modded for a while (drive flash).

@CYG:
I was worried about how the framrate was going to be, from the look of the trailers, but it looks pretty smooth

While no Xbox 360 backup is 1:1, the backups with more errors are the ones that get banned.

The thing I hate about the GTA IV leak is the fact that it might mess up the Social Club that Rockstar has set up. Hopefully they'll find a way to work around those who downloaded or received the game early.

@dagnasty: Yeah im very surprised to see almost no pop ups in the background, and the cars shine real nice :)

Yea ok.. they always say that ... Just to give those early gamers some suspense!

Given some reviewers these days that may or may not actually play completely through a title before reviewing it (and claiming they've completed it), perhaps what they're really after is being able to see just how far someone has gone through the game by their gamertag / achievements, thus getting a bit of validation that they actually did what they're writing about.

unplug your cat 5. problem solved.

whose to say they won't suspend an account until you can prove you legitimately bought the game?

If I recall correctly, achievments are dated, so it'd show when they were earned once connected to Live after launch. If I had the opportunity to play this early and wanted to be completely safe I'd make a dummy account along with being disconnected from Live.

I kinda' have a mixed reaction to GTA gettin' leaked. On the one hand it appeals to the whole power-to-the-individual stick-it-to-the-man side of me, on the other hand in this case The Man is Rockstar, whom I love and should be adored by any and all who think of themselves as gamers.

The second hand wins, I think. I hope Rockstar is able to track this shit down and cut off the financial balls of whoever leaked their game - at the very least maybe it'll make their next major release that much more secure.

I won't steal from you, R*! The music industry, sure. Hollywood? Definitely. An old SNES game I can't find anywhere? ...maybe, but I'll feel a little bad about it.

But never you, Rockstar. Never you. Or Atlus.

what the hell? don't sign on people that's how to avoid the TRAP!

@Chances: What does pirating a game have to do with sticking it to the man?

@Tetelestia: If you unlock an achievement when not connected to Live, next time you connect it'll update that you have the achievement, but not the date it was unlocked.
They're only dated if you're connected when you unlock them.

Maybe they're going to see EXACTLY how many people pirate 360 games.

@karasu is my homeboy:

You are right that it requires a modded Xbox..

You are wrong that you get banned. Old Xbox's(non 360's) got banned instantly because they totally redid the front end dashboard.
360's do not do this, they only flash the system DVD drive to play burned games, no mod chips required. Microsoft cannot detect this at the moment it seems, as i know many people who use their modded 360's daily online and have for over a year.
Obviously you have to play it smart though...

@dowingba: Why else would people pirate media?

Most of the time I'm sure it comes down to either "I wanna see it before I buy it" or "I don't wanna pay for it."

Which almost 70-80% of the time I see that happen, they never end up buying it anyway, because why would they? They have a free copy already.

But from what we know about LIVE and PSN, Rockstar will have no way of differentiating downloadable copies (that have just leaked) from retail discs actually being sold early. So it all becomes an exercise in futility.

You're assuming Rockstar is looking for people who downloaded the game. They're probably not.

Think about this, if 100 people all sign onto Live with GTAIV from the same town, it's a safe bet the Walmart near by broke street date.

And with hundreds of online retailers shipping, some big, some small, i can guarantee that someone will get their UPS package a few days early.

@munchausen: Considering how much work it would take to identify, suspend, contact, and recieve a proof of purchase from a user....it'll be 6-days later and then it's no longer an issue.

@dead_red_eyes: Ironically enough it was just on AMC last night.

oooh weee oooh....

@karasu is my homeboy: you can have both. just turn of the chip or whatever when you go online. the problem with this is: rockstar will see all of the achievements your criminal ass has unlocked before the 29th haha. that and you'd probably be pretty lonely in the multiplayer servers...