Gamerscore sends word that, starting with the Spring Update, Microsoft will be beefing up the territorial restrictions on the 360's marketplaces. Seems some of you cheeky monkeys are still trying to get around the regional restrictions on certain content, and Microsoft aren't too pleased.

While they've tried squeezing this practice out previously, this is the first time I've seen them actually put it in black & white. Your XBL accounts are going to be locked to the region your console is: any accounts created that try and say otherwise will only be allowed to download content from your console's region.

They explain it away with the usual chatter about licencing and rights, etc, but, yeah, sick of that. The fact that the TMNT arcade game is available in New Zealand (where I had to download my demo) and not Australia is farcical, as is the lack of any HD movie downloads outside of the US since, last time I checked, we could buy those movies off the shelf here. Europe, too. And Canada.

Microsoft, instead of cracking down on "international accounts", you might want to work on fixing the reason people were doing it in the first place. And if you are, you might want to work a little harder. Luke Plunkett

Xbox 360 Marketplace Territory Controls Strengthened [Gamerscore]

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