Report: Microsoft Bans Live Accounts For Modded Consoles

A number of Xbox 360 users who have modded their consoles have been banned from Xbox Live, Microsoft said, executing on a warning it made last week. The company is targeting users who've made modifications aimed at enabling their consoles to play pirated discs, it said, and confirmed the move to UK website GamesIndustry.biz. "We have taken action against a small percentage of consoles [that] have been modified to play pirated game discs," the company said. "In line with our commitment to combat piracy and support safer and more secure gameplay for the more than 20 million members of our Xbox Live community, we are suspending these modded consoles from Xbox Live." Although the suspension prevents users playing pirated discs from using any of the Xbox 360's online features, they are still able to play the illegal discs offline. Media reports claim the number of affected users could be 600,000 or more, a significantly large figure, but a small portion of the total global online Xbox Live userbase, which weighs in at over 20 million accounts.