Skip to main content

Microsoft threatens to ban Xbox Live members after ‘Gears of War: Judgment’ leaks online

Judgment multiplayer
Image used with permission by copyright holder

In terms of major console companies, Sony has a reputation for big leaks. The PSP Go, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, and a huge number of other games and hardware releases have all been made public well before the company was ready for them to be out there. It even looks like the PlayStation 4 controller made it onto the Web before Sony’s big press conference, scheduled for tomorrow, to discuss the console. For as leaky a ship as Sony is, it doesn’t have as many issues keeping full games from leaking before their release as Microsoft does. The latest major game published by Microsoft to “hit early” is Gears of War: Judgment, and, as the company is wont to do, it’s banning players from Xbox Live when they’re caught playing the game.

Recommended Videos

“We are aware of isolated cases in which Gears of War: Judgment content has been propped on the Web and are working closely with our security teams and law enforcement to address the situation immediately,” said a Microsoft spokesperson on Tuesday. “Consumers should be aware that piracy is illegal and we take vigorous action against illegal activity related to our products and services.”

Since playing pirated games violates the Xbox Live Code of Conduct as well as the Terms of Use, players caught firing up early copies of Gears of War: Judgment will be banned from the service. “Playing pirated copies of games … will result in enforcement action, such as account and console bans.”

 Microsoft began banning players from Xbox Live just before its last major game release, Halo 4. Full retail copies of Halo 4 were falling into players hands in October 2012 – a full month before the game came out. Gamers caught playing the Halo 4 were permanently banned from the network, receiving a message that read: “This email is to notify you that your Xbox Live privileges have been permanently suspended due to illegitimate prerelease title play. Because your conduct is in violation, the Xbox Live Enforcement Team has issued a permanent suspension. Your Xbox Live privileges will not be reinstated.” 

It’s not clear if Microsoft is permanently banning early Judgment players, though their infraction is seemingly worse. Many Halo 4 players purchased the game early from legitimate retailers and were still banned. Gears of War: Judgment hasn’t been released early, but the game data itself has been leaked to torrent websites across the Internet.

Anthony John Agnello
Anthony John Agnello is a writer living in New York. He works as the Community Manager of Joystiq.com and his writing has…
Borderlands 4 pushes the series forward while addressing past mistakes
A psycho in Borderlands 4.

Multiplayer shooters have evolved quite a bit since the first Borderlands was released in 2009, but I can appreciate that Gearbox Entertainment’s series has stayed mostly the same over that time. Booting up a Borderlands game, I always know I can expect vibrant comic-book style visuals, solid solo or co-op shooter gameplay, charmingly grating humor, and a whole lot of loot. All of these things still ring true and louder than ever in Borderlands 4, but the latest Borderlands game is also shaping up to be the most experimental one yet.

Last month, I visited 2K’s headquarters in Novato, California, and played a couple of hours of Borderlands 4. The more traditionally designed, Destiny-like open world structure stood out, but all of the new movement options available during combat were also a real game-changer. The over-the-top humor and the number of legendary drop have both been drastically reduced, which gives Borderlands 4 a slightly different feel than Borderlands 3. All of this makes Borderlands 4 feel different than what has come before, but ultimately just as appealing.

Read more
Donkey Kong Bananza gives Banjo Kazooie vibes in the best ways
Donkey Kong punching through a crystallized banana in Donkey Kong Bananza.

Donkey Kong Bananza might not be the remake of Donkey Kong 64 many fans hoped for, but it has all of the same elements with a dash of Banjo-Kazooie tossed in. Wednesday's Donkey Kong Bananza Direct showcased many of the game's features, including a young Paulina riding on DK's shoulder like a singing bird, using her voice to help everyone's favorite Kong explore the world and dive deep to the planet's core.

But the standout element is how much inspiration the game seems to take from another famous duo (also from Rare). Paulina can access songs that make DK transform into different forms like the power Kong Bananza, the speedy Zebra Bananza, or the flying Ostrich Bonanza.

Read more
Marvel Cosmic Invasion has some surprising Marvel vs. Capcom DNA
Storm, Venom, and Nova fight enemies in Marvel Cosmic Invasion.

How do you make a retro beat-em-up feel new? That’s a question that the team at Dotemu has had to ask itself a lot in the past five years. The studio has found tremendous success ushering in a new age of throwback brawlers, from Streets of Rage 4 to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge. Its efforts are only doubling, as it is currently juggling three 2D projects between multiple development studios. Each one has to find a way to do something a little new in a genre that doesn’t feel like it can flex too much more.

And yet, Marvel Cosmic Invasion still finds a way. At this year’s Summer Game Fest, I tried the latest project from Streets of Rage 4 developer Tribute Games. While it's another classic brawler filled with nostalgic pixel art and a wide roster of superheroes, it infuses that tried and true formula with just enough fighting game DNA to keep it distinct.

Read more