Microsoft released a mandatory update for the Xbox 360 yesterday that allows gamers to once again automatically boot a pre-inserted game by powering up the system. The fix was so minor, we weren't planning to give it space in the blogroll. But it turns out Microsoft deviously included a hidden surprise in the update for the scores of Xbox 360 hackers and pirates out there.

Engadget spotted a posting on the Xbox modding web site Xbox-Scene that indicates Microsoft's sneak attack worked. On the site's forums, a poster commented on the suspiciously long download time of the update before discovering its real purpose.


Booting up burned copies of Halo: Reach, Call of Duty: Black Ops, and Modern Warfare 2 brings up a blank screen, various Xbox-Scene modders report, and a second attempt to boot the same disc causes the console to power off.

Microsoft has yet to swing its ban hammer, but it's believed the company is collecting data with the intention of banning all those Xbox Live accounts flagged as using burned copies of the aforementioned games.

In addition, Microsoft released a second update today that supposedly only removes the Gamerzone tag from Xbox 360 Gamercards. However, modders believe Microsoft is once again installing anti-piracy measures and fishing for hackers signed in to Xbox Live.

orignal soucre.http://xbox360.gamespy.com/articles/114/1145132p1.html