What is "Flashing an xbox"?

Jamiekelly

Heard 2 lads talking on MW3 and one of them asked him how he could afford the game and the other guy said he "got his xbox flashed" for cheap and he got the guy to install MW3 with multiplayer.
I never heard of this before and I was just wondering what it was. Is it illegal and how did he not get caught online with a pirate game.

Meesared

Also, yes pirating games is illegal

chin_grin

From Yahoo answers.

A Flashed Xbox 360 is one that has had the BIOS reprogrammed, or has had a chip added to the system. This is usually done to circumvent security.

Quite often this will be done to allow the owner to play 'backed up' copies of games - a common euphamism for pirated games.

Flashed XBox consoles run the risk of being banned from Xbox Live. In regular system updates Microsoft begin banning consoles, as Flashing the Xbox is against the terms of service for using the XBox or XBox Live.

A Console that that has been Flashed, and then banned from XBox Live can then be described as 'Bricked' - meaning useless as it will never be allowed on Live again. Offline Play may still be possible, though.

In my opinion eejits that do this deserve to be reported and banned. I may need to shout louder. This horse is very high. ^_^

Vicxas

Ugh, why bother flashing your xbox. The ban alone isnt worth it

Jimbobjoeyman

There havn't been many bans since the release of LT two years ago.
But that all going to change soon.
MS had silently installed new protection over the last few weeks.
And most flashed consoles on xbl are flagged for a ban.
Which I would say will come in the first week of December.
Just in time for the christmas rush :P

Myrddin

I have a feeling those who play pirated games, are going to find staying on XBL without being flagged very tough from here on out.

Modified consoles have no place online, & MS seem to have devised a simple yet effective method of ensuring that (took them long enough though!).

Vicxas

The forums are quite a laugh for the bans also.