[Source Kotaku]

Microsoft Swings Xbox Live Banhammer, Thousands Fall

The forums trolled by Xbox Live subscribers are thick with accounts of bannings today, with what appears to be a broad sweeping set of Live accounts deleted, keeping thousands from accessing online gaming. At this point, we're not sure of the root cause — and neither, does it appear, do those affected — but there is rampant talk in the Xbox Scene forums, at least, about the abuse of pirated copies of games like Gears of War 2 and Call of Duty: World At War. It's all cleaned up "played early" and "back up copy" talk — thinly veiled "I pirated Game X before launch day" — amongst some users.

Others swear innocence and false bannings. Whatever the cause, it's affecting a larger group than normal. We're attempting to learn more from the folks at Microsoft about the current rash of Xbox Live bannings and who is affected.

I can only hope this is people who pirated the games and not just people who happened to find a game early (and I imagine proof of you buying the game would be enough to get back onto Live).

Wow. Good for them.  I can't believe so many people do it while connected to Live when it is so easy for them to track who is playing what.

I wonder how they tell if it's pirated versus a broken street date though.

Maybe they look by region?  If you see multiple copies grouped together pop up, it's a broken street date, if you see ones pop up with not many others near it, those may just be pirated.

I would suppose that MS found a way to uncover a whole new group of game pirates recently and are now finding that there are many, many of those users who were under their noses for years.

Just a guess :P

Don't all of the pirated games lack a region code? I know Gears 2 doesn't have one, so that's a mystery to me if it's the cause but most games do.

@Twesterm do you really think that lbp wont reach 1.5m by jan 1 09 it already halfway there and with christmas coming i am so confident it will sell 2m+ lbp will have great legs you will lose your bet sorry!!!!

pirated games suck just buy the original its not worth getting banned for.

Good. Although, back up copies of dvd's are a good thing. I should be able to put my own movies on my psp, with out permission.

Wow Twesterm you must be jealous.

It seems Microsoft wields a much, much, much mightier banhammer than you.