Microsoft perma-banning early Halo 4 users from XBL

Pirates do pirate things and get pirate banned

In a bid to crack down on nefarious pirates, Microsoft is issuing permanent Xbox Live bans to folk caught playing illegitimate copies of Halo 4 early. 

“We are aware of isolated cases in which Halo 4 content has been propped on the web and are working closely with our security teams and law enforcement to address the situation immediately,” an MS rep told Eurogamer. “Consumers should be aware that piracy is illegal and we take vigorous action against illegal activity related to our products and services. Playing pirated copies of games, such as Halo 4, is a violation of the Xbox Live Terms of Use and will result in enforcement action, such as account and console bans.”

Reddit has a post containing the actual ban warning, which contains the usual spiel along with a note that non-XBL users may be getting the email due to their activity on Zune Social. I only mention that because the idea of the Zune makes me laugh on the inside. 

Anyway, it should go without saying that if you simply must play Halo 4 early and free, maybe you ought not to jump online with it. Consider it.