One million Xbox users banned by Microsoft

Software giant Microsoft has reportedly banned up to one million users from its Xbox Live system in order to weed out users who have pirated their games.

The bans will stop a user from playing any game on their Xbox 360 console, so affected users will be unable to play online against friends even with a copy purchased legitimately.

“All consumers should know that piracy is illegal and that modifying their Xbox 360 console to play pirated discs violates the Xbox Live terms of use, will void their warranty and result in a ban from Xbox Live,” Microsoft said in a statement. “The health of the video game business depends on customers paying for the genuine products and services they receive from manufacturers, retailers, and the third parties that support them.”

The decision comes as a number of Xbox users have found their consoles unable to connect to Xbox Live after using a pirated version of the newly released game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. It has been one of the most highly anticipated games of all time, with some reports indicating sales of up to seven million units in one day.

Many Xbox users have complained about their inability to play the new title after using a pirated copy, saying a large part of the game requires online connectivity.