UPDATED: Halo 2 leak shock - MS speaks
Reports suggest massive title may have hit the 'Net
According to various reports, including one hitting GameSpot, claim that Bungie's massive Xbox FPS Halo 2 has been leaked onto various peer-to-peer networks.
The whole story as to where the code originated is yet to be uncovered, though the game is said to be the French language version of the game, scheduled for launch in the country on November 10th.
If the news proves true, this will be the latest security disaster from a European source to thwart Microsoft's console in less than a month, following the shameful release of Outrun 2 for free download, a blunder that may have accounted for the alarmingly poor sales of Sega's joyous racer.
We have contacted Microsoft for a comment. We'll update this story as soon as we hear more.
UPDATE:
We received the following statement from Microsoft regarding the Halo 2 leak:
"Microsoft has learned that a version of Halo 2 has been posted to various newsgroups and web sites. We consider downloading this code or making it available for others to download as theft. We are currently investigating the source of this leak with the appropriate authorities. Pending the result of our investigation, we do not have further comment. Microsoft takes the integrity of its intellectual property extremely seriously, and we are aggressively pursuing the source of this illegal act. The launch of Halo 2 worldwide remains unaffected. We’re asking anyone with information on the source of this leak to contact Microsoft at 1-800-RULEGIT or send email to piracy@microsoft.com."
The whole story as to where the code originated is yet to be uncovered, though the game is said to be the French language version of the game, scheduled for launch in the country on November 10th.
If the news proves true, this will be the latest security disaster from a European source to thwart Microsoft's console in less than a month, following the shameful release of Outrun 2 for free download, a blunder that may have accounted for the alarmingly poor sales of Sega's joyous racer.
We have contacted Microsoft for a comment. We'll update this story as soon as we hear more.
UPDATE:
We received the following statement from Microsoft regarding the Halo 2 leak:
"Microsoft has learned that a version of Halo 2 has been posted to various newsgroups and web sites. We consider downloading this code or making it available for others to download as theft. We are currently investigating the source of this leak with the appropriate authorities. Pending the result of our investigation, we do not have further comment. Microsoft takes the integrity of its intellectual property extremely seriously, and we are aggressively pursuing the source of this illegal act. The launch of Halo 2 worldwide remains unaffected. We’re asking anyone with information on the source of this leak to contact Microsoft at 1-800-RULEGIT or send email to piracy@microsoft.com."
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Comments
The Mighty 38 14 Oct 2004 10:54
1/15
This is sad news, if slightly predictable. It kind of takes the edge off the excitement a bit knowing this is now in the public domain. I hope all those who download it feel suitably ashamed as they play.
orangemapped 14 Oct 2004 10:56
2/15
Gamestyle had this story, and a response, early this morning:
Original Leak Story: www.gamestyle.net/news.php?newsid=1063
Response: www.gamestyle.net/news.php?newsid=1064
Original Leak Story: www.gamestyle.net/news.php?newsid=1063
Response: www.gamestyle.net/news.php?newsid=1064
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TigerUppercut 14 Oct 2004 10:59
3/15
Matt Cox wrote:
Gamestyle had this story, and a response, early this morning:
Original Leak Story: www.gamestyle.net/news.php?newsid=1063
Response: www.gamestyle.net/news.php?newsid=1064
Original Leak Story: www.gamestyle.net/news.php?newsid=1063
Response: www.gamestyle.net/news.php?newsid=1064
Easy there pimpman.
*waves banning fist first and last time*
orangemapped 14 Oct 2004 11:09
4/15
Easy there pimpman.
Sozzard. Its just fustrating. Sites like SPOnG have exclusives, and can say "Remember where you saw this first." and people will.
Gamestyle grab something like this, submit it to sites like Gamespot, Games Radar and CVG who havent covered it and we get ignored... for some reason.
scanman 14 Oct 2004 11:39
5/15
Matt Cox wrote:
Sozzard. Its just fustrating. Sites like SPOnG have exclusives, and can say "Remember where you saw this first." and people will.
Gamestyle grab something like this, submit it to sites like Gamespot, Games Radar and CVG who havent covered it and we get ignored... for some reason.
but your new story credits gamespot... whats the story? did you run it first or did gamespot?
anyway why are you submitting stories to those sites? theyll just take your story and runit without credit... make them do some work!!! :)
LUPOS 14 Oct 2004 11:40
6/15
O M G
Worst news ever!
ok maybe not but its pretty bad. hopefully the halo fan base is as good at tracking people down online as the half life fans. I am not a microsoft fan in general as i hate humongos evil corporations as much as anyone but i hope they find this person and tear them a new @$$ hole. This isnt stealing from microsoft this si stealign from bungie. those guys have worked non stop for 3 years to make this game and to have its heavily gaurded release ripped from them is awfull. i hope J.J. gets to kick the perp square in the balls once for every person who downlods it!
Worst news ever!
ok maybe not but its pretty bad. hopefully the halo fan base is as good at tracking people down online as the half life fans. I am not a microsoft fan in general as i hate humongos evil corporations as much as anyone but i hope they find this person and tear them a new @$$ hole. This isnt stealing from microsoft this si stealign from bungie. those guys have worked non stop for 3 years to make this game and to have its heavily gaurded release ripped from them is awfull. i hope J.J. gets to kick the perp square in the balls once for every person who downlods it!
config 14 Oct 2004 12:03
7/15
Let's face it, the source of the leak is going to be pretty easy to locate.
Let see, um, who would currently have a master copy of the French locale version?
Oh, that would be one of at most a handful of CD duplication plants. Now, if MS is even slightly savvy, the code on each master will be seeded with a unique ID so that, in instances such as this, it can be traced back to the dupe plant.
Let see, um, who would currently have a master copy of the French locale version?
Oh, that would be one of at most a handful of CD duplication plants. Now, if MS is even slightly savvy, the code on each master will be seeded with a unique ID so that, in instances such as this, it can be traced back to the dupe plant.
DoctorDee 14 Oct 2004 12:07
8/15
config wrote:
Now, if MS is even slightly savvy, the code on each master will be seeded with a unique ID so that, in instances such as this, it can be traced back to the dupe plant.
Yeah, but there's also the person(s) at Microsoft who passed the code to the dupe plant. And the person(s) at Bungie who seeded it, and a whole slew of people between the three - couriers, secrataries and the like.
Jumping to the conclusiuon that its some French CDVD duplicator is precipitous, and a dangerous assumption.
config 14 Oct 2004 12:29
9/15
DoctorDee wrote:
config wrote:
Now, if MS is even slightly savvy, the code on each master will be seeded with a unique ID so that, in instances such as this, it can be traced back to the dupe plant.
Yeah, but there's also the person(s) at Microsoft who passed the code to the dupe plant. And the person(s) at Bungie who seeded it, and a whole slew of people between the three - couriers, secrataries and the like.
Not sure about the courier - the perp would have to reseal the package with no signs of tampering, otherwise the finger would be well and truly pointed. This does presume that MS wouldn't send the masters out in stock courier packaging, and would seal the bugger in anti-tamper tape.
Besides, if I were in the position of tranporting valuable software across the world, I'd much rather squirt the data securely over t'Internet than trust it to numerous middle men who can clearly see on the airwaybill/manifest that it's from Microsoft to XYZ disc duplication.
As for higher up the chain, if an individual in such a place of power wanted to get the game into the wild, surely they'd have leaked the English version?
Jumping to the conclusiuon that its some French CDVD duplicator is precipitous, and a dangerous assumption.
Never said it'd be a French duplicator, just a duplicator handling the French duplication.
Anyway, presumtuous, yes, though, IMO, the first place the start (presuming, again, that common sense security measures were taken)
orangemapped 14 Oct 2004 12:55
10/15
scanman wrote:
but your new story credits gamespot... whats the story? did you run it first or did gamespot?
Our original story credits Gamespot - because that's where we got the story from. We dont just claim the news as our own.
The follow up - the response from Microsoft - which we got before anyone - was wholely ours. And hence nobody was credited.
The beef I had was that other sites, such as GamesRadar and CVG have seen what has been posted (I know, because I emailed them the link), and then they've used what we've posted and claimed it as their own doings.
Bah. Corporate sites.
The_Moss 14 Oct 2004 13:12
11/15
How have you managed to mispell your sig dude?
DoctorDee 14 Oct 2004 13:14
12/15
The_Moss wrote:
How have you managed to mispell your sig dude?
He shouldn't even be spamming his site in his sig. It's cheap and tacky.
Joji 14 Oct 2004 13:59
13/15
This is unfortunate but it's one of the real problems of the world we live in. There will always be someone who lets others download it online for free. I don't condone it but it's something we will have to live with unless there's some other means of stopping it, which is doubtful.
Getting games a released in different regions at the same time would do a lot to help eliminate a lot of this. I suppose Xbox being so much like a PC will always have it's pros and cons, this being one of the later.
Don't see the point in tracking the person down, because large companies like MS should be better with security for all the money they have. If it's out on the net it's there for a very long time. MS and Bungie will have to be more careful next time, and do their best to give us all the game at the same time. It's surely the only cure to this one.
Getting games a released in different regions at the same time would do a lot to help eliminate a lot of this. I suppose Xbox being so much like a PC will always have it's pros and cons, this being one of the later.
Don't see the point in tracking the person down, because large companies like MS should be better with security for all the money they have. If it's out on the net it's there for a very long time. MS and Bungie will have to be more careful next time, and do their best to give us all the game at the same time. It's surely the only cure to this one.
orangemapped 14 Oct 2004 14:52
14/15
The_Moss wrote:
How have you managed to mispell your sig dude?
I have no idea... I dont usually post on Spong - just lurk.
Must've done it when I first signed up.
DoctorDee 15 Oct 2004 08:36
15/15
Matt Cox wrote:
I dont usually post on Spong - just lurk.
In that case, welcome. Enjoy your stay! But don't spam your site quite so much, eh?