Microsoft starts working with modders

**moneoa** · October 11th, 2005, 11:32 AM

MICROSOFT HAS engaged with the modding enemy but it doesn't seem to know it's done it. Unfortunately that is what seems to have happened. With the reports of any number from 10 to 14 Xbox 360s stolen in Germany pouring in, the facts have finally started to come out.

It appears that the German modchip making group SmartXX were offered up to seven 360 development kits by Microsoft and promptly accepted four.

So far Microsoft officially has denied all involvement, but in a post translated from German to be found here, the full story has been told from SmartXX's point of view.

Apparently few within MS were well informed and SmartXX made the assumption that this was due to an informer within Microsoft itself, though why that would make a difference to them is a mystery to me. SmartXX did hand over their four development kits to the police so as not to "compromise the investigation team".

They've raised some more than healthy points concerning Microsoft's denial of any involvement. While the translation may seem a little patchy there's no doubt here about what they're saying to Microsoft: "We of SmartXX would like to apologize to everyone involved and accused 'cause we didn't play with open cards. And to Microsoft I would like to say: "Sure you gonna deny everything, like always. But tell every reporter on the X05 that the thief is already found on the quite. That's "great" cause in an internal instruction "silence" was proclaimed in reference to the case". Well try to disclaim why you are paying my lawyer? Bank vouchers are hard to deny or are they forged documents?"

It'll be hard to see Microsoft wriggle out of this with any amount of realism, if it happens to be true

http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=26824