The last Xbox 360 update blocked unauthorised 3rd party memory units from functioning making only the exorbitantly expensive official Microsoft units viable. While Microsoft named no names, there’s one 3rd party manufacturer that’s been particularly put out by this : Datel, who have been supplying memory units with larger capacities and cheaper prices than those by Microsoft.
Datel, it seems, are not taking this sitting down. Within just days of the update, Law firm Howard, Rice, Nemerovski, Canady, Falk, & Rabkin has announced that it has filed suit against Microsoft, for “Anticompetitive behaviourâ€
"Microsoft has taken steps to render inoperable the competing Datel memory card for no visible purpose other than to have that market entirely to themselves," said Howard Rice director Marty Glick in a statement. "They accomplished their recent update by making a system change that will not recognize or allow operation of a memory card with greater capacity than their own. We believe that with the power Microsoft enjoys in the market for Xbox accessories this conduct is unlawful."
Microsoft have yet to respond to this latest bout of litigation, but the action seeks that Microsoft be found guilty of antitrust laws, that the functionality of Datel memory cards be reinstated, and that Microsoft pay damages.
On the one hand, I’m siding with Datel on this; Microsoft’s X360 peripheral pricing is quite frankly ludicrous, and we need cheaper alternatives. On the other, some of Datel’s 360 memory cards use standard micro SD cards for storage, making it easy to access – and modify – the data on them, which leads to Xbox live lobbies filled with dirty cheaters and Gamerscore cheat savers.
You can read the press release here
Last Updated: November 24, 2009
al360
November 24, 2009 at 12:56
and what about the wifi adapter as with the first consoles you could use a specific d-link model and it worked but then they sqaushed that idea with the first major update :angry: :angry: makes me mad!
and makes me wanna go ps3
bboy
November 24, 2009 at 13:24
I think it’s perfectly reasonable – It’s their product. I’m pretty sure the manual says only to use genuine Microsoft accessories. Using anything else could cause the unit to malfunction and create a huge headache for MS. What if they legitimately need to make an update, they can’t test every random piece of hardware out there!
Besides, they did the research and built it to make a profit for them, game developers and publishers (and to keep it getting better), not for other random hardware manufacturers to piggy back on the machine.
WitWolfyZA
November 24, 2009 at 13:42
Every company has the right to give healthy competition to see how the current supplier is raping everything to death with its prices. i hope Datel wins this case, what am i talking aboput, they know their gonna win. They did nothing illigal to start with
bboy
November 24, 2009 at 13:56
Actually MS barely breaks even on the xbox itself (i.e. the cost to manufacture and distribute vs sales price. They rely on everything else that is not the console itself, such as games, xbox live and accessories, so I’m not surprised that extras are at a premium and exclusive to Microsoft and licensed partners.
ewie
November 24, 2009 at 13:44
Datel could always licence the products ?
Fox1
November 24, 2009 at 15:23
But then their products would cost way more than it already is?
WitWolfyZA
November 24, 2009 at 15:46
Even if it is so, that still doesn’t give MS the right to disable 3rd party accessories, Its not our fault they choose to drop the xbox 360’s prices to compete with the PS3.
I remember paying R600 back in 2007 for a 64mb memory unit.. Now tell me thats not day light robbery.
We asked numberous times for lowered accessory prices just to be ignored and little by little they make it even more expensive. I saw a wireless adapter at BT for R1100 now thats INSANE!
Bobby Kotick the internet Meme
November 24, 2009 at 16:20
It boils down to curbing competition. It’s definitely one thing to insist that users should not alter software, but when you’re trying to maintain a monopoly on peripherals (especially cheaper third party peripherals), than you’re not only anti-consumer, you’re also becoming a dick.
ewie
November 24, 2009 at 18:29
Like apple
Bill Gates
November 24, 2009 at 17:14
It’s my console and I’ll do what I want to. If you don’t like it then buy a PS3! Otherwise harden up.
WitWolfyZA
November 25, 2009 at 09:50
Bill…. Stfu
Know Orange
December 28, 2009 at 12:03
someone please email me how I can find free xbox live, I’ve been g for codes for so long now please send me truth 4charles3pokemon@hotmail.com !!!
matt nathanson music fan
January 24, 2010 at 09:35
Great read, thanks for putting it up.