A site that generated 160 Microsoft Points per refresh has cost the Xbox 360 platform holder over $1.2 million in real-life cash. Unlike those bogus "fill out ten surveys for free points" sites, this one was genuinely giving away free Moon Bucks to anybody who stumbled upon it.
The site is now closed down, but not before one chap nabbed $150 worth of MS Points and tons of other crafty gamers ransacked what they could. Before the site's closure, it was giving out 404 errors due to mass traffic.
Cheeky hackers determined that you could add numbers to old Point codes in order to generate new ones. Not every generated code worked, but the plenty of them did. In addition to the site, more dedicated rogues could download a program that automatically generated codes for MS Points, Halo: Reach Avatar props, or 48-hour Xbox Live trials.
The freebie frenzy is over, but Microsoft's been hit pretty hard. I'm sure most of you, however, are simply kicking yourselves for missing out on it before MS shut down the party.
Microsoft lose $1.2 Million Due to Code Exploit [Save & Quit, thanks Adam!]
Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize.
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Contest:
2:00 PM on 03.09.2011 | 
I'm suprised Jim.
You could look at it that way, but it's the same argument for piracy. Nothing was really stolen, but at the same time they lost sales, I guess.
They won't miss it.
Where as this situation is absolutely different. Microsoft points are a form of currency with an arbitrary conversion rate applied to it that basically fucks you and takes your money. I shed no tears over this "injustice" because no one watched their hard work passed around like a regular girl at a frat party.
Wait what? They would and will? Nevermind.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKD5pKzzXvU&feature=player_embedded
@Lycan XIII
And the next step should be to ban everyone that incessantly pre-trolls people.
And also, icant they just find who did it and just take the points back?
Fun fact.
That's a lot of avatar light sabers.
Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Maybe it didn't come off like that. Despite no physical product being stolen, they still lost sales on the MS-points (cards or what-have-you) so yeah.
Group of hackers steal 1.2 million in points from Microsoft : It's microsofts fault
Stay classy, Destructoid
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hahaha, fuck you micrsoft
Once again, people confuse the concept of "media" and "content". Content is 95% of what you pay for.. media is cents on the dollar.
And all for using their search engine.
Oh well, I still got 3 years of Xbox Live Gold for free when they had that website that gave out free 1 month codes. :)
Seriously, they probably light their cigars with 100 dollar bills so get the fuck outa here.
...no they haven't. It's only $1.2 million.
1,2M is a lot of money for anybody. Especially the guy responsible for this security breach.