Hackers who claim to be from the Game-Tut.com website were able to hack into the downloadable review copy of Halo: Reach. The Xbox 360 title scheduled for full release on Sept. 14, 2010 was made available to early media reviewers who could enter a unique code to access the digital copy. The hackers (referred to as modders), were able to remove that access code requirement and play the game.
When “Game-Tut modders” made public their success late last week they claimed they would not distribute or sell the downloadable copy. (Insert a sigh of relief from Microsoft here.) However, they did post footage of their gameplay on YouTube which has been subsequently removed due to copyright issues.
Microsoft’s Halo franchise has a history of pre-release hacks, with Halo 2 and Halo 3 both victims shortly before official release dates. But even with the hacks, the games have had no problem selling millions of copies.
In May this year Bungie’s Halo: Reach beta test drew over 2.7 million users, including over 1 million on the first day alone, setting the stage for one of the biggest video game releases this year.
The home of the hackers, Game-Tut.com, now appears to be redirected through several URLs eventually landing on a law firm website. There’s a story inside there somewhere.
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