Just a very simple question, I wondered if playing the game ONLINE on the 3rd, 4th and 5th would be a bannable offence?
If so I won’t bother of course and just do campaign a few times and some split screen. Reason I ask is a shop near me always sells a few days early.
Thanks
I would severly doubt it. The retailers will get in more trouble than you. By the 4/5th there will be quite a few thousand people playing online by then.
If i got mine early i wouldnt hesitate to play, you paid for it in the end.
playing the game before its release date without explicit permission from Microsoft means only one thing. you obtained your copy illegally, wither it be pirated of taken from a store pre its release date its illegal and very bannable. a whole bunch of guys got banned the other day for playing it.
Great news!
Looks like I’ll be picking up my copy on the 3rd and jumping straight online 
I just seen your reply Internet Cable. Now while I agree people playing a month early need to be stopped, but I think by the 1st/2nd/3rd there is going to be several thousand online, they won’t ban all them will they?
I wanted this confirmed as well. Normally i get my games on the Saturday for Tuesday releases. I Played Halo Anniversary early and that was fine.
> playing the game before its release date without explicit permission from Microsoft means only one thing. you obtained your copy illegally, wither it be pirated of taken from a store pre its release date its illegal and very bannable. a whole bunch of guys got banned the other day for playing it.
Why is it illegally obtained? Most online retailler especially in UK will start shipping this Friday/Saturday as theres no way the mail system will cope with so many orders sent at once.
You paid for the game, the retailer paid MS, does not sound illegal. Most people get a day early in the uk for most releases, i dare you to show me one person who gets banned playing a legit copy early? I mean Argos sold Halo 3 for a few hours over a week before street date by accident and no one who played that got banned.
I’m pretty sure it will be if it’s playing now or before a week before release. But as it gets close to the 6th, a lot of people will be getting copies legitimately and start playing. That’s fine.
It’s illegal for retailers to sell the game before its release date, they can get in serious trouble for this, however it should be noted that he may be in a different part of the world thab the US
for example i live in australia, and I will be getting my copy on the 6th of november which is only the 5th of november for north america
altho if hes talking 2-3 days early then somethings wrong there
You will not get banned. It’s a legit copy and am right in thinking you won’t be posting up campaign footage on youtube before the 6th right?
Like Sierra said I will get it Saturday the 3rd in EU.
And no, I won’t even play campaign before the 6th if I’m allowed to play online!!
What shop are you using anyway? lol leans forward in my chair
I think I am going to keep that to myself for now!!
Heres hoping some retailer around me breaks the sale date, so that others can. Atleast thats how it use to be. If one company sold the product before another, because of competition, the first company would get the fine, but the others wouldnt. this was to help keep them from losing sales.
> Just a very simple question, I wondered if playing the game ONLINE on the 3rd, 4th and 5th would be a bannable offence?
>
> If so I won’t bother of course and just do campaign a few times and some split screen. Reason I ask is a shop near me always sells a few days early.
>
> Thanks
Honestly, if you’re playing it within the days leading you will be fine as Microsoft knows that games ship a few days early for mail orders. However, if you are playing more then 7 days before launch I would be careful.
> playing the game before its release date without explicit permission from Microsoft means only one thing. you obtained your copy illegally, wither it be pirated of taken from a store pre its release date its illegal and very bannable. a whole bunch of guys got banned the other day for playing it.
That’s false, it’s been stated by officials several times on the Official Xbox Forums UK over the past few years that if you play a game before the release date by obtaining it legally, then you’re very much within your rights to do so.
The retailer who sold it to you though can be fined by the relevant companies.
I have always received pre-ordered games a day to 2 days early, I’ve always played them the day I got them and I’ve never had a warning or ban.
Of course, playing a game 7+ days before it is released is asking to draw attention and you’d probably have to prove you’ve purchased it.
It’s a pretty big no no to do that. But a lot of times Automatically shipped Pre-Orders show up early. I haven’t been banned for playing a pre-order game early but none of them have been as HUGE as a Halo release and honestly I think Microsoft is banking heavily on this exclusive release so they really don’t want people to be messing around with it. I’m not saying that they should ban people only 2-3 days early though.