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[Mr. Spinnington]

Well, well, well....

http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/18/share-xbla-games-on-two-xbox-360s-legally/

For those of you too cheap to pay full price for Xbox Live Arcade games, a poster on the CheapAssGamer forums has outlined a legal way to split the cost of XBLA downloads among two (or more) Xbox 360's and owners. All you need are a couple of 360 units and live accounts, a memory unit, and a friend who's willing to go halfsies for the game you want.

The process exploits a loophole in the XBLA usage restrictions that lets you play downloaded games on other Xbox 360 consoles as long as you log in once with your Xbox Live profile. All you have to do is transfer your profile with a memory unit and log in and download the game to the second console. The split games are fully functional, even allowing multiplayer matches involving both half-owners.

Of course, Microsoft could change its usage restrictions at any time, making this kind of splitting potentially risky. Still, paying $5 for Doom is twice as appealing as paying $10 for Doom.

Here's the CAG thread link, if you're a member --the excerpt if not:

Shipwreck’s Guide To Half-Priced Xbox Live Arcade Games and Marketplace Content

Okay, we all want cheaper Xbox Live Arcade Games and Marketplace Content. Doom might sound a little expensive at $10, but for $5 you might be tempted to go back and re-kill all those demons you took care of 13 years ago. Maybe you’ve been itching to buy some new content for Oblivion or some snazzy Lego Star Wars GamerPics and in true Cheap Ass Gamer fashion want to find a way around paying the dreaded MSRP. Well CAGs, how does 50% off all Marketplace Content with full online play and Achievements sound?


First of all, let’s get the minimum requirements out of the way.


-Minimum Requirements:

1. A friend with an Xbox Live Gamertag Profile (Silver or Gold) that owns an Xbox 360 with a hard drive
2. You must have an Xbox Live Gamertag Profile (Silver or Gold) and own an Xbox 360 with a hard drive
3. You must both have access to Xbox Live with your respective Xbox 360’s
4. You must have Marketplace Points on at least one of the accounts
5. In order to get the 50% off price, both friends agree to pay half of the full price of the content


-Recommended:

1. One Xbox 360 Memory Unit (this is a memory “card” for those that are not familiar)
2. Multiple Xbox 360 controllers for each console


Quick Terminology:
To make this easier, let me introduce you to our two friends that will help us through getting our cheap Marketplace content today: CAG A and CAG B. Both of them meet all of the requirements above and CAG A has a memory unit. In the following steps, CAG A and CAG B will be buying an Xbox Live Arcade game that they both want to play, but the same steps would apply to any content on the Marketplace including Game Content, Themes, and GamerPics.

[NOTE: A memory unit was used to test this procedure, but “Account Recovery” would also be an option in transferring Xbox Live Profiles between the Xbox 360’s.]

How to Get the Cheap Content (AKA The Part You Care About):

Part 1: Getting the Content on CAG B’s Xbox 360

* Step 1: CAG A loads his/her Xbox Live Profile onto CAG A’s Xbox 360 memory unit. (System Blade-->Memory-->Hard Drive-->Gamer Profiles-->CAG A Gamer Profile-->Move-->MU)
* Step 2: CAG A inserts CAG A’s memory unit into CAG B’s Xbox 360.
* Step 3: If CAG B’s Xbox 360 is not powered on, power on CAG B’s Xbox 360.
* Step 4: If CAG B’s Live Profile is signed in, sign CAG B’s Live Profile out. (Xbox Live Blade-->”X” Button-->Yes, sign out)
* Step 5: Sign in CAG A’s Live Profile. (Xbox Live Blade-->Sign In-->CAG A Xbox Live MU)
* Step 6: Go to the Xbox Live Marketplace and find the Xbox Live Arcade game CAG A and CAG B want to download using the Marketplace Points on CAG A’s Live Profile.
* Step 7: Download the Xbox Live Arcade game by selecting “Confirm Download”. If prompted, save the content to “Hard Drive”. Wait for the game to finish downloading.
* Step 8: Once the game is on the hard drive, sign CAG A’s Live Profile out. (Xbox Live Blade->”X” button-->Yes, sign out)
* Step 9: Sign in CAG B’s Live Profile. (Xbox Live Blade-->Sign In-->CAG B Xbox Live HDD)
* Step 10: Play the game that was just downloaded. CAG B now has a fully featured Xbox Live Arcade Game including Achievements and online play. In fact, any profile that signs into CAG B’s Xbox 360 will be able to play the fully featured Xbox Live Arcade Game.


Part 2: Using the Content on CAG A’s Xbox 360

* Step 1: Insert CAG A’s Memory Unit into CAG A’s Xbox 360.
* Step 2: If CAG A’s Xbox 360 is not powered on, power on CAG A’s Xbox 360.
* Step 3: Sign in CAG A’s Live Profile. (Xbox Live Blade-->Sign In-->CAG A Xbox Live MU) [Note: CAG A’s Live Profile could also be moved back to the Hard Drive and then signed in.]
* Step 4: Go to the Xbox Live Marketplace and find the Xbox Live Arcade game CAG A downloaded on CAG B’s Xbox 360.
* Step 5: Re-Download the Xbox Live Arcade game. This will not cost any Marketplace Points since CAG A has already bought this game. (Game Download Screen-->Full Game-->Download Again)
* Step 6: Play the game that was just downloaded. CAG A now has a fully featured Xbox Live Arcade Game including Achievements and online play. The game is also still fully functioning on CAG B’s Xbox 360. CAG A and CAG B can even play online multiplayer with each other for games that support that feature.


Part 3: Using the Content of CAG A’s Xbox 360 with Other Profiles

(This section can also be used to take your profile to another person’s house and allow them to play the full versions of Xbox Live Arcade Games under their Profile and earn Achievements on their Xbox 360.)

-Minimum Requirements:

1. More than 1 Xbox 360 controller
2. More than 1 Xbox 360 profile (it does not matter if it is an actual Live profile or whether it is just a local profile, but all features associated with the level of that profile still apply). For these instructions, we will just use CAG C as the other profile.


The Actual Steps:

* Step 1: If CAG A is signed in, sign CAG A out. (This is not actually necessary, but it’s generally easier to do this so that CAG C can use controller #1.) (Xbox Live Blade-->”X” button-->Yes, sign out)
* Step 2: Using controller #1, sign in CAG C’s Profile. (Xbox Live Blade-->Sign In-->CAG B HDD)
* Step 3: Using controller #2, sign in CAG A’s Xbox Live Profile (Xbox Guide Button-->Sign In-->CAG A Xbox Live)
* Step 4: Using controller #1, play the Xbox Live Arcade Game. CAG C is now playing the fully functioning game including Achievements. If CAG A signs out, the game will return to Demo form.


The Means that Make all of this Possible:

Each time you download content on Xbox Live Marketplace, there is something called “Usage Restrictions” which I’m sure most people have never bothered to read. So, here it is:

Originally Posted by Usage Restrictions
The item you are trying to download is subject to usage restrictions. You can use this item on the first Xbox 360 console that you used to download it. Access to this item will also be granted to all users on this first console. If you transfer the item using a memory unit or other storage device, you will also be able to use it on other Xbox 360 consoles, but you’ll need to sign in to Xbox Live with your Xbox Live account on that console before accessing the item.

Disclaimers:

1. If CAG B’s Xbox 360 breaks, the games on his console are lost. This is true even if CAG B just replaces the “Core Xbox 360 unit” and is still able to use the Hard Drive from the original Xbox 360. The content is tied to the console itself and not just the hard drive.
This is a potential downfall in the way Marketplace Content is protected and not an issue that arises strictly from the procedures outlined above. Just ask anyone who has had to have their Xbox 360 repaired and then comes to find out that when they re-download their games that none of the other profiles can use the content anymore! (See “Using Content on CAG A’s Xbox 360 with Other Profiles” above for the workaround.)
2. The Xbox Live profile that purchased the content will not be able to play it on his/her Xbox 360 without being signed into Xbox Live. This is closely related to Disclaimer #1.
3. Anything else that may go wrong or change in the future. Cheap Ass Gamer does not take any responsibility for any problems that arise from following this tutorial.
4. There are slightly different ways to get the same results as described in this tutorial, but to try to make this as concise as possible, only one method was described. If you have questions, please post them here and I’ll try to answer them the best I can.

Interesting, no? If you know a dude with Lumines Live! or have been wanting to **** Microsoft up their ass for a change, here's your chance.

 

[The Faceless Master]

this has been possible since launch...

you don't understand how it works...

1) [key point] you buy the game on someone else's 360 with your gamertag (they get to keep it on their 360 for 'free' and play it any time)

2) you download the game on your 360 (you can play it as long as you are signed in)

if someone else has already bought the game, you can't do this trick

 

[SumGamer]

How much is the game? Its Lumines people, pay for it.

 

[Mr. Spinnington]

Seriously? What?

 

[Rhindle]

Yes, we've known about this since Day 1.

The feature is there in order to permit people to play the games they've purchased when they are over at a friend's house.

Abusing the feature in order for two people to use copies of the game is piracy, plain and simple.

 

[Mr. Spinnington]

Well it looks like some of us [me] didn't know about it. I guess this thread can be locked since it's old.

 

[goldenpp72]

Not only is it illegal, but if the persons console breaks down they get boned.

 

[demi]

You shouldn't be buying Lumines period.

 

[mrklaw]

Yes, we've known about this since Day 1.

The feature is there in order to permit people to play the games they've purchased when they are over at a friend's house.

Abusing the feature in order for two people to use copies of the game is piracy, plain and simple.

hang on, so this is piracy, but the Sony thing is woot?

 

[radjago]

Yes, we've known about this since Day 1.

The feature is there in order to permit people to play the games they've purchased when they are over at a friend's house.

Abusing the feature in order for two people to use copies of the game is piracy, plain and simple.

Okay, here's a scenario.

I go to a friend's place and put my profile on his box via memory card. Meanwhile, at home, my significant other is playing the same game on our box.

Do I run the skull n bones up the flag pole or not?

 

[segasonic]

it's not illegal

 

[teiresias]

How much is the game? Its Lumines people, pay for it.

Or better yet, don't buy Lumines and hence don't contribute to the proliferation of microtransaction crap - particularly of the kind that's as nickel & diming and greedy as the model the Lumines crap is based on.