Exposed: Halo3 ODST modder makes a threat to Microsoft
Only yesterday one guy, a previously unknown modder known as ‘Mattyovers’ had revealed to the world all obtainable achievements from the upcoming ‘Halo3: ODST’ including the previously secret Vidmasters which make Recon Armor in Halo 3 obtainable for the very first time. The story hit many other news sites across the world, many branded this fake - Xboxic can reveal through direct communication that the leaked achievements are indeed real and how the modder has threatened to leak more achievements of upcoming games in the future.
How it all started:
In a bid to improve modding skills, Mattyovers had found a way for the first time to manipulate his Xbox360 gamer profile by adding games to his profile that he didn’t own.
Before managing to obtain all Halo3 ODST achievements, he tested the ground with achievements that only Microsoft Employees were able to unlock upon the launch of the NXE Dashboard. He quoted the following:
…the last 12 hours I have been working really hard, and researching on how to update games into your Xbox Live Profile with games you have never played. Basically I mean having a game in your compare games list that you have not played yet. Everything went well although I did get to some points where I just wanted to give up, but I didn’t because I knew it was possible to be done. As you can see in the image it says NXE08 which is an achievement only Microsoft employees can have, it is an achievement when they released the NXE worldwide. Cool don’t you think.
How it was possible:
Because modding, hacking and manipulating your gamerprofile via any means is a violation of the rules of playing on Xbox360 - we shall not reveal the exact means, but can tell you that in order to add games to your profile, a hex editing method was used to manually add the game to the profile coding. In order to do so, as each game on the console is recognised by a series of numbers the Halo3: ODST game number was found through Xbox.com on the send link details for video files. Each Marketplace Item has the game reference number at the end of the link. By finding the played games area in hex, the coding for Halo3: ODST was added and then the profile was loaded onto the Xbox360 Console. In short this has tricked the console into thinking you own the game and then it exposed the available achievements listed for the game. Because the listed achievements here were directly obtained from the Live server using an Xbox360 it confirms that they are indeed the real deal!
In a response to his actions regarding the possibility of Microsoft or Bungie taking further action for being the first person in the world to leak one of the most wanted games for 2009 - he responded:
Well in my opinion I do not think Microsoft will do anything, because achievements are not copyrighted material. Not only they are only achievements so its nothing major, its not like we have the actual game. I have allready been sent a PM from a Bungie employee asking how I got them, but I just replied that it happend through a glitch.
Not only it is not in there terms and conditions/code of conduct to have games early in your game history, so legally they cannot do anything.
When he made the threat:
He also boasted about how he had made local news and then made the threat to reveal more leaked achievements if Microsoft or Bungie took action against him or banned him!
We also hit big over here in the UK lmao, I got on my local TV News, BBC News that is. Damn I am proud yes, but at the same time kind of worried about what Microsoft will do, seen as every website is saying “We have currently reported it to Microsoft, and Bungie etc…” but oh well it is all good, if I get banned, I will get banned, and if I do get banned I will just leak more achievements.
Now he plays Halo3 with Recon Armor:
Since also revealing the extra Vidmasters that unlock Recon Armor in Halo3, through manually adding the game to his profile and then manipulating it via his tools to show unlocked achievements, this has tricked his console into unlocking the Recon Armor.
It is currently unknown what action Microsoft or Bungie may take against him or if they will indeed ban him from Xbox Live. Anyone posting leaked information on Bungie.net are getting website bans and Xboxic would like to take this opportunity to remind all gamers that Modding, hacking and manipulating profiles will get you banned from Xbox Live - if not now, then eventually!
Thank you for reading & please share your thoughts below.
Source: Jason Andrews - Newsposter
He’s an arsehole. Simple as that.
Why is that?
What I see is that he exposed possible critical weak spots in the security and he’s just a guy fucking around, not really doing any damage except revealing spoilers (ahievements). I personally think he deserves all that just as a reminder to MS and Bungie that they need to update their security, and what better way to do that than to hire the guy who exploited it?
The thing is, he didn’t come up with this idea originally. People have been doing things like this for a long time already. So, he only deserves to be banned.
That is very true. There has been a tool on the scene to unlock achievements in any game you want for over a year.
All Microsoft need to do is to hold back on upping achievement lists so damn early, and his threat is moot.
They wont do much until they fix it so he can’t got any more achievements.
So he’s worked so hard to get himself banned from XBL just so he can show achievements early that we can’t unlock until we play the game anyway?
What other ways do ppl waste their life to accomplish next to nothing?
ask a political science major.
I dont think he should be banned, but I think people who expose loopholes can only do so - so long as MS keep them open.
MS should fix the issues promptly and move on until the next.
In my opinion the way I do it, I don’t think it can be fixed. The most they can do is release the achievements at a later date.
In all honesty MS are to blame - its the same with people modding their dvd drives when MS can’t detect firmware - these things only happen because they don’t close or test every possible loophole.
People don’t blame you personally, at the minute you are news on a few sites and no one other than me was in direct communication with you - and why was I banned from your site?
What other sites am I on? But already I have been banned, I was doing something good for the community in my opinion, releasing the achievements sounded such a great idea, not only like I said before it has increased the hype.
I disagree with your ban, you should not have been banned - it fixes nothing and is pointless them banning you. Making IGN news is taking it to a new level, in gaming news IGN is one of the worlds biggest - it’s big because Halo3 ODST is the number 1 most wanted game by quite a number of polls and you broke their biggest secret - the RECON Vidmasters and exposed possible story elements through the achievement list…
I still dont think you should have banned me though from our lines of communication - I have no personal issue with you…
It wasn’t me that banned you.
Im going to email you. - sent to the main noreply@ addy
I see you are trying to talk to people on n4g, its a waste of time trying to talk to them idiots, nobody will believe you or listen anyway.
I know, but it keeps the link open in recently commented section on N4G front page…its a newswriter thing…
The guy is just doing us a favor. That way we know what to excpect in a game
Get a life… Quite hacking the game and simply enjoy the game as it was intended.
What the hell are you talking about?
Well two things are now false. The recon armor does not work, because when I tested it, nothing happened I had normal amour. That Bungie employee guy was a fake pretending to be one so he could try and find out how I did it.
Wow, I wonder what will happen with games on demand? Maybe some hacker will download the games months before their releases? Like he would have done with ODST if games on demand was released now. Reply with your opinion.
Are you a fool? The games are not on live yet, but the achievements are!
Yes he would be able to download games with his method I would assume, as the console would think he already owned them to download again to his console…
He did MS a favor doing this now than later, when MS would lose loads of money in download sales with people exploiting this loophole.
Fuck it, banned? get a new 360.
Get real. The guy’s a dick. He’s a spoiler. I hope Microsoft and Bungie sue his ass into the stoneage.
Get real, you live in the stone age.
No i mean the games are not on live! But they have uploaded the achievements to live so that’s why he can access them!
Purchases are tied to your billing account, not your profile. They are handled by two seperate servers - this is queried when you open up the content blade before you download.
This achievement hack should have little bearing on this.
Tony, I am not a fool. The games are obviously not live yet due to the sole reason that they have to put Games On Demand (GOD) on the xbox first. Videogames are usually finished months before they are released, so they can be shipped to reviewers and other countries with some time to spare. This will happen with Games on demand. They will be uploaded before way before they are released, then tested over and over again, so they can assure it woks. In those one or two months hackers might be able to hack in and download the games because of the hex code numbering.
But wouldn’t they upload it to a private xbox live? Instead of the public one?
LOL they can’t sue him, he’s 16
That would be embarassing if they got hacked by a 16 year old.
Yes I am 16, thats my friend socially outside the net. To be honest I don’t see the big deal, Microsoft are the dumb ones here because I did this so easy.
Actually, a 16 year old can be sued. But, they probably won’t since this is too minor and only warrants a ban at the most. Though, the threat of releasing more might make MS do otherwise.
This is not old news lol… This has been available through another modder that created the tool he used, You guys really don’t know anything lol…
I could get him banned if anyone cares.
no one does. sorry.
biggest fuckin nerd ever
Better watch out Matty, that black van with the tinted windows has been sitting at the end of the block since yesterday!!!
microcock are gay an suck big ballz hahahahaha we have seen the achievements and what is halo ur hole fucking life sort your heads out fucking gays i take my hat off to the hacker the done it lol
Wow! That needs to be on a T-shirt ;)
Add periods and I may be able to understand what your point is.
Mattyovers: Do you think you can land your own ass in jail? ‘Cause look at it this way: Yes, you didn’t hack “copyright material,” but you did hack into a “copyright material” game. Think about that, when you’re behind bars. (if possible)
Mattyovers tbh i don’t see what the big fuss is about - achievements get leaked ahead of time like ALWAYS MS do it themselves. shame you’ve been banned but maybe next time do it via a proxy & with a silver account!
talking of next time, you feel like snooping around the Forza 3 achievements? :D
Copying “copyright material” is illegal “smallballz” which Mattyovers did. He hacked INTO “copyright material.” So, before being a vulgar, think about what you’re gonna say, and just leave the site, ’cause you obviously have no clue how to respond to this article.
Mattyovers: You’re just a vulgar; same as xspotsthemark, and bigballz.
I dont think we should blame him, someone somewhere was going to do it at some point, he is not the problem - xbox live is.
Where do all the retards come from, I swear.
n4g!!!
:)
Not only are you screwing with Copyrighted Material, you’re also blackmailing Microsoft by saying you’ll hack more achievements. You’re in way over your adolescent head. I hope you pay dearly.
Of course he should be banned. He’s broken the Code of Conduct, big time. Then boasted about it and tried to blackmail Microsoft.
For all those who agree with him, I’ll tell you what I’ll do. I’ll break into all the movie studios and steal all the new films before they come out, watch them all and post the full plots and endings on a web site for all to see.
You’re simply ruining the excitement of legitimate gamers by giving the game away (no pun intended) before the game is nearing release.
If you want to find exploits in XBox Live, get a job with MS first, then hack away at your leisure. OR find the exploit and advise Microsoft accordingly who may well reward you for the information. But doing what you did was irreprehensible. Banning is precisely what’s required.
Welcome to the grown up world of personal responsibility and culpability.
Well, we really can’t blame Mattyovers, so… in my opinion, I think Microsoft/Bungie should have a waaaaay better security system so things won’t get “leaked.” I do agree he was helping us, but he did it in a very, very, wrong way. Like threatening MC is a reason to get banned. Just deal with your ban. You already “helped” people out. You’ve basically done enough.
First of all, achievements being leaked before the game comes out happens all the time, it’s not that big of a deal. A certain achievement website has achievements revealed sometimes months in advanced.
Secondly, if this kid was “working hard” for 12 hours just to find out how to get achievements for games he didn’t play onto his Xbox… A) What a fucking loser. B) If you’re really that smart and you have that much time on your hands you should really be using your time to do something a bit more productive then adding meaningless gamer score points to your profile that mean absolutely nothing in the real world.
BTW, does he really think Microsoft is threatened by him threatening to leak more achievements…? Does he not know who Bill Gates is…? Bill Gates could own and sell his ass 489379234872748925798749827309875423 times over. That kid just might be the smartest dumb kid alive.
Bill Gates is not THAT rich.
what about the achievements for the new update coming, where your achievements unlock avatar things, he cheated, hes ruining the fun for games, and for everyone. violating the code of conduct, Microsoft, be careful. Microsoft didn’t do anything wrong. bad karma,hope it hit’s him harder than the ban-hammer.
oh noes!
boo hoo, dorky kid ‘exposes’ a list of achievements.
and?
If it doesn’t directly affect my play online, then I don’t really care.
hack the hex code, fine. Just don’t use modded controllers or glitches in games (I’m looking at CoD type glitches) online.
and really, there’s worse hobbies than hacking source code. He could be smoking crack, right? lol
Yeah agreed - nothing like a dose of realism…
So, we might as well just stop this - it is what it is.
lol he’s not the first one to discover it. Anyone can do it if they have a hex editor tool.
There’s no other source before him listing the ODST achievements…
I hope he gets sued.. for being a nerd.
Hey Matty nice work!!
I just got my 160k account banned last night according to a friend. It’s not my real account though. I still play for fun/legit on a different account.
Anyway I just wanted to say that I know how much work you put into this. I just wish I had some way of talking to you about some of the finer details.
So he basically found the url for the unlocks.
Big deal.MS needs to secure their stuff.And/Or hire him.
LOL - Basically, No…there is no URL for the unlocks, it’s not web based. He put the game onto his xbox gamerprofile - then the console via xbox live placed the achievements in his games list on the guide button…