Microsoft Weighs In On XBox Live Territories Issue

You may remember we mentioned the upcoming dashboard update for XBL, and the effect it would have on XBL Marketplace. Now, Graeme Boyd, from Microsoft UK’s Xbox division, has posted on his blog concerning the issue.

He makes a pretty straightforward statement concerning the issue, saying, “If you have signed up for an Xbox Live account in a country different from where you live you need to read the following carefully. When the Spring Dashboard Update goes live we’re making some big changes to the way Xbox Live accounts work. Within around 24-48 hours after the Spring update hits you will no longer be able to access Xbox Live Marketplace content that is not licensed in your region. That means that, for instance, if you live in the UK and you want to download content that is only licensed in the US and not available in the UK, you will no longer be able to do it.”

Now, I’m not normally one to defend Microsoft. In fact, it’s usually the opposite. But, in this case, I can kind of see their problem. They have content licensed for, oh, let’s say the US. Users in the UK are creating US accounts in order to access that content. So, the content provider is basically getting screwed. Who does that provider blame? Microsoft. So, if Microsoft wants to continue providing their content, they’ll have to fix the problem that is irritating the providers. Content that has already been downloaded will not be affected, said Boyd. “One important thing to note – if you have in the past downloaded licensed content from an Xbox Live Marketplace in a country different to that in which you live, that content WILL remain on your hard drive. It’s yours for keeps. But you will not be able to download any more.”

But, there’s more to this. While I can understand the problem Microsoft faces, check out how they plan to handle all those ‘illegal’ accounts. “And another important point: If you do have an Xbox Live account registered in a country other to that in which you live, that account will not be closed down. It will continue to exist and work and you will need to keep paying any pending subscription fees. The only difference is that you will no longer be able to download licensed content from that country’s Xbox Live Marketplace.”

So, they’re closing off access, but you still have to pay for that account. That’s a bit much for me. Cancel those extra accounts, XBL users. Do it before Microsoft gets a free penny off you.