Xbox Live Says Autistic Boy Cheated

[weatherdude]

Microsoft probably doesn't act without any justification. If this child is a cheater then this is the consequence. If not then the cheater label may be damaging.

"Achievements" however should be irrelevant. Sure it'd be a downer if all my "trophies" were to go missing but they along with the gamerscore are only numbers. It has no impact on gameplay whatsoever. If they are important factors in your quality of life and fufillment then there is a unhealthy problem that needs to be addressed.

 

[Onus]

If Microsquishy is unable (OR unwilling) to provide definitive evidence of cheating (not explainable by unusually skilled play), they should be required to restore all achievements, issue a public apology, and otherwise make amends. If they can prove cheating, however, further public humiliation should include Mom for not having a clue what her son was doing.

 

[zak_mckraken]

Why do you ask me Kevin? I don't know the kid! Autism or not, Microsoft (and other companies for that matter) shouldbring proofs to their accusations before labeling someone as a cheater. Several years ago, I got kicked out of Utopia because I supposedly cheated. I tried to get explanations, without results of course. I was really mad so I just quit the game. It's been like 10 years, and I still wake up screaming and sweating at night. Well, no. But still, it sucks when you're wrongfully accused without proof and you can't even prove your innocence.

 

[Guest]

Only the boy really knows if he cheated or not. I think Microsoft should be careful with labeling people though. If they label him as a cheater they should have concrete proof of his actions.
I

 

[mrstasis]

At first glance from media spin, this sounds like Microsoft has really done someone wrong, but honestly, how is this newsworthy? Gamerscore doesn't mean anything, in fact, this is giving the kid the opportunity to go through his old games and get all the achievements again. Microsoft has given him replayability!

Now, I didn't see anything about this in the article, but if they banned his Xbox Live Gold account, that could be a problem.

 

[frish]

he had modified achievements http/twitter.com/Stepto/status/30451173655838720

 

[d1rtyju1c3]

[citation][nom]iLLz[/nom]There has been updates to this story on other sites I read. He HAS in fact been proven to have cheated to obtain some acheivements. Microsoft HAS provided his mother with proof of his actions and they stand by their ruling. I get he is Autistic and many of you want to sympathize with the kid, but he did cheat so why is it OK to cheat just because you are Autistic? How is it low of Microsoft to put him in the same plane as anyone else caught cheating? Microsoft is holding him to the same level of equality as anyone else on their service. I see no wrong here other than that perpetrated by the cheating offender.[/citation]

Provide a link

 

[TheWhiteRose000]

Wow, That's just as bad as Microsoft banning someone for Gay in there legitimate name.

 

[black_zion]

Imagine that, he really did cheat, and his mother tried to take advantage of the fact that he is autistic to get her and his faces in the news, this is just as bad as the Balloon Boy incident. I say Microsoft should sue his mother for slander or ban him from XBOX Live for life so he will actually have to interact with people.

 

[d0gr0ck]

The kid was cheating... They've already had a field day with this on other sites.
Citation Not Neeeded

 

[MrSinatra]

insane. everyone at microsoft who chose to handle this issue this way after being made aware of it should be fired. i expect things like this from the gov't, not the private sector. in fact, she should get a lawyer and sue. it is incredibly difficult to raise an autistic child, i'd love to see her burn them down.

 

[aft_lizard01]

The reactions here are incredible. First off who cares if he is autistic. Not to be heartless but that doesn't matter one bit here,if he is high functioning autistic then he is almost normal in almost every way except for interpersonal interactions. If he is low autistic then likely he wouldn't be playing with a game. THe fact that autistic is used to bring about sympathy is a red herring.

The thing about their cheat detections is that it is blind. Doesn't care if you are a nun or autistic. It has a simple task and that is to determine if you have cheated. There are ways to determine very easily and with out question if you have earned an achievement or not. Likely this kid did a save hack and added achievements that he in no possible way could have achieved with the amount of time played allowed. Beyond that MS Xbox Live doesn't owe anybody crap except to assure that everybody has a good experience free from cheaters. Simply don't cheat and don't cry about it.

 

[restatement3dofted]

[citation][nom]D1RTYJU1C3[/nom]Provide a link[/citation]

Check out the article on Consumerist. http://consumerist.com/2011/01/xbox-live-assigns-scarlet-cheater-label-to-autistic-boy.html. According to the Twitter of Stephen Toulouse, the director of policy and enforcement for XBL, "We confirmed there were cheated achievements and gave the parent the details. This wasnt a "he played too good" situation at all."

Just because the kid's autistic doesn't mean he isn't capable of cheating. It isn't uncommon for people with autism to develop splinter skills (i.e., memorization of trivia, or knowledge about a particular subject, etc.), and so it seems entirely possible that in the course of latching onto gaming and gamerscores, the kid figured out a way to maximize the efficiency with which he obtained gamerscores - presumably one that involved cheating. If that's the case, it's also entirely possible that, given his autism, he wouldn't necessarily have realized that what he was doing was against XBL's terms of use, but that doesn't make it not cheating.

Of course, all of this is purely speculative - people just need to keep in mind that it's entirely possible he was cheating, and that is definitely how Microsoft sees this.

 

[Guest]

Its funny people are some how assuming MS knew the boy was autistic, to MS all he is, is a number. this is just an anti MS campaign with the headline of this article and others. would not have mattered if he was physically disabled, male, female, black, white, the same result would of happened, now because the boy is autistic they have to treat him differently to the other 30 million people on xbox live.

 

[Senor Snarf]

[citation][nom]imapc[/nom]I'm going to go with cheater, oddly enough. I don't think most people are really above that sort of thing, especially if they have a handicap to start out with.[/citation]

Yea, because mild autism impairs one's ability to play video games.
Hurf durf.

 

[burnley14]

Good for the family overall. Now they'll make it onto a TV show and make millions!

 

[AGPC]

If only Bill gates was in charge....

 

[AGPC]

HE DID CHEAT!!.
Mircosoft: SUE HER!

 

[applegetsmelaid]

This is just stupid. Mind your own business MS.

 

[silver565]

I'd say the kid is just very good at gaming. Autistic people can be insanely good at those things (especially maths in some cases)