Precisely.
I can use any device i want on my own console i paid for and that i own, and manufacturers can kiss my ass.
If that's a problem with your game, solve it inside your own game.
The stance they should have taken all along was just banning accounts if they deemed it cheatingTend to agree. I don't see how Activision can claim damages here. Cheating in a video game isn't illegal. Folks seem to be talking about this as if it were on the same level of piracy. I don't get it.
They plug in between your controller and console and lets you run scripts
You can greatly increase things like aim assist and greatly reduce recoil
At one point they had paid scripts that were straight up cheating but I don't know how those work now
Things like giving single shot higher powered rifles in COD full auto with next to zero recoil
Even watched a guy landing in PUBG that could see ground loot while floating down
They used to have paid scripts if they don't anymore, I think (and could be wrong) you can pay monthly or yearly and get the latestCronus doesn't have paid scripts only idiots buy those.
Cronus doesn't allow you to see loot on the ground in PUBG
It's most anti recoil and sticky aim.
Its like a billion dollar franchise being completely ruined by third party software interference... they definitely have damages to claim here. They are losing big money now.Tend to agree. I don't see how Activision can claim damages here. Cheating in a video game isn't illegal. Folks seem to be talking about this as if it were on the same level of piracy. I don't get it.
"Helps you control recoil a little bit"
Yes, it's your device that you own, but you don't own the software you are using it with. You "own" a license to execute the software within the confines of the ToS.Precisely.
I can use any device i want on my own console i paid for and that i own, and manufacturers can kiss my ass.
If that's a problem with your game, solve it inside your own game.
Its like a billion dollar franchise being completely ruined by third party software interference... they definitely have damages to claim here. They are losing big money now.
Like Heisenberg said Activision could see the devices but didn't do anything about it. It's possible they didn't do anything about it at first because people used it to make content and gain attention of younger or gullible audience that didn't realize all these huge kill count matches weren't legit. But now the hacking is majorly negatively affecting their playerbase and they are losing customers over it. Time to finally do something about it.
The stance they should have taken all along was just banning accounts if they deemed it cheating
But that would take work with their anti cheat which they do not want to put in
Totally an unfair advantageDamn, it's not even the same game anymore with these things. At least in comparison to someone playing without such a device.
They used to have paid scripts if they don't anymore, I think (and could be wrong) you can pay monthly or yearly and get the latest
And I 100% saw someone using one of those Collective Minds devices on his PS4 and could see ground loot in PUBG before he ever landed
Maybe he also had some sort of jailbroken PS4 and running something else but I saw it in action and he claimed it was just that plug in device on his controller though it may have been the strike pack from the same company, its been too long
This.No video game is that fucking serious.
They'll just work around it, it'll be a constant game of cat and mouse (and resource waste on Activision's side).Why don't they just prevent the device from working within their software?
why don't they use a system of public/private keys to encrypt the input/ouput between the console and official devices to avoid a middle man?
So I wanted to find out what he was running and he said it was the Strike Pack and not the Zen but its made by the same people Collective MindsThey never had paid scripts. They advocate for users to NOT pay for scripts
Def a jail broken PS4
They're fucking over the cheating source not the cheaters. Also, when you can bet and gamble on something there tends to be less leniency for cheaters. What you're saying is like also saying oh we should just let a football player cheat for a soccer player or a baseball player. Cheating is cheating..Fuck Activision. Hope the jury see through their nonsense.
I have never played a Call of Duty game, but trying to fuck over someone for life for supposed cheating? Disgusting. No video game is that fucking serious.
Don't the devices have some non cheating use technically?They need to be suing Sony and themselves (i.e. MS) for not blocking this shit at the console/OS level. The console manufacturers obviously have the means to detect and disable these kind of devices and more than enough resources to keep track of whatever kind of spoofing and hardware revisions a handful of ultra small cap companies try to pull to get around it.
I know whenever Ybarra and I talked about those devices years ago one of the reasons they never wanted to take a stance on them was a lot of people do use them to actually help them in offline playDon't the devices have some non cheating use technically?
So if they see people using devices to cheat in game they should ban them in game. Suing a hardware company for providing a legal device that "may" negatively affect Activision is BS. I really hope AKB and MS lose and at least get taken for lawyer fees.I know whenever Ybarra and I talked about those devices years ago one of the reasons they never wanted to take a stance on them was a lot of people do use them to actually help them in offline play
I don't remember the exact scenario but he said something like they would never want to ban someone that did not have good motor control skills and they were using those things to play games like NBA 2K or now even MLB The Show to just help them actually have fun
Now I would venture to guess way more people are using them to get assistance in MP games and Ybarra said a few times Xbox could see them in use for each game
Yes, absolutely. Let's you use KBM in games that dont support it. Or lets you use say PS5 controllers on XSX and vice-versa or lets you use PS4/5 arcade stick or wheels on XSX and so on. There are a variety of devices that support these options.Don't the devices have some non cheating use technically?
Which is weird because the PS4 has a wired only protocol for connected controllers in settings. Smells fishyWhen PlayStation secured the Call of Duty marketing rights, the esport switched over to the PS4 platform, and they had to use Cronuses at these LAN events as it was the only viable way to disable and bypass Bluetooth in the DS4 controllers at the time. They learned of the Bluetooth problem at a tournament where the players experienced significant input lag caused by interference. The usage of Cronuses ended with the release of MW2019 when the esport moved to PC (controller only, still), where the players then started using programs to "overclock" their DS4 controllers by raising the polling rate.
Just a bit of history to show that Activision (who had purchased MLG, therefore becoming the league owner), essentially, funded the Cronus business to maintain competitive integrity at their live tournaments for 4 years.
Yeah its for sure just posturingSo if they see people using devices to cheat in game they should ban them in game. Suing a hardware company for providing a legal device that "may" negatively affect Activision is BS. I really hope AKB and MS lose and at least get taken for lawyer fees.
Personally, I use similar devices all the time because I am not buying Wheels, Arcade sticks, Flight Sticks and Pedals for separate consoles since MS and Sony can't agree on a common protocol.
I also use same hardware to use KBM in console shooters as I am simply terrible with controllers in FPS especially.
And there are folks like you mention, with motor skills issues who need to use variety of devices to enjoy gaming.
Why don't they just prevent the device from working within their software?
Then Activision is just as responsible for any damages they have incurred.
I play on a Pro with a pro controller and a super fast monitor with amazing internet with crazy low latency
That doesn't work for v1 controllers, and the league used SCUFs (while a few used Battle Beavers, but they were not a sponsor), so unless those custom controllers were v2, they wouldn't be able to use the official wired connectivity mode.Which is weird because the PS4 has a wired only protocol for connected controllers in settings. Smells fishy![]()
That's what makes it such a shitty situation. It's a godsend for disabled gamers like myself. But the dumbasses who make the device market it as a cheat device.I know whenever Ybarra and I talked about those devices years ago one of the reasons they never wanted to take a stance on them was a lot of people do use them to actually help them in offline play
I don't remember the exact scenario but he said something like they would never want to ban someone that did not have good motor control skills and they were using those things to play games like NBA 2K or now even MLB The Show to just help them actually have fun
Now I would venture to guess way more people are using them to get assistance in MP games and Ybarra said a few times Xbox could see them in use for each game
It sure doesn't seem like Xbox provided much in the way of detection to their devs... It's only relatively recently that anyone is detecting m+k. I think PUBG just does the bare minimum and detects the pretty obvious WASD inputs on the left stick. R6 Siege seems to be doing a lot more with their mousetrap, but it's still just a heuristics approach, as evidenced by early versions trapping Elite controller users using sensitivity curve presets. And also, if you're on the latest XIM and use appropriately aggressive "Simulate Analog Behavior" settings, you apparently won't get mouse trapped.Xbox can for sure see when people use them as its something Ybarra and I talked about often while he was still at Xbox
His reply whenever I would ask why not ban those people was they decided at Xbox to let each game studio decide what to do with those people using those devices
It doesn't really seem like anyone has solved 'anti-cheat' at least for FPS. But for consoles specifically... given the original sin of charging for "Xbox Live Gold" i.e. the premium online gaming experience... it seems pretty clear that they didn't for instance take 20% of their Gold revenues to overfund a team tasked with defeating online cheats... ya know.. as part of the premium service that lord GabeN somehow provides a superior version at zero extra cost to the consumer on PC.Absolutely pathetic display of incompetence from management and leadership, to avoid negative PR, and I'm not only talking about Ybarra here.
It's your fucking platform. Your consumers are being affected from exploiters and it's affecting the integrity of the product on offer. Grow a spine and take a fucking stance and block them all.
All console manufacturers are equally complicit in this, just waiting for someone else to make the first move and use that as an excuse to follow them (like the recent $80 markup from MS for their 1ST party releases, right after Nintendo did it), all to avoid bad PR, and the devs themselves are also equal pussies to not block these. The end consumer is the one being affected in this shitshow.
If I recall, the PUBG thing was kind of wild, you'd set up your Xbox wired through your PC or something and have an ethernet sniffer that would grab the data for players and loot and display it on your PC screen.Cronus doesn't allow you to see loot on the ground in PUBG
Let's say you made your encrypted protocol and prevented the middle-man... well... problem is the user still has physical access to the controller. You'd just solder yourself in on the other side of the encryption and inject controller inputs there. Or just dump the keys. It'd be an extra hoop to hop through.why don't they use a system of public/private keys to encrypt the input/ouput between the console and official devices to avoid a middle man?
That idea never made a lot of sense to me. Cheaters certainly push some people out of the game. Ironically, my XIM journey started with MW2 PC Cheaters. For all the meme-worthiness of the BOYCOTT MW2 Steam group... the lack of dedicated servers and lack of timely cheat enforcement completely destroyed any long-term viability the PC multiplayer had. With earlier CODs I was happy to play PC solo, then occasionally hop on the console versions with my RL friends, despite myself being shitty on controller, they were pure casuals so it was still fun.I'm guessing banning the people who use these devices is starting to cost Activision money
XIM used to always advertise as mouse+key (and I suppose using PC flight sticks/wheels and the like, though the support was never amazing) and accessibility only. Some people eventually figured out a sneaky way to do some rudimentary anti-recoil with some of the settings, but that sort of thing was frowned upon. Eventually it seems like they lost enough market share to Cronus as the XIM Matrix has "Smart Actions" (aka macros) and can be paired with XIM Nexus (a gamepad with gyro) for all sorts of shenanigans.That's what makes it such a shitty situation. It's a godsend for disabled gamers like myself. But the dumbasses who make the device market it as a cheat device.
I wish someone would make a very similar device, just without the gamepacks.
Yeah I sure don't know how much if any Xbox helped said devs in "seeing" these devicesIt sure doesn't seem like Xbox provided much in the way of detection to their devs... It's only relatively recently that anyone is detecting m+k. I think PUBG just does the bare minimum and detects the pretty obvious WASD inputs on the left stick. R6 Siege seems to be doing a lot more with their mousetrap, but it's still just a heuristics approach, as evidenced by early versions trapping Elite controller users using sensitivity curve presets. And also, if you're on the latest XIM and use appropriately aggressive "Simulate Analog Behavior" settings, you apparently won't get mouse trapped.
I always drew the line between input translation (where you're essentially playing the game normally) and things like rapid-fire and recoil control (where you are automating game mechanics away).Yeah I sure don't know how much if any Xbox helped said devs in "seeing" these devices
I asked Ybarra more than once if devs like COD studios could see these devices and he always replied "absolutely"
Just not sure anymore its full on cheating, maybe bending the rules some but I don't feel increasing aim assist is actually cheating
I would actually hate to see it get removed from players likewvnative
Well you,ve explained why they didn't go that route so nothing fishy here.That doesn't work for v1 controllers, and the league used SCUFs (while a few used Battle Beavers, but they were not a sponsor), so unless those custom controllers were v2, they wouldn't be able to use the official wired connectivity mode.
I don't know if the league tested the latency difference between the Cronus and the official wired connectivity mode when it was introduced or any time afterward, but I know for a fact that they never used the official wired connectivity mode in any LAN tournaments. And because of that, the pros would purposefully scrim from home using the Cronus to simulate the latency they would experience on LAN, instead of practicing with a higher polling rate and a lower input latency by using wireless mode.
What smells fishy?
the unique controller key would be inside the controller cpu.Let's say you made your encrypted protocol and prevented the middle-man... well... problem is the user still has physical access to the controller. You'd just solder yourself in on the other side of the encryption and inject controller inputs there. Or just dump the keys. It'd be an extra hoop to hop through.
you could still allow those but a game could allow input only from a crypted, verified device.Mouse, Keyboards and Webcams would be kicked out.