“This email is to notify you that your Xbox Live privileges have been permanently suspended due to illegitimate prerelease title play. The Xbox Live Enforcement Team has issued a permanent suspension. Your Xbox Live privileges will not be reinstated.”

This is the email you will receive if you’re not patient enough to wait for Halo 4 like everyone else. On top of playing the game early, those who leaked the product obviously did not pay for the item, but fortunately for those naughty gamers, it doesn’t look like Microsoft will be taking legal action against that cause. The game has been floating around in a number of places like Youtube and various web forums, so it wouldn't have been long before the discovery of such dark deeds. Since it doesn’t affect me, I really don’t mind too much but with the amount of time and dedication 343 Industries has put into creating the next installment of a very popular franchise, I say SHAME! Shame on those who WANT to play but aren’t willing to pay. Gosh, I sound ruthless now don’t I?

I still have no idea if the ban is based on IP or not but since the only gamers who could play Halo 4 early are those with a modded Xbox 360 and access to a location that could get the leaks, I’d definitely say Microsoft has many reasons to take that action should they choose to. Even though enforcement has been done in the past, it hasn’t become frequent enough, to my knowledge, to even notice. At the very least, not on consoles.

Regardless of Halo 4, are you guys happy about companies taking action against piracy? Perhaps you don’t care? Or maybe you pirates out there are upset (secretly…right?). Comment below and tell us your views on leaks, piracy, early releases, etc. in the game industry!