Follow up: Q & A with Shuckey

Right after Shuckley sent me the email I posted above, I made a list of questions I asked him to answer. Since I promised this entry would be shorter, I'll get right to it....

Q: What was your motivation to rename your original profile and start a new Gold account with your original tag?

A: I felt that what Microsoft did by resetting gamerscores was a bit too far. Overkill in a way because it did not take into account all the Legit gamerscore gained. I still think their original idea of putting an asterisk next to your name and questionable games would have been a better idea. I was also tired of the hate messages I would get on a daily basis via Xbox Live and all the constant talk on Xbox.com and other sites giving out false information about gamesaving and how achievements were actually gained. Since most people say someone with a high gamerscore has no skill, especially since "We" cheat to get it "We" must be n00bs....and that is simply not true, it's actually the opposite.

The people who had the highest gamerscore in the beginning where the best players but competition and greed took over.

JD's Counter point: If I knew the worst that MS would do to me was put an asterisk by my name, where would the deterrent be? What hopefully has held some people back was the idea that someday it could bite them in the butt. Now that the big boys in the gamesaving world are getting reset, it might make someone think twice. I can hope at least, right?


Q: You mentioned in one of your messages to me early on, 'when they reset that tag...' in reference to your original profile with over 159K in gamerscore. You sounded like it's a forgone conclusion that you will be watermarked with the cheater label.

Why do you think that's so, and how do you feel about that?

A: I think that they(MS) feel that they have to reset all the "Cheaters" to justify what they did to CerealKiller5 and the six others they reset as an "Example". Since I believe my gamerscore means nothing to anyone but me, why would it matter at all if or when I cheated. I do not go around saying I am the best or I am the "First" at anything.

From my point of view the only real people who care about cheaters are those people who crave and desire attention. They just want pseudo fame......any way they can get it they will. Go to MGC.net StripClub asked numerous times to be removed from the leaderboards and Morgan denied his request. So i believe that is is inevitable that they will and I have made peace with that.



Q: I often see the debate whether gamerscore and achievements have any value. Many see them as worthless and wonder why anyone worries about them at all. Others take it very seriously. Where do you come out in this, what is the value of gamerscore and achievements to you?

A: They only have meaning to the person who's gamertag it is. Case in point, people value 1k in G.R.A.W. because of the Leaderboard Achievements. They are not hard to get, but people covet them like the pinnacle of achievements only because people with no gamerscore and kids boost their tags every day, all day to make sure nobody else can get them.

People brag, "Oh I have Seriously..(10,000 Ranked kills) in GoW, so I am awesome at Gears." Which is not true. ANYBODY can get that achievement if they spend enough time doing it. To me 1k in Chromehounds is the hardest game out there to get 1000 in(not Hacked). IC3xM4N did it first, followed by Freepoid. It can be boosted but it would take you almost total dedication for a year to get the Valor's and that is not even mentioning the Clan achievements for Season and Lifetime. So if someone has 800+ points in Chromehounds I know they are good, real good. So are achievements really worth anything? I would have to say overall "No"....but to the person who's account they belong to, I would say to them, it is. Which brings me back to how does cheating hurt other people? Also, without Leaderboards would anybody really care about cheaters?



Q: How easy is it if for the average gamer, right now, to gamesave? Is is still rampant or has Microsoft's actions slowed down the gamesaving scene?

A: Those who desire it, MS will never stop them nor their drive, no matter what they do now or in the future. I never thought it was rampant in the first place until everyone tried to pass StripClubDJ. Right or wrong, there is even a darkside to my community. After the first Fall Dashboard update, gamesaving was all but stopped for the average gamesaver. Only the hardcore people still could.

Another note; most of us gamesavers beat almost every game first in order to make save sets and trade gamerscore with people for games we cannot do or games that have to be done legit and maybe only 1 or 2 people can do it. We trade GS like kids trade baseball cards....some games are worth more than others. But during this, account-stealing became rampant because of greed....somebody may offer a game that is so hard only like 10 people have 1k in and they want it so bad they trade with some shady people and then BAM.... bye, bye account. Not even that stopped gamesaving so I don't think MS can either. Plus most gamesavers have multiple boxes, multiple games, and multiple multi-region boxes (Japanese and Eupopean coded 360's). We have bought or rented so many games I do not think MS would be in this position without us. (Winning the War vs. Sony). I also think if MS
continues to act in such a way alot of the gamesavers will go to PS3 and if that happens we all lose.

JD's Counter-point: I wouldn't have the numbers in front of me, but even if there's 100,000 active gamesavers out there buying multiple consoles, it would seem to me to still be barely a drop in MS's extremely large bucket.


Q: Does Microsoft and Major Nelson's stance strike fear in the gamesave community, or is it making them more determined than ever to find new ways and continue what they're doing?

A: What do you think? I think MorgonxoxNelson (JD's note: A recently reset profile that hacked over 300K in gamerscore on April 9th. It was removed in about twelve hours)proved that. MS is not in charge of anything. In reality, they are playing catch-up with a group of guys who I belive do not really care about gamerscore but more about MS telling them how to play their games and what we can and can't do with a game we paid $60.00 dollars for.

In my eye, I see it as I paid for the game and everything it has to offer including the achivements, which EA needs to learn that either keep servers open, or if they close the servers, make a patch so that when you click on XBL in the game, it will unlock all online achievements. MS will never stop gamesaving and I do not think that's their worst enemy. Pirating and modding 360's to play pirated games should be a higher priority.



Q: Did Microsoft do the right thing by the actions they've taken so far, or should they not even bothered?

A: I think they went too far. As I said before putting an asterisk by a cheater's name and by games they know have been gamesaved, glitched, or hacked. Then you could see for yourself what they really did Legit and what they really Gamesaved. To me, that makes more sense...but they thought it would strike fear into people who gamesave if they reset their scores. But to the person who is reset, they can still see their score and achievements. Everyone else just see zeroes on all games done prior to the reset. It doesn't really delete anything, just blocks everyone from seeing what they had done.



Q: Do you forsee seeing new people getting their gamercards reset on a consistent, continual basis, 'picked off' as it were? Or do you believe MS will sweep up a handful once in a while, just to let people know they're out there?

A: I am kind of on the fence about that. I think they may reset some more rampant hackers gamertags, but not all gamesavers. But hey! Anything was possible. I thought Major Nelson was blowing smoke out his butt when he said this was coming months ago.



Q: Have you ever felt bad for gamers, like myself who never gamesaved when you see dozens, if not hundreds of gamesavers fly up the leaderboards passing legit gamers?

A: No, because do you actually NEED someone to tell you how good you are or how much better it feels to earn, not boost (which is influencing the games outcome...aka cheating) but actually earn achievements? I think if you know you're good then all that matters is what your actual peers think. Will you remember StripClub for being one of the best gamers in the world (which he is) or are you going to remember for him being the first to 100k, or are you just going to remember him for being a cheat? (JD's note: I personally will remember him for being a cheater)

I do not feel achievement mean anything and are not 100% a reflection of someones skill. So let me ask you a question...... If i was at 120k when Gamer X was 90k. I gamesave, trade accounts, and boost all day and all night and Gamer X passes me is it possible for Gamer X to be Legit and pass a gamesaver? Then after Gamer X passes me like I was standing still and catches up to one of the biggest names on the 360 who has been reset can that also be possible?

The answer is no, and Gamer X = Stallion83. (JD's note: Surprise, surprise...)Do the math, it doesn't add up and not one person has ever thought wow it took him well over a year to get 100k but gets to 200k as fast as all the other gamesavers?



Q: Easy transition to this question. The gamesave community (youself included) seems to almost have a hatred for Stallion83 and some of his friends. What does it stem from?

A: I think it stems from his desire to get attention and claim to be something he is not..... Legit. He is part of the gamesave community but denies it to the open public. He was smart in the fact he left games out that if he gamesaved them or SPG'd them, it would look odd. His attitude and those of the people who back him are in fact humorous at best. I mean his own cousin Omega Deez said "He doesn't cheat, I know he's my cousin." Wow if that is all it took to have credability we have to think about changing that.

Stallion claimed to be the first person to 100k and 200k. Sites such as www.x360a.org do interviews with him acting like there is nobody above him and they would have others believe what he claims is true. Some people would say "We" are just jealous but it's not that it's that he claims to be something he's not and that's legit. Which actually brings me to a point I made to you before ......if I go to www.xboxcheaterwatch.com and say for example, Jcnet gamesaved and showed them proof, they ignore it because he is on Kaens "Legit" (and I use that loosely) Leaderboard. Now he is also a member of our community and has many gamesaved games like Rumble Roses done......but the site will not post his name up.

Why? Because who would believe a guy who cheats? I would offer an alternate view.....who better to find a cheat then another cheat? If any of us "Questionable" gamers post on www.x360a.org about Stallion they ban us from their forums forever. Tell me how that is fair....it's not and it's biased. If www.XboxCheaterWatch.com really wanted to "Out" those and do the right thing they would follow through with any and all tips in an unbiased manner. but they do not so they are not really credible anymore. I respect you and we have talked about many things over the last year so I knew I could count on you to actually see both sides look at it and be objective regardless of your view on the subject.

(JD's note: While I appreciate that, I am not convinced Stallion83 has ever gamesaved. I know you sent me another email with what you believe are examples of proof against Stallion. I'm not looking at him with blinders on, I just don't agree with your findings so far. I'm sure this will frustrate you as I can tell you want me to be convinced. You may feel I'm not seeing the forest for the trees, but I don't see proof of gamesaving.

If he's as sneaky about it as you say he is, why aren't all of you doing the same thing he is? Why are most of the gamesavers, yourself included, so easy to spot? If Stallion is truly doing it under the radar, what's the matter with the rest of you? He knows a single, proven gamesaved achievement will ruin his reputation for good. If he's doing it like you say, he must be smarter than the lot of you).



Follow up to last question: As I expected, the hatred for Stallion comes from gamesavers who feel he is not legit and resent him for the support he gets from the 360 Community. Question; Isn't it ironic the gamesave community dislikes someone who pretends to be something they are not? That's one of the leading arguments from the legit gamers is that gamesavers are taking credit for things they never earned.

A: I can see your point but I cannot tell you why others cheat or what they claim anything and I can only speak for myself. I do it for me and me alone. I have never paid for an achievement, I have not hacked games, I have never had my card blocked and I always try to be cordial to people who send me hate mail. I have talked in private chats many times with Rand al Thor 19 (JD's note: One of Stallion83's best online friends and on my own FL), and I actually think it surprised him at my honesty when he asked me if I gamesaved. I do not go on forums claiming to be either way. I really try to be just anonymous. When people say I gamesaved something and I did not, I tell them exactly how I did it. Sometimes giving them secrets, not on any sites. Again, who better to know the fastest way to get an achievement legit than a gamesaver?

Like I said, if I did something legit I will tell you and if I gamesaved I will tell you, because my achievements are mine for me..... not for others to debate, about not for Leaderboard position....for me. Because when I look at someone like Stallion I see it took him 300+ games to get 200k so that in itself shows just how not-so-godlike he is. His completion percentage is like 83% which is horrible at best.(JD's note: Mine's at 84%, hmm...I don't feel horrible) He does only easy games and easy achievements. To me, no matter if he was really #1, I would still knock him for that.



LAST QUESTION:

Have you personally profited, in your pocket, through selling/trading gamesaves?

A: No I have not, because I feel gamerscore is worthless and I have done a lot of gamerscore for A LOT of people for free just becasue I felt like it. Like I said, I see gamerscore as Baseball cards. I trade score for score just as you would trade a card for a card. I actually am adamant about people who charge money and people who mod and pirate games. I think if someone is stupid enough to pay money for gamerscore, they have no business even being online. Because I trade a service I would for example do GRAW2 1k for someone and they would in turn do a game or games for me. Now I would have to do GRAW2 100% legit so I would expect something worth my while to do all 1k for them.

So it is no different than boosting we each get something out of it and we both did each others games legit.