Left 4 Dead 360 Hacked Up

Console-style commands enabled in 360 version of game, many zombies spawned, burned, erased.

By Jeff Gerstmann | Dec. 9, 2008

Bill!

Here's something you don't see every day. People have figured out a way to alter the Xbox 360 version of Valve's Left 4 Dead to essentially enable cheats and play around with things much in the way you'd be able to in the PC version with cheats turned on at the server. This is leading to people randomly joining modified servers that are letting players spawn weapons, make use of infinite health, or even just make a bunch of witches appear to ruin everybody's fun.

Well, maybe not everybody's fun. That actually all sounds like a good time. But it's still not exactly the sort of thing I'd want to encounter without warning. The Ars Technica article about it makes it sound pretty awful--witches and tanks in the safe house!?!?! Is there no GOD!!?!!?

Here's a video of the various things people are able to do. Setting it up yourself involves modifying the contents of your Xbox 360's hard drive. It looks like you're effectively hex-editing some of the Left 4 Dead files to gain control. This sounds like the sort of thing that'll get patched out pretty quick-like, maybe with a round of bans to the users caught modifying their gear, if only to give Microsoft another chance to say "what part of zero tolerance don't you understand?"

If I were Valve, I'd just incorporate this stuff into a separate game mode and let people hack it up all they want on private online servers. Seriously, it looks like fun, and console players so rarely get to mess around with stuff like this.

50 Comments

megaplushieon Dec. 9, 2008 at 8:56 p.m.

That sounds pretty sweet. I'd still hate to spawn in that safehouse, though.

JJOR64 is online on Dec. 9, 2008 at 8:56 p.m.

Nice, I hope they do add some cool add-ons to the 360 version.

h83ron Dec. 9, 2008 at 8:57 p.m.

Wow I played this for the first time today and I must admit the witches and the tanks were the most fun of all. And the combination of both within a safehouse would be absolute insanity! Sure hope that something like this stays for good on the 360 version of the game.

Weltalon Dec. 9, 2008 at 8:58 p.m.

Well, if it's that easy to alter things, maybe we can get some damn Mods and stuff on the 360 like the PC.... Please?

8on Dec. 9, 2008 at 8:58 p.m.

I would love to keep console commands on the console versions, but I don't want to accidentally join a hacked game or have a hacker join mine. So yeah, that seperate online channel thing seems like a good idea.

Bearon Dec. 9, 2008 at 9:02 p.m.

The one thing I envy about PC gamers. Unreal Tournament 3 was a step in the right direction; too bad it couldn't have been done on a more popular game.

AndrewBon Dec. 9, 2008 at 9:02 p.m.

Looks like it could be fun for a little while, like all console commands are (though they get old pretty quickly). Still, I agree that it should be kept separate of all those looking for the standard Left 4 Dead gameplay. Of course, it'll be patched out soon anyway...

And I like how the guy tried to edit out the tutorial part of the video by posting a big white commentary box over it. You can still see pretty much every step involved anyway.

Edit: Wait, I just had a thought. If hex editing of this sort is possible, and assuming that the setup of all the files is similar to the PC version of Left 4 Dead, perhaps it would even be possible to load up custom maps on the 360? Seems like a long shot, but that would be pretty cool.

ZombiePie moderator on Dec. 9, 2008 at 9:05 p.m.

Modding on a console videogame... you don't see that everyday. I wonder how Microsoft and Valve wll respond to this and whether they'll respond that same way.

jakob187on Dec. 9, 2008 at 9:12 p.m.

Yeah, it'd be cool to have all of that stuff in the game on a separate mode...

...although it would make the achievements completely worthless.

mthe1337oneon Dec. 9, 2008 at 9:12 p.m.

wow 360 users are getting desperate :\

fortunately my pc experience with the game has been pretty solid. fun times despite the amount of campaigns.

dextersluon Dec. 9, 2008 at 9:13 p.m.

Yeah it'd be cool for private matchs, I'm not sure I want to play something like this in a pub match.

FalcomAdolon Dec. 9, 2008 at 9:14 p.m.

This will definitely result in straight-up bans. Fucking with game saves is a big no-no.

Green_Incarnateon Dec. 9, 2008 at 9:15 p.m.

ZombiePie said:

"Modding on a console videogame... you don't see that everyday. I wonder how Microsoft and Valve wll respond to this and whether they'll respond that same way."

I saw it almost every day playing ranked Halo 2 matches.

Kinarionon Dec. 9, 2008 at 9:16 p.m.

Off topic: Is there a podcast coming tonight? I mean, I can put off studying for finals forever, just curious.

TomAon Dec. 9, 2008 at 9:29 p.m.

Ya this wil get removed i bet,o well i ahve the PC version.

CleverLoginNameon Dec. 9, 2008 at 9:30 p.m.

I imagine since it's all source code that some of the people I've played Team Fortress 2 might be pulling the same thing, opening the console and issuing commands. The point is, when you give people that power, some are going to abuse it.

TomServoon Dec. 9, 2008 at 9:33 p.m.

hah, he whited the tutorial out!!!!

lamegame621on Dec. 9, 2008 at 9:38 p.m.

"What part of zero tolerance don't you understand?"

How about the part where it makes things less fun...?

Milkmanon Dec. 9, 2008 at 9:46 p.m.

One major reason that I could see Microsoft getting involved here would be achievements.

Gorillawhaton Dec. 9, 2008 at 9:52 p.m.

Left4Dead for 360 will be left for dead by Valve soon. Just wait.

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