Microsoft Warns Users Not To Play Purchased MW3 Discs Early

Xbox Live users who play legitimately purchased copies of Activision's Modern Warfare 3 before its release date Tuesday may face consequences for their Xbox Live accounts, according to Microsoft. After some stores began mistakenly selling shipped copies of the game earlier this week, ahead of an official November 8 launch, a tweet from Xbox Live Director of Policy and Enforcement Stephen Toulouse warned that pre-release play for the game is "not authorized" and "may impact your account." The word comes after Toulouse said he "[double-checked] with Activision" on the matter, following an earlier tweet that said players could "have fun" with pre-release copies of the game before launch. In the past, Microsoft has been quick to ban Xbox Live users for infractions from using modded consoles and playing pirated games to using objectionable imagery on in-game characters. Outside of the tweets, it's unclear how Microsoft and Activision will be letting potential players know not to use the game before the official launch date. We've reached out to both companies for further comment on the matter. Online auctions for Modern Warfare 3 discs being resold by early purchasers are going for over $1,700 in some cases. [UPDATE: In a statement to Gamasutra, an Activision spokesperson said the company has "no interest in banning legitimate copies in these last few days" and was simply requesting "everyone to wait for Tuesday when everybody can play the game together."