Xbox Live enforcement is a long and drawn out process. It started with the company implementing a new policy in late 2009 that required all users to have an Xbox Live account and be registered with the service in order to play games. This was followed by a crackdown on users who did not have an Xbox Live account or were not registered with the service. In early 2010, Microsoft announced that it was going to start enforcing its terms of service more strictly, and this led to a large number of users being banned from playing games or using the service. In late 2010, Microsoft announced that it would be ending its enforcement of Xbox Live terms of service in favor of a new system where users could access the service but only if they had an Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3. This change was met with mixed reactions as many people felt that it was too restrictive and did not offer enough opportunities for users to use the service.
