Halo 4 Sexism Earns You a Lifetime Ban

[Racecarlock]

4. I'm gonna get banned by feminazis!

With every ban system, there are abusers. You can report someone for cheating using mods and get them banned when they're innocent. That happens on occasion. If that happens to you, I'm sorry, and that really sucks, but on the cost-benefit analysis, you kinda lose.

And since you have about another 500 multiplayer-focused FPS games that don't care about protecting their userbases from abuse, I'm sure you'll find safe harbor.

I agree with every other point of your post except this one. If someone did indeed abuse the sexism report system or the offender in question didn't knowingly and/or willingly insult or offend the person, why the hell should he still get the full punishment for it? Shouldn't there at least be an appeals process? I know I used the appeals thing here on the escapist to get unbanned, and it's worked out pretty well so far.

After all, just because someone was incarcerated doesn't mean they committed a crime.

 

[maddawg IAJI]

Debunked.

The problem with this is that by allowing them to continue, you're not helping anyone. You're just allowing that asshat to continue being an asshat to another individual and that not only affects the individual being called a **** or a slut, it also affects the image of the community as a whole. Its for that reason why a twelve year old shouting racist slurs has become the posterchild for most CoD players. So...ya....excuse the 343 studio team for wanting to keep the game friendly to all and, god forbid, free of assholes.

Everyone can mute and block people. You can't complain that you got harassed when there is a very straight forward way of stopping it. So what that they can go and be an asshat someone else. They can block him too.

As I said before, this leaves a negative mark on the community as a whole. So what if anyone can block him, by ignoring him, you just let him go on and bully other people and your game becomes known as another FPS full of whiny sexist/racist twelve year old. Allowing it to continue is both morally and logically wrong and I think 343 studios realizes that.

 

[In Search of Username]

I don't like sexism either, but I hate the idea of banning people for being dicks. It seems unproductive to me, you're not changing anyone's attitude that way, you're just moving them elsewhere.

 

[chozo_hybrid]

Provided it works in reverse, say if a guy is being hassled by a gal (it's happened to me once or twice, but it doesn't happen anywhere near as often) and they ban her then I'm all for it, that being said, I don't play Halo.

 

[A Satanic Panda]

Debunked.

The problem with this is that by allowing them to continue, you're not helping anyone. You're just allowing that asshat to continue being an asshat to another individual and that not only affects the individual being called a **** or a slut, it also affects the image of the community as a whole. Its for that reason why a twelve year old shouting racist slurs has become the posterchild for most CoD players. So...ya....excuse the 343 studio team for wanting to keep the game friendly to all and, god forbid, free of assholes.

Everyone can mute and block people. You can't complain that you got harassed when there is a very straight forward way of stopping it. So what that they can go and be an asshat someone else. They can block him too.

As I said before, this leaves a negative mark on the community as a whole. So what if anyone can block him, by ignoring him, you just let him go on and bully other people and your game becomes known as another FPS full of whiny sexist/racist twelve year old. Allowing it to continue is both morally and logically wrong and I think 343 studios realizes that.

They fail to realize that they are in fact 12 year olds. Everyone is a bit... loony at that age. It's like punishing a puppy for peeing on the floor. They're still young. Do you remember being 12? We were all idiots back then

But the older crowd has no excuse other than being raised in a bad environment. And your right, that does reflect badly on us. But personally, I don't really care what people think of Xbox Live.

 

[RadioactiveMicrobe]

I think they just killed Halo 4s multiplayer. There'll be nobody left playing within a week.

I honestly feel kind of insulted. I hope that you're joking.[/quote]It's kind of funny, because it's kind of true. (Massive Halo fanboy here too.)

When I got on with my General rank, and my Inheritor rank, the insults hurled at me consistently were enough to make anyone cringe.

 

[Paradoxrifts]

With every ban system, there are abusers. You can report someone for cheating using mods and get them banned when they're innocent. That happens on occasion. If that happens to you, I'm sorry, and that really sucks, but on the cost-benefit analysis, you kinda lose.

No offense, but fuck that for a game of soldiers. That is an absolutely repugnant, ugly and poisonous line of reasoning. Without first establishing firm evidence of guilt, all it would ultimately achieve is to create an atmosphere of contempt wherein the majority of users hold the rule of law in contempt because it is demonstrably shown to be corrupt and self-serving.

 

[Erttheking]

Debunked.

The problem with this is that by allowing them to continue, you're not helping anyone. You're just allowing that asshat to continue being an asshat to another individual and that not only affects the individual being called a **** or a slut, it also affects the image of the community as a whole. Its for that reason why a twelve year old shouting racist slurs has become the posterchild for most CoD players. So...ya....excuse the 343 studio team for wanting to keep the game friendly to all and, god forbid, free of assholes.

Everyone can mute and block people. You can't complain that you got harassed when there is a very straight forward way of stopping it. So what that they can go and be an asshat someone else. They can block him too.

As I said before, this leaves a negative mark on the community as a whole. So what if anyone can block him, by ignoring him, you just let him go on and bully other people and your game becomes known as another FPS full of whiny sexist/racist twelve year old. Allowing it to continue is both morally and logically wrong and I think 343 studios realizes that.

They fail to realize that they are in fact 12 year olds. Everyone is a bit... loony at that age. It's like punishing a puppy for peeing on the floor. They're still young. Do you remember being 12? We were all idiots back then

But the older crowd has no excuse other than being raised in a bad environment. And your right, that does reflect badly on us. But personally, I don't really care what people think of Xbox Live.

Well if they are 12 year olds running around Xbox live throwing racist, homophobic and sexist comments around, I'd be willing to bet that their parents aren't exactly keeping a very close eye on them and it's probably for the best that they get slapped with the perms-ban And you should punish a puppy what was young, so he'll learn.

And here's the thing, you don't care what people think of xbox live. We do. And personally I'm getting tired of it being "that place where pre-teens are constantly implying that you like penis" and I want that to change.

And no, I don't buy the whole "just mute them" argument, because I've done that to over a dozen people and there's always another one around the corner, really the only solution would be to block the communications of half the people on xbox live because this behavior has become so widely accepted. Someone needs to draw a line in the sand about what is acceptable, because some people are getting so turned off by this that they're not playing games at all or when they do, they don't use mikes to avoid the talking to jackasses. And as someone who has had to spend years living with a bratty, annoying and abusive sister, it really enrages me when people constantly tell me "oh just go into another room" when she's around. It's stupid and unfair. Why? Because I shouldn't have to go out of my way when I'm trying to relax to avoid taking crap from a complete jerk because no one wants to do anything to stop them. Same situation here. These people are breaking the XBL code of conduct, the thing that they agreed to follow when they made their account, exactly why shouldn't they be punished for that?

 

[lazinesslord]

Is... is Wolfkill her actual name?
Because that is a badass name. Bratty, sexist teenagers beware for Wolfkill will lay the banhammer upon thee!

 

[Mikejames]

I don't like sexism either, but I hate the idea of banning people for being dicks. It seems unproductive to me, you're not changing anyone's attitude that way, you're just moving them elsewhere.

I.e. somewhere where they won't be a nuisance?

I appreciate the thought of there actually being consequence for excessive hate mongering.

 

[Soluncreed]

What happens if a group of assholes decide to report you for sexist behavior?

 

[Andrewtheeviscerator]

I'd rather companies do not prevent or censor free speech or in other ways superimpose their "company rules" on their customers.

If you come over to my house, call me a **** and then I kick you out am I censoring your free speech? No, I'm kicking you out because you're being a douchebag. Same thing here. They aren't censoring free speech, they are saying that if you want to use their servers then you're going to follow their rules. Thats like saying that banning someone for modding the Xbox with a J-FAG to play the game for them is abusing your right to property.

Anyhow, I'm glad about this. A permanent ban might be a little harsh but to be honest that doesn't bother me considering I don't say sexist shit because I'm not a douchebag, therefore it only serves to better my experience. Maybe now we'll get to see a lot more girls on Halo, God knows we could use a little diversity.

It ain't your house though (and if you throw someone out of your house he's still free to call you a "****" somewhere else), nor is it Microsofts "house", I approve of serverside bans where everyone can control their little "community" to abide by whatever rules they set up for it and people who don't like it can go to another server, but banning someone from an entire service because you don't like what they have to say or someone feels "offended" by it, even though they might just be talking to their friends/blowing off Steam or are having a bad time is blowing things out of proportion. It would be similar to cutting someones phone line because you didn't like what they said in a phone conference or felt "offended" by it or services like Skype banning people for the same reasons.

If you don't like what people have to say you are free not to engange with them, to mute them all, to mute everyone or go somewhere else without imposing your rules on millions of people that just want to have some fun.

Edit: I don't play Halo or have anything to do with Xbox Live, but I highly doubt alienating large parts of their core audience in favor of potentially not hurting dubious oversensitive people who supposedly show up instead and buy their product instead is going to work out in the end. It's in fact one of the main reasons why I play on the PC, I don't have to abide by the rules of a single "platform holder" and am free to do whatever I want.


Freedom of speech and Rights to Property are very basic very important rights that shouldn't be stepped upon, especially for something as murky as this.

Freedom of speech only applies to the government, companies are allowed to censor you as much as they want within their service, it doesn't infringe on any rights.

As for the modded consoles, yes its not illegal to mod them but it is illegal to use the microsoft xbox live service with a modded console, that's why it gets banned. If they come to your house to take it from you then its illegal, if they ban you from their service for breaking the agreed upon terms of conditions that you fully well know, then that's your own damn fault and no one should have any sympathy for you.

 

[maddawg IAJI]

Debunked.

The problem with this is that by allowing them to continue, you're not helping anyone. You're just allowing that asshat to continue being an asshat to another individual and that not only affects the individual being called a **** or a slut, it also affects the image of the community as a whole. Its for that reason why a twelve year old shouting racist slurs has become the posterchild for most CoD players. So...ya....excuse the 343 studio team for wanting to keep the game friendly to all and, god forbid, free of assholes.

Everyone can mute and block people. You can't complain that you got harassed when there is a very straight forward way of stopping it. So what that they can go and be an asshat someone else. They can block him too.

As I said before, this leaves a negative mark on the community as a whole. So what if anyone can block him, by ignoring him, you just let him go on and bully other people and your game becomes known as another FPS full of whiny sexist/racist twelve year old. Allowing it to continue is both morally and logically wrong and I think 343 studios realizes that.

They fail to realize that they are in fact 12 year olds. Everyone is a bit... loony at that age. It's like punishing a puppy for peeing on the floor. They're still young. Do you remember being 12? We were all idiots back then

But the older crowd has no excuse other than being raised in a bad environment. And your right, that does reflect badly on us. But personally, I don't really care what people think of Xbox Live.

Well, then why wouldn't want to set the foul mouthed little bastards straight? Teach them early. Show them what is accepted and what is not. You may not care how others percieve your game, but the developers do as they're the ones who have to market the multiplayer as a long-term investment for the player and it is EXTREMELY difficult to do that when so many people are within that community are long and obnoxious assholes.

 

[Vault101]

Real people have racist and sexist attitudes they don't express in polite company. If you make X-box live polite company, they'll leave, your financial base will tank, and you'll have to go ruin something else.

uggghhhhh internet white knights.....I mean honestly, sexist teenagers don;t need you to "protect" them

 

[Brendan Stepladder]

Well, expect half of Microsoft's customer base to be banned within the next four months. This is a fantastic addition to Halo and XBL as a whole.

 

[neverarine]

while a ban for these comments is good, dont you think a lifetime ban for a single phrase is a little absurd? i think she is taking the issue a little to personally here... a lifetime ban is absurd

 

[ResonanceGames]

I don't like sexism either, but I hate the idea of banning people for being dicks. It seems unproductive to me, you're not changing anyone's attitude that way, you're just moving them elsewhere.

I.e. somewhere where they won't be a nuisance?

I appreciate the thought of there actually being consequence for excessive hate mongering.

No, clearly there will be no thought put into how any of this is handled, millions of innocent players will be banned, and anything and everything will be mistaken for bannable sexism, including long discussions about gender roles in child rearing.

Because if these things things aren't the case, then it would mean that all the whining against this is stupid and baseless, which doesn't fit the dialogue that the massively oppressed victims of this heinous policy want to have.

 

[Bashfluff]

Real people have racist and sexist attitudes they don't express in polite company. If you make X-box live polite company, they'll leave, your financial base will tank, and you'll have to go ruin something else.

uggghhhhh internet white knights.....I mean honestly, sexist teenagers don;t need you to "protect" them

It's true. People generally don't want their entertainment environment to be like their work environment. It's not comfortable. People will leave because of restrictive environments.

 

[Vault101]

It's true. People generally don't want their entertainment environment to be like their work environment. It's not comfortable. People will leave because of restrictive environments.

because...you know....sexist slurs are so important for the gaming experience