Halo 4 Sexism Earns You a Lifetime Ban

[ResonanceGames]

Seriously, what happened to free speech these days? What shocks me the most is everyone's 'meh' attitude about all this.

I think a more appropriate link would have been: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_XLFphmv0Y&t=0m52s

Just because there's free speech doesn't mean you can pay for sex with pennies -- er, I mean, do whatever you want on any service you want to. If you want to talk about free speech violations, talk to the the cops who enforce "free speech zones" or the justices who've upheld the FCC's right to censor the airwaves. Don't talk to Microsoft for having house rules on their servers. That is a completely different thing, akin to any business owner not allowing people to do to heinous shit on their property.

 

[llubtoille]

re. www.abload.de/img/1351375079348yirv6.jpg posted on the first page,
It seems a fair evolution of her appearance as gameplay graphics have advanced.
So probably done more so to keep in line with the previous games than a 'look boobies' thing.

While I'd applaud efforts to reduce the general abuse that goes on in most multiplayer games,a lifetime ban seems a little harsh.
I'm not familiar with how the xbox chat thing works, but if it's voice based, perhaps simply not allowing them to talk would be more reasonable.
ie - make the offenders muted

 

[SoulSalmon]

On the surface, this shouldn't be a bad thing.
In reality, the way these things are handled, I get the feeling it's going to be less "You're banned if you're being a sexist prick" and more "You're banned if you're a male insulting a female".

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

I have a feeling custom games are going to skyrocket...hopefully they aren't sensitive to custom games too and just stick to their matchmaking rooms for the political correct patrol.

 

[Queen Michael]

What, twenty years was too lenient? Sure, sexism should earn people bans and I'm glad they agree with me on that, but I'd say two decades is more than enough time.

 

[Tsun Tzu]

Permabanning is always (mostly) bullshit. Taking away part of the product someone purchased with the understanding that they would have access to said part isn't cool.

By all means, ban the dicks for a day or two, weeks even, but permanently taking part of their product because someone else was offended by the (idiotic) words they used shouldn't be acceptable.

The mute feature is apparently unknown to a vast majority of the gaming population.

Jerk says something to you... Mute! Hey, the game's fine again.

Plenty of people have been absolute assholes to me in online games. I've never, ever, EVER thought that they should be permanently prevented from playing their game, which they purchased, because they're a prick.

On the surface, this shouldn't be a bad thing.
In reality, the way these things are handled, I get the feeling it's going to be less "You're banned if you're being a sexist prick" and more "You're banned if you're a male insulting a female".

Also, this.

 

[Erttheking]

People who aren't sure how Microsoft goes over reports should probably check this out.
<youtube=bhz9eTcL1h0&feature=g-hist>

 

[Helmholtz Watson]

That's freedom of speech

I'm sorry, but not all of us live in 'merica [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWS-FoXbjVI]. In Canada, we have laws the put exceptions for hate speech in our freedom of speech legislation.

True, not everybody is American but you know who is an American company? Microsoft and 343 Industries. So your comment about Canadian law is nothing more than a red herring about how American companies should regulate their products to Americans.

If you want to sell a product or service in a country, that product or service must comply with that countries laws.

Great, so that's what they will do with Canadian players, but it doesn't mean that they have to do it with American users.

Why shouldn't they? Freedom of speech does not protect it.

Yes it does, they have the right to say crude sexist things on Xboxlive.

Go read the terms of services. Also, freedom of speech means you have the right to say it, not the right to an audience.

Doesn't seem to be that big of an issue for Xbox, because I don't see people getting banned for it. As for audience, sure a person doesn't have a right to force people to listen to them, but they have a right to voice their speech in public.

 

[Something Amyss]

What if someone else does And females might take it the wrong way and report something which was meant innocently. Lifetime ban seems harsh for a first time offense. Maybe warning then a ban?

If you're playing in public, try acting like it. Since the specific assertion was that friends did this, I presumed closed games. Honestly, I don't get why people have such a hard time conducting themselves like adults. I give my friends shit all the time. I don't, however, in public because there's a social context that goes along with behaviour. And if someone "takes it the wrong way," maybe you were doing something wrong after all.

Not that I'm saying you are, just pointing out, maybe, just maybe.

And hey. Maybe this will actually teach some people to think before they speak.

Out of curiousity then, what do you actually use in the US when you want to call a man an extreme insult?

Ummm...******? I don't know. Most male-oriented insults don't tend to have the same social sting, period. And ironically, "pussy" is a more mainstream term than that other one and it's used enough to become mainstream.

"dick" is tossed around pretty damn casually, probably moreso than "c***" in the UK.

 

[Zerstiren]

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or of the right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

--U.S. Constitution, 1st amendment (I memorized this a long time ago)

"abridge" (verb):

a.) Shorten (a book, movie, speech, or other text) without losing the sense

b.) Curtail (rights or privileges)

The people hosting the Halo 4 servers do have the right to permaban you, if they don't like anything you say. I'm for the permaban, so everyone else in this country has the right to choose what goes on, on their turf.

But just for the record: yes, freedom of speech does mean everyone has the right to say anything they want. The repercussions are dependent on specific circumstances, e.g. if Hustler magazine does a gorilla poster campaign in public elementary schools, or if the Westboro Baptist church invades the premises of a military funeral (the supreme court recently said it's okay for them to stand outside the gates).

 

[Roxor]

Well, I'll be damned. Microsoft is actually doing something right for once.

Not really. Why is it zero tolerance for sexism against women? Why not men too? Why not racial abuse? Why not abusing people in general? It just screams publicity stunt to me.

Okay, sure, they're not doing everything they could, but at least it's a start. Let's hope they expand the scope to be more consistent in the future.

Though i have never played halo on XBL before. Just local multiplayer so i don't know what the community is actually like

Me neither. I've never actually owned a games console, but that's not going to stop me from praising the console companies for doing something right for once.

 

[mechalynx]

As a gamer for most of my conscious life, just happening to be of female persuasion, this looks like a horrible idea to me. It basically limits the free speech, or as Simon Phoenix would say, their right to be assholes. Paying assholes at that. Some sort of punishment is due for the biggest offenders, but I can see the franchise lose customers fast if they are permanently prevented from getting full use of the product they paid for.

 

[Dead Seerius]

Uhhhh... MUTE BUTTON anyone??

Look,I think it's great that a studio is finally making the douchebags on Live think twice before insulting someone for who they are, but seriously? A zero-tolerance permaban for "sexist" comments?

Did it ever cross 343's minds that what some people find insulting, others do not? As someone said before, the word "*****" can be used as a universal insult, guys and girls alike, but a fair amount of females out there see the comment as sexist if it's directed toward them. Some people just get offended really easily.

Dunno about this... The cause is noble but the execution... needs work.

 

[waj9876]

And once again companies of all shapes, sizes, genres, and even products don't realize that not every single one of their customers is a complacent sheep with no interests that differ from anyone else in the slightest.

This needs to be more clearly defined. HOW are they going to decide who to ban, and why? And will girls also be perma-banned for sexist comments? If they aren't, that in and of itself is sexist.

And don't get me started on the fact that humanity will find a way to twist every little thing ever done or said into something negative. So yeah, you own someone at a game, and then say to them "Haha, good luck next time *****." with no actual regard to the person's gender, like so many LIVE players do? You could be called sexist, and permanently banned from ever playing Halo online ever again. At least that's what the information we have now is saying.

The idea behind it is fine, the way (we think) they are tying to implement those ideas just scream of SOPA-level incompetence and idiocy.

 

[triggrhappy94]

This is like a hypothetical thought/social experience, but they're actually doing it.
That's amazing. It's like when they cleared all the nazis off Black Ops, but way more thorough. They better keep some kind of log for this, I want to see some of the best reactions.

 

[RadioactiveMicrobe]

Calls out about the degrading remarks, and pledged to make a stand on it.


Gives the holograms a teabag function.

...ok.

 

[Sovereignty]

I swear the world is becoming more and more childish. What happened to ignoring things you didn't like? You ignore a douche bag spouting obscenities and it WILL stop. That's not even acknowledging all of the damn abilities (Such as muting/blocking users) to prevent you from enduring too much.

People are far too sensitive, crying over the slightest things, and when communication is broader than it's ever been.

Pathetic really it's not like words will hurt you.

 

[DingoDoom]

I swear the world is becoming more and more childish. What happened to ignoring things you didn't like? You ignore a douche bag spouting obscenities and it WILL stop. That's not even acknowledging all of the damn abilities (Such as muting/blocking users) to prevent you from enduring too much.

People are far too sensitive, crying over the slightest things, and when communication is broader than it's ever been.

Pathetic really it's not like words will hurt you.

No, words will not hurt and people do have the option to mute/block the douches, but like any snotty nosed brats, just ignoring them will NOT stop them. You block them and mute them fine, but that is just you, others get irritated by their fuckwit behavior and would rather see that they never enjoy something ever again for being such dickbags.

Ignoring the problem will not make it go away, no lesson is ever learned. Action will show them the repercussion of their action. Whether banning someone outright or being irritated by someones behavior is childish is entirely subjective. Some people just don't deserve nice things.

 

[Vetta E-dom]

Nice Xbox and 343! Its good to see Xbox/343 not wanting their products and services known as the garbage dump of online gaming any longer. Its slightly sad to think that people can't hold them selves with a bit of decency and self respect. I am sick of getting in matchmaking rooms and having to listen to all the racial or sexist garbage people want to spew through their mics. Its like going to middle school and listening to all the little kids that think their hard core yelling profanity in front of all their friends, cause they learned a new word today.

And also this thread just amazes me. Xbox/343 says their cleaning house cause they want a better service, they don't want all the hate associated with their service.. and people defend all the hate..wow...just wow
If you're the type of person that has either nothing better to do than sit and spew garbage across a mic, or think its fun to use racial, or sexual, or whatever remarks In a fraken game... then well...I don't know I'd say you should really rethink your life at that point. I think Sgt. Avery Johnson said it best, "If you didn't want your ass shot off, you shouldn't have stuck it out so far"

Can't wait to have a bit of diversity on live that is not afraid to speak up on the mics.