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Making XBox Live Less Horrifying
Gamespy has an article talking about ways to make XBox Live a better place to play. The article lists ways to improve your relations with others and generally improve the community feel of the Live network. From the article: "Xbox Live isn't always a nice place. Everyone has horror stories about some of the things they've heard (or, in rare cases, seen) coming from some of the more 'unsavory' elements of the burgeoning online community. There's a good chance (especially if you play as much Halo 2 as I do) that you've heard more racist and homophobic comments than polite ones. Now, I'm certainly no prude, and there are plenty of moments when I'll spew a steady stream of profane invectives at whichever fool just blasted my avatar. Usually, it will be something along the lines of 'Oh man, &%&$# you, you $^%#& %$@&#! I should %*#(@ tear off your $*^%@^% head and %#@#*& it!' As the old saying goes, never trust anyone who doesn't swear."
(or maybe you just invented a way to "see" people doing these unsavory things over a speaker.)
Disclaimer: I'm not a member of Xbox Live...
Perhaps it would be worthwhile to implement some sort of ratings system. You get to rate your opponent on his or her conduct and sportsmanship.
Accrue enough "demerits" from different members, and you get tagged as a habitual asshole.
When I'm on live and somebody makes a homophobic comment I respond with "How old are you? twelve?". Of course, many times they are, making the argument a little bit harder.
It also helps to remind people that they are spending their time playing videogames on the internet. This typically usurps any delusions they have about being "the shit" and makes it easier to make your point. The anonymity can give people delusions of granduer.
System.out.println(syynnapse.getSig());
In case you were wondering, but too lazy to RTFA, the author is aware that you can mute other players. From TFA:You can also choose to mute them (this will only affect what you can hear, not what everyone else does) if you don't want to hear what they have to say.
/. for that matter. And, why the hell am I posting to /. on a Friday night... I need a life.
Which begs the question: if this guy knows that you can mute peope you don't want to hear, why is he still bitching? I guess it was a slow news day in Xbox live land... and
but then I saw this.
Latewire
Frankly, I'd rather a person use his microphone, throwing around curse words in times of stress (like when grenades are going off all around him) than someone not use the microphone at all, choosing to leave me in the dark as to where the sniper is, whether or not he's seen the bomb, or if the warthog has spawned and he needs a driver. I'll live through a couple bad words if it means that he'll tell me strategically useful things!
Oh, and it should be noted that Bungie and Microsoft have dropped the Banhammer on a lot of users just for lots of repeated cases of negative feedback of the "he's an ass" variety.
Beyond the Polygons : Because 50,000 polygo
Is to be able to play XBox Live with people who have been verified as:
- older than 18, 21, 25, etc...
- graduated from college
- Graduate Students
- Ivy League Grads
- whatever...
I don't care what the criteria is, but I don't socialize with high schoolers in real life. Why should I be forced to in XBox Live?
I'm not sure if it means I'm desensitized or not, but I don't really agree with the author of that article.
/shrug
I'm equally offended if someone tells me to go suck my own dick, or calls me a oreo, spic, nigger, jew, chink, chunk, whatever... I don't see any difference in telling someone to go perform a very difficult physical feat on themselves (I've tried), or insulting them based on what may or may not be their race.
"What is the answer?" (Silence) "In that case, what is the question?" --Gertrude Stein
As a developer of Online games, I
often wonder if we should have more
options to block comments from specific players,
or censor text. (Or even build in parental
controls to allow a parent to block
the chat or voice-chat portions
of games).
I disklike cesorship, but I am sometimes
concerned about our liability with these
things. People can be worse than just mean...
OMG!!! I LOVE THIS!!!
You mean 99% of the XBox Userbase isn't really gay? (I believe everything I read.)
i do not play xbox live nor do i intend to ever play any consoles due to the fact i have a PC. i have been online gaming for a good few years now and i would say there are some right Cu**s out there. I think anyone who comes out with anything racist or homophobic should be shot with a real gun...id like to see that happen..maybe some kind of stun system where by you have to be linked up via some kind of electro pad in order to play
Visit My Blog at http://spaces.msn.com/members/chrisharries
I think that xbox should scrap all xbox plans and start focusing on the 360 model. When you play online you are going to run into racisim and other non desirable comments. I dont even play with my headset anymore since I always have some wanna be mack try and pick me up or put me down cuz I wont give them no play.
There is only one reliable way to make XBL less horrifying: Find the "mute player" command, learn it by heart, and use it at the slighest provocation. From then on, no player can annoy you for more than a few seconds.
Anyone who has been playing online games for any length of time knows that Xbox live isn't the only place where this is a problem. You're just as likely to get cursed at, called faggot/nigger/spic/etc., or stomped down by cheaters in any online PC game. Xbox live is just worse because so many games default to broadcasting the voices of other players, which is one of the worst design decisions a game manufacturer can make.
/ignore people with little effort.
This is one area where MMORPGs shine. Because the servers often track the last few lines of a player's chat, players who prattle on like this too often tend to get complained about so often that they simply get banned. It's also nice to be able to permanently
If it's only language you're most interested in, why not just implement that and be done with the fool?
If it's other behavior, you're dealing with a totally different level of problem.
A firewall can not protect you from yourself. Turn off what you do not need. Do not use the firewall to do your work.
He mentions getting a good circle of friends. That's exactly what I've done. It helps if you can find a good group with an internet presence, like the League of Amateur Gamers. We're made up of a group of older people that don't get to play all the time, so it's really a better matchup for my skill level also. It was like being in the twilight zone after one round of Halo 2 when someone apologized for accidently spawn killing someone. While we still have the smack talk (of course), there's no racism or homophobia. It has completely turned my Xbox Live experience around.
Hopefully the Live system in the 360 will help foster more like minded communities.
Forget the whales - save the babies.
Currently there's a feedback system for XBLive, but it's invisible to the users. They can submit feedback, but only Microsoft can see the feedback, and it's generally looked at just for super extreme cases.
On the 360, feedback will affect a player's visible Reputation rating, and people will be able to choose game settings that only allow them to play with people of a certain Reputation rating.
Looking very much forward to it.
whats so wrong with cursing etc? for crying out loud, if that bothers you its you with the problem.
Why people tend to whine so much about people being jerks over the internet or xbox live? In case you havent noticed nobody forces you to play with a jerk, if you dont like the way someone is playing LEAVE the room! if you are hosting warn the user once then KICK him out. Why is it that everyone thinks they are going to solve this problem by whining or inventing silly rules? it doesnt! 80% of the time a jerk just stops acting like one when he gets kicks out, or finds himself playing alone. Anyway you will be glad to hear that contrary to popular belief most of the people youll find online are not jerks, I mean seriously you dont expend $200 on a console $50 in a live service and then pay broadband just to call everyone names and being an ass. Most of the people are pretty dedicated (hardcore) so do expect to be beaten (and insulted since thats part of the alpha male thingie) until you achieve at least half their status. If you are being offended by someone (at a reasonable level) just insult him back or better yet practice and BEAT him, I mean is just a game, why cant you drop a good comeback, oneliner to someone from time to time? I mean who are you? mother theresa? why are you playing a game about blasting people each other to bits then ? It just adds to using your buddy list wisely and finding good people( even good clans/team) to play with. whinning doesnt solve anything. (and to keep insulkts to a minimum make sure you practice before going live!) Have fun!
Go ahead MOD my day!
More opinions here
-Eric
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
I don't know how xbox clans work, but who the hell would want that kid in their clan? I mean, he's constantly yelling AND he seems to not be able to play while yelling.
I've got the World Championship Poker game that lets you play people via Xbox live. I've only played a couple times, and I already had one experience where some doofus left his mic on for a good 1/2 hour without realizing it. We got to hear him talk to his wife, answer a call on his cell (and hear his 1/2 of the conversation).. and of course, hear his reactions to his cards... :)
- My favorite error message: xscreensaver, running on an old Sparc 5 w/ 8bit color: bsod: Couldn't allocate color Blue