So dear reader, when was the last time you were on Live? Now, when was the last time you were on Live and did not encounter some form of asshat? However long ago it was, it was definitely too recent, and word is starting to really get around. In an article at Gamasutra, Fulton, a Microsoft employee who worked on Shadowrun, writes that: "the online behavior of our customers is dramatically reducing our sales."
And that's just the beginning of an excellent four page article on social design and the future of online gaming with regard to social interaction. The assertion that Live is generally filled with annoying idiots has been widely held among the more hardcore gaming community since the inception of the service, but this is the first that we've ever heard anything out of Microsoft about it affecting them in any manner. In the article Fulton posits that we know and love games so we're willing to work around it or put up with it, but for newcomers to the medium, the fun/annoyance ratio could just be too high. Readers, what do you think?
Reader Comments (Page 6 of 7)
4-04-2008 @ 10:28AM
Vcize said...
Here's something I never understood. We have this rep rating that rates people on a 1-5 scale, so why not use it?
Have matchmaking take rep into account. Put the 5's with the 5's and make the 1's play against the 1's. That way all the asshats are just playing with each other. Kind of like the Australia of videogames.
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4-04-2008 @ 10:29AM
Vcize said...
And btw, that was a reference to the way Australia was originally used as a place to dump criminals, not a knock on modern-day Australia.
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4-04-2008 @ 10:37AM
Rob said...
If people start trash talking, Teabagging. saying "lolololol it's a Brit", saying "GTFO Australian/cockney" I an usually just ignore them, hit mute and more recently I have been submitting bad reviews and filing complaints for the people who are making the games hell for everyone.
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4-04-2008 @ 10:44AM
EdgeOne said...
While sometimes the banter going on cracks me up, I did tire of the novelty quickly, so I usally don't use a headset at all, and when I do, my options are set to hear friends only.
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4-04-2008 @ 10:58AM
XeonPro said...
This is my primary gripe about playing online. I rarily play but with a core group of friends anymore because the stupid retards out there that feel they have to sing, scream, yell, threat etc are starting to become a regular problem. I remember when the 360 first came out, it was a relief to be playing online without all this insane kiddy trash because they could not afford it and the parents weren't going to stand in line for the kids. It wasn't till months after release that all the little pricks started getting their hands on the 360 (parents got them one for christmas or something) that I started noticing some of the crap I used to see playing H2 a lot.
Give me an adult live service (even though not all youngsters are immature pricks). I would be willing to pay more for this. Let the kiddies fight amongst themselves.
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4-04-2008 @ 11:06AM
theberlindoctor said...
why not just constantly record everyone's audio streams for the last 2 minutes and have the ability to send a chunk of that audio to a MS rep who will review and then punish based on gamer score, banning, warnings, etc.
Simple. Check yoself fo you wreck yoself.
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4-04-2008 @ 11:19AM
Larry said...
I have played a lot of Halo 3, and the times I run into a cursing idiot is very rare. In the cases I do run into an idiot they usually do me the favor of announcing themselves an idiot at start so I an mute them.
I just think this problem is way overblown.
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4-04-2008 @ 11:26AM
Disgust said...
I think when it really comes down to it, there are 2 options. Either Microsoft needs to randomly moderate/observe games for potential offenders (which is unlikely) OR they need to give gamers the power to do something about the thousands of asshats that are ruining the service. Because when it really comes down to it, there really isnt any other way to identify these people other than personal interactions. Part of the reason they are able and willing to get away with it is because they are anonymous. Even requiring personal info in gamer's profiles will not take away from this anonymity that they hide behind.
I think they need to implement something into the "zones" (Pro, Recreation, Family, Underground) that will actual pertain to who you play with, not what your "preference" is. Depending on what zone gamers choose, others need to have the power to say that others are not following the guidelines for their particular zone, i.e. bad language, bad behavior, general asshat-ery. In addition, the feedback system needs to be ALOT stronger. I think gamers that start to accumulate bad/negative feedback need to have features removed OR others be given the power to ban/boot these players without warning. This could be coupled with a 30/60/90 day drop-off for feedback, so people can be given a probationary period where they can clean up their act.
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4-04-2008 @ 11:26AM
Josh said...
Lots of my friends get instantly turned off by the annoying kids. It is definitely eating into their profits.
You should be able to avoid the idiots as easily as you can mute them in Halo 3.
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4-04-2008 @ 11:27AM
Lianne said...
I really haven't encountered that many "asshats". And when I do, I just mute them. I think the problem is people just notice the "asshats" more so it seems like they're everywhere, while the quiet, nice people just go under the radar. Here's a tip: by getting annoyed and not playing the game, you're doing exactly what they want. Just ignore them.
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4-04-2008 @ 11:34AM
Rez said...
The last game I had on live was 4 months ago and I don't mind the idiot's in general or the swearing but the final straw came during a game of COD4 and we had a racist in the game that started on one of the lad's playing. I was horrified by this attack which went on and on for the full length of the game. I haven't played a game online since. It's something that needs to be totally wiped out. Kick the jerks off for good.
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4-04-2008 @ 11:35AM
Digitalspirit said...
There's an easy solution, set your profile to "Friends Only" then you don't have to listen to any cunts. It's just you and your proper gaming buddies, I ONLY have people I pleh with in my friends list, no one else. Job done.
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4-04-2008 @ 12:21PM
EDW said...
i don't encounted that many "asshats" on Live.
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4-04-2008 @ 12:48PM
mike said...
Yep, that's why I cancelled my XBL account. It's definitely a better experience than PSN, but the price you pay to have a good experience more often than not get gets ruined by someone's stupidity.
I switched to PSN.
Xbox lost my business.
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4-04-2008 @ 12:52PM
RicePudding said...
Give me a giant ban hammer and I'll fix things...
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4-04-2008 @ 1:09PM
amauro said...
Stop being a bunch of sissy's. Games like Halo and COD4 are about killing and you can't take some trash talk? You bleed 7 days out of the month and it disgusts me.
You are the same a-hats that took the touch down celebration out of football.
Go play Uno, I hear they need more players.
Xbox live gives you so many tools to mute and avoid communication with players. Use em or shut up.
LONG LIVE THE TRASH TALK! Hit me up on xbox live, "JEASUS SP3RM 17" or "JEASUS SP3RM 18". Microsoft keeps making me change my name so just up the the number till you find me.
I have a 94% avoidance rating and love it.
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4-04-2008 @ 1:46PM
brock_samson said...
What is your idea of Trash Talking?
Is it standard type or over the top?
Do you Trash Talk no matter what you
do in life, online and off?
I'm not making a judgment call just wondering.
4-04-2008 @ 2:00PM
Martyn said...
This is why community sites like www.gamerangels.com are so good - all of the fun of XBL and none of the negatives!
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4-04-2008 @ 2:15PM
amauro said...
Brock, My idea of trash talking is generally making fun of somebody without use of racial slurs. You're fat, you have man boobs, you suck, nice k/d ratio, go for a walk fatty, you have canckles, retard, and homophobic remarks. Generally very childish comments but for some reason bothers people.
Why I don't do racial remarks but do homophobic is some weird line I wont cross.
Yes, I trash talk no matter what. In work and personal play face to face. People I play know in real life say to people who we play with online "can you believe hes like this face to face too" or "I'm just numb to it I hear it every day at work".
Halo2 was the best because SOOOO many people were thrown off their game from trash talking. Even in ranked games in Halo 2 people could hear you. The angrier a player the worse they play.
You (the public) think sports players don't trash talk? If you don't I guess you haven't been close enough in a live game to have heard it.
4-04-2008 @ 4:23PM
Johnny ComeLately said...
I personally think that people need to get over themselves, and stop having their "feelings" hurt.
The biggest problem I would have with Live is that fact that I can set my profile to "Recreaction" or "Pro" or "Underground", yet still run into 12 year olds.
Want some REAL privacy settings? Make Underground just what it is, gung ho, no holds barred, no WORDS barred action, make Pro for the trash talkers who will watch their mouths, and make Recreation for the sissyboys/girls that can't handle an insult. Set searches to find players just like that, and make A-holes play with A-holes, and kids play with kids.
Simple, really.
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