Neighborhood Watching XBOX Live

Jun 22, 2011

For the majority of gamers, Xbox Live can be an amazing experience. Meeting up with friends near and far, playing games with a diverse group of people from around the world and catching up with family via chat or Kinect. The thing is, some people on Xbox Live don’t see it this way.  For a small group of gamers, Live is a chance for them to lash out, to say things and act as inappropriately as they want since, in their minds there is no consequence. They’re douche bags, assholes and what we call Timmies. Immature, vulgar and profane individuals who feel it is their right to behave in a completely inappropriate way because the service offers them anonymity.  Bigotry, unfair play and general, well, douche baggery amongst a subset of users mean that for every pleasant experience on Xbox Live you may well end up having one that’s thoroughly painful and unfortunately in many cases even offensive.

It’s easy to criticize Microsoft and its enforcement team when you see people breaking the rules.  From JTAGS to Viral Infections, there is never a shortage of idiots who like to break the rules, especially those seen as harmless or just for fun.

Most people would probably side with these Timmies. After all, why should they be held responsible when there are millions of other more serious offenses like racist comments, bullying, sexual harassment and phishing schemes that bilk both real and in game currency from the unwitting.  Is it even possible to police such an enormous amount of content?  I can say without question that Microsoft does everything in its power to not only catch, but eliminate threats regardless of how serious they may appear.

But there is some disconnect.  Microsoft can only police so much.  There are some games that have dedicated servers, or whose code has been hacked.  So shouldn’t the developers and publishers not also assist in keeping the games THEY made and profited from safe? What role do they play?  Shouldn’t they be held just as accountable if not more so?  Modern Warfare and World at War are good examples of this.  Microsoft polices these games, more so now than when the games first released due to content issues as a result of hacks.  Treyarch and Infinity Ward have clearly moved on to their current projects, letting these noble games die a slow and painful death.  So why should Microsoft be left holding the bag so to speak?  The answer, right or wrong, is that it is on their service so they are ultimately the end of the line when it comes to enforcement.

So the next question is this – when a gamer enters a modded lobby, is there enough information available that they would know, at that moment, how to back out without being held liable for breaking the rules.  The dashboard is filled with content and marketing, why not have more beneficial information that targets not only the current issues but also educates users on how to avoid them.  Both games have the ability to prompt messages, one of the hacks manipulates this and fills gamers screens with multi hued insults, so why not use it for the benefit of innocent gamers by instructing them how to exit the lobby correctly?  Would it work?  Given the fact that many never read the rules in the first place, probably not, but it is another layer of protection that the policy team can point out to irate parents and gamers who have been impacted by a ban. After all, many who are getting punished are the ones who discover these violations by accident.  The real masterminds of the infections are like Mafia Dons who make sure they are several people removed from the crime.  Is there a Vice squad that goes after these people?  Does Microsoft pursue criminal charges against them?  Not sure, but after what happened to Sony when it tried to do just that…well we all know how well that went over.

At the end of the day, the best policing option on Live is the community.  By reporting these cyber criminals we act like a neighborhood watch, we augment the over worked PET staff and make their job easier and hopefully our gaming time more enjoyable.  If you encounter any shenanigans, mute the offender, avoid the offender and file a complaint against the offender.  Rinse and repeat as needed.   Live is our community after all and as citizens we also have a responsibility to help mold the next generation of gamer by setting a good example.

Game On!