Sessler’s Soapbox is Tired of the Bigots on Xbox Live
By Jonathan on Wednesday, June 11th, 2008 at 9:26 PM PST In Game Companies, Game Consoles, Gamer Life, Microsoft, Microsoft, Videos
For this week’s Sessler’s Soapbox, Adam Sessler brings up an issue that’s old, but still unfortunately valid. That is, he, like many people, is fed up with the amount of racist and homophobic talk on Xbox Live. As he points out, the situation is just getting uglier all the time. Personally, I just mute the headset from the start as a default. Occasionally I’ll crank up the volume to see if there’s any sort of reasonable talk going on, and I’m usually disappointed…in humanity. Sessler also calls on anyone out there to explain why this sort of talk is necessary. You can check out how that’s going at the video’s website here.
I can’t remember where exactly I saw this, but an article I once read brought up a good theory on why this sort of behavior is more prevalent on Xbox Live over other online gaming forums. Part of the reason stems just from the fact that the Xbox 360 comes with a headset right out of the box, rather than having one sold separately. The thing is, the person who goes out of their way to purchase an extra headset is more likely use it to simply socialize and coordinate in the game. When it’s already there, some people tend to just put it on and start talking. It really is getting worse and worse, though.
First, can we go ahead and delete the long string of “N” words above?
Second, why is everyone picking on “little kids”? Most of my poor experiences come from other adults or late teens on Xbox Live. When a little kid starts cussing on XBL and they’re on my team, I simply tell them that that is enough. It usually shuts them up immediately (though, I have a very, very deep voice, to that probably helps). My real problem comes from two other groups. Black guys on XBL and adults who thing it is funny just to say culturally insensitive things.
When I get on and play Halo 3, I hate being called “N”. I’m a white guy. I know the history of the word. I know where it came from. I know why it was used. I know it’s current acceptance. I don’t care. It is not a pleasant word. And yet, I get called that all the time by black people (I say black because I am white, not European-American). I would think that of all people, they would be the most against using that word, but that is not the case. I get it thrown at me all the time.
The other worst offenders for me are late teens and early adults (or older adults, usually from the south–you know, the kind with just enough religion to make them hate minorities and homosexuals, but not enough to make them at least nice about it). I find myself playing against a lot of people who sound like typical guidos. It’s ridiculous. They are super-pumped and ready to take on the world from their living room couch. And they can do it without messing up that fantastic hair. These are the guys that when you ask them to stop saying it decide to say it more. At least with black people, if they say it before the game starts and I ask them to not call me that, they are usually understanding and don’t call me that. Guidos are the suck, though. They refuse to call me anything but that.
What’s the core of the problem here? People are pricks. There’s nothing more to it. Some guys are just jackasses and will always be jackasses. The only thing to do is for some of us who are responsible and respectful to step up and make sure that these people are removed. I actually record all my games anyways (I hate Halo’s theatre), so if someone won’t stop, those videos are sent to Microsoft. I know that a lot of people record their games, more people should turn in the videos.
And don’t feel bad about getting someone banned. You’re doing XBL a favor.
I think the main reason people sound like that is very simple, that is how they sound and talk in the comfort of their own home. Thus, on XBOXLIVE, they are in their living room — feeling secure among those who can identify them, and not giving a rats ass about those who can’t.
The word F– which I will censor, even though I’m using as an example is acceptable among many American families. Parents today grew up when gay bashing, (not the physical form) was very open and taught openly to be a negative thing. When their kids use the word, they simply feel proud and probably proclaim — just don’t use it in public. The same can be applied to any other faction or classification of person, only probably now in smaller and smaller amounts.
The short answer is you just have to mute the bastards or play without them. You’ve already found the best solution unfortunately, private games.
Kojak, I think you win the award for dumbest comment on this replies thread. There isn’t anything mature about what these kids/morons/bigots are saying. It’s not mature content to have a 9 y/o call you a fag, its about as immature as you can get.
The first day I got xbox live I turned it on for some online Halo with several family members in the room only to be greeted by some kid who was younger than me spewing out racial slurs to anybody and everybody in the game. Try explaining that to your grandmother, or your younger siblings. It’s not an issue of whoever is doing it to simply grow up. It’s an issue of what the majority of gamers expect from our online experience, and what xbox live can ultimately do to enforce its policies.
I love to see the little kiddies in here defending it. I remember being that age, thinking I had power because I had the ability to annoy adults. Yes, Anonymous, you’ve successfully gained the same power as an anal fissure.
You “lulz” kiddies will grow up, look back, and be deeply ashamed of what you were. It’s part of growing up. You have some hard years ahead of you.
Aargh, what are some of you not understanding about this? It’s not about being offended, it’s about the fact that it’s *incredibly* annoying. I’d rather take a drill to my shoulder than have an hour of speaker-busting screaming from some 10 year old after I frag his ass a few times. I’d happily kick the shit out of one of these kids IRL, and I’ve always let them know that. It’s probably good I’m not American, as the primary offensive ones all seem to sound like that kid off the video where he’s yelling at his mother to go get him food and shut up and let him keep playing.
I couldn’t give less of a shit about people using the fag or nigger word, what I care about is the constant screeching of annoying 12 year old kids while I’m playing my video games. Fuck headsets. I don’t want a conversation with random people on Xbox live, I just want skilled opponents to play against, that will shut the fuck up.
Adam… god bless you…. i often have to mute my headset because of scum bags like that.
I completely agree with the sentiment, but I’m afraid people as a whole are too small-minded to understand. I’m gonna reference George Carlin here in that words don’t always represent their ugly origins, its all in delivery. Suppose I call someone a fag. That doesn’t necessarily sleight the homosexual community, providing the delivery makes it clear that the word is being used to humorously emasculate someone. Has nothing to do with sexual preference, and I feel that homophobes have stolen that word from well-meaning folks. Having said that, yes, kiddos get too much of a thrill from anonymously spouting off foul words, and ruin the sarcastic humor the rest of the intelligent world uses said words with. My concern here lies in zero-tolerance policies regarding blue humor, as most large organizations/networks, such as Live, cannot monitor every usage of profanity to deem whether of not its situation-appropriate. To put it simply, only by keeping idiots out of the civilized world’s affairs can we be assured of a perfect society. But of course that’s not possible, and we must opt for the lesser of two evils, which, in this situation, is complete verbal liberty, understanding young folks will piss everyone off. Zero tolerance smacks of facism.
Its simple, The world is full of Homophobic racist Neandrethals, always has been, always will be.
Thats why I don’t play XBox Live, and will stick to a more mature and tolerant group of adults on PC games, then wannabe cool children(who miss the mark so far the arnt even on the cool world map) who’s parents don’t teach them respect, and use the XBox as a babysitter.
Is a homophobe someone who is scared of homosexuals?
What does this have to do with calling someone a fag?
Is everyone that uses the n* word a racist? Then there are a lot of Black Rappers ready to join the Klan.
Frankly, I get the offensive part, but these kids are not necessarily racist nor homophobic. They are annoying little kids that talk on Xbox Live THE SAME WAY they talk when their parents aren’t around.
I’m not defending them, I find it offensive and immature too. It’s just that I don’t think you can have an intelligent discussion on this topic without understanding why these kids say what they say. Sessler sounds like some outraged geezer who has no idea what he is talking about.
You know, short of having MS directly ban these kids when they mouth off (not through feedback, but through direct monitoring), nothing is going to change. Go to a private game channel with your friends. Problem solved.
And for you real racists who think it’s only Americans, grow up.
Sessler, thanks for this public insight into the dirty bowels of XBOX Live. I don’t own an XBOX 360, but was recently playing an online game with a friend’s kid’s Live account, and the trash these small children are spewing is absolutely horrible. I haven’t even heard some of this stuff come from the mouths of fully-grown adults, honestly, and I’ve been around plenty of raunchy folks! I don’t mind hearing adults curse at each other and smack talk in general, but when you hear this filth from kid’s mouths who can’t be more than 12 years old, there is something wrong with society.
Hey Adam –
Kids to this to get a rise out of people. Obviously it worked on you.
Be the adult – ignore them, turn them off. Getting pissy only gives them what they want.
There are a few truths to all this …
1. Kids aren’t being watched like they should … Parents like to BLAM the gaming industry for there kids acting up , or for there kids stealing and killing , but what they forget to look into is what there KIDS are doing .. What games these kids are playing . There is a thing called parent control , but parents don’t use it , they don’t site there and make sure there kids are play the right games ..
2. Young Adults ( Teens ) that site there and like to think there cool by talking there SH*T cause the other person has no idea where you live .. The fact is no we don’t know where you live as well as you don’t know where we live . Stop the BS , grow up a little and act more mature then your I.Q. the fact is your sitting at home playing a VIDEO game . Your not out there having fun with your girlfriend that you clam you have , or out hanging out with friends that you clam you SMOKE with or DRINK with .. Your Sitting at home talking SH*T that in real life you probable can’t back up . That or your just someone that wants attention that your parents forgot to give you ..
3. Adults ( older guys that think there the SH*T ) there is a small group of guys out there that THINK there the SH*T . They guy that thinks cause he’s playing with a kid that is half his age is going to look up to him cause he’s acting a jerk to everyone else in that room .. Stop it !!! Really start acting your age , and show these younger guys what its like to me mature with others …
Now there is the fact that some people do play with there FRIEND , and sometimes you and your FRIENDS like to talk SH*T while your playing against each other .. We have all done it and have all had fun with in the games . But come on Online gaming is to meet new people , interact with them on a new level . Not to get into fights all the time …
Also as a side NOTE , people that like to make fun of other cause of RACE , or SEX or even cause they talk funny really need to stop it . Its not needed ….
As for the COMPANIES go , they need to have more age checking going on in both sections .. With in the company ( Sony and Microsoft ) need to start checking I.D or something like that for gamers to play online .. make it where the parents need to setup the console and not the kids .. make it where a Credit Card is needed or something that only the parents can do .. This would stop allot of this from the KIDS .. Also the gaming Stores really need to work on making sure that the Parents know that the game is an online game and is rated for a MATURE adult ..
Parents Get back into seeing what your kids are doing .. make sure there not playing something that PROMOTES violence or something like that ..
Why do they? because it spread like wild fire…. I have been on xbox live and heard A Lot of clever people that actually told funny stories or jokes or whatever, but they were jokes and not blatant profanities yelled over everyone else that is just trying to talk. point is that the first guy was funny and then a bunch of moronic kids thought they were funny by blowing it up and not making any sense….. Mostly because they really don’t know what they or saying or why they just think they are cool and it spread like crazy.
So how do you fix it….. I don’t know, xbox is now banning people with the word gay in their name… thats probably a step backwards and will make kids think that it is okay….. I would vote that Xbox actually monitor complaints or listen in on random games. 3 or more complaints for language, racism, etc. you get a 1 week ban, 2nd offense 1 month or whatever, but i think temp bans could actually be rather effective.
It really is the same as being a keyboard warrior and internet flaming….. what is anyone going to do but bitch back? you say enough offensive things to someone and they WILL say them back. After every game i play i try to say good game or give them a compliment, but usually all i hear in the lobby is how big of a faggat i am and how i suck soo bad at the game…. but this applies greatly to age demographic and its is horribly sad and true that the younger they are the more offensive and annoying they are.
You’re absolutely right. It’s a big problem but one that I think unfortunately won’t or possibly can’t be solved. The reason they do it is because everyone finds it so offensive. There’s nothing worse than dropping the “N bomb” in a public match and (as you so eloquently put it) the “f**king neanderthals” get fuel from that. The way you play a video game has absolutely nothing to do with sexuality, race, or anything else to that extent. If I was to choose to be mocked for anything it would be skill. But no matter how you look at it, there negative comments aren’t even valid since they don’t know you and have never met you and would have no idea as to what you’re really like in person. And the vast majority are kids seemingly younger than 15. Which brings me to a second point. If they’re that age playing a game thats rated “M” what does that show not only about themselves but for their parents as well. I would’ve considered myself extremely lucky if my parents allowed me to play the sort of games I play today and would have enough respect for them and the common person to keep any negative comments to myself (if I had any.) The only thing that I think can be done and would actually make a difference, is generating a higher awareness to parents who allow their underage children to play such games that way their foul mouthed little kids won’t ruin the gaming experience for everyone else. That’s my two-cents.
PC gaming definitely has an advantage over this, in that the servers are run by gamers who can ban assholes who spout racist or homophobic language. If they want to say that crap, they can set up their own server. I don’t want to attend a KKK meeting, I just want to play game.
In the real world, there’s no way I’d be able to play with anyone who acted like the anonymous jerks on Xbox Live. If I was playing a board game or a pickup game of basketball and someone started spewing that crap I’d stop playing with them. I probably wouldn’t be playing with them in the first place, because the people who act like that are in pretty much every case the biggest dicks you’ll ever meet. Just because you’re playing online doesn’t make it any different.
Thankfully, karma usually bites them in the ass as they get older. I wouldn’t be surprised if most of the kids who act like that get shunned by society once they get out of school.
Adam,
Grow a pair and quit fucking whining. People are what they are. Most people don’t hop on Xbox Live with the intent of becoming happy, jolly, loving best friends with your sorry ass. They play to game and they play to compete. Hold hands with your grandma, not with the opposite team on Halo.
Personally I think those of us who are older should take a lot of blame for the current state of behavior in the upcoming generations. Often times I think we forget that we are playing with younger and incredibly impressionable gamers who, like it or not, are ready and willing to soak up any and every mannerism that we portray.
The sad thing is that many younger gamers have prematurely entered an adult world by playing these online games, and the poor choices and bad habits that we have developed in life get transfered to them. Most young gamers aren’t terribly aware of the implications of what they are saying, and if any thing they serve as a mirror to the attitudes and behaviors that we as an older generation of gamers exhibit.
But there’s still hope, if we as responsible adults set the standards for what’s reasonable and what’s not for older gamers, what’s cool and what’s not for older gamers, we may still be able to salvage both the image of gaming culture and the attitudes of a younger generation.
Those with the ability to be responsible have the obligation to be.
I call people “fags” and “niggers” on xbox live because I can’t do that in real life. I’m not a homophobe or a racist (well, not a bigot), but I know those words are really effective; They are great words to use. Some people will understand that it’s just a game, that it’s just to have fun and screw around. Some people get offended. If they raise that up to me (that they’re offended), I just tell them they’re fags and mute them.
Yeah, those niggers are no big deal.
I thought by now the idea of being offended in games would have subsided by now. I forget what game may have had the option to vote first but democracy is the way to do so. I believe that we can solve this issue very simply with out this great outcry and better represent the gaming community and eventually power. I do give people who generally put up such filth on xbox live terrible ratings and will turn people in for abuse like such. I honestly feel it is something that needs to be done and encourage everybody to take the initiative and report it.
Though in general i find great community on games that tend to have a high game turnaround like rainbow six and ghost recon. The community in the games tend to just not put up with the issues that are mentioned above. Halo i gave up entirely after about 3-5 weeks of playing online consistently for reasons other than poor gameplay…
Honestly without in game random moderation and everyone actually using the the complaint system for what it was intended. Non-intrusive and proactive action by the publishers and micro$oft can only reach so far. The community actually has to do something about it. Degradation of online performance could help on serious offences. Though as i stated the community in game have to have the power to clean up the game as it happens. Bunjie helped this with the almost so easy mute system but when I’m taking down LefWingnut1 amidst a firefight we could use some democracy to vote for something other than the next map change … . .. .. . … or the respawn screen to easily shuffle and ban some players from games. The solution is there the companies just need to know where to help us cut down the wastoids who hamper the image and enjoyability of our games. I don’t have a problem in rainbow with the younger players they get a little out of hand sometimes but don’t last long when they do. I just hope someone out there can think this through and help combat the issue. Could you imagine if people who were voted out of x% of their games they played could only play with those people similar to them… teams can vote people off their team…it cuts down the admin part that pc games definitely have a grip on…much cleaner than waiting for a match to end and complain to the host. You dont like em on your team grab your teammates and vote him off. Afterwards a requirement to cite why with voice… there’d be a good use for it
BradOFarrell, you’re an idiot.
I think you need to review your elementary notes on sentence structure before you try to insult someone again. You don’t even express a complete idea or though then proceed to call Xaroth dumb. You, sir, are dumb.
To get back to the topic at hand, Franz & Xaroth have the right idea. It will take a few more years (probably more) for everyone else to board the desensitizing train, but it will happen just like it did for all the other “vulgarities” that are now common in almost every facet of life.
On a side note: I’m glad Anonymous is showing their presence here. I laugh at the people who don’t understand what Anonymous represents. It warms the cockles of my hearts to see confused adults label them as “immature kiddies” simply because they are unable to comprehend what Anonymous is. Sincerely, I thank the Legion.
I obviously agree.
Mainly my problem is in Halo 3.. You can jump into ANY Halo 3 match and find a bunch of kids yelling at each other, usually it starts with a bunch of 12 years old’s saying something offensive and a mature person telling him to shut up. In reality face to face that kid would shut the hell up, but being only is completely annonymous and Microsoft does absolutely nothing to police it.
The only way this could be fixed is to get Microsoft to agree to form some sort of player based police or something, people that are over a certain age perhaps, that have an extremely good record and go through a bit of microsoft screening get the privledge to kick people from matches or hand out infractions or some sort of 20 minute banning or something.
Other wise, these are just american kids growing up in a new world where you can look up sex in the dictionary online and be able to find porn in 1 click of their mouse button.
Kids of this generation are completly ignorant shits, specially online.. they think they are unstoppable, someone honestly needs to punch them in the face everytime they say something racist or offensive.. But because we are online, we cant do crap and we just look like tools yelling back at them online.
Ill stick with playing private games with my friends, yah.. it’s a shame.. but what are you going to do.
You children posting with the names BIG BALLS talking crap about Adam are just proving his point.
Grow the hell up.
To Xaroth: wow this is easy. Do you know what your biggest problem is? It’s the same one all of us “fogies” had to go thru… your 18 and your mind thinks that it “knows it all”. Your mind isn’t even capable of understanding how much it fails to know. You think you have stumbled upon some great “duh” truth… and you can’t understand why the people from the past are throwing up danger signs.
It’s not your fault… you just don’t have much experience in life (as you your self alluded to when you said you were 18).
Oh and to who ever said trolling was in fashion now… dude where have you been? Trolling was in fashion before there was an internet.
I used to do it, but I stopped as I matured and entered my mid teens
a) because I came to understand what what I was saying truly meant and how it truly did hurt people
b) because I was one of the more avid gamers around (being ranked in the top 10 worldwide for 2 different online shooters) I heard this talk a lot and I seemed to think it was appropriate… well, not appropriate, but acceptable.
c) I was an immature little kid who wanted attention from the adults on the server so I’d say shocking things to get them to yell at me and not get in trouble, it was kind of like bucking your sense of authority.
Little kids are a bane on all online games and everyone hates them, unfortunately, there’s little you can do to stop them unless you create a little kids gaming section and an adult gaming section.
Which ones? Console or pc
Is Kojak serious? “Mature game, mature content”? How does a game like Halo, where you save humanity from destruction, call for being called faggot or nigger? How the shit does that even come close to matching the content of the game? Tell me, ignorant fool. It’s a problem, and you’re BLIND. Not everybody enjoys conjectures about their sexuality or race from complete strangers, like you do.
Set privacy to only hear your friends, only solution now.
I play a few source games like css/tf2 here in Australia – we hardly ever have mic spammers – some times you might get a 12yo who talks a bit much but never nasty. Tho i might guess there aren’t any here because our admins are quick to ban ppl that are racist. Dose xbox live have utility’s to ban ppl? why don’t the admins do something? or are admins also bigots?(!)
This comments thread alone is enough evidence for America to carpet bomb itself.
Let’s get biblical.
also…
Xbox360 is aim at kids. kids. pc is much more teens/adult.
xbox360 is easier then pc to boot and play which = more young/dumb ppl.
xbox360 is cheaper the pc which = poor ppl (poor ppl are less educated – i know i can’t afford uni)
xbox360 is microsoft – ms aren’t well.. er.. how can i put it? they don’t care and they don’t think ahead – there work is generally quite poor and buggy
Almost all parents have no idea what there kid(s) are doing online.
MSG to parents: “the internet is just like NYC – there are toys store, parks, schools AND prostitutes, murders and rapist – and there all with few block of each other – just behind a click of the mouse your 12 is surfing porn and getting picked up a by a pedophile in online chat.
would you like your 12yo child walk around NYC at 3am? no? so why let them online with out supervision?
parents just don’t get it. FUCKIN’ SHITS ME.
oh and btw ppl who act like asshole get the chicks – something i still don’t get.
I have grown tired of playing online because of these types of idiots. At the end of a match, when they want to talk trash, I would rather say something back that makes them completely shut up because they have to think about how badly I’ve insulted them without using profanity.
As for in-game, I give them one chance to shut up, then I mute them and be done with it. Most of the time, when this happens, my other team mates do the same thing and the idiot gets left out in the cold with all of us talking about them… Of course, occasionally this turns into everyone helping the idiot die faster.
Needs to stop, parents need to watch their children. The xBox, Playstation Wii, etc are not babysitters.
There is no evidence that Neanderthals were anything but versions of us with no chins bigger noses and bigger brains so i doubt calling someone a neanderthal for being a bigot is a harsh enough statement.
I dunno i certainly do swear a lot online but it’s only rarely that i direct that vulgarness at other people and if I do yell at another person it’s mostly calling someone a effen ahole or something for laying waste to me over and over again.
With me it’s almost like a tourette’s reaction to getting killed, normally I manage to flick the mute button before i let the expletives fly but every now and then I’m sure an outburst gets threw. Although I rarely if ever play games that get me pissed off like that anymore. Something about being pissed off when you are a youth that is intoxicating but when you get older it’s just exhausting.
But I also think it’s different on the consoles because normally you only have like 8-12 people in a match and 4-6 on a team so if someone is being a bully they can get away with it. on the PC online I find if someone starts pulling that bullshit when you are on a team of 12-16+ people have a lot easier of a time putting an end to that sort of rubbish.
it’s odd, i think the reason people use the bigotry swears is actually because our societies are getting to be much more tolerant. Saying something racist or homophobic is simply taboo now. It’s something our society does not accept so unfortunately that’s what people reach for.
As much as i love gaming and don’t think violence in video games has much of a effect on kids, I do think putting kids in that harsh competitive anonymous environment gets them really ramped up
@Jonathan
Seriously can we get a “report abuse to moderator” button put in or something? These damn kids are getting out of control….seriously.
Go Marlins!!!!
With Microsoft banning names like “The Gayer Gaymer” and “Richard Gaywood” (do a google search for more info on those stories), what do you expect from the community?
As a gay man, I hate this kind of crap but there’s ZERO enforcement from Microsoft to stop it. In fact, Microsoft is ENCOURAGING it.
That is one of the reasons why I do not play Halo and other online games. Unless I have the ability to mute individual players or kick/ban them during or after the game, I avoid it or go to servers that actively kick/ban loud-mouthed smacktards.
I’m a 22 year old student and I spout the most disgusting filth on live quite regularly. I’m not racist or homophobic (though I’m sure many of you will tell me I am) but I enjoy using the most taboo phrases to get a rise out of people.
When I play league games people use the mics for tactics and so do I. When it comes to playing randomly though the mic is only really useful for chatting or abuse. Since I’m rarely playing with friends, the abuse option gives me a brilliant interactive aspect of gaming that I’ve never used before. I can shout abuse which is great fun and see what reactions I get. All you people who get annoyed, thanks
I agree. The racism is rediculous. Not on Xbox (cause I don’t have one) but on other servers like Counter Strike Source. Anyone who says crap like that, I write them off as a dip$hit moron. That’s all I can do.
I think half of the problem is the bulk of the people irked by horses**t behaviour like that are over 18. I play CoD4 with a few people who are younger that won’t put up with it either but they’re in the minority.
MS got us to sign up, howabout age verification? I’d love an 18+ Xbox Live experience.
Then again, they’ve got truckloads of money. Three key terms n*****, f** and f***** all sound very distinct. Monitor voice comms and flag people for review if they’ve got too many hits. Call centers monitor agents for quality.
(Then again, I’d feel sorry for the kids who have a clanmate named ‘Rigger’) 
It’s to be expected really. When I first started gaming the only way you could actually communicate with other gamers (outside of the room) was by buying an expensive computer, setting up and paying for an ISP and going though some reasonably complicated (compared to XBL, anyway) set-up just to get into a game. That was enough to keep out the children.
These days it’s so easy to hop into an on-line game even the most retarded people on the planet have managed it and, understandably, the first thing they’re going to do is demonstrate just how retarded they are.
Microsoft can do one of two things in my opinion. Firstly they could actually begin monitoring the number of infractions for each account and have some kind of “three strikes and you’re out” rule (though each strike may be made up for several infractions). Certainly begin sending out notices that continued abusive behaviour may lead to the account being closed or voice privileges being revoked.
The other possibility is that they make it so complicated to actually get into a game all the stupid kids will be unable to figure it out.
I prefer the latter.
While it is beyond old hearing these little kids shout profanities through my TV set and headset, the reality of the issue is beyond that of gaming and parenting. I tend to believe that it isn’t solely a bunch of Mid-West white kids home alone, because I’ve heard some intensely offensive comments made from other nationalities towards Americans as well. All too often I’ve heard a British accent scream, “I hope your father was in the tower and got burned alive,” or “I’m glad Osama blew you up, I hope he does it again.”
The true issue to be discussed here is a person’s inability to be respectful and honorable. The young kids screaming these profanities, and adults too, are the ones losing at their endeavor; so they shout the first thing that comes to mind and it’s the one word we hear hundreds of times a day in American culture, “N****R!” It is the responsibility of the adults involved to immediately end that type of conversation through muting, blocking, reporting or if you’re a parent, a good old fashioned as$ kicking.
It’s simple. The kid is lonely and wants attention. Kids are very powerless and they act out often as a result. This is why most stories that appeal to kids show a kid that is “smarter” than adults (i.e. Harry Potter) doing things on his or her own. Kids are very parent-dependant and resent this.
By the way, that G4 commercial that was on just after you I found pretty offensive. Some tiny guy says, “Give me the best boobjob I can buy.” and then some other guy drills into his chest.
GTA IV has a great multiplayer feature that I think all games should adopt. If the majority of the room votes to boot you from the game, you’re removed from the game immediately. Problems become solved easily when you allow the community to self moderate. Take WikiPedia for example: they are a Web 2.0 social interaction site that is community moderated and is now an official credible source of facts and information. You can cite Wikipedia.org on your college term paper!
I completely agree with Xaroth on this. In about another generation people aren’t even going to care about what other people say to get a rise out of them, and after that people won’t even try to get a rise. All in all that seems like a better world to me. Imagine if there had been an Xbox Live before the Crusades (ridiculous, but bear with me here). If people could have gotten all of their intolerance out in a manner that doesn’t ACTUALLY hurt anyone else would there be nearly so many problems today with religion?
People who are truly offended by racial, ethnic, and homophobic terms are in a boat that isn’t fun at all to be sure. But, why are you offended so much by some ignorant moron behind an online avatar? What have they truly done to you? How have they hurt you? And before anyone can say anything about me not being offended because I’m part of the perfect little white majority world (eventhough we are NOT a majority of the world, not even close) I’ll admit that I am, and that the racial, ethnic, and homophobic slurs don’t affect me because they simply don’t apply, but that does not mean that other things did not affect me. I’m a fatass or at least I was. I’m now nearly the same weight that I was before when I was made fun of all the time. There really was almost nothing I could do about it, so you know what I did? I GOT OVER IT. I MOVED ON. People always want someone to pick on for any reason they can find. We all do it. I guarantee that EVERYONE in this board has belittled and picked on someone for some reason. My main point is this I guess:
“Don’t care about what other people call you or say about you, their opinion doesn’t matter at all. Your self-image should be good enough that nothing should affect you.”
Sometimes this makes people seem like there is nothing that’s important or sacred to them anymore, not true. People like this, like myself, have just come to the realization that small little things like profanity or slurs at others aren’t important at all. If you want to get riled up about something get mad at people that PHYSICALLY abuse others, or steal from others, or politicians, or scientists, or people who are religious zealots…. I don’t care, but for the sake of intelligence give it a rest on this ignorant bigotted shit.
P.S.-
Some of the most deeply philosophical discussions of my life have taken place during games of Halo, Call of Duty, Battlefield, or any number of other games simple because I directed it towards that goal. It’s amazing how these “dumb 10 year-olds” respond when presented with something that they don’t understand at all, but want to understand… They shut up and listen. Don’t yell at them, don’t tell them to grow up… they’re kids, they’ll grow up when they’re damn good and ready to and no sooner. Give them something else to talk about, be the parent yourself if you’re going to bitch about it so much. And to anyone else that’s tired of this crap on Xbox Live or anywhere else… You can do one of three things to resolve your problem:
1. Take the easy way out and keep bitching about it. This will most likely do nothing to stop the problem, but go right ahead. If the past shows anything, passing along the problem to someone else always solves it.
2. You can get over it and move on. Realize that if this does offend you that you can move above it and should move above it. If you don’t care then why bother?
3. DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. Take action yourself and try to get people talking about other things. You’ll be surprised at the average intelligence of people in most online gaming communities, they aren’t as dumb as they first appear. Get them to change with you and the problem is solved completely.
AND LET THE TEARING OF MY CORPSE BEGIN……
I think Xbox Live should include Kicking in most of there games. That way if someone is talking smak just boot them
BLA BLA BLA….who the hell cares. Racism has been around for hundreds of years and it’s just being exposed in modern times, using today’s technology. I could care less if people are spitting off racist remarks and just let them be. Its their life and to each their own. If you dont like it, sell your xbox and get a wii, you pansy.
there is a real big difference between saying the N-word and calling someone a faggot. Homophobia is a freaking joke in and of it’s self, Gay people make the choice to be gay.
I didn’t read very many of the comments left, but I’m guessing very few people actually stepped up and admitted they do this. I’m admitting now that I am a culprit.
First and foremost, I don’t find swearing to be that offensive unless it’s meant to be offensive. I don’t think the word fuck or shit are bad words at all, it’s the way they’ve been labeled, so I use those frequently in conversation.
I do throw out the frequent homosexual reference of ‘faggot’, but I don’t mean that to demean homosexuals because I’m not a homophobe. I say it becuase it’s a word that has, as I’ve grown up, become more commonplace and has taken place of words like ‘idiot’ or ‘dumbshit’. I’ve also explained this to people who have questioned me online.
As for the racism, I do that too. I would like to state that there’s a difference between African Americans and ‘niggers’. A nigger is an ignorant person whose opinions don’t matter to me at all. The very definition of the word in a dictionary is ‘a person who is ignorant; inferior’, anyone can fill this quota – a white person, an Indian, a Chinese person, Middle Eastern. A member of any of those races can easily be a nigger because they could act stupid.
African Americans are just another race like white people, like Indians, like Chinese, and like Mexicans. They do they’re part to help society and unfortunately can’t move past what has happened in the past. I mean, I completely agree that slavery was a terrible thing and that civil rights are needed, but in order for racism to attempt to come to a close you have to let go of that word as being so offensive. Yes there are racists, but some African Americans are just as racist against white people for no reason as some white people are to them. Case in point – I can’t walk in certain neighborhoods because I’m white and said neighborhood is majority African American. Even driving down it is scary. One time I stopped at a stop sign where there was a group of African Americans and they just stared at me. Had it not been the middle of the day I garuntee they would have tried something shifty because the neighborhood is known for the violence.
I know someone on the other line of that microphone is a nigger if, as soon as I get into a game, they try to start shit with me because of my screenname/alias/gamertag whatever you want to call it. Yes, it does sound a little scetchy, but it’s not. The name at the top of this comment is the name I use everywhere and have since I was about 12 or 13 years old (am now 19). It’s a combination of Mr. (Mister – mista) and the first three letters of my last name WAC. So essentially it’s a slang way of formally presenting myself, as much of an oxymoron that is.
So, as confusing as that whole explanation may be, that’s my reasoning. I don’t say ‘fag’ or ‘faggot’ to be offensive to homosexuals, I say it because today it’s commonplace to say it. And I don’t say nigger to offend good, hard-working, honest African Americans. I say it because it’s a legitimate name to call a complete dumbass.
As for Hedgecore’s comment about 18+, I would absolutely LOVE 18+ online gaming. Playing with 10 and 12 year old kids that get online and try to act tough pisses me off to no end. They scream the dumbest, most ignorant shit into the microphone. They also have no reason to be playing online with adults. I shouldn’t have to watch my mouth when I’m playing with three or four friends and some 12 year old from Jersey joins the game.
I’m glad I got a PS3 this week the online community is much MUCH more mature! The system actually works when requested. Now I know it’s not Microsoft’s fault for making online unbearable on Xbox live. Unfortunately it’s at the point where going on Xbox Live is like walking into Wal-Mart or going into a theater at 3 in the afternoon, with every kid/soccer mom in existence. It’s not the place/service is bad it’s the community that’s bad, and there is no way to fix it either.
I feel that online gaming in the future may be less than it is now, with the behavior on Live, the higher prices to pay every month. It might be easier/fun to play an offline single player game than an online match with a few 9 year old racists.