Xbox Live. Now with sexual orientation.

[Sabby]

Microsoft has updated its Xbox Live Code of Conduct with terminology that now allows gamers to include their sexual orientation in their Gamertag.

Gamers are now free to label themselves as Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Transgender or Straight, in a move GayGamer called “fantastic.”

In a letter announcing the change, Microsoft’s Mark Whitten wrote:

    Under our previous policy, some of these expressions of self-identification were not allowed in Gamertags or profiles to prevent the use of these terms as insults or slurs. However we have since heard feedback from our customers that while the spirit of this approach was genuine, it inadvertently excluded a part of our Xbox LIVE community. This update also comes hand-in-hand with increased stringency and enforcement to prevent the misuse of these terms.

More from GayGamer on the change:

    This is something we have been fighting for here on GayGamer for a long time and it's gives us a wonderful feeling to finally see it come to fruition.

    Congratulations to Microsoft and Xbox Live for stepping up to the plate and listening to the concerns of an important and oft overlooked section of the gaming community. Bravo!

While I am happy for this, as more then a few gamer tags have been forcefully changed for such things, I can't help but cringe at the prospect... in my time online, I've heard gay remarks flung about enough. Declaring to your Halo 3 match making screen that your 'into the cockz, lolzord!' is guna be an interesting thing...

[Brandon]

Interesting so theyre going to make it like high school all over again where all the "cool kids" pick on anyone different. In this case the players that identify themselves as anything other then heterosexual.

The Xbox live disclamer should already say: We are not responsible for the racist and homophobic things people will say to you.

I cant help but think this is just going to make the situation much much much worse

[Merlyn]

Honestly I don't see how it was 'excluding' anyone.  If no one can mention their sexual orientation then how is it exclusive to anyone?  Not to mention that it shouldn't have anything to do with xbox live.  After all it's not a dating service. 

Although I do wonder if it's going to get them to start actually looking into reports against people.  Since it has normally taken around 100 for them to even warn some one.

[Jude]

This is dumb.  There's no reason why it's at all useful to know the sexual orientation of people you play with.  Absolutely worthless information.  It's like adding a field so you can tell people what kind of pet you own; sexuality is completely irrelevant for a gaming service.

I support LGBT movements, but this hyperawareness which tries to work alternative sexualities into every little thing, even in areas where it's not at all appropriate is just going too far.

Your sexual orientation is only a small part of who you are, can we PLEASE not talk about it unless it's actually relevant?

Not that I'm advocating a don't ask don't tell style thing; if you want to put in your comments section on your XBL profile that you're gay that's your choice.  But why are they wasting time adding in an indicator of sexual orientation?  This is completely ridiculous.

[Brandon]

I suppose if there were some kind of online adult oriented games it could be useful but to my knowledge Xbox has nothing like that and has no plans to implement any such games

[Jude]

I suppose if there were some kind of online adult oriented games it could be useful but to my knowledge Xbox has nothing like that and has no plans to implement any such games

And no video game company will.  They specifically prohibit (as far as I know) by a matter of policy the publishing of adult games on any popular console (Nintendo, Microsoft, or Sony brand).

[Sabby]

I don't find it rediculous at all. Most of my pleasant conversations on Live have stemmed from someone giving a quick glance over my profile or Achievments list, and finding something to suddenly comment on. Having a little tag that says your bi-sexual is no more relevant to the game your playing then, say, having a profile page that says you love The Power Rangers and live in Florida.

Live is a social network. If your going to just play the games with no intermingling or socializing, you might as well go back to the old days of Perfect Dark and just use mute Bots. Your Gamer Tag is your calling card here, and almost all of my conversations started because of it. Listing your sexual preference (which is optional, if your so opposed to it >.>) is no more rediculous then your profile, your Achievments list, or you Mii-Rip Off cartoon persona.

[Jude]

If Xbox Live was a social network, why would it provide ways to access other social networking sites via its interface?  That argument truly makes no sense, you'd never find Twitter and Facebook trying to incorporate each other easily into their interfaces.

Xbox Live (trademarked as Xbox LIVE) is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is currently the only online gaming service (on consoles) that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming. It was first made available to the Xbox system in 2002. An updated version of the service became available for the Xbox 360 console at that system's launch in 2005. On the Windows platform, the service is named Games for Windows - Live, which makes most aspects of the system available on Windows computers. Microsoft has announced plans to extend Live to other platforms such as handhelds and mobile phones as part of the Live Anywhere initiative.

You can't even play games with your friends and meet new people unless you sign up for gold; the silver component is essentially just for snagging and playing downloadable content.

Whenever I play online I play without a mic, not because I don't have one, but because I have no desire to interact with people via Live.  They're mostly idiotic little children that like to trashtalk and curse and ruin my gaming experience, and there's scores of people who feel the same way.

By all accounts that I can find it exists primarily as an online gaming hub, obviously playing with other people is going to be more fun than playing with bots, and in many instances you can't (Borderlands, RE5 Mercs, etc.).  If you're going to claim it's a social networking site in any capacity where it in no way makes that claim, you're going to have to show research.

Anyone can use just about any feature that regularly involves people, profiles, and communication as social networking in their own capacity if they so choose.  That doesn't make it what they use it, to the point that new features should be implemented to support it, unless a large portion of users are using it that way.  And I've simply seen absolutely no evidence whatsoever that that's the case.

[Sabby]

If Xbox Live was a social network, why would it provide ways to access other social networking sites via its interface?  That argument truly makes no sense, you'd never find Twitter and Facebook trying to incorporate each other easily into their interfaces.

You can't even play games with your friends and meet new people unless you sign up for gold; the silver component is essentially just for snagging and playing downloadable content.

Whenever I play online I play without a mic, not because I don't have one, but because I have no desire to interact with people via Live.  They're mostly idiotic little children that like to trashtalk and curse and ruin my gaming experience, and there's scores of people who feel the same way.

By all accounts that I can find it exists primarily as an online gaming hub, obviously playing with other people is going to be more fun than playing with bots, and in many instances you can't (Borderlands, RE5 Mercs, etc.).  If you're going to claim it's a social networking site in any capacity where it in no way makes that claim, you're going to have to show research.

Anyone can use just about any feature that regularly involves people, profiles, and communication as social networking in their own capacity if they so choose.  That doesn't make it what they use it, to the point that new features should be implemented to support it, unless a large portion of users are using it that way.  And I've simply seen absolutely no evidence whatsoever that that's the case.

Bolded to emphasize... no doubt thats the reason you find it stupid. You say my arguement makes no sense, but then you say that Live isn't about social interactions because 'it links with Twitter and Facebook'. So... the fact that it has a specific area for extended profiles, blogs, and updates from mobile devices means that the rest isn't meant for similar friend making and socializing? It all must be in certain places?

Not trying to rile you up, but I'm having a lot of trouble understanding your stance against it.

[Jude]

Bolded to emphasize... no doubt thats the reason you find it stupid. You say my arguement makes no sense, but then you say that Live isn't about social interactions because 'it links with Twitter and Facebook'. So... the fact that it has a specific area for extended profiles, blogs, and updates from mobile devices means that the rest isn't meant for similar friend making and socializing? It all must be in certain places?

Not trying to rile you up, but I'm having a lot of trouble understanding your stance against it.

They're cutting support for original Xbox Live games in April in order to make room for more features for Live that won't be incompatible with the old service.  Anytime that something that is useful for gaming is cut to make room for stuff that is totally irrelevant for gaming, it irritates me.  Xbox Live is a gaming platform; that's why I use it.  I don't want to see a bunch of features that are totally extraneous added to the system to make it something else entirely, and if the majority of subscribers use xbox live similar to the way I do, then adding this stuff in is wasting valuable time and resources which could be better spent elsewhere (like fixing the problems that Desperate Escape DLC had for days with their achievement unlocking, etc.).

[Brandon]

I tend to think of Xbox live as an online gaming service, not a social networking site. Thats mostly due to the limited tools it has as a social network and the better options out there for that medium (i.e. Facebook). Now if Xbox live wants to move its service toward social networking and away from gaming, well I think thats a recipe for disaster but it works to support that business plan.

If it just wants to add new social networking tools, then I could get behind that too as long as costs dont rise as a result

[DrFier]

Although I do wonder if it's going to get them to start actually looking into reports against people.  Since it has normally taken around 100 for them to even warn some one.

Have you ever been teamkilled by someone with a three star rep? Teamkilling is by far the fastest way to get your rep to five stars. The system is broken, everyone knows it.  Don't get me started with the 'Trueskill' System, I knew someone that got a 35 (of 50) in Halo 3 using teamkilling alone.

[Merlyn]

Have you ever been teamkilled by someone with a three star rep? Teamkilling is by far the fastest way to get your rep to five stars. The system is broken, everyone knows it.  Don't get me started with the 'Trueskill' System, I knew someone that got a 35 (of 50) in Halo 3 using teamkilling alone.

Exactly.  They have things that need to get worked on but don't.  As well as having things to get done that are entirely ignored.  I am rather opposed to this, and really it's because I pay for this service to play games.  (As I'm sure most people do seeing as you can get better networking services for free elsewhere.) Now with that in mind at least once a month I will quit playing on live because of either hacking, little kids who can't quit screaming, people who think 'just because I'm not face to face means that I can be a complete *insert expletive here*', and the fact that it is not at all monitored. 

Now this is just going to cause one more thing that they have to take care of.  Because what happens when one of those jerks starts 'gay bashing' on live and Microsoft does nothing.  Well chances are some group is going to rise up, possibly file a lawsuit, and cause a lot more problems and waste of time for Microsoft.

I say if you are going to do something like this you should add a few things to the user agreement.  Being that they are in no way responsible for any insults, slander, or foul language used on live, and that everything is 'fair game'. 

Please note that I am in no way against any sexual orientation.  I just really get upset about live, and my profile on live is actually a rant about how they don't monitor the games or host any servers... now I just forgot why I waste money on it again.

[DrFier]

Yeah, I've really got to agree here. Some of the trash talking against women is pretty bad, I can't really imagine what it would be like for someone who was openly gay.

[Serephino]

I may not play x-box, and I may not be much of a gamer, but I really can't see how one's sexually means diddly in a game....  Just because you can socialize, and you have started conversations with people about things in your profile, does not mean you need to put yet another label on yourself.

I'm mostly gay, though a little on the bi side if you want to get technical...  This does not mean I have any desire to be friends with every gay man say on WoW...  That's not something I'd want to start a conversation over.  The only time the sexuality of a person would matter to me is if I were looking to cyber or something.

That, and in my experience, the gaming community is not exactly full of mature people.  Log on WoW and watch the trade chat sometime...  Just today there was religion bashing, then some ignorant jackass was making racist comments about President Obama. 

[Merlyn]

Yep, there's enough gay bashing that goes on in games as is.  Trust me I report it all, even though I'm not gay my time on here and the fact that I've had gay friends has made me get very upset when people start yelling rather ignorant comments to people. 
Just like I get rather upset of racial slurs when they are used in an ignorant manor.  (I say used as such because I will use them, but for the stereo type and not for the racial qualities.  Even though I have been openly, and wrongly accused of being a racist on live for an off color joke.)

And really this will just end up with all of the thirteen year olds, and racist/sexist pricks and ******************** that make up a good majority of many games causing a million more reports that are most likely not even going to get looked at... or drawing attention away from other reports such as when people are openly threatened and such.  And wouldn't this mean that if you can put your sexual orientation in that it's going to cause a fine line as to what is stating your orientation, and what is bashing on others.  Such as the name 'DownWithGays' (note this is not meant to offend, and if it does I will remove it or a mod can delete it) which could be taken as a threat, but could be claimed to be that it means you are 'down with' as in agreement or acceptance.

[Tribalz]

Urgh, the X-box live community. What more can I say? I try to play Modern Warfare 2, only to find huge amounts of thirteen year olds who shouldn't even be playing an 18 game, throwing around "Your mum" and "Jew" like they're insults, and the first retaliation is always "Hah, you're so gay". The last thing I need when I get back from a long day is a bunch of prepubescent kids, often American, shouting down their mikes while I'm trying to line up shots. And on Halo 3, it's even worse. The fact I'm British has been used against me when I first got a mike. I tried to start a simple conversation, and all of a sudden they decided to mob me. They're even worse against foreigners though. Should anyone dare speak non-English, then all hell breaks loose....But enough about that, for I am now becoming tangential.

I think this move is a good one. I mean, on the internet, sticks and stones can't break your bones, and names are nothing more then something hilarious to laugh at. Who knows? If it becomes accepted, then it might be a good thing, conditioning all these young and upcoming skirt chasers to accept that being homosexual is not akin to being hit by the plague. On the other hand, many of these kids are so pants-on-head-retarded that I think they'll miss the point. A key issue with Liberty, I should think. Still, we can be hopeful, and to be honest, it's the thought that counts. It took all of maybe a couple of hours of programming time to do, and they've won over a LGTB group. So, good PR move, even if the practicalities are somewhat limited.

[Merlyn]

Not to mention that it's about the money no matter what.  They win over LGTB groups for now at least.  And they get people to go out and by Microsoft points to be able to change their names... Then once they get sick of the ridicule they change them back, using Microsoft points yet again.

The one thing Microsoft can ever be counted on is to scam money from people in roundabout ways that look very legitimate.

[Lady Ayame]

This is kind of random to me, why does it matter what my sexual orientation is? I'm not trying to date people on xbox live, I'm trying to shoot them in the head for points.

[Tachi]

Seems like just an easier way to target people.

[The Golden Touch]

Honestly, the tykes on Live are just that... Trash-talkers.  Prove to them that you're twice as good, and they tend to get a little more peeved and try to start something, but you've all ready proven yourself.  I played H3 religiously before I had my daughter, and I all ready caught crap because of my name, gender, accent and so forth... But meh... Showing your orientation is fine by me.  If someone tries to insult me for it, it won't be a big deal.