Xbox trolls, get ready to have your fun ruined: Microsoft will be censoring you

Colette Bennett of Destructoid writes: Rule one of Internet anonymity: you can be a dick. Anytime, anywhere, and there are no consequences. This rule has somehow managed to drip over to Xbox LIVE, where you can be called any colorful racial or sexual slur with hardly a thought. It seems fans of the F-bomb will soon have their cereal peed in, however, I couldn't be happier to hear the news.

[TheColbertinator]

No more stupid racist remarks from those little kids on Live will be gone? Great!

[DarthTigra]

Im confused does this mean they will actually be able to censor what people say as they say it?

[Pain]

Nothing New.

but more ore less NO THANKS. that just scare's me...u kids should be worried to.

[Pennywise]

Im sure mute is a better option than this crap. This is censorship. I hate being censored!

[Radiodread]

I'm just glad, there's too many 13 yr olds getting away with it. Little kids have NO discipline these days, because of their dumba$$ parents that raised them that way. There should be an age limit on XBL as well as on this site. *cough* yoshida, snipa, lilliflop multiple account idiot. We all know these are kids, because they have no sense in their posts it's just all jumbled BS. If I was their parents I woulda sent them to a mental institution and throw away the key.

[Lord Shuhei Yoshida]

Ooooh threats over the internet.I'm so scared /sarcasm

So is your flopbox back from repair yet,boy?

[PoorDelayedFlop]

lol. a fine example of another 12 year old on his mommy's computer ^ ^ ^ ^

[Lord Shuhei Yoshida]

I agree with you Poor Delayed Flop.Radiodread is on the computer past his bedtime

[outlawlife]

i highly doubt this will be implememnted over xbox live, just because microsoft developed a pieces of software doesn't mean it is going to the xbox

this is probably more for live streams online being broadcast on family friendly sites

but if it does get implemented on xbox or xbox live i'm going to guess that it will be an option which the user could turn on or off such as family settings or something

it is unfortunate that the little kids on live think they are cool by spouting profanity ad racist remarks but that is what you get when these kids are unsupervised and find entertainment by rick rolling on gamefaqs or making ytmnd page or reading /b/

you can't really stop it and in time as the use socom headset spreads psn will be meeting the same fate with obnoxious little kids or immature adults, i expect a high influx of them at christmas

[rodellison]

til that voice tech in Rock band (and now End War) was put to real use.
Thought I read somewhere that the voice recognition used in both were based on the same underlying tech. Guess it wouldn't be that hard for MS to get a hold of it and integrate it into the op system of XBLive's mic to figure out when particular racial, sexual or hate smack is being doled out. So long as it doesn't impact everyone else's game performance, sounds good to me. Shut the potty mouths down!

[OOG]

lol whaare you talking about the voice tech in rock band??? Rock bands voice tech is a joke...you dont even have to say the right words all it basically read is pitch.

[rodellison]

ok, Rock band is a bad example..was thinking about that software's general decent ability to analyze pitch and intonation. End war is probably the better example.. regardless, its not too hard to fathom something similar sitting at an op system level 'monitoring' the mic input for key words, and if they occur, to simply either mute, or inject silence..

[Blackfrican]

Once upon a time, when I played the Endwar beta, the voice recognition really only worked well when talking in a slower, calm, artificial voice. Any aggression and emotion added into the formula yielded unsuspecting results. Voice on Xbox Live works just like person to person communication, thus it will not be able to be censored. Even computer attempts to censor words which don't account for speed, pitch, tone, and accent are easy to circumvent. Example: f-word is censored while something like ƒuck is not. Each get the point across so people will continue their practice.

What I find funny is how so many people hold Xbox Live accountable. When there is no repercussions for what you say, and people are unable to connect your voice to your face, you often say what you truly believe--not what you think people want you to believe. Most people have strong opinions, and it is human nature to believe anything different than your own beliefs is wrong. Xbox Live is an excellent place for people to vent these thoughts and ideas.

Do not worry though, I have a feeling the party chat system is going to largely diminish the 'public' chat when friends have the ability to talk with their group of friends playing the same game or not.

The End

[likedamaster]

@Rodellison

Ubisoft used that technology back in the original xbox's Ghost Recon 2. You don't remember? You could use xbox live's headset to talk and give a whole list of commands to your squad mates. The list was pretty extensive for a tactical shooter too, and it worked! You don't believe me check the booklet inside the game case, it will have the list there. I think it works even better for a strategy game especially with the limit that a controller would have, voicing commands to make up for those features and just basically add to it, would be ideal.

Anyway, as far as censorship is concerned, I think the mute feature works perfectly for me. Let's move on.

[Zerodin]

It's every droid ever built!

[TheNewerGuy]

Interesting

[TheNewerGuy]

PSN is superior,yep yep yep

[PoorDelayedFlop]

why? because not enough people would actually want to use it enough in the first place to consider even cursing on it?

[Fishy Fingers]

More information at the source if anyones interested http://arstechnica.com/news...

[Halo3Mgs4]

i doubt this technology is going to be used in this xbox, maybe xbox3, but not this one(xbox360) so all of the people who drop f-bombs and n-bombs have nothing to worry about

[Road Dog]

Hell yeah mother fuc$er! Nah I'm kidding I wish they could implement it now or better yet some sensor that detects if your nuts haven't dropped and then automatically mute you. I can deal with swears I've probably used one before but I can't stand the little shi#s with high pitched voices.

[diatom]

Microsoft might find it equally effective to develop a high frequency filter to remove anyone who's voice hasn't changed yet.

(I'd buy it)

[rhood022]

haha

Here Here.

Bubble Up!

[Road Dog]

Damn it you made my last comment old before I posted it. You are spot on if I could eleminate the sound of 10-12 year olds I would never take the mic off.

If only you could have to check your ID and access some adults only channel on Live.

[Sarcasm]

I'd Buy it too

[GameDev]

shove live as far as they can before it comes out their nose, I've hated the people on there ever since I caught a bunch of teenage baboons picking on my then 8 yr old son. I grabbed the headset from him and ripped them a new ahole. There was total silence when I was done talking, buncha cowards.

[etownone]

cowards?

hahahahaha

Do you really think talking sh1t over the internet means anything or makes you a toughguy?

Like I've told you before, your just some dorky pimple faced little d1ck that thinks he's an internet ganster, but in the real world, chumps like you are scared of everyone.

Don't worry, you obviously can keep up the toughguy routine, you'll still safe hiding behind your computer.

[GameDev]

Alain?? mad cause mommy gave you a homosexual name?? or that you live in an absolute sh1thole like elizabeth new jersey??

I don't even bother with idiot losers like you cause the truth is I don't even use a closed fist for b1tches, I just smack you around open handed like b1tch you are.

[PimpHandStrong]

most XBL ppl dont like hearing all that kiddy sh!t

every online game needs to allow ppl to mute those fools! Problem solved

[OOG]

you dont need any game to allow you to mute people on xbox live.......its already built into the live system....you can mute the people and they will be muted forever, you dont need a game to allow it....but you know the uninformed may not know this already..............

[CadDad]

...of legislated morality.

I usually remove myself from games with people who act like the trolls on the internet, but that doesn't mean I want intervention. I should be left to game with who I want to game with, when I want to game with them, not have it chosen for me, or have stuff censored that has no business being censored.

Just my O of course.

-CadDad

[NaiNaiNai]

as much as i would like this. >.> i dont really want it. i have my mute button so i can turn them on and off as i please. the only way this would more then likely make its way on, is like the game and movie rating functions. being able to turn it on and off as you please.
-nai-

[TheNewerGuy]

No freedom of speech on xbox live,HAHA!PWNED yet again by PSN!

[NaiNaiNai]

do you even have a live, or do you just get more pleasure on this site then you all mighty PS3. just a question. cause your on like every xbox360 post that has comments.
-nai-
has a question.

[dkgshiz]

Censorship is really dumb. Its just a way to take your rights away.

[OOG]

This voice thing wont happen across all of live if it every was implemented anyway...In live you can chose which zone you are in and some zones were made to have trash talking etc (Underground Zone) so in some things the trash talk and foul language will be expected....

but this could help parents filter their kids by puting them in kid friendly zones etc

[Horny Melon]

when not playing with a collection of friends. All you hear the entire time is 12 year olds swearing and their emotes as they play. By the time your done putting all the idiots on the ignore list half of them have left the game and you have a new batch of idiots to replace them.

[meepmoopmeep]

yeah, i'll only use my headset with personal friends

[divideby0]

hmmm....

Guess titles dont have the same code of conduct as Gamer zone Posting Guidelines...lol

[Pixel_Addict]

I have played Xbox Live and have witnessed first hand how disturbing people can be when not held accountable for what they say. It happens on PSN, but not as often in XBL. You can say it is because there are not as many PS3 users that play online games etc, but what ever the cause, from my experiences and others, XBL is worse in terms of foul language (death threats even).

It is not really Microsoft's responsiblity to 'baby-sit' these sociopaths that plauge XBL, but I think Microsoft has been flooded with complaints, especially from parents, so they have no choice but to act in good-faith toward their customers. This measure to censor XBL users is really an understandable political move to encourage users to continue to use the service.

An unfortunate example...

One of my hispanic friends, who happens to have a slight accent, had his ears constantly assault everytime he played Halo 3. I know, having witnessed it first hand. In July he did not renew his subscription and has purchased a PS3 after trading in his 360. He felt, as explained to me, that it was as if he was paying to be insulted (paraphrase). I understood, it was one thing to have someone say something everyonce and a while, but it happened, every day, every match, and every game. His little sister played Halo 3 and someone even called her racial slurs after they had heard her speak to him in Spanish, she is 11.

...That was the last straw for him.

He is not as happy with PSN, but the constant insults are now an occational hillbilly spewing his random inbreed thoughts, and does not regret switching the PS3. As for myself, I only play COD 4 (PS3) online. I prefer single player games, funny thing is I bought COD4 for the single player, was disappointed and found myself addicted to the online matches, go figure. BTW, DEAD SPACE rules, buy it now!!

[Emmo]

I am not into censorship, but unfortunately the public gets the service it deserves.

I do not play Halo or gears online anymore because of all the racial, homophobic abuse.

I just hope if they do add this function to live it takes away messaging and voice privalages of offenders automaticly.

[Pixel_Addict]

XBL is a service that millions of Hispanic, Black, Asian, gay, women etc, pay for. If they are paying for the service they have every right to enjoy it with out the constant harassment. No those people should not be bothered with muting people. Hell, sometimes you have to mute an entire game, with the exception of a friend.

[Citizen Cook]

Sony
Playstaion,1.2.3
ps1
ps2
ps3
PSP
PSX
Blu-Ray

LOL

But seriously, i welcome this. Its much better than muting people every god damned second of LIVE play. Let the computer deal with these jerks for me.

[IaMs12]

Would be cool if they could censor it, but one problem would be gone, and another would rise. Example, some kid thinks its funny to curse so it would make they game go BEEP BEEP BEEP or BLANK BLANK out a bunch of times making other players unable to speak or hear.

[wallace1000]

This definitely isn't a bad thing. There are so many stupid little kids on xbox live that need an attitude adjustment. Some of the things that people say are horrendous and should be blocked. There are also older players that spurt some of the most vile racist stuff you can imagine. Listening to some people on xbox live makes me wonder if eugenics actually has some merits in today's society.

[Pixel_Addict]

as far as birth control. Eugenics can be racial segregation etc. Probably the most beautiful women I have seen are actually half black and half white. In fact most of today's runway and fasion models are mixed. Black people and white people are both better served when they look outside the gene pool :D Imagine if Shaq had Larry Bird's genes, he could actually land a free throw. I kid... I kid...

[wallace1000]

Yes, i was joking about getting rid of the ignorant people. Racial segregation is a major crime against humanity. Vote Obama :-P

[etownone]

I think this is a great idea.

Now I don't have to put up with supid little kids talking their sh1t, or punks like GameDev that thinks he's some kind of internet gangster.

[GameDev]

mentioning my name only says one thing:

I OWN YOU BOY, now go fetch.

[MAGNUM RAM SUPPORT]

if psn was censored I would quit online gaming in a heartbeat.
ps3 the last hardcore console left! FCK YEH!

[etownone]

lets hope psn doesn't get censored so they can keep all the ignorant little punks that like to talk sh1t, like youself.

[cheapndirty]

The agreement to use the online service is very clear. No swearing, racism, etc. Who do you guys think you are? Are you above the rules and the code of conduct? I hope many of them get banned from both networks. I report pretty much all of them. And if we get a total loser that has no respect for other people we mute him and then betray until he leaves.

I support this 100%.

[Dmitry Orlov]

I haven't yet seen much of the xbox trolls down here in comparison to the ps3 ones...

[ASSASSYN 36o]

I mute idiots on xbox-live. I get people whom come into my games and wonder why they can't here me. Come to find out with a view of the players lists I have them muted from previous games. I don't remember the reason for the mute most of the time but I never remove it either.

[GWAVE]

Greeeeat. So now, I'll be called a "fizucking azisshole" all the time PLUS being under the thumb of Microsoft's censorship.

[sadflask]

I am an avid anti-censorship activist. I am paying for xbox live, a service which should be free anyways, but I won't even get into that. If Microsoft implements any form of censorship, it will be more than enough reason for me to cancel my subscription. Don't get me wrong, I love my Xbox360 and I certainly love late night frag-fests and trash talking. But trash talking aside, I often engage in conversations with friends or team mates that involve adult topics. I reserve my right to use what ever words or phrases I want. I'm not pro racism or a person that uses offensive language to offend people. I'm a normal gamer that doesn't want my experience hindered by Microsoft controlling what I say or what my friends hear. There is the mute feature for people that get offended or annoyed, and I use that feature often when I feel I should. Also, for people that aren't old enough or mature enough to hear adult themed language or conversation, there are the parental control options that block out voice communication entirely. The only way I could see this working, but not angering many of the Xbox live users and trash talkers, is if they implement it like the World of Warcraft text chat, that gives you the option of having the swear filter on or off depending on your taste. Anyways, that's my two sense not that it matters much to any of you or to Microsoft.

Cheers,
-Sadflask

[GWAVE]

I would rather have Microsoft implement a better reporting system and to enforce harsher punishments for racial slurs, excessive cursing, etc. In my experience of owning 2 360's (both of them broke), I can safely say that at least 50% of mic owners deserve to be banned permanently, and at least 75% deserve to have SOME sort of temporary ban. I mean, the amount of insults is just terrible, not to mention that players will insult you, team kill, harass you, etc just because your gamer score is lower than theirs or because you're a girl (I never allowed women I was dating to play on the 360). This censorship punishes everyone while allowing the creative trolls to just use different insults and still get away with it.

[cereal_killa]

"I can safely say that at least 50% of mic owners deserve to be banned permanently, and at least 75% deserve to have SOME sort of temporary ban. I mean, the amount of insults is just terrible, not to mention that players will insult you, team kill, harass you"

Excellent comment I don't have Live never will unless it's free but since M$ charges for this why do they not hire mods to monitor games for racial and or harassment type comments towards other players then give these people a temporary ban (1 day) for the first time then a 3day ban for the next one, a week ban for the next, then a permanent ban from live all together.

[sovietsoldier]

the words n^gger and f@g should be the first two words banned, then owned and backout followed by the complete phrase of "you stole my kill"! lets censor who can get on in the first place , then worry about what they say.

[PS3Freak]

AWESOME picture, it was good for a laugh.

[Bullseye]

problem solved, no need for censorship. Easy really, isn't it?

[Fanboy Slaughter]

A way to make LIVE squeakers and general wastes of human cellular makeup a little less annoying to the those of us who choose to be better human beings.

I mean, I like my F-bombs and all that, but most people on LIVE just take it too far. And now thanks to the waste who make the F-bomb their "go-to" word when their simple minds can't think of the next word in the sentence, we ALL have to be censored.

Once again, our failure to accept Natural Selection has ruined it for us again. First, went good cold medicine thanks to the moron Meth Addicts (which btw, the next time I get a bad cold I'm going to severely beat a Meth Addict for getting my favorite cold medicine banned), and now our speech online will soon be censored.

Stupid people ruin everything.

[NBA09TheInsideFlop]

this is how you use technology to beat the racists at their own game. ms shows their superiority with online gaming once again.

[-SIXAXIS-]

That's a stupid idea. People will just mispronounce the swear words making them worse. Also, knowing Microsoft, this filter will be a piece of sh*t. It will randomly filter out perfectly fine words and leave some swear words. VERY STUPID IDEA!

[baraka007]

I agree that we can just mute people so this is kind of unneeded but that doesn't always work because alot of the time people wont always mute the person acting immature. So the whole room of people keep yelling for them to shut up so I end up muting everyone just to quiet things down. On the other hand sixaxis is right people will just make up new words also if it doesn't work 100% it could mute alot of words that sound close to swear words and that would be kind of frustrating too but if it works right and it's optional im all for it.