Microsoft hates online idiots ... and they think you should too!

Gothic Girl | April 03, 2008 | News | XBOX 360

If you are an online gamer, you'd have no doubt come across an idiot at some point during your gaming. Y'know, the people who call you every insult they can think of, from homophobic slurs to digs at your mother?

Well you shouldn't just hate them because they are annoying morons. You should also hate them because they are holding back the online industry. Bill Fulton, of Microsoft, explains why ...

Note: This content contains language that may offend readers.

Of all the ways I spend my free time, playing games online is the only one I would describe as "frequently barbaric". Insults of all kinds, including racist and homophobic slurs, are commonplace.
And that's just how players are intentionally insulting -- what some people do while playing online can also be aggravating.
Cheating, team-killing, entering a game but not playing, quitting before the game is over, and more, are all relatively common.

Why do I care? Some gamers might be thinking "If he's so thin-skinned that he can't take the online banter, maybe he shouldn’t play online." Unfortunately, many people do just that -- they stop playing online.

So again, why do I care? Because the online behavior of our customers is dramatically reducing our sales, and continues to stunt the growth of our industry. Non-gamers simply don’t love games enough to put up with the crap they get online. The reason they would consider playing online is to have fun with other people -- and right now, playing games online with strangers rarely delivers that for anyone outside the hardcore demographic.

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Comments

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1 thumbs!
StarJet | April 03, 2008

Online idiots should GTFO. They should understand that the online community is not theirs to act like complete morons and disturb others.
1 thumbs!
Dine_Agoti | April 03, 2008

Nice article. Worth the read.

Over all, I'd have to agree with the general idea of what he's saying. But I can't help but feel like Microsoft is just wanting to tap into the same 'casual gamer-base' that Nintendo did and make a bit of extra cash, haha. Right now the Wii's problem isn't appealing to the casual, but to the hardcore; while it's the opposite for the 360 and PS3.

We need to find a good middleground. I think World of Warcraft is an example of how a balance between the casual and hardcore play-styles can be obtained.
0 thumbs!
Xenctuary | April 04, 2008

I despise deliberately moronic players on Xbox Live. I'm paying for an online service and having it ruined by a child with nothing better to do. Time to kick ass, Microsoft.
0 thumbs!
Gamesta100 | April 04, 2008

Thankfully I rarely encounter idiots that talk crap.
0 thumbs!
Trend | April 05, 2008

I used to encounter many idiots. It is slowly decreasing. I usually just end the game right away when I see someone who does that. It could teach them a lesson.
There is a line between competitive and idiotic that is very easy to break. If people only thought, and learned some kind of ettiquite, that would help. Maybe they should have an ettiquite guide in each online game? Then a quiz before starting, to make sure that they read it? That could help, a little.