Microsoft: "Online behavior of our customers is dramatically reducing our sales"

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In an excerpt from an interesting op-ed about, and I quote, the "fuckwads" on Xbox Live, Bill Fulton states:

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.
Click to expand...
Fulton goes on to state his resolution to the issue. My resolution? The ability to vote out players (similar to the map skipping option in Call of Duty 4).

[Gamasutra]
 
Well, I found the service increased in quality at least five-fold when I switched my options such that I can only talk to/hear people on my Friends list. Sure, it makes pick-up-and-play multiplayer with other people far more difficult but then again I don't have to listen to conversations where it's a miracle if anyone can say something other than the word "fuck".

It also wouldn't hurt if they were a little bit quicker (or harsher) with some blatant violations of Gamertag and Motto usage. If something's a bit racy, sure, give it a pass. We all like slipping one by the goalie every once in a while! But when someone's gamertag is a slur that would get oneself fired from a job in less than a minute and that just sits on the service for a good three weeks, what are w supposed to think? Where's the "quality" in quality control? ;)

Then again, maybe nothing in particular can correct the Greater Internet fuckwad Theory. Asshats will be asshats!
 
its pretty much online gaming as a whole give people anonymity and a voice and their jerkwads it just seems to be most peoples natural progression sadly :(.
 
It is nice to see that they recognize that they do have a problem. I'll try your suggestion Kapwanil as I had a bad Uno experience the other day and have not gone back to it since.
 
[quote name='gobz']Last time I was playing Uno on Xbox Live some guy flashed his dong in the waiting room...[/quote]

you're welcome
 
[quote name='opportunity777']I keep my stuff on mute, until, I need to say something. After I receive my response, I place everyone on mute again. It's not hard.[/QUOTE]

Sure that will work but we shouldn't have to mute EVERYONE in order to tolerate the service. Something needs to be done to police the service we all pay to use.
 
[quote name='chasemurata']My resolution? The ability to vote out players.[/quote]
Kick votes never work.
 
[quote name='gobz']Last time I was playing Uno on Xbox Live some guy flashed his dong in the waiting room...[/QUOTE]

Simon D I?
 
IF phone numbers were authenticated and attached to every credit card number I wonder what it would do if the phone number on file with your credit card had to be placed on file with your gamer tag and shown in your profile. That way you could call the parents of the 14 year old and get cussed out by them too...atleast then you would better understand why the 14 year player is so screwed up. Although, I suppose the 20-30 year olds not being able to go an intermission without talking about man juices is just as bad...
Stupid idea, of course, but it would be interesting to watch the chaos it would spawn.
 
I dealt with an idiot playing call of duty last night. This guy killed someone and was like "If I offend you guys I don't care but I killed that ni****" Considering my team was horrible and my 20-8 score was the only reason we were barley winning the game I responded with "Well the ni**** thats in first place is quiting the team, goodluck winning now."

I think its crazy with all the idiots on some of these games and its pretty blatant. Like Kapwanil said some of the things are obvious like the KKK clan tag in COD4 and the JEWS tag in COD4. How that is allowed I dunno. Not surprisingly everyone I play with or against in those clans are idiots.
 
Voice Chat sucks.
I dont care about you rolling a doobie, or what you are eating for dinner, or your up coming clan match.

STFU and play the game.
 
I just either ignore people like that or make fun of them on the mic so I don't really have a problem. I do have a problem with them when they're on my team and teamkill me. For the boice thing I could just mute them.
 
I play if my friends are playing. If I go on alone I don't even use my mic. Every room has some little kid that thinks its cool to drop every curse word in the world. He should get his pants dropped and a good spanking.
 
I really hate it when people talk on the phone while playing online. I do it quite a few times but I always have the courtesy to mute my mic.
 
In an excerpt from an interesting op-ed about, and I quote, the "fuckwads" on Xbox Live, Bill Fulton states:

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.
Click to expand...
Fulton goes on to state his resolution to the issue. My resolution? The ability to vote out players (similar to the map skipping option in Call of Duty 4).

[Gamasutra]
 
Well, I found the service increased in quality at least five-fold when I switched my options such that I can only talk to/hear people on my Friends list. Sure, it makes pick-up-and-play multiplayer with other people far more difficult but then again I don't have to listen to conversations where it's a miracle if anyone can say something other than the word "fuck".

It also wouldn't hurt if they were a little bit quicker (or harsher) with some blatant violations of Gamertag and Motto usage. If something's a bit racy, sure, give it a pass. We all like slipping one by the goalie every once in a while! But when someone's gamertag is a slur that would get oneself fired from a job in less than a minute and that just sits on the service for a good three weeks, what are w supposed to think? Where's the "quality" in quality control? ;)

Then again, maybe nothing in particular can correct the Greater Internet fuckwad Theory. Asshats will be asshats!
 
its pretty much online gaming as a whole give people anonymity and a voice and their jerkwads it just seems to be most peoples natural progression sadly :(.
 
It is nice to see that they recognize that they do have a problem. I'll try your suggestion Kapwanil as I had a bad Uno experience the other day and have not gone back to it since.
 
[quote name='gobz']Last time I was playing Uno on Xbox Live some guy flashed his dong in the waiting room...[/quote]

you're welcome
 
[quote name='opportunity777']I keep my stuff on mute, until, I need to say something. After I receive my response, I place everyone on mute again. It's not hard.[/QUOTE]

Sure that will work but we shouldn't have to mute EVERYONE in order to tolerate the service. Something needs to be done to police the service we all pay to use.
 
[quote name='chasemurata']My resolution? The ability to vote out players.[/quote]
Kick votes never work.
 
[quote name='gobz']Last time I was playing Uno on Xbox Live some guy flashed his dong in the waiting room...[/QUOTE]

Simon D I?
 
IF phone numbers were authenticated and attached to every credit card number I wonder what it would do if the phone number on file with your credit card had to be placed on file with your gamer tag and shown in your profile. That way you could call the parents of the 14 year old and get cussed out by them too...atleast then you would better understand why the 14 year player is so screwed up. Although, I suppose the 20-30 year olds not being able to go an intermission without talking about man juices is just as bad...
Stupid idea, of course, but it would be interesting to watch the chaos it would spawn.
 
I dealt with an idiot playing call of duty last night. This guy killed someone and was like "If I offend you guys I don't care but I killed that ni****" Considering my team was horrible and my 20-8 score was the only reason we were barley winning the game I responded with "Well the ni**** thats in first place is quiting the team, goodluck winning now."

I think its crazy with all the idiots on some of these games and its pretty blatant. Like Kapwanil said some of the things are obvious like the KKK clan tag in COD4 and the JEWS tag in COD4. How that is allowed I dunno. Not surprisingly everyone I play with or against in those clans are idiots.
 
Voice Chat sucks.
I dont care about you rolling a doobie, or what you are eating for dinner, or your up coming clan match.

STFU and play the game.
 
I just either ignore people like that or make fun of them on the mic so I don't really have a problem. I do have a problem with them when they're on my team and teamkill me. For the boice thing I could just mute them.
 
I play if my friends are playing. If I go on alone I don't even use my mic. Every room has some little kid that thinks its cool to drop every curse word in the world. He should get his pants dropped and a good spanking.
 
I really hate it when people talk on the phone while playing online. I do it quite a few times but I always have the courtesy to mute my mic.
 
I couldnt see myself playing Xbox live without voice. I like to talk alot when on COD4 with random people to give positions on enemys ect...

I do have alot of games with assholes/ect.. But you learn to just ignore it easily.
Seems some people just have bad luck with live. There will be days im online for 12 hours straight ( Yes i have no life ) And ill have not one problem with some guy going off on people.


Edit: I dont play Halo 3 anymore so that probly helps alot lol
 
[quote name='ruffinra']I really hate it when people talk on the phone while playing online. I do it quite a few times but I always have the courtesy to mute my mic.[/quote]

Ya I know what you mean. A few times i've come across people who are cleary pretending to talk to a girl on the phone in a half assed pimp daddy sort of way
 
I can deal with the trash talking, swearing, rascism, and general disckish behaviour.

Just please, PLEASE make people stop SINGING.
 
[quote name='007']I can deal with the trash talking, swearing, rascism, and general disckish behaviour.

Just please, PLEASE make people stop SINGING.[/QUOTE]

Singing is the worst. But I did run across the weirdest guy (a black grandma was his GT) who did nothing but say "shut your mouth" over and over. I stopped in the middle of COD4 to mute him, and lucky for me I didn't get killed in that time. He had to have said shut your mouth almost 100 times before I muted him.
 
[quote name='InuFaye']Voice Chat sucks.
I dont care about you rolling a doobie, or what you are eating for dinner, or your up coming clan match.

STFU and play the game.[/quote]

Yeah I really hate the voice I always turned it off,but people sending me messages cussing me out because I beat them really annoys me.
 
I just mute people if they are annoying and it doesn't really bother me. I always get a kick out of it when I join a random room in a new game and discover I already muted one of the people in another game. If people are really annoying I give them bad feedback. I think Live does a pretty good job of avoiding matching you with people you've given bad feedback.

Shadowrun had an option to vote to kick people and it was mildly effective. It was easy to get teamkillers out of the room, but the success rate on getting annoying people kicked was lower because a lot of people wouldn't bother to vote.

That said it's obvious that Microsoft does a poor job of policing their service. They can't possibly catch every jackass on Live, but they really should to do more considering that it is a paid service. They could easily hire a team of like 50 people to just get on Xbox Live and play for a month documenting violations. A mass ban of the 10,000+ people they would catch in that time it would act as a powerful deterrent.

I've also always said I would pay more for a better online service, but I think Microsoft would have to communicate how they spend their money currently in order to show the value of the service and justify a price increase.
 
[quote name='chasemurata']Fulton goes on to state his resolution to the issue. My resolution? The ability to vote out players (similar to the map skipping option in Call of Duty 4).[/quote]

Shadowrun has this feature and it was great, if this was standard on all games, XBL would totally kick more ass.
 
ive never played a "proper" XBL game on the 360.. i loved playing burnout 3 online i met some of the coolest people.. and it was always fun to go into the country specific rooms and play against asian/european people who think all americans are "stupid mericans" then when I would promptly beat them they'd cry and block me.. hah.. good times..

i do have halo 3 but i don't really have the patience for little kids and people who play halo way more than me, but someday i'll hope on that train.
 
[quote name='007']I can deal with the trash talking, swearing, rascism, and general disckish behaviour.

Just please, PLEASE make people stop SINGING.[/QUOTE]

QFT

On another note, I remember playing PC games and watching people have to type "trashtalk" as I would frag them :)

Those were good ole days. If you wanted to trashtalk, then you couldn't play at the same time.
 
I usually mute the idiots that sing or rap into the mic. The trash talk that occurs after a round where my team wins doesn't really ever bother me.
 
I recently popped CoD4 back in and went it alone with randoms. This kid was screaming about cake and then I shut it off and remembered why I stopped playing. Terrorist Hunt for the win!
 
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