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Gaming is for Girls: Xbox bans a lesbian from game playWe've all heard stories of one person's crusade becoming a full-blown war, and it looks like the gay and lesbian community has found their war against Microsoft. Last week, news emerged of a gamer named Teresa who frequented Xbox Live. Teresa was allegedly banned from the service because she identified as a lesbian in her profile. Needless to say, she wasn't happy about this and took the ban public, no doubt with little knowledge that the entire thing would force Microsoft into a very embarrassing and public apology over its woeful Xbox Live Policy.
The issue is that Microsoft claims its policy is there to prevent homophobic slurs on XBL, a sort of gaming "don't ask, don't tell." MS does state it’s against "ALL types of orientation," because Microsoft doesn’t want anyone outlining their sexual preferences on Live. The issue, however, is that there is a huge problem with context while using text analysis technology to pick up on this (which is allegedly what MS uses), and many words are simply not being picked up by the system. In a brief investigation carried out by LesbianGamers.com, the following gamer tags were shown to be in existence (at some point): IamStraight, hetero, HeteroLifeMates, poofterh8r, Gaybaishnig, Lesbiankilr, Queerkillah and Dyksmasher. Clearly the issue with these Gamer tags isn't just that they refer to sexual preference, but that they actively incite hate against particular groups. It is only logical then that Microsoft immediately act on this pitiful system to ensure that context is considered when it comes to Gamer tags. The backlash from not only the LGBT community but also the general gaming community has been quite astounding. Gaming websites and groups have banded together to ask what can be done in this situation and how Microsoft can improve its policies. There is no doubt Microsoft realizes it has a problem and the company has to act on it, and for this we applaud them, but surely they need to consider this one of their priorities at the moment in order to regain confidence in the LGBT market.
This issue has been the most widely discussed gaming point of the week. People want to know what Microsoft intends to do about this, and people want to provide ways to help. An open letter spearheaded by Lesbian Gamers and co-signed and written by a number of other gaming sites will be forwarded to Microsoft this week. Let's hope there are no more cases like Teresa's in their future, and we can all work together to ensure safe spaces for LGBT individuals on Xbox Live. Now your gaming news tidbits for the last week or so. Nintendo unveiled a new Wii controller called the "Pro." This is essentially the classic controller with additional shoulder buttons and legs, kind of like the GameCube controller. It's only available in Japan. "Lost Planet 2" will feature four-player co-op, because playing with three other people is more fun. Here's hoping the sequel is better than the original.
The "Mass Effect 2" teaser trailer released, and we're a little worried about our beloved commander Shepard. The "Aliens RPG" was allegedly shelved, which sucks for "Aliens" fans and RPG fans alike. "Rockband 2" finally got a Wii and PS3 release date in the UK. It will be out on PlayStation 3 on March 27 and Nintendo Wii on April 24. Kristen Kreuk, the Smallville actor who plays video game hero Chun-Li in the upcoming "Streetfighter" movie, admits to having played "Street Fighter" only once. No biggy — it's not like Angelina Jolie played "Tomb Raider" loads, and she did an OK job.
The Lesbian Gamers main review machine got "The Red Ring of Death" last week, and we're following its exploits at the site, because it's nice to turn a tragic event into something informative. Happy Gaming — assuming you're not a lesbian, looking for other lesbian gamers and thinking it's a good idea to add that to your Xbox Live profile. Submitted by on March 2, 2009 - 1:30pm. |
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I was going to create a LIVE account
But until that policy changes and they ban the proper individuals, I refuse to pay for or promote their services.
~Without risk, there can be no innovation. Without innovation, there can be no advancement. ~
It's disgusting that
PS3 ROCKS!
Amen to that.
P.S Microsoft are losers.
Sony is not any better
Sony does not allow the words gay, lesbian, bisexual, Jew, or Christ to be used online. They are just as bad as microsoft in that aspect.
"Life... is like a grapefruit. It's orange and squishy, and has a few pips in it, and some folks have half a one for breakfast." Douglas Adams
/agree
grrr
clearly they're just bitter because they're called Microsoft. :-P Totally lame. Didn't they hear about that whole stink a few years back with Blizzard and the GLBTA guild that they banned? Highly frustrating. Sometimes online gaming is way more progressive (some MMOs have legalized gay marriage for example lol) but sometimes it's just stuck in the past. :-P
Obviously I'm disappointed in them for this decision. This is another example of why diversity in the workplace is a good thing. If they'd had some out gay people in their office to run this policy by, this never would have happened.
I recall it, and I agree it stinks
It was a guild (group of players) that advertised itself as LGBT friendly and it was forceably disbanded (I am unsure whether anyone was banned or not) by a Gamesmaster (in game customer support) after a complaint. When the issue was protested Blizzard backed the individual's stance, saying that it was in keeping with their anti-discrimination policy: indeed it was very similar to this incident.
Not only did they claim that the guild violated the policy by discriminating against other players (a blatantly erroneous interpretation of the terms of service by the support personnel, as well as the guild's original statement) but they also fed the same line that it was about protecting people from harassment (by brushing their existance under the carpet). They backpedaled and apologised after a few weeks, to the best of my recollection, presumably after consulting their lawyers and/or some individual who had basic reading comprehension and had read the ToS.
Now, in fairness, it's not like Blizz go around playing whack-a-mole with gay people. I honestly expect Microsoft are generally a very forward looking company with respect to the openness and inclusion of gay workers. However the sheer cowardice they have demonstrated and the transparent double standards between the treatment of homosexuality compared to negative behaviour as a whole, or even other basically innocent topics that might be deemed sensitive, do shock and horrify me, and this appears to be (as people may be realising) the standard approach to forum management by large games companies. It's asking us to be invisible so we do not "provoke" others and shifts the burden of blame and responsibility alarmingly. These companies really need to consult some specialised LGBT advisors about the consequences of their "we don't want any trouble" policies.
It is, not coincidentally, the antithesis of what this website is about: visibility. I am so very glad this is kicking up a fuss at long last.
Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect 2! Shiny! (And so a mislead. I'm standing by that statement.:)) I can't say how much I want it, and how much I want it now. Today. Yesterday if possible. I am pretty sure that when it's out for Xbox 360 I'll finally break and buy the console - I am not sure I'll be able to wait for the PC version. *off to play part one, yet again*
WTF is happening with
WTF is happening with microsoft??
La mejor manera de librarme de la tentación es caer en ella
Say wut?
real names
a user who used his real name got excluded because his family name includes "gay".
the explanation: the word "gay" is so offensive, that it makes no difference if it's a real name or not.
(according to: http://de.shoe.org/news/artikel.php?ID=1162)
and seriously, it's just ridiculous
this is just ridiculous. I
this is just ridiculous. I think they should just allow it if they aren't going to ban those other users who obviously are bashing a certain group.
recently i was playing games on Iminlikewithyou.com and i discovered you cannot type the works gay, lesbian or homosexuall. i then tried heterosexuall and of course it was allowed. -_-
Well
Microsoft and Sony are both pretty much the same when it comes to such words, and I agree, their text analysis technology is quite ridiculous. It doesn't account for the many inventive ways in which people can "spell" hate hahaha I once got caught up in a Halo 3 match that had a player with the name "FeggotMurdr." Haven't come across him since, but it doesn't take a genius to figure out what he was going for. I figure if you ban the ones who actually ARE gay, then the ones who aren't and promote bashing should be banned as well. But much like a wayward SPAM filter, some names will be picked up, some won't. In my actual profile, I identify as a lesbian, but in such a way I don't think even Microsoft would pick it up lol
Anyway. Mass Effect 2! Yes!
Lost Planet 2: Why would anyone waste the time, effort, and money to even create a sequel for that game? I played the first five or six levels of the original and the entire time all that came from my mouth was a string of profanities, as the game was so incredibly STUPID. Ugh!
And I am sad about the Aliens RPG :(
it seems a little anomalous
it seems a little anomalous they they encorage you to present other demographic data, such as race, age and gender, but not sexuality on xbox. after all, these all open people up for discrimination, in the same way microsoft are saying expressing your sexuality might. even if it was worries over sexualisation of xbox live that were the real issue, theres no reason to point to the lgbt community as the catalyst for this.
without this diversity, other gamers will just assume heterosexuality. it seems more important to stop people from revealing their age, if microsoft are worried about harm coming to individuals.
lgbters who choose to express their sexuality know what the world is like, and know that they risk discrimination by doing so. expression of our orientation is a choice we are able to and should be able to make ourselves. silencing us just lets the homophobes win. essentially microsoft force us back into the closet, paying lip service to our right not to be discriminated against.
its sad, because its often the young male population from teens to mid twenties that are most exuberant in their homophobia. and its their peers that are most influenced by this, in the period in which most of us discover our sexuality and have our coming out to do. seeing as these are xboxs target market, microsofts homophobia seems all the more potent.
re: Happy Gaming
> Happy Gaming — assuming you're not a lesbian, looking for other
> lesbian gamers and thinking it's a good idea to add that to your Xbox Live profile.
HAHA, brilliant snark! =D
I'm a vivid gamer myself, so I didn't take the news lightly. Good thing people have united against M$.
P.S. The cancellation of the "Aliens" RPG sucks indeed. :-(
OMG
I really fell dissapointed about these, i work for xbox and as far as i have been there i havent had any type of discrimination...so bad that a company as microsoft has these types of issues..
=(
Xbox live
That's terrible! How can they let people have such horrible tags!
I thought your open letter was really good. I can't believe they don't have Xbox live Moderators already. A text analysis system is all well and good but it's not sophisticated enought to read the contet of "discriminating" words. I mean just because people may write gay or lesbian or their profile or on the boards doesn't mean they are being homophobic. Plus you've got homophobics getting away with discriminating behaviour by using idiotic misspelled abuse. The only way they can acheive this is by using people to police Xbox live and I think that a lot of gamers would be happy to do this.
Gaming