May 16, 2008 -
"It's fun that can turn foul, in seconds..."
That's the intro from a video report by Roanoke's WSLS-10 which frets about bad language used by players during Xbox Live Halo 3 matches. Anchor John Carlin (left), who pulled his own son's XBL play into the story, says:
[We placed] a microphone in Tyler’s headset. The conversation was x-rated from the first shot... In another clip, clearly a young child was among the players. His language as bad as theirs... And the kids aren’t just hearing the bad talk—they’re speaking it. Racial slurs and homophobic comments as well.
GP: Did we mention that May is sweeps month?




Comments
Re: Sweeps Month: TV News Shocked by Cussing on Xbox Live
Stuff costs more than it used to!
Your Social Security check bounced!
Young people use curse words!
Here are we -- and yonder yawns the universe.
Re: Sweeps Month: TV News Shocked by Cussing on Xbox Live
Apparently they do not know if the Internet Fuckwad Theory. When playing on XBL I usually mute anyone who sounds like a kid because I know that my ears are about to be assaulted with retarded comments made by said kids. For some reason idiots think talking like this while playing an online game makes them sound cool, yet when all they sound like nothing but a bunch of blathering children suffering from pants on head retardation. Thank god for that mute option :D
Re: Sweeps Month: TV News Shocked by Cussing on Xbox Live
"In another clip, clearly a young child was among the players. His language as bad as theirs... And the kids aren’t just hearing the bad talk—they’re speaking it. Racial slurs and homophobic comments as well."
I could swear I remember posting a blog story about this in 2006 and submitting it to GamePolitics. It was titled Racism in Video Games Online... I could also swear remembering mentioning the same thing in 1997 ( Starcraft was getting big and Warcraft II was still a juggernaut ).
To be honest, I hate XBL. One, why should I have to pay to play something I've already paid for? Two, Why should I pay to be called "ni***r" every 3 seconds? I leave it at that.----
Papa Midnight
Re: Sweeps Month: TV News Shocked by Cussing on Xbox Live
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Papa Midnight
Re: Sweeps Month: TV News Shocked by Cussing on Xbox Live
Re: Sweeps Month: TV News Shocked by Cussing on Xbox Live
Pretty much all kids talk like that.. its not a big deal, they are words, they dont harm anyone.. im more disturbed you find such a petty insignificant thing disturbing.
Re: Sweeps Month: TV News Shocked by Cussing on Xbox Live
I hate to pull this card, but if words don't harm anyone... how about that girl who commited suicide over the MySpace stint? I could pull other cards, but those may be just a little more controversial than my selected citation.
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Papa Midnight
Re: Sweeps Month: TV News Shocked by Cussing on Xbox Live
Re: Sweeps Month: TV News Shocked by Cussing on Xbox Live
Perhaps they need to be instructed regarding John Gabriel's Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory.
Usually when I'm playing, the most foul-mouthed players are kids trying to talk shit with the occasional college-aged lout going with shouts of "fag" and various racial slurs, all usually strung together as one long drawn-out insult. I generally don't care about it, except for when the noise becomes too constant to the point of distraction, then I just simply mute or take off the headset. And of course, there's the teabaggers, too. I only ever do it in retaliation to someone doing it to me, otherwise I don't bother.
I'm also guilty of being rather foul-mouthed, though mine are just usually limited to exclamations regarding the gameplay. The other day, one person said that I shouldn't use words like that because he didn't like hearing them, and like what someone else pointed out earlier, it just struck me as having a bizarre set of priorities: The guy had no problem playing a game of which the main goal was to shoot other people to kill them but a "bad word" upset him. I will never really understand how a word in and of itself can be offensive, when it's the intent behind the use of the word that should be more of concern. After all, in spite of communicating the same exact concept, "poop" is an okay word but don't daaaarrrrre say "shit!"
Re: Sweeps Month: TV News Shocked by Cussing on Xbox Live
For those not educated in John Gabriel's Greater Internet Fuckwad (or Dickwad if you get the tshirt) Theory, allow me to put it into words:
Normal Person + Anonymity + Audience = Total Fuckwad (or Dickwad)
And there you have it, folks.
Re: Sweeps Month: TV News Shocked by Cussing on Xbox Live
"I'm not responcabel fer my comuter's spleling errnors." -- Xlorep DarkHelm
"I'm stel not responcabel fer my comuter's spleling errnors." -- Xlorep DarkHelm
Re: Sweeps Month: TV News Shocked by Cussing on Xbox Live
1) You can mute the idiot gamer kids and their potty mouths.
2) You can report them to X-Box Live.
3) Yes, they do patrol the service and will ban idiot gamer kids.
Re: Sweeps Month: TV News Shocked by Cussing on Xbox Live
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Papa Midnight
Re: Sweeps Month: TV News Shocked by Cussing on Xbox Live
I see people banned all the time for less than that, I used to at least, I usually only report if its obvious cheating as language never bothers me, but in order to get someone banned you have to get some other people to report them too.. which is perfectly reasonable.
The point is, that YES they ARE idiots, and assholes, but their isnt a whole lot more microsoft can be expected to do reasonably. They give you the tools to stop it, without shock collars for everyone who plays under 18, you are just going to have to deal with it or use what they give you.
Re: Sweeps Month: TV News Shocked by Cussing on Xbox Live
Being abusive over voice comms will only result in being voice banned (i.e. they cannot use voice coms any more, but can still play) A certain number of complaints must be received and then the person will be investigated - which can take time to do. But it does get done and people do get banned. Repeated offenses can (and do) result in permanent bans from the service.
Be glad that they are so careful about it, if they didn't personally investigate each case then it would be possible for a group of people who didn't like you to get you banned by simply lying and sending negative feedback about you.
-- mostly harmless
Re: Sweeps Month: TV News Shocked by Cussing on Xbox Live
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Papa Midnight
Re: Sweeps Month: TV News Shocked by Cussing on Xbox Live
There was a story in one of the gaming mags last year about how they patrol X-Box Live. They were claiming they've banned (at that time) about 10,000 accounts for people who repeatedly violate their behavioral code. This doesn't count bans for using hacked consoles or other forms of cheating.
The story even included an anecdote of an angry mother calling up to complain that her son was banned. She actually got a call back from the head of the X-Box Live service with a tape of what her son said. She then said he was getting banned from the X-Box for awhile after that.
Keep in mind...there are MILLIONS of people playing millions of games. They're not going to catch everyone.
Re: Sweeps Month: TV News Shocked by Cussing on Xbox Live
Its been a very long while since i played any decently popular online game where i wasn't sweared at, called various names for a homosexual, and had racial slurs spewed at me.
I think penny arcade created a theory to describe this phenomenon.
Re: Sweeps Month: TV News Shocked by Cussing on Xbox Live
Ah yes, I know it well. John Gabriel's Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory. Also sold as a T-Shirt as John Gabriel's Greater Internet Dickwad Theory.
http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19/
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Papa Midnight
WTFPwned
http://www.wsls.com/sls/news/local/article/live_video_games_and_terrible_language/11071/
I live in Roanoke, VA. I saw the picture of the news anchor next to the title and said, "Oh, fuck..." Fortunately, it's not as bad as it looks. "7-year-olds swear like sailors, tonight at 10!"
From my own 20 years of gaming experience, it's the kids themselves that are the problem. It's not the 30-year-old adults who run their mouths--it's the kids who have just recently hit puberty (or not at all). We shouldn't be warned about the "language problem" online. Instead, we should be warned that we don't even know our kids, and that putting them into a competitive environment without supervision ensures chaos.
Granted, we all let loose a "shit!" or a "god damn it!" here and there, but these kids can rant and rave for 15 minutes on end about a 6-second experience. Do the world a favor and eat your children. Your kids have "Epic Fail" written all over them.
Re: Sweeps Month: TV News Shocked by Cussing on Xbox Live
In other news, a new meteorological study confirms that the sky is, in fact, blue. More at Eleven.
“A reasonable man adapts himself to suit his environment. An unreasonable man persists in attempting to adapt his environment to suit himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” George Bernard Shaw
Re: Sweeps Month: TV News Shocked by Cussing on Xbox Live
In other news, a new meteorological study confirms that the sky is, in fact, blue. More at Eleven.
“A reasonable man adapts himself to suit his environment. An unreasonable man persists in attempting to adapt his environment to suit himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” George Bernard Shaw
Re: Sweeps Month: TV News Shocked by Cussing on Xbox Live
Re: Sweeps Month: TV News Shocked by Cussing on Xbox Live
Re: Sweeps Month: TV News Shocked by Cussing on Xbox Live
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Papa Midnight
Re: Sweeps Month: TV News Shocked by Cussing on Xbox Live
Re: Sweeps Month: TV News Shocked by Cussing on Xbox Live
1) The game is M rated - whats the problem with grown people swearing?
2) "But zomg the kids hear eeet!" If the kid is playing the game, it means their parents have decided to let them (or are sleeping in class).
3) This sweep be cheap.
Re: Sweeps Month: TV News Shocked by Cussing on Xbox Live
I think excessive swearing actually shows a lack of maturity, no matter what age.
Re: Sweeps Month: TV News Shocked by Cussing on Xbox Live
Arguably so. However kicking up the dust in an effort to "protect the children" seems stupid, considering the circumstances.
Re: Sweeps Month: TV News Shocked by Cussing on Xbox Live
He's an irresponsible parent.
The tools are there to prevent this if you want to use them, but you NEVER hear these news stories even MENTION that the consoles have parental controls.
It's a bloody farce.
Re: He's an irresponsible parent.
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Papa Midnight
Why there are assholes on XBL
Anonimity breeds assholes. Simple as that. Wouldn't it be sweet if we could pull a Jay and Silent Bob every time an assholes fucks around?
-GRIZZAM PRIME(c)is property of the U.S. Marine Corp. Wetworks Dept., and also The Incredible Hulk-GRIZZAM PRIME is not to be associated with GRIZZAM 512 or any other GRIZZAM entity under penalty of law, so sayith ZARATHOS.
Re: He's an irresponsible parent.
Re: He's an irresponsible parent.
If that is their opinion and they wish to say it, they can keep their mics off or their fingers away from the chat pad. I don't pay every month to hear that shit.
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Papa Midnight
Re: He's an irresponsible parent.
You can't blame Xbox Live for this behaviour any more than you can blame the internet.
There are people out there who are ignorant idiots and they use these services too... If you hear someone being offensive then just mute them, report them and move on.
-- mostly harmless
....*facepalm*
There's a reason why the Xbox 360 has the mute feature, and this is it. If you hear a gamer curse like a sailer, mute him and also give him negative feedback to prevent playing with that person again. Also, the ESRB have also said "Game Experience May Change During Online Play", so John Carlin had a fair warning before hand.
However, I will agree that most gamers on Halo 3 have really foul language, but I usually go on "Lone Wolf" which disables voice chat during matches.
Re: Sweeps Month: TV News Shocked by Cussing on Xbox Live
As GrimCW pointed out, it's a mature rated game in the first place. Last I checked, there was nothing illegal about 17 year olds cussing, using racial slurs and making homophobic comments. The only reason this is a big deal is because it's kids doing it..... Kids who shouldn't even be playing in the first place!
Seriously...what a non-story. Now, if this was Viva Piñata we were talking about, that would be something!
Re: Sweeps Month: TV News Shocked by Cussing on Xbox Live
Never heard of incitement to riot now have you? This is indeed an arrestable offense.
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/284744/incitement
And I'm sure we're all aware of the former NAVY guy who drove hundreds of miles to torch the trailer of a guy who had insulted him in a game.
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Papa Midnight
Re: Sweeps Month: TV News Shocked by Cussing on Xbox Live
He torched his trailer because the guy insulted him on the internet, not in a game.
Re: Sweeps Month: TV News Shocked by Cussing on Xbox Live
Did you actually read the article that you linked-
"in criminal law, the request, encouragement, or direction of one person by another to commit a serious criminal offense. It is frequently linked with the crime of incitement. An inciter is generally one who is present at the scene of the offense and who encourages the principal offender to commit an act that he is already inclined to commit on his own."
Cussing at someone is hardly the "direction of one person by another to commit a serious criminal offense." At the worst, you could get someone yelling out racial slurs in public on a "disturbing the peace" charge. But note: that's in public, this would've happened in a private setting. Anyone subjected to it could've muted the offender, or left the match.
Life's short and hard, like a body building elf. -- The Bloodhound Gang
Re: Sweeps Month: TV News Shocked by Cussing on Xbox Live
Umm.. This is NOTHING like that, this doesnt remotely qualify as inciting a riot, or ANYTHING really, the people are mainly just swearing. Not to mention incitement to riot generally involves someone starting a RIOT and they usually have to be there in person, and trying to get them to do something they were inclined to do anyways.
There is nothing illegal about kids cussing at each other on XBL.
Re: Sweeps Month: TV News Shocked by Cussing on Xbox Live
It's rare that it happened, but I remember being so frustrated at 2 kids cursing me out on Halo 3, and they were on my team. How can you respond? Any insults you make back just make you sound like a child. In the end I just muted the kids and left bad feedback. Hopefully I won't be matched up with them again.
Re: Sweeps Month: TV News Shocked by Cussing on Xbox Live
wow they just figured this out?
now what about "M 17+" haven't they figured out?
or "Game experience may change during online play"?
besides 9/10 of the fowl mouthed botards on XBlive ARE the kids.
i've heard less cussing from adult players than squeaky little kids, so i don't think its the adult players that should be of concern here, nore the kids, but rather the PARENTS.
my parents for instance had the "play room" right next to the living room.
if anyone even so much as uttered a cuss my father would storm the room and kick someones ass.
Re: Sweeps Month: TV News Shocked by Cussing on Xbox Live
Yea, the worst offenders I've noticed are kids stringing together every curse they've ever head to sound cool. I used to work summers in playgrounds, the mouths on those kids...
*Bender voice* Young people use curse words!
Re: Sweeps Month: TV News Shocked by Cussing on Xbox Live
There are also adults on there who behave like children. The mature ones tend to keep quiet so you don't really notice them as much. The loud and annoying brats are the most vocal so one would think XBL is comprised soley of their kind.
---Oh sure, when a monkey does it, that's fine. But whenever I throw barrels at an Italian plumber, then its a hate crime! - Stephen Colbert
Re: Sweeps Month: TV News Shocked by Cussing on Xbox Live
i never said there weren't, i just said 9 out of 10 of the fowl mouthed people have a tendancy to be the kids.
i have joined games with very fowl mouthed adults, but its less likely to happen than finding a game loaded with kids that know more cuss words than a sailor (and i would know, i AM a sailor!)
Re: Sweeps Month: TV News Shocked by Cussing on Xbox Live
i never said there weren't, i just said 9 out of 10 of the fowl mouthed people have a tendancy to be the kids.
i have joined games with very fowl mouthed adults, but its less likely to happen than finding a game loaded with kids that know more cuss words than a sailor (and i would know, i AM a sailor!)
Re: Sweeps Month: TV News Shocked by Cussing on Xbox Live
You're totally right that it is the primarily young kids that tend to hurl the most abuse... I wish Xbox Live had a "mute everyone under the age of 18" button...
-- mostly harmless
Re: Sweeps Month: TV News Shocked by Cussing on Xbox Live
Why? You mean to say that you don't love hearing twelve year olds talking about how "gangsta" they are when they are not busy quesitoning your sexual preferences?
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I am the master of low expectations http://mallvillestory.blogspot.com
http://mallvillestory.blogspot.com