Online gaming's dirty little secret

There's no denying that the online multiplayer experience is a major selling point for video games like the just-released Modern Warfare 2. The ability to play with (and against) other players from around the world adds an expanded dimension and a social component that single-player titles lack.

But while the bulk of the mainstream media criticism of these games tends to focus on the violence, gore, and questionable ethics in such combat-centric titles, little is spoken about a growing issue that can affect online gamers playing any title: instances of racism, misogyny, and homophobia (see below for a Current TV video on the latter subject).

Increasingly sophisticated gaming networks such as Microsoft's Xbox Live and Sony's PlayStation Network allow players to communicate with one another before, during, and after gaming sessions via text and voice. Having participated in online gaming for more than a decade, I've heard every last profane muttering and expletive known to man.

But when my attention to online gaming shifted from the PC to the home console, I began to notice a comparatively more hostile environment. For whatever reason, this hostility usually came in the form of racial insensitivity and homophobic behavior.

Fast-forward to the current generation of games, and hearing racial epithets like the "n word" or homophobic slang like the "f word" shouted online is more commonplace than you might want to believe. Meanwhile, women who play in the male-dominated world of online gaming sometimes find themselves the victims of sexually suggestive comments and gender-based taunting.

(Credit: Nexus404)

While this type of behavior and language is actively discouraged in polite society, that mindset is totally disregarded by some in the online gaming world. Odds are that if you play enough online, you'll experience it firsthand.

A quick survey in the CNET office of gamers who play online using voicechat told us that all had had at least one negative experience. And unfortunately, it only takes a single unpleasant match online to really slam you back down to reality.

Perhaps the cloak of anonymity that playing a video game online provides increases the prevalence of these instances. Or maybe the brutal reality is that social issues like racism are more of a problem than we'd like to admit. The fact remains that there are some seriously deranged and troubled people out there, and they are speaking into my headset.

On CNET's The 404 podcast, numerous African American listeners called up voicing their views. Listener Andrel from Georgia says, "It's so bad to the point where if I'm playing a game over Xbox Live, I don't even have my headset on unless I'm in a party with friends."

So what do we do? The answer isn't simple. In fact, there probably isn't much console manufacturers or developers can do to curb this ugly trend. Services like Xbox Live let you mute and avoid players who are guilty of such behavior, and if things escalate, you can file a complaint. If punishment is deemed appropriate, players can be warned, temporarily kicked out, or even permanently banned from the service altogether.

With more than 20 million members, Xbox Live is the most popular online gaming service for home consoles. Leading the way toward a safer, more positive online experience is Stephen "Stepto" Toulouse, director of policy and enforcement for Xbox Live. It's his team's responsibility to sift through the complaints that accuse gamers of malevolent activities and decide whether disciplinary action is warranted. We had a chance to interview Stepto over the phone about what's being done to combat such deviant behavior.

Stepto says that in addition to working closely with the product team in developing tools to help gamers protect themselves, his group also polices the lobbies of some of the most popular games online. What is good to know is that there seem to be enough provisions in place, on both sides of the service, so even the most slippery of online deviants will inevitability be reprimanded and dealt with accordingly.

From my personal experience--as well as that of other CNET editors who are gamers--these instances of racism and unacceptable behavior online are not the norm, and Stepto explains that the numbers support that conclusion. For example, in a given month, complaints made on Xbox Live accounted for less than 1 percent of total users in the system.

As we mentioned earlier and Stepto reinforces, "The behavior you tend to come across sometimes online tends to be really egregious...you could be gaming online for four hours and suddenly you run into a room or game where people are just throwing the n-word around and it's really graphic and that one moment right there can have a multiplying effect on your opinion...but the data doesn't really bear that out." This convincing statistic aside, it's tough to know how many incidents go unreported.

While an instant ban would be ideal, it's difficult to put technology in place to support such a response without the potential of it being misused. Since most complaints filed get addressed within 24 hours, I asked Stepto if there were ways to instantly kick out a user if a room unanimously agreed that someone should be removed. "We're definitely looking at ways we can make the experience better for the tools that you have right there," he said. "The big challenge we have is identifying misuse."

What about giving some Xbox Live users moderator status? "We're always looking at new ways to do things; that is one possible avenue; sort of a tiered system, but right now I don't have anything to announce," Stepto said.

As with any subset of the Internet, this type of disappointing behavior will surface. If you're confronted with this sort of conduct on Xbox Live, your best bet is to immediately file a complaint. You can do this by hitting the guide button and then locating the profile of the gamer in question.

While these complaints are addressed within 24 hours, there is technology in place to deal with conflicts even quicker. There are even a few tools in Stepto's repertoire that he wouldn't disclose. I asked if that included a way to record or monitor everything being said online, but he wouldn't comment on that directly.

"I think right now with our system, the greatest source for us understanding how people feel safe in the system comes from the community in the form of complaints," Stepto told us. So it seems like the power really is in the hands of the gamers. If you think a line has been crossed, file a claim.

For more on the effect racial insensitivity has on the gaming community check out The 404 Episode 464 that talks about Modern Warfare 2 and the online experience. We've had hundreds of e-mails and voicemails regarding the issue and encourage you to take part in the discussion as well.

[BK216]

I agree, you will see some terrible stuff online sometimes. But then again, you'll find the same stuff on the internet in general.

[raffr]

Which is why I do not game, nor let my kids game on-line.

[veritas88]

@raffr <br />Yes, let's ALL just avoid the problem and hope it eventually goes away instead of actually doing something about it...

[darcal123]

@veritas88... <br /> <br />Seriously, what CAN be done about it? When I game online on Xbox Live I just simply keep the headset volume turned all the way down unless I'm in an Xbox Live Chat Party (which is a great Xbox Live feature) in which I can hear only my friends. I'm tired of hearing the racial slurs, etc. myself... to be honest it mostly sounds like young teenage boys doing the majority of it, but it can only be corrected if their parents instill stronger moral values in them, which simply ain't happening.

[raffr]

@veritas88 <br /> <br />I am responsibile for MY actions and ,my underage kids actions. I can't (as much as i would like to) stop the language that is used when gaming. I choose not to expose my kids or I to such language. Perhaps you have the power to fix the problem, please do so.

[renGek]

Its much more general than gaming. You can see the same racism, homophobia and bigotry on any website that elicits user comments.<br /><br />As long as people are behind a computer and believe they are anonymous, their full blown bigotry will shine through. Its not relegated to gaming alone. Gaming has taken a lot of shots as the scapegoat over the last 2 decades and its not really a fair deal. They get criticized to death for violence but we shrug at worse violence on tv and comic books.<br /><br />Its not all that shocking for gaming considering a significant portion of the user base consists of young males. Remember hanging out with your male friends when you were a teen. You say and do stupid stuff.

[teh_chrizzle]

none of you understand that most of the perpetrators of this are kids themselves.<br /><br />like 85% of this "hate speech" is from "squeakers", or 14 year old kids who think that shock value will somehow hide the fact that their voices haven't changed.<br /><br />all of this stuff is done for shock value, and is now just part of gaming parlance. a look at the context of reveals just how stupid and immature most of this stuff is since most of the racial slurs are completely indecipherable. i have been called a "double n-word" or a "rocketwhore" or a "nadefag" often enough to realize that most of the time my attackers don't really put much thought into what they say.

[Fil0403]

My personal online gaming experiences have been good so far, although that pretty much resumes to Phantasy Star Online, some FPSs, and Mario Kart Wii, where speech is practically (if not completely) non-existent, so I can't say much - I imagine it can be much worse in Xbox Live, for instance. But I disagree you generally find the same stuff on the Internet in general, mainly because the public is different (Internet users' age average is surely higher than online gamers') and because it's easier to filter text than it is speech (most online gaming communication is speech, whereas most Internet communication is text).

[Tinman52]

Yeah, it's unfortunate, but you can't censor the whole world. Read the IGN general forums sometimes ... it isn't any better when typed either.<br /><br />It's one of those things where the market will self correct when it becomes a big enough problem. People just won't play online.<br /><br />For me, I usually just party up with friends when I'm on live. I have it set up in a way where I can only talk to and hear other people in my party. If I'm solo and it gets bad, I just mute the speech for all players.

[Firehazel]

I don't use Xbox Live (or own a 360 for that matter) but from this, this is ridiculous. if it is really teenagers my age (i'm 16) doing all this stuff, i fear how life will turn out for me in the future...<br />Then again i did hear from my sociology teacher that my generaton might do worse than it's predecessors... THAT SUCKS! I feel now, I must do all i can to change something about this, even a little, cuz nobody deserves this.

[james123253]

I agree partially with most people, I've played good games and bad ones and some people are unbelievable, but there are still some good games out there, I've been playing ETQW which is pretty old for a while and I've barely had any issues with offensive voice or text chat and players who are rude or offensive are voted off the server or voted to have their chat disabled, a must have for any game with these features. And don't forget you have a mute button on your TV/PC learn to use it if you must.

[nathan_addicted_to_cnet]

I think the reason people see so much of this in online gaming is that people are able to express their true views under the cloak of anonymity. All they have is a screen name and the only other things available about that person are things that they designate to be seen. Also, a group psyche can take effect. I know I am guilty of throwing out xenophobic responses during games, not because I dislike the gamers country of origin, but because I want my team to win, and thus I want to break down the other team, mentally and emotionally.

[Random_Walk]

...that last sentence nails it.<br /><br />In PC gaming, the easiest way to win was to rattle the other team - make them angry, make them not think straight, fill 'em with rage. If you can get inside their heads, you can get inside their defenses.<br /><br />The reason that console gaming amps things in that direction is because IMHO you have more kids playing consoles today, than were playing PCs back in the day. <br /><br />The best revenge is to beat 'em to a pulp in-game, then remind them that maybe they wouldn't lose so much if they weren't busy running their mouths. I've lost count of how many times I've laughed my arse off at some kid who thought he could get in my head, but was so busy typing/talking, that he wasn't defending his flag. Sometimes I'd single 'em out and kill 'em repeatedly (and in the most humiliating ways I could think up - e.g. with the Quake3 gauntlet) whenever my team was way the hell ahead. Most of 'em either shut up or went away after awhile.<br /><br />You don't need a single epithet or slur to do that... :)

[JazGalaxy]

that's one of the more insane things I've read in my day.

[johnisfun]

Random Walk - "Sometimes I'd single 'em out and kill 'em repeatedly (and in the most humiliating ways I could think up"<br /><br />He clearly succeeded in winding you up! Your nerdrage shines through your comment.. :)

[Stasco]

Will somebody PLEASE think of the CHILDREN!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

[jaguar717]

Glad to see reason shine through. All this article really said was that in an open, uncensored, anonymous setting (in this case a game), you'll have a small but very vocal minority making a lot of noise. Chalk it up to kids being juvenile, or going for shock value, or even such "strategery" as trying to rattle other players, but at the end of the day it's no different from any other open online environment.<br /><br />Most of us either laugh or shrug it off. What a joke it was to read about making a "safer" environment. Have we really become the castrated sniveling perpetual victims the media seems to think we should be?<br /><br />I suppose the next step is to appoint a "Gaming Czar" and give Nancy Pelosi and Bawney Fwank censorship and control of that too, in the name of some Orwellian-sounding platitude.

[Plonkely]

If you take online games so seriously that you feel the need to "break down the other team, mentally and emotionally", you may wish to seek help. You're not just attacking a faceless team; you're attacking people. If you were involved in a sprint with other people, would you attack the other participants before it started by insulting them based upon race? <br /> <br />If race-related insults come out as your uncontrolled rage, perhaps you do have some racist tendencies.

[Lerianis3]

jaguar717 gets it right. Most people, when their 'feelings are hurt' online either laugh at it or just go away for awhile. Personally, I've had people say 'horrible things' to me numerous times online.... I just ignored them and gave them the old "sticks and stones may break my bones.... but words can never hurt me!"

[aMUSICsite]

You do realise that these people are probably exactly the same outside of computer games. If you meet them at a football game or in your local drinking establishment and overheard them talking to their mates the language would probably be the same. <br /><br />Some people are just idiots, we are never going to be able to stop that, can't you just block people you don't like on these networks and make them social outcasts?

[johnisfun]

That's total bollocks. It's just young guys being young guys, it's nothing to do with any -ism. The comments are just for humour value and to annoy the opponent. You'll find they don't talk like that on the street, and everyone posting here needs to grow the f**k up a little bit, and stop worrying about boys being boys.

[lil-yankee]

thats a perfect way to put it john. Apparently most of these commentators here are as old as the Colossus and thus their online and gaming views only resonate to the obvious and not the intended.

[Saltiva]

I agree with John and LIL-yank. This isn't REAL HATE but more like "SH#T TALKING"- anyone whose participated in an aggressive sport knows this. I heard a lot worse stuff playing Hockey and Football (Smear the QUEER HELLO!) than online gaming LMAO! <br />Also, the idea of giving an in-game user moderator access to boot people is TERRIBLE! They tried this in Combat Arms by Nexon and Moderators abuse it regularly by booting people they say are "HACKING" but are actually just outplaying them! I got booted by Moderators "Elites" all the time for "Hacking" because I would have too many kills and what not but honestly I haven't the first clue of how to hack. Sometimes it seems as though you just get a better connection than others and for some reason that equates to quicker in-game reactions?

[sgoodell07]

...and its low IQ individuals with no personal sense of honor or conduct (such as the comments above) that show that teenagers really are stupid...and if you arent teens then I guess there is no helping you. If some of these neanderthals were to speak to me the way they speak online, I would hand them their ass, but then again, they probably have no concept as to what is societally acceptable. Racism and violence are more than likely and everyday part of their lives.<br /><br />That and I am sure it is just to stroke their e-peen..some people take these GAMES waaaay to seriously. Like the guy talking about getting into their head and emotionally destroy them...lol, get a life.

[Lerianis3]

by sgoodell07 November 20, 2009 1:18 PM PST<br />they probably have no concept as to what is societally acceptable.<br />_____________________<br /><br />Actually, they do.... they just don't care or don't think that online, those things that society things are 'unacceptable' should be verboten. Personally, I don't give a **** about what society thinks is 'acceptable' as long as I am not physically harming someone else or forcing them to do something against their will.<br />Society can just BUTT THE HELL OUT of my business in that case.

[steve5200]

I think this article downplayed the frequency of this sort of bad behavior. I had an Xbox live account for a couple of years with the original Xbox and found this stuff to be a constant. Enjoying a game free of the n word and other demeaning terms was the exception. I got so tired of it that I haven't played online games since, and this was probably four or five years ago. Some mild trash talking can be fun from time to time if both parties are enjoying it and if it is not demeaning in nature. I think the previous commenter said it all when he noted that he likes to "break down the other team, mentally and emotionally". Wow. I thought games were supposed to be about everybody having fun after a hard day. What's the point if your only goal is to "win" even at the expense of somebody else having a bad experience.

[tsi26]

I agree with you Steve, if you don't like it, don't go on. How hard is that people! It is one of the reasons I don't use xbox live other than to play with people I know.<br /><br />Either don't use the services or grow some thicker skin people...simple as that! Whining and crying about other peoples behavior is useless. You cannot change random strangers behavior. What amazes me more are the parents of some of the kids (very obvious under-age children) playing some of these very mature games. I guess I should say "lack of parents".

[man_w_balls]

OH NO THEY ARE SAYING THE FORBIDDEN WORDS!!! <br /><br />No one is allowed to speak the words of "N" and "F" because certain groups of people may feel offended when they hear the "forbidden words." In effect, society has empowered these "forbidden words" with even more meaning by so intensely chastising those who speak them. That is why people use them when they have no fear of reprisal, because it gives them a perceived verbal power to offend or humiliate. <br />The only solution is to take the power away from so-called "forbidden words." If the big bad words did not get such a reaction, then they would fall flat and lose their power. <br />The solution is Free Speech, as in the 1st Amendment to the US Constitution. No one is endangered by hurtful words on the Internets. It is not as bad as the classic legal example of shouting "FIRE" in a crowded room/theatre. It is simply an issue of political correctness, which all the puss1es of the world are afraid of now. The answer is to speak out against people who offend you, and tell them exactly how you feel about it, then ignore them if they persist. <br />The power of Free Speech belongs to everyone, so you can use it against those who use it against you.

[steve5200]

Dear man_w_balls,<br />You are making the point as to why a certain segment of online gamers get tired of hearing the constant screaming of profanity (or even non-profanity if it is being screamed in your ear). You stated that "the answer is to speak out against people who offend you, and tell them exactly how you feel about it, then ignore them if they persist". This is a perfectly logical way to handle somebody who is offending you, but my point is that for some people playing games is about relaxing and having fun and not about having to constantly battle with others who are behaving obnoxiously. It's my opinion that Sony and Microsoft should have different categories of online groups so that everybody can be happy. People who want to scream profanities at each other can do so, and old guys like me can have a casual gaming experience free of constant cursing and demeaning language. I personally curse occasionally, I am not a prude, and I am not the PC police. I would just like the option of being able to enjoy the type of gaming environment that I prefer. I guess in your eyes that makes me out to be one of the "puss1es of the world" that is hung up on political correctness (I actually don't like political correctness) or perhaps just a man_without_balls, but I would have to disagree.

[sgoodell07]

Well man_wo_balls, sure, let the profanities fly and the racism run rampant, thats the answer...damn, it was sooo simple all along. Just ignore peoples horrible behavior and it will go away, jebus it was right in front of us all along. Of course we all know that these people cant POSSIBLY be like that in real life...I mean look at man_wo_balls as your paragon of the rational and sane (dur)<br /><br />Oh yeah, till you get in the wrong mf'ers face and he kills you for it. Then where are you? People are insane...

[screamapillar]

man_w_balls - right to free speach huh? what about my right to peaceful enjoyment? Freedom of speach is the most abused "Right" in the US. But I remind you that MMOs are not just in the US, they are global so your rights don't mean jack. I don't care about your American right to be an obnoxious jerk. It is a game. It is not the entire world to me, so I shouldn't have to fight in it like it is. For those without a life that need to tear people apart mentally just to win, please consider for 30 seconds not just your RIGHT to say what you want, consider also others right to peaceful enjoyment.

[Pride73170]

Microsoft and Sony can go a long way toward alleviating some of this by building clan support into their services. There are a number of Xbox Live "clans," for example, that require elevated maturity among their members. I'm not much in favor of calling these clans, so I'll refer to them as communities for the remainder of my post. Joining these communities requires a change in gamertag as part of the gamertag is used to identify community membership. Microsoft could easily add a communities section to the Xbox dashboard to display online members of your community, much the same way as they do for "Friends." When you log in to play a game, you could easily find community members to "party up" with to alleviate some of the rampant ignorance that exists in open chat. It's time for Microsoft and Sony's online services to mature and offer their customers a means to avoid such ignorance. It would be unfair to challenge either company to eliminate this type of behavior. That said, the mute feature only offers relief after having been subjected to a verbal attack. Too little too late at that point.

[Masterface7]

Um, shouldn't your clan members be on your friends list so you can do exactly what you described here? The whole point of a friends list is exactly what you described, to see who is online so you can party up with them. Also, now i am not saying it is yours by any means but, clans are usually the most guilty of the defamation.

[xmaster_dosx]

everythime i play my 360 i run into this problem. thats why i have half of the people on xbox live muted and avoided. its an easy fix to this problem. i never run into this on my PS3 because i never play with my headset on

[goatfinder]

Agreed. I really enjoy XBL and whenever I run into a problem with someone's mouth, its an easy MUTE to correct the problem. <br /> <br />Great article Jeff. Game On.

[AeroJonesy]

My experience has been that most people who say that stuff online are out to get a reaction out of someone else. And since they have anonymity, they go straight for the worse stuff they can think of. My experience is also that there are folks out there that want to be offended so they can make a big stink about how everyone else is so mean.

[patel5]

"My experience is also that there are folks out there that want to be offended so they can make a big stink about how everyone else is so mean."<br /><br />Whatever.. What a bunch of bull ****.

[pentest]

I agree, there are people that actively look for ways to be offended. These people are just as bad as the kids screaming the "naughty" words.

[johnisfun]

Aerojonesy - that is 100% correct from my experience too.

[Lerianis3]

by November 19, 2009 6:28 AM PST<br />"My experience is also that there are folks out there that want to be offended so they can make a big stink about how everyone else is so mean."<br /><br />Whatever.. What a bunch of bull ****.<br />________________________________________<br /><br />Sorry, but it's NOT a bunch of bull. The fact is that there are people like that in real life and online, I have personally met some of them and they are ALWAYS looking for something to be offended about and then wonder why no one wants to 'hang' with them.

[screamapillar]

Just to add balance to the responses here, a little devil's advocate I suppose... <br /> <br />While there are indeed those that seek to be offended at all things, there are also those protagonists in the world that seek to offend. Are these people not also at fault? Indeed, why, just because I am black, female or gay should I be the one that is targetted for offence? I think it says something very disturbing about society that such slurs are used. While you all call for people to grow "thicker skin" is there not also a legitimate arguement for a call for the antogonists out there to grow up, allow people to play a game in peace, and dare i suggest they actually attempt to be culturally sensitive even just for 30 seconds? There are plenty of generic insults out there, there are plenty of non-PC insults out there - It is, in my opinion, a major statement of the person who says such a slur, about their own insecurities and inner beliefs that they would say these things behind the shroud of anonymity. In anger or competition, people reveal their worst sides; and that these slurs are so common suggests that despite the PC facade many display, it is all just BS and they are actually racist mysoginist bigots. <br /> <br />Again, just trying to throw another view out there as this thread was terribly one sided. I merely suggest there is merit on both sides of the coin, not just on the ones slinging the taunts.

[edcase512]

This is news how ?<br /><br />The reason this behavior has migrated away from PC online gaming ?<br />Consoles became 'net capable.<br />The reason it is worse on consoles ?<br />They are cheaper to own and maintain. Opening up the ability to be an a$$hat to a wider base.<br /><br />So thank you MS Sony etc... you've improved (overall) the quality of MY online gaming experience (I exclusively game on PC)

[Lerianis3]

Uh..... most online games now are able to be played on console or on PC with the same people, so I don't really see what your point is there.

[lathinX]

I believe that it's come from a desensitization to these words, and that words over time have the ability to change meanings. <br /> <br />And while these words are used because of there negitive meanings, i don't beleive this to be a direct form of racism or homophobic reactions. <br /> <br />I have over 15 years of gaming experince and over the years i've seen these words transform. <br />The "you F-word" or "that was G-Word": You just screwed me. that was F*ed up. It could also mean you said something that was deemed "unmanly", which is often used in a teasing manner. <br /> <br />the "You N-Word": used in place of "You F-word and/or You G-Word". Also can be uneducated. But rarely is it directly used to describe someones ethnicity. <br /> <br />either way these terms are directly linked with a desire to win, and trash talking that occures, And you see that in any sport that has winners and losers. the biggest difference is that most sports don't have 10 million players, 50% under the age of 21, and no one to judge "good sportsman ship".

[sgoodell07]

probably because there is no good sportmanship anymore, much less any impulse control, or parenting. Nothing but practically feral kids doing whatever they want simply because mommy and daddy cant be bothered to discipline or educate their children. If you think differently then why do stats show that violent crimes commited by minors has gone up over the last decade or so.<br /><br />I hope you dont have kids lathinX, I am sure you excuses for your kids runs into the 1000's, much like the excuses you make here for poor behavior, foul language, and potential psychopaths. Anyone willing to go to major extremes to push people have problems and need help.

[Lerianis3]

by sgoodell07 November 20, 2009 1:29 PM PST<br />probably because there is no good sportmanship anymore, much less any impulse control, or parenting<br />______________________________<br /><br />Can you get off this? It is the biggest lie in the history of the world. The fact is that most people like myself have taught OUR children that they should NOT bite their tongues to spare someone else's feelings.... if you don't like them, you should say so and exactly WHY you don't like them.<br />No good sportsmanship? One person's 'no good sportsmanship' is another person's 'acting immaturely, but harmlessly'.<br />No impulse control? Again... L I E! Most children have a lot of impulse control, but they don't feel that they should HAVE to have impulse control online where someone can just 'mute' them if they don't like what htey are saying to them.<br />And as to the 'poor behavior' thing.... again, VIEWPOINT which you should just shut up if someone is doing nothing that harms you physically!<br /><br />These people are no more 'potential psychopaths' than Ghandi are, when it comes down to it. Who are? Oh, wow.... the people who were taught to bite their tongues, who were taught never to gloat after beating someone because it was 'poor sportmanship' (it's really just celebrating your accomplishments), etc. etc. etc.<br /><br />The only people who need major help are people like you who want to 'sanitize' the world and have people say and do only what YOU want them to do. Well, guess what? You have NO bleeping right to tell me what I can and cannot do, as long as I am not physically harming someone else or forcing someone else to do something they don't want to do.

[screamapillar]

Ahh Leranis3 - one should just "shut up" if not being harmed physically. What a great parent you'd make. Brings tears to my eyes. <br /> <br />/end sarcasm.

[31337gamer]

&lt;hands pacifier to author&gt; Man up!! my statement to the world is "so what?" quite frankly I've been gaming online since the days of dialing into a BBS (about 20 or so years) and playing against other people with games such as Trade Wars and Space Dynasty and been cursed out many times (at that time mostly by message posting or email). The truth is most of the time (not all of the time) somebody calling me a slang for negro or slang for homosexual is a person of African decent. How can you tell? Well when you listen to somebody you can tell by bass of voice, tone of voice, inflection, and other speech patterns.(to deny this is to ignore facts and the truth) Words only have the power you give them so children, please grow up and if some random person who you don't know and will never ever meet calls you a dirty word because you fragged them or passed them in a race then you should take it for what it is. What is it you say? Its their way of saying you are better then they are, or using it to try and psych you out. Ever heard what the players say at a real football game? There is a reason why they don't broadcast that on TV. Grow up children and fight the disease of political correctness, embrace true liberalism and just have fun with life and stop crying like a 2 year old who didn't get the cookie.

[Ray180]

Exhibit A

[joodi3k]

455|-|47

[rapier1]

B and C as well. <br /><br />It's really kind of sad.

[johnisfun]

31337gamer, you are right. Unfortunately most people are like sheep and only follow the prevailing orthodoxy, which happens to be political correctness. Back when the prevailing orthodoxy was to keep slaves, most people did that too. We are just dealing with human sheep, my friend.

[Renegade Knight]

@ rapier1 <br /> <br />It is sad that you missed the parts of what 3133... said that were true. Unfortunatly as long as there are folks like you even if we got rid of all the folks like the OP the ism's will live on.

[sgoodell07]

There is a difference between political correctness and just being an a$$hat. 31337 is more interested in being an a$$hat than in good sportmanship (not a politically correct thing, its an honor thing, but I wouldnt expect you to understand that heavy concept), and more than likely is the kind of person who joins an MMO so that they can lecture the "noobs" about how great he is and how worthless they are. <br /><br />Its all about the epeen for some.

[screamapillar]

johnisfun <br /> <br />So it is the human sheep thing to not just join in the pack mentallity and insult everyone? It is the sheep thing to want to not be insulted (that is actually an enshrined right higher than freedom of speech, but lets not get bogged down shall we). It is just a sheep thing to want peaceful enjoyment of a GAME - this is not life at stake and yet people get so aggressive and just follow their impulses... kinda like sheep... oh but those that actually think before they open their mouths, clearly they are just sheep. <br /> <br />You really need to reflect on your own behaviour and why you do it.

[markdoiron]

"So what do we do? ... there probably isn't much console manufacturers or developers can do to curb this ugly trend."<br /><br />The above comment is ridiculous. There are two things that come immediately to mind that the manufacturers can do:<br /><br />1. Require everyone to register with their real name--and verify it against the credit card used for payment. No more handles. It's the safety of anonymity that allows for this behavior, and discourages it in person. So remove anonymity in the games. <br /><br />2. Stop placing leading elements into games--such as scoring points for running over people, etc. <br /><br />--mark d.

[Shinobi2099]

Thats just a dumb idea.

[pickles319]

#1 There is a reason that screen names are used in online situations. It is to protect the user from circumstances that involve stalking, identity theft, etc.<br />#2, what are we supposed to do in a video game that does not involve any competition. People swear every time you get ahead of them or even score a point or whatever. By taking away those competitive elements, video games as we know them would cease to exist and no one would play them anymore.

Seriously? You do realize that destroys the entire purpose of playing online right? Okay, maybe that isn't the purpose for you or someother readers, but the bulk of gamers play online not only to play with people around the world, but to see how they stack up against everyone else.

[killa08]

then thats why u play against the computer....

[sgoodell07]

Once again...the epeen strikes. Oh, really, you have a level 80 whatever MMO, decked out in all epics, or whatever? <br /><br />Wow, you really are somebody!!<br /><br />Please...ultimately the game means absolutely nothing and the only person that is truly impressed with you when all is said and done is yourself. I mean, do you really think you being a badass in MW2 means anything?

[screamapillar]

Markdoiron - I'm not sure you really understand the risk that not having anonymity places victims in. <br /> <br />While it is true, antagonists and well, lets face it, jerks, hide behind anonymity there is validity in it. Not only does anonymity play a valid role in any freedom of association and contribution based forum (such as this CNET column) but also within games. <br /> <br />This is particularly the case for female players. As it is, it is very difficult for me to join a group using voice because that will immediately identify me as a female and I'll face an endless barrage of sexually suggestive remarks. Even if it is mainly mates in the group, I generally have to leave because it is too difficult having basically everyone fight (the nice guys telling the sleazy guys to lay off basically - thank you to the nice guys out there btw) It just ends up that I see my presence in that group as harmful to the group as a whole so I'll leave - i might log back in as another male toon to still join the group but i then cannot join in the voice chat. My mates in the group know it's still me but as you can imagine the whole thing is very difficult. <br /> <br /> I have been stalked in games when male players found out I was an actual female, rather than just a shim (and to answer the question of why don't i play a male toon, here are two responses: 1 I often do and 2 why should I? boys get to play boys, i should be allowed to play a girl without being treated like a piece of meat). <br /> <br />If I were to then have to give over my actual identity, how then can I be protected against such behaviour? Them having their names disclosed does not stop them from stalking me outside of the game (which also happened from a "friend" giving out my email address to some idiot). This is a serious issue for female gamers. I am forced in a position where I rely on anonymity to protect me from other gamers. Report them you ask? And then what? Report everyone? Sexual harassment in games is so rampant you'd need to report every second person. Ignore them? I do (as in the formal in game ignore so that you can't hear/see their comments) but the problem is everyone else can - and you then don't know what they are saying about you and then other people then start messaging you because you are a 'real' chick (as if this is a great feat despite real chicks making up more that 50% of the world population). In addition, you get stigmatised if you do report people as if 'you can't hack it' where really it is just a case of 'he's being an a$$hat, why should i cop this crap just due to my gender?' Then I have to deal with being really self-conscious because seriously, most chicks just want to play the same game as all the guys, but when i'm in a group of mates, I then have to deal with them being overly protective of me. It is sweet in a way, yes, but I'm still being singled out. I've got guys protecting me against guys being utterly lewd and offensive. There seems to be no consideration of just allowing me to play the damn game. <br /> <br />Just a word to the wise for all those guys who think they "harmlessly" flirt with girls in games - I've got no issue with harmless/fun flirting but only between friends who all know it is fun, few REAL girls are interested in some stranger making a lewd remark as if it is meant to be harmless flirtation. "Harmless" flirtation is not constant lewd remarks that continue even after the girl has told the guy to pi$$ off. Harmless flirtation occurs between two people that trust each other and stops if one party is uncomfortable with it, hence harmless. <br /> <br />I don't want to blow this out of proportion, seriously, if the problem was dire I wouldn't play. I'm just saying that there are real problems out there where players are singled out due to gender or whatever and they need anonymity as much as the next person.

[tjwebdude]

First of all, thanks for starting this important discussion.<br /><br />Are there any statistics on the age distribution of Xbox live members? I'm guessing most of these morons are teens (or simply morons).<br /><br />While I don't recall being a racist or homophobe when I was a teenager, I freely admit that I was a complete idiot at that age (I wouldn't have recognized I was an idiot at that age, however. I'm sure I thought I knew it all.) Furthermore, I probably wouldn't have had the cahones to speak out against anyone who WAS a racist or a homophobe, so I probably would have let the conduct continue, even if I wasn't an participant.<br /><br />But all of these kids have someone with a credit card paying for their yearly Xbox Live subscription, right? How about X-box sending that person a transcript of any recognized banned words used in chat? Or written documentation of any complaints registered against the gamer while on-line?

[Lerianis3]

Most of these people aren't 'racists' or 'homophobes' or even 'idiots'.... they are doing this to get someone 'incensed' and make them mess up in the game. It's VERY easy to mute people who you don't want talking to you, in fact, it's a one button thing for most consoles now.... just choose the name, push button.... MUTED!<br /><br />That some people cannot do that SIMPLE thing speaks more to THEIR idiocy and immaturity than to the 'immaturity' of the people making those comments.

[screamapillar]

Lerianis3 - you do not consider that in some cases what is being said can be defammatory and sometimes you would want to know what is being said about you. As a female player, this can be particularly the case. Slanging matches aren't the only sort of inappropriate behaviour occuring in games. <br /> <br />Yes, I ignore most of it, but there are levels of harassment that become ridiculous and interfer with my ability to play the game. In all fairness, I should be able to particpate in the MMO community at the same level as anyone else regardless of my gender. I shouldn't have to ignore everyone. I shouldn't have to start a new toon regularly. I shouldn't have to do any of that. I should be entitled to peaceful enjoyment of the game like everyone else.

[white_bread_trav]

I'll freely admit that I am one of the people that this article is talking about and aMUSICsite is correct, I use these very same terms offline as well. I don't hate anyone based on skin color, sexual orientation, etc., but I use the terms freely for several different reasons. I don't bust into a lobby and fill it with the N word but when there is a black guy in there and he is just running his mouth and talking s**t and calling me racial names, you're damn right I'll respond back in the same fashion. If you don't like the content of the game/room/network, then stay off of it. The network is for everyone to exist in/on as a collective being, not for every individual to log in and escape to their own perfect world. I don't agree with the tenants of Communism but I'm not out there trying to get the President to firewall off any Communist manifesto websites from American view. I think that this article is dead wrong in saying that there is still a lot of racism out there or homophobia. Again, I use the terms but I don't really care day to day if someone is black or gay or Jewish or whatever. You are who you are, you believe what you believe but if you're acting like an obnoxious a**hole, then you've opened yourself up to anything anyone wants to call you. I think that factor (the a**hole factor) is what spawns much of the racist or homophobic talk, not hatred.

[Ray180]

So perpetuating the problem is your solution? If you fight fire with fire, everyone gets burned.

[Renegade Knight]

@Ray180 <br /> <br />That depends. If he rushed into a lobby and ran into a buch of guys having fun and being good natured about it and he did the same. He's not part of the problem. <br /> <br />Not fearing to throw back as good as you are getting isn't a problem either. Cringing in fear because you are afrad to stand up to the abuse, that's condoning it and because it's working actually encouraging it.

[sgoodell07]

...or maybe you could be the bigger person but we alll know that isnt possible. It isnt important anymore to be a decent person, all that matters is winning, or getting revenge, or whatever your personal issue may be. If you think that the game is that important, maybe you should take a closer look at your priorities.

[Masterface7]

Hmm, It is pretty obvious this problem comes from bad parenting. These games and service clearly isnt intended for kids younger than about 15, yet parents seem not to care what there child is exposed to and hopefully have no idea of the things coming out of their kids mouth. <br /> <br />It is not a difficult problem to avoid though finding other "sane" people on xbox live doesn't take very long and now i almost never play without 4-5 other xbox friends in a party. MW2 doesn't allow party chat which is kind of a problem but it is also the easiest game o must people in yet. <br /> <br />Microsoft could do more to solve this problem but it is not profitable. It doesn't happen as much as in game but offensive messages are sent and even with physical proof Microsoft doesn't do anything. They would much rather go after people with modded consoles and ban them then look into offensive content.

[Renegade Knight]

It's always easy to blame someone else and yet bad parents can have good kids who don't do this kind of thing.

[sgoodell07]

thats crap...everyone knows if your parents are stupid/incompetent/neglectful, then more than likely you are going to be a tool.

[Lerianis3]

Masterface7, a lot of people do care about what their children is exposed to....we just don't think that exposing them to REAL LIFE is such a bad thing. Hell, my daughters were playing Doom at 7, and they are the most NON-violent people you can imagine in real life, because that is how I raised them to be.<br /><br />I also raised them, however, to NEVER BITE THEIR TONGUE when talking to someone, online or offline. They never have, and that has gotten them props from their peers (people their own age) for being brutally and bluntly honest, more than those peers would ever be willing to be.<br /><br />What we really need is for society to realize that we are PANSYING children way too much, getting too 'politically correct', etc..... and to stop acting like it is such a 'bad' thing to dislike a person or 'talk smack' to them. It is always going to happen, and unless you are the most EMOTIONALLY INSECURE PANSY in the world.... it will not harm you one little bit.

[tech_by_trade]

deal with it babies!

[Ray180]

Exhibit B

[sgoodell07]

tech_by_trade stroking the epeen

[jjank11]

I think it is commendable to bring this up but at the same time you have to realize that A. This stuff happens in life everyday and different peoples are hated on for whatever reason and B. Every xbox and ps3 gamer out there has the option of either muting a person or leaving the said party in which the foul language occurs. I'm certainly guilty of throwing f-bombs out there but mostly because I don't understand how I suck so much, haha. <br />When I find a good group to play with that has good teamwork and isn't all foul languaged then I try to stick with that group.

[ddesy]

This is one of the reasons I prefer not to have voice chat in games.

[ProDigit]

Racism is purely a human character trait!<br />People always need someone below them to feel good. Regardless if race,color, shape, size, or (the lack of) intelligence is being seen as the main motivator.<br />I remember in Belgium when there where barely no immigrants. There where lesser problems,but there where still those downthrodding other people of their same race.<br />As soon as migrants came in,and showed a bad behavior, it was picked on.<br />And that's how the term 'racism' started.<br />Today there still are those dumbfucks who actually believe that there are people out there who hate other people because of the color of their skin.. Pure BS!<br />People only hate other people for the bad they do. Happened to be an established fact that certain crimes are more closely linked to certain skin colors.<br />As a white migrant I can express my views here, because even migrants from Latin or African American origin are racists themselves. Look at me, haven't found a job in 2 years. Why? Because I'm white, and intelligent! People want dumbfucks to work in their companies who love to work for $7 per hour!<br />I, I ask too much if it's anything above the minimum required for me to keep on living!

[ksand1956]

Stop blaming the fact that you are a failure on others.

[screamapillar]

ProDigit - Sorry to break this to you but you are a racist bigot. At least you have provided an example of what a bigot rant sounds like in case people weren't sure. <br /> <br />Racism is alive and well - again, thanks for the example post. It is not a 'fact' that crimes are committed more by certain groups, that is convenient speculation. What is a 'fact' is that certain minority groups are marginalised by racist bigots and poor government policy and forced into a corner. Some groups may be disproportionally imprisoned but that is an indictment on society as a whole, not that particular group. To stereotype a particular group as criminals just because other people within that group are criminals is ignorance in its most vile state. <br /> <br />Shall I just assume all white men are serial killers because most serial killers are white men? Based on your philosophy this assumption is sound reasoning.

[perfectblue97]

I think that the writer of this article may need to take a step back and to consider exactly what is going on and to consider the fact that it may be them who is stepping out of line. <br /> <br />For a lot of young people modern society has become a prison. A world where everybody is told to sit quietly and to be good little androgenous people with no personality, no emotions and no feelings. If you don't conform you get branded an extremist, or a racist, or even a terrorist, and you get persecuted for being yourself. This is known as the tyrany of the majority, and it is a form of discrimination as bad as skin color racism or homophobia. <br /> <br />People who feel this way cannot be true to themselves in the real world so they retreat into the fantasy world of online games, where they don't have to fear persecution by those who would force their social rules onto everybody. Unfortunately people like the writer of this article are increasingly invading this fantasy world and are brining their prejudices with them. <br /> <br />The rules are simple, if you can't stand the heat then you should get out the kitchen. People retreat online to get away from persecution, but now their persecuters are following them online. Nobody is forcing you to play these online games, and nobody is forcing you to participate in anything that you find unacceptable, so don't come into somebody else's world and try to force your views on them. If you do then you're no better than an radical Islamist , or any other religious fundamentalist, coming to somebody else's country and trying to force your bleiefs on the indigenous people. <br /> <br />It's a sad day when people who are forced out of the real world are being forced out of thier virtual one, too. Maybe you should go beat up on some Goths, instead. Would that make you feel like a big man? Or maybe you'd like to persecute some hippies? You've already forced people out of the real world, at least leave them their virtual one.

[Ray180]

I know I shouldn't comment on this garbage and give it any sense of credence but ***?!? Are you for real? <br /> <br />"don't come into somebody else's world and try to force your views on them" -- Newsflash: The online gaming world is no more yours than it is mine or the writer of this article. So stop being a hypocrite and trying to force your insane views on us! You must be what Jeff was referring to when he said "The fact remains that there are some seriously deranged and troubled people out there, and they are speaking into my headset."

[white_bread_trav]

I completely agree with you perfectblue. I believe that Ray180 is one of the people that you are talking about who chooses to bring his arrogance and "don't hurt my feelings" views to the hostile and competitive world of online gaming. If online gaming was about making everyone feel good than no one would ever keep score.

[nowimcool]

i think you're right to a point, but you've missed what the author is saying and I have a feeling (and i could be wrong) that you've never played halo 3 on xbox live (with a headset on listening). this is not a temperament, style, or personality issue. If these people said the things they say on xbox on the street in any given city they would be in a hospital by the end of the day - I really don't think I'm exaggerating - it's quite bad!!

[mil56]

This is the most ignorant statement I have read in a while. "People retreat online to get away from persecution, but now their persecuters are following them online." Are you serious? What do you think it is when a black man pays $60 for a game, $50 for an Xbox Live subscription, then gets called a n*gger when beats someone on an online race? You think that it is discrimination to think that this is appalling? If these are ways that you display your emotions and feelings then maybe you need to seek out a mental health professional. I think that if these companies, Microsoft in particular, are charging people $50 dollars per year to play games online then they need to come up with a better monitoring system, or at least create a garbage dump area where people like perfectblue here can call people f*gs and n*ggers without being "persecuted."

[liloz9992]

"Being true to themselves"? If you think people are TRULY racist, sexist, and all the other crap online you must be crazy. It's these kids typically, who just love to be "cool" by swearing, yelling crap, and whatnot. And if you really are a part of this virtual world, you would see the same. I play games plenty during a typical week, and people are not real in being this discriminatory, its only how gaming has become. Your sense is that young people are naturally discriminatory, and their expression is with video games. Where in reality, they get these games and play online, parents unknowing of this, and they hear all this crap. With a steady diet of it, they soon talk like it, and it keeps going. Parents need to be able to understand the generation we are in, and video games aren't what they used to be. I'm not at all saying people should have to stop, this has just become the nature of online games..you can do things like it with nobody knowing who you are. And this is huge generalization too, not all gamers can be this bad. You will find people like me who don't need to talk sh*t when they game.

[Lerianis3]

by nowimcool November 19, 2009 6:59 PM PST<br />i think you're right to a point, but you've missed what the author is saying and I have a feeling (and i could be wrong) that you've never played halo 3 on xbox live (with a headset on listening). this is not a temperament, style, or personality issue. If these people said the things they say on xbox on the street in any given city they would be in a hospital by the end of the day - I really don't think I'm exaggerating - it's quite bad!!<br />__________________________________<br /><br />Big deal. Since they are NOT, there is nothing wrong with it! I swear.... you people who keep on comparing online life to real life need to GET A BRAIN and realize that they are TWO TOTALLY DIFFERENT THINGS! T O T A L L Y D I F F E R E N T! Get the message!<br /><br />Things that are not acceptable IN REAL LIFE, like killing people, are just FINE in a game because it is exactly that: A GAME THAT HAS NO BEARING ON WHAT YOU DO IN REAL LIFE! Some people just are.... stupid or insane enough that they don't get that point.<br /><br />I swear, it's getting to the point where I have to say that the people who are 'politically correct' need to die off and leave the world to the rest of us, who are sane individuals and will move towards a society where NOTHING is verboten unless it physically harms someone else without their permission or steals from them.

[screamapillar]

You have no more right to the gaming world than I. You do not have more rights than I do. Your 'get out of the kitchen' crap is not equitable and exposes your own hypocrisy. <br /> <br />This is not about political correctness and those that think it is just don't want to admit to their own predjudices. If you want to wail on someone fine. There are plenty of insults out there that don't have to single out certain communties (additionally, can i just say to add balance to this comment, if you are offended at being called a *** then there is a problem there too - next time someone calls you a ***, perhaps confuse them with "thank you, I'm so glad someone noticed") It is not a bad thing to be called gay, so both sides need to get over that. However, from the gay person's point of view, why should their sexuality be an insult for everyone else to sling? This isn't about PC - it is about an already marginalised, victimised group of people having to just put up with your crap and for what? You're all saying it is meaningless banter so why do you feel the need to do it? You can't justify doing it or using those terms specifically, so why use them? <br /> <br />I know I'm playing devil's advocate a bit here, but there is a real lack of balance in these responses. Seriously people, reflect for 30 seconds and learn a bit about yourself.

[cdwilliams1]

I think part of it is a maturity factor as well. XBL and WoW are notoriously bad because of the high population of teenage boys. Play something else more mature or requiring more teamwork and strategy and a lot of those problems go away. I've had decent luck with the Steam community. There's a private CoD server I play on as well that doesn't tolerate any profanity, racism, or suggestive potty mouth. This article reminds me of a good one from long ago from AlwaysBlack called "Bow Nxxxer". Check it out at: bit.ly/tjRnF

[screamapillar]

I'd agree with that observation cdwilliams1; even from the girl-gamer pov there are some games that you can be you and others i'd always have to pretend to be a guy.