Microsoft has revealed, buried inside a longer statement about updates to its terms of service, that the company actively prohibiting the use of offensive terms when it comes to Xbox based services on both the One console and the PC. Those who violate the new terms can be suspended and banned from their accounts and can lose access to licenses and devices.
The section of the wider update that’s most relevant for gamers reads: “In the Code of Conduct section, we’ve clarified that use of offensive language and fraudulent activity is prohibited. We’ve also clarified that violation of the Code of Conduct through Xbox Services may result in suspensions or bans from participation in Xbox Services, including forfeiture of content licences, Xbox Gold Membership time and Microsoft account balances associated with the account.”
It is commendable that Microsoft is working to limit the impact of offensive language on the gaming platforms that it manages but the company is doing a very poor job communicating about its efforts. The above statement is vague enough that the community has taken it both to mean that bans and moderation will be increased and to say that nothing will change in the actual policy and that the company is only updating the terms to make them clearer for those who might have misinterpreted before.
Toxicity, mostly related to voice and text chat and the deluge of offensive terms that some use, is a major issue for the gaming industry and many gamers claim that multiplayer experiences cannot improve it moderation, including suspensions and bans, is not improved significantly.
But before it can act Microsoft needs to become much better at communicating with those who bought and use the Xbox One or associated services on the PC. This means offering clear statements about their intentions, a list of terms that can trigger moderation and a clear goal that it wants to reach when it comes to creating a welcoming platforms for gamers to express themselves without offending others.