Bigotry Blossoms Online

Those who play online videogames through Xbox Live or Playstation Network, experience similar problems. When playing games such a Call of Duty or Halo online, it's not uncommon for players to freely use racial, homophobic and anti-Semitic slurs. These racist gamers take advantage of the anonymity that the internet allows to show their true side, as most usually make up names for their ID, some of which are offensive as they make plays on ethnic slurs. Online gaming services have however tried to curb the online hate speech by offering players the option to report players who use offensive terms. The online services will then review the player in question, temporarily or permanently ban them.

[Montoya]

Of course, most cowards only get tough when their miles away of you. Same w/ angry virgins, they only have the nerve to talk to a girl (and rudely at that) when their not in the same room and they can`t see how pathetic they are.

[Yi-Long]

... thank gawd for the mute-option on XBLA.

[AAACE5]

That's one of the reasons I play XBL with the mic muted and on PSN with the volume turned down.

Too many idiots with no life play online games! You kinda gotta respect them though... they have accepted that they are worthless in life and are just looking to make others feel bad! I am confident in myself, so I just point out their issues until they leave...lol... I am a bit agressive about it though...lol!

[zootang]

You don't really need to use mute on PSN. That's what I have found anyway. You tend to get people using their bluetooth headsets from their phones. You tend to get more of a mature audience when you don't give everyone a mic.

[poindat]

Amen. I don't know what other gaming communities are like, as the only game I play online is MW2, but I do know that the MW2 community is composed of 90% idiots/little kids/trash talking teens/general scum of the earth. So I went into my settings and permanently muted everyone (it's not as if I need it for teamwork anyways, we all know that teamwork doesn't exist in that game). Suddenly my gaming experience is so much better!

But for the most part, the immaturity issue that gaming is grappling with has driven me to 99% single player games. I'm a social person, but when that socializing involves a bunch of people who probably shouldn't be allowed to touch an electronic device in the first place, I'd rather keep to myself thank you very much.

Trouble is, all of this crap is only going to multiply and grow worse as gaming becomes more popular to the masses. The social aspect of gaming is certainly regressing, and it's unfortunate. As it becomes more and more a social hobby, I want to follow that and make me own experience more social, but it is in fact driving me back to solitary gaming :(

[Raz]

Clans are the answer. No, not the KKK kind; the sort made up of groups of people who are friends IRL.

I rarely play multiplayer without my crew anymore. Nice thing about having a full squad (esp. in BF-BCII) is we're the only ones on the chatline; no drooling prepubescent morons ruining our fun with hate speeches.

But I'm sure they do a lot of hating anyway, when they see four to six guys with "DRK" on their tags consistently mowing 'em down. ;)

[madjedi]

The only thing i hate is bc2 guys long ranging 1 hit at full health instant killing me at 50-100+ yards with a shotgun.

While all the bolt action sniper rifles 50% or the time want to take 2 headshots to kill an enemy, so a really shotgun has more energy than 30 ot 6 rifle round.

Great balancing there dice, and do you really think, most people even using those terms, are using there original racist meanings.

Sorry all this is, is people being assholes, if anything the amount of actual racism as in the kkk type/segregated public schools, not 1 or 2 random idiots shouting nigger/s, in place of motherfucker, asshole ect is alot less.

[jaredhart]

Xbox live can be bad. I'm not black but I've been called the N word coutless times. I've also been called a wimpy white boy and worse by people of different races.

PSN is not as bad but it's probably because far less people talk or use microphones.

[longcat]

average user age is a major factor in that i think.

Younger crowd is more into competitiveness.
Older crowd just want to relax and unwind

[Anon1974]

In my experience, most racist/homophobic slurs are perpetrated by US citizens. If the player is throwing around racist, abusive or homophobic terms I always report - and 100% of the time I've reported someone they just happen to be from the US. I don't know why but all I can come up with is it must simply be more culturally acceptable in the US. I even stumbled into a conversation online on the PSN where 3 US residents were explaining to a couple of Brits that took offense why it was acceptable to use racist slang online. I was just left shaking my head. I can't imagine how hurtful, how degrading it would be to come into situation like that where I just want to play a game like anyone else and I'm victimized because of my race or sexual orientation.

I suspect that's one of the reasons why the problem isn't nearly as pronounced on the PSN. 60% of 360's sold worldwide are sold in the US so there's a higher concentration of US gamers where more likely on the PSN you'll be thrown in with more Europeans. Also, from my time playing both systems it seems like the age on average is older on the PSN. And you aren't simply handed a microphone on PSN which I think helps. There are still plenty of people who use mics, but your mouthy little kids aren't as likely to go out and spring for a blu-tooth headset. Surprisingly, if you just hand them a headset - guess what? You've got thousands of little kids babbling all at the same time.

I don't know exactly what the reasons are, I can only speculate, but I have to say this old gamer found it a breath of fresh air switching from XBL to PSN. It's so much nicer to mute one person every six matches as opposed to six people at the start of every single match. MW2 is a mess of little, mouthy kids now on PSN but I've never once felt it necessary to mute someone on Killzone 2, or Warhawk - for example.

Just one old gamers take on it. If it's ever going to change, as a community we need to use the reporting tools available. I know a year or so ago Microsoft patented software that could actively censor users in real time - presumably for XBL but until they roll out this software all we can do is report the worst and take a stand against this type of abuse.

[therealwillie]

@darkride66 well most online games will put you in a lobby with people from your region/close by, mw2 does this.

reason being is lag, i'm from ireland, if i play a game with an american friend of mine and its an american that is the host i will lag like crazy

[Non_sequitur]

Older people are as bad or worse than younger people. Look at MSNBC's news page. Check out all the comments from middle age non-minorities on immigration, abortion, religion, Barack Obama, health care, war and police brutality. They're a lot worse than younger people on PSN/XBL.

[longcat]

^^^^

I'm not saying that being old excludes you from being an idiot.

I game with people between ages 16-55 and i have noticed a very different approach by them - thats all

[ico92]

I remember the 1st time I played Halo 3, I got fraged and was called a
"fu*kin d!ck riding, dog raping n!gger"
I admit i did lol at how creative 12 year olds can be with profanity.

[Sneak-Out]

PSN rules XD

[PimpHandHappy]

have never been in a game that i cant mute those fools!!!
btw
im on PSN YI-Long :-)

[uhaul]

F-ing racists!

[redDevil87]

They should all be pushed off a cliff

[telekineticmantis]

some people because I don't like people behaving that way. Plus I love to destroy people with intelect even if it's for slightly evil purposes.

[Megaton]

Keyboard warriors; the largest and most ineffective army in the world.

[horris36]

I wish I could just mute all of them that have a huge amount of bad reviews for their dirty mouths.haha

[asyouburn]

with really, really popular games that everyone plays, at least 50% of them are douchebags. not every game is affected, only the popular ones like COD or BFBC2. and i've found the remedy for this situation, just dont play those games! if you play games that douchebags think are "gay" then you never have to worry about them

[Cock4Gamers]

in a Gears of War 2 game, the rest of my team blocked the door to leave the spawn room on Blood Drive(I think it was Blood Drive) because they felt I was an n-word. They repeatedly said things that were racially offensive and it really ruined that whole match for me. Online racism is a disgusting problem that needs to be fixed, but probably won't because people always say what they really think when they are online a million miles away from the people they're talking to and their friends are giggling like school girls because screaming racist things is somehow amusing to their underdeveloped and immature minds.

[Dellis]

People shouldn't whine about it, last time I checked some of these people are just in their house having fun

[LightofDarkness]

They're just kids. They don't know any better, they think it's OK so long as they're in their own house and talking to no one in particular. Yes, we know better, and (hopefully) they will learn that it is unacceptable behavior as they leave mom's basement for the wider world. But typing these random blogs doesn't do anything. Everybody already knows this is going on, attempting to bring attention to an issue that we're all very much aware of doesn't help anything. Moreover, you're not going to cause the offending parties to suddenly reflect on their shameful actions and repent, stricken by a moralistic moment of clarity.

They don't understand the very offensive nature of their name-calling because they are kids. They're getting a giddy little thrill out of driving people nuts with their over-use of offensive remarks. It's like when you're 4 or 5 and learn the "P" words (penis, poop et al).

[iceman06]

These kids know better too. How else do they still have teeth if they are using this same type of hate speech everyday!?!? The fact is that they ARE seeking some sort of thrill, much like the proverbial troll. However, I don't think that these blogs are meant for us. I think they are meant as a cathartic tool to release some of the frustration that comes with being the target of hate speech. I'm sure the author is not sitting behind his keyboard and thinking that he/she has just typed the one and only definitive statement to end racism. I think he/she is just trying to get it all out and in the process maybe spark a helpful discussion.

[Acquiescence]

and this black man called me a "honky" for no good reason whatsoever. I was left utterly stunned and it affected me for days. Such brash racism is totally uncalled for.