Xbox One's Reputation System Locks Harassers Into Their Own Hell

Karloff

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Oct 19, 2009
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Xbox One's Reputation System Locks Harassers Into Their Own Hell



"You need a community of folks that aren't screaming vulgarities every ten seconds, or the griefers or the harassers, those types of folks," says Microsoft's Mike Lavin.

"What we're looking at doing is creating a very robust system around reputation and match-making," says Microsoft's Mike Lavin. The Xbox One's new Reputation system is intended to do just that. If a person's on your friend list, Microsoft doesn't intend to do anything to it; your friends are your friends. But the anonymous folks screaming abuse, the harassers, the griefers, they don't help to build a community. "If there's a few per cent of our population that are causing the rest of the population to have a miserable time," says Lavin, "we should be able to identify those folks." Identify, and do something about.

The Reputation system is Microsoft's way of doing exactly that. People who play well with others get to create their own community of like-minded folks, while those who can't will be herded into a group of people similar to them. Lavin was reluctant - even when prodded - to call that grouping griefer hell, but did say "I would not necessarily want to play with those folks." It's not an automatic process, but repeated offenders will see their Reputation dip, and dip, until you end up down there with the wrathful [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine_circles_of_hell], struggling in the waters of the Styx.

"We're one of the only platforms that really takes an interest in exploring and investigating major problems," Lavin concluded, "and this extends from sexual harassment, to age harassment, to gender to everything else under the sun." In the ideal, Xbox One's Reputation system will allow the developer to create the online community it wants, rather than endure the one it gets.

Source: OXM [http://www.oxm.co.uk/57505/features/the-new-dark-side-of-xbox-live-microsoft-explains-xbox-ones-all-new-reputation-system/?page=2]


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Angelous Wang

Lord of I Don't Care
Oct 18, 2011
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Except assholes are assholes and will happily abuse the system to Reputation down all the non-assholes too, just so they can continue to be assholes to them.

Especially since they do like to work in packs on the 360, like Hyenas. Means they can ruin your rep allot easier than your one vote against them.
 

Nazulu

They will not take our Fluids
Jun 5, 2008
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Are they investigating the problems they made? Couldn't resist.

Well I guess this is a plus depending how it works and hopefully not something that can be abused.
 

Yelchor

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Aug 30, 2009
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Sounds good in theory. I recall Extra Credits did an episode suggesting this sort of system, which I think is something at least worth trying out.

Not that I have any clue of how it will work in practice. Individuals who have done nothing wrong might still be targeted by a group with no other purpose than to ruin his/her reputation. But I doubt such exploitations will be able to have much power beyond single players.

This is something I will give Microsoft credit for, at least.
 

Jandau

Smug Platypus
Dec 19, 2008
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Is this going to be one of those systems where arseholes can gang up on people and mass report/downvote/whatever them into oblivion, with next to no oversight? It is, isn't it...
 

Xukog

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May 21, 2011
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After playing Mass Effect 3 MP, My Xbox reputation tanked, despite the fact that I didn't even own a mic. This idea will see much abuse. It feels like Microsoft screwed up....again.
 

Suave Charlie

Pleasant Bastard
Sep 23, 2009
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Oh good, so when I consistently win in multi I'll have sour kids downvote/rep/whatever me. Great system, can't be abused at all.
On gears 3 I'd have a rage message at least once a day, never did anything to provoke, just played the game. But I can guarantee that people who enjoyed playing with me didn't upvote me, so as far as this sort of system is concerned I'm just a raging asshole who a lot of people hate.

Brilliant.
 

Canadamus Prime

Robot in Disguise
Jun 17, 2009
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Sounds good in theory and depending on it's potential for abuse this could definitely be a positive thing. At least Microsoft's doing something right.
 

Sarah Frazier

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Dec 7, 2010
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It could work well if there's a system to say exactly why a person if being voted down so it can be reviewed. If it turns out that the same person is down voting lots of people who haven't broken any rules, the voter would then be bumped down for abusing the system or maybe even starting the problem being reported.

That would take a lot of man power to make sure everything's legitimate, but it would catch some abusers and remove them from the more desirable community that much faster.
 

Sansha

There's a principle in business
Nov 16, 2008
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Suave Charlie said:
Oh good, so when I consistently win in multi I'll have sour kids downvote/rep/whatever me. Great system, can't be abused at all.
On gears 3 I'd have a rage message at least once a day, never did anything to provoke, just played the game. But I can guarantee that people who enjoyed playing with me didn't upvote me, so as far as this sort of system is concerned I'm just a raging asshole who a lot of people hate.

Brilliant.
This. The idea works on paper, but it has way too much potential for abuse. Idiots and griefers indeed travel in packs; they make friends with each other and swarm individuals who stand against them.
 

Longstreet

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Jun 16, 2012
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Ooooh this is gonna bite them in the ass.
Don't give people power. Especially not to assholes, since they will do asshole things.

First day this is implemented the losing team will absolutely sink the reputation of the winning team. And it'll happen on a massive scale.
 

Z of the Na'vi

Born with one kidney.
Apr 27, 2009
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That's why I mute everybody when I play Xbox Live multiplayer.

And I mean everyone. The only way you're going to get to hear my voice is if we're friends and in a party chat.

I like to believe it solves the problem of having to deal with...those people.
 

Doom972

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Dec 25, 2008
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Angelous Wang said:
Except assholes are assholes and will happily abuse the system to Reputation down all the non-assholes too, just so they can continue to be assholes to them.

Especially since they do like to work in packs on the 360, like Hyenas. Means they can ruin your rep allot easier than your one vote against them.
My thoughts exactly. That sounds very open to abuse.

What I don't get is, what's so hard about muting player voices (not specific ones, but not hearing any player voices whatsoever).
I've learned back in my early Counter-Strike days that the disadvantages of vocal communication in multiplayer far outweigh the advantages. I know that every PC multiplayer game has a setting like that, and I'm willing to bet that most console multiplayer games do as well. This way everyone can play, and nobody has to hear others obscenities' and "opinions".

As for griefers, that's what kick votes and ban (temporary) votes are for.
 

WanderingFool

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Apr 9, 2009
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Jandau said:
Is this going to be one of those systems where arseholes can gang up on people and mass report/downvote/whatever them into oblivion, with next to no oversight? It is, isn't it...
Now, the idea behind it is quite good, let all the "good" players play, and force all the "bad" players into griefer hell. But who decideds a "good" player and a "bad" player? Cause if its the community, than... pfff... What you said...
 

CJ1145

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Jan 6, 2009
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It's a nice thought, but I hope there's something in place to prevent arbitrary downvotes towards people for made up reasons.
 

Comocat

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May 24, 2012
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It seems like this is a system that if made robust enough, should be able to weight if you were placed in match of with a bunch of griefers. 10 ten downvotes in 1 match should be weighted a lot less than 1 downvote in 100 different matches.

You could also analyze voting trends, if people constantly down vote together they get locked out of the system.

As an anecdote I was a TA for a college biology class. I held office hours every single monday and no one ever came, for an entire semester. At the end of the year I got 1 evaluation that said (to the effect) "Comocat was never available for help, he should never TA again." 1 out of 20 evals said I was the worst person ever, regardless I still won a teaching award. My point is downvotes will happen, but an occasional downvote from some jerk shouldnt impact the score at all.

I think we've finally reached the point where game developers realize they are losing money ignoring the problem.
 

Fasckira

Dice Tart
Oct 22, 2009
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I'm lost, I thought this system was already in place in XBOX Live, with the reputation stars?
 

Andy Shandy

Fucked if I know
Jun 7, 2010
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Unless there's something we're not being told yet, this seems very open to abuse.

I mean, it's a good idea on paper, but using my own profile "rep" as an example...

16% preferred or did not submit a review about me.

84% avoided me.

Details -

Communications
Trash talk: 2% - even though the only time I ever use a mic is when I'm in a party with friends
Language: 0%
Disruptive: 0%

Behaviour
Aggressive: 11% - despite me generally being more of a 'team player' in games.
Unsporting: 66% - I can't actually think of any time I've been particularly unsporting.
Quit early: 0%

And yet, I still have a 5 Star Rep.

So I definitely hope there's something more to this.