Poll: Do you agree with the Black Ops Swastika Ban?

[rainman2203]

I was playing last night and as soon as I got into a team deathmatch, a very loud guy on a mic asked if I was a Jew. I said I was not, but have nothing against them. I later noticed he had a swastika emblem on the Israeli flag background. The guy was obviously just trolling, but I could see how people could see it as offensive.

He was a dick though, so I reported him anyway. I hope he enjoys his ban.

TLNR- People on live are dicks, plain and simple. Treyarch is fully within their rights to ban for that reason, or many others. You signed the release at one point in time, whether you realize it or not.

The problem is with the definition of being a dick.

Why does someone with a swastika get banned and someone with an equally offensive symbol not?

Well as others have said, you get bans for other inappropriate things (like dicks and beastiality) as well, not just swastikas. I can see the slippery slope argument could work here, but at some point you have to remember that its just a game. I wouldn't have reported the guy in my example above if he wasn't also being a douche to everyone in the match. Also, he may have been killing me a lot, but that's besides the point...

 

[rainman2203]

I am against it, I can see why they would, but it is still an infringement on first amendment rights. I personally am against all forms of censorship even if I don't agree with what they are saying.

You signed that right away as soon as you agreed to X-box Live or even bought Black Ops, whether you realize it or not. It's in the fine print, my friend.

 

[Yagharek]

I was playing last night and as soon as I got into a team deathmatch, a very loud guy on a mic asked if I was a Jew. I said I was not, but have nothing against them. I later noticed he had a swastika emblem on the Israeli flag background. The guy was obviously just trolling, but I could see how people could see it as offensive.

He was a dick though, so I reported him anyway. I hope he enjoys his ban.

TLNR- People on live are dicks, plain and simple. Treyarch is fully within their rights to ban for that reason, or many others. You signed the release at one point in time, whether you realize it or not.

The problem is with the definition of being a dick.

Why does someone with a swastika get banned and someone with an equally offensive symbol not?

Well as others have said, you get bans for other inappropriate things (like dicks and beastiality) as well, not just swastikas. I can see the slippery slope argument could work here, but at some point you have to remember that its just a game. I wouldn't have reported the guy in my example above if he wasn't also being a douche to everyone in the match. Also, he may have been killing me a lot, but that's besides the point...

I just can't see it leading anywhere good frankly. Why bother censoring at all? I mean, what happens when a bunch of dudes complain that they find the christian cross offensive? The swastika, and certainly the red backround/white circle, is so widely associated with the nazis that people are unlikely to use it other than with that meaning(I think they should be allowed to, but that's neither here nor there for this point).

The christian cross on the other hand, is in a distinctly harder position. There are arguments for it being offensive, certainly. However, it isn't as universally despised as the nazi swastika. There are people who would wish to use it in their emblem for strictly inoffensive purposes-though that could still offend some(similar to how me using the hindu swastika could, and almost certainly would, get me flak).

There are some symbols where the debate on whether they should or shouldn't be banned is going to have a lot of people on both sides of the debate(rather than just those who defend the notion that people should be able to have anything, it would have those who think that particular symbol should be allowed). There is no call the developer could make that would not result in arguments.

Selectively censoring is a bad policy, because of the variance in what people consider offensive.

 

[Firehound]

It has been 65 years, 6 months and 15 days since the official surrender of the German army to the allies was ratified in what was left of Berlin. I am sick and tired of hearing about swastikas being banned from a FPS, RTS, or strategy game involving Germany. The only thing this does is encourage people to don the symbol. Let it burn out once and for all. Who rightly cares? They are not banning the millions of penis's I have seen on killcards, nor the breasts or maybe it's the arse. It's rather dull, and I've bored of it.

 

[Atmos Duality]

99% of the users who would use it would do so to troll.
Why bother with the innumerable potential hassles and problems to appease a tiny fraction of the game's population?

 

[Wow they sure are generous with the usernames]

It has been 65 years, 6 months and 15 days since the official surrender of the German army to the allies was ratified in what was left of Berlin. I am sick and tired of hearing about swastikas being banned from a FPS, RTS, or strategy game involving Germany. The only thing this does is encourage people to don the symbol. Let it burn out once and for all. Who rightly cares? They are not banning the millions of penis's I have seen on killcards, nor the breasts or maybe it's the arse. It's rather dull, and I've bored of it.

ATTENTION ALL OUTRAGED READERS. TREYARCH DOES NOT ALLOW INAPPROPRIATE EMBLEMS OF ANY SORT. YOUR 'HILARIOUS' IMAGE OF A HORSE FUCKING A GORILLA WILL GIVE YOU A BAN FROM THE EMBLEM EDITOR FOR A TIME. PLEASE STOP ASKING WHY THEY ARE ALLOWED, THEY ARE NOT. THANK YOU AND RESUME YOUR ARGUING.

 

[Mr Scott]

No, I do not. However just like toothbrush mustaches, I'll tolerate that the Nazis ruined the Hindu swastika.

 

[Grimlock Fett]

People are clearly just using it to piss off others.

That is not what Freedom of speech had in mind. I am also of the mind that the other vulgar things should be banned. At least suspended/warning.

However this is what happens when you give people power. They invariably use it to be giant assholes.

I'm going to make this difficult for you, because I'm going to enjoy it, so without further ado...

What is 'vulgar'?

A man in a hockey mask finger banging an attack dog :'D FTD clan WOOF!!!!

 

[Tdc2182]

If you ban the swastika, then you also have to ban the hammer and sickle, no if's, ands or buts. Double standards much?

No, that is completely overthinking it.

The question is this; Are you fine with the Nazi Swastika being in the game or do you want it taken out?

There is no thin line. It is a purely black and white decision.

I'm sorry, but racism should not be allowed in any form whatsoever. You are the ones that sit back and let people promote hate. If you're not against it, then you are with it.

 

[Jedoro]

Nope. Guy even wants to go on record about how he knows it's not a Nazi-exclusive symbol and still ban it anyways?

I'd prefer if mods spent their time tracking down the people with shitty player reviews and banned them, instead of basing it on one damn symbol.

 

[Actual]

Isn't use of the swastika illegal in Germany? I'm not joking I'm pretty sure it's illegal.

English company that I work for doesn't allow mention of the Nazi party or use of the swastika just because we have a fair number of German users. Why shouldn't Microsoft show a little respect for the laws of the countries in which they do business?

Also, the swastika in game is only going to be used for trolling and flame-bait, why not ban it.

 

[Ashcrexl]

honestly, this is a freedom of speech issue. the only time ANYTHING should be banned is if it would cause real harm to a person. i highly doubt having a swastika in a video game will cause someone to go out of their way to beat up jewish folk in real life.

 

[Tdc2182]

I personally am 100% for the ban.

Why so? It may be a terrible symbol, but it is freedom of speech. Also what if they ban the wrong kind? I have to say that I am against it.

I'll answer for him.

It's racist and offensive. It symbolizes the death and torture of 2/3s an entire race of innocent people. Doing so gets rid of the Xbox live trolls. Freedom of Speech is abused. People are idiots. No one, I repeat No one is using the Buddhist Swastika unless they are trying to be cheeky.

Go ahead and say I need to grow tough skin. I'm so sick of people hiding behind the bullshit first amendment for nothing more than to troll people. Try thinking outside the box for once.

What is more right? Letting people be assholes, or protecting the right that allows people to be assholes?

Not to mention the fact that you sign an agreement with Xbox live and Treyarch when you go onto Xbox live giving them the right to do so.

 

[Yagharek]

It has been 65 years, 6 months and 15 days since the official surrender of the German army to the allies was ratified in what was left of Berlin. I am sick and tired of hearing about swastikas being banned from a FPS, RTS, or strategy game involving Germany. The only thing this does is encourage people to don the symbol. Let it burn out once and for all. Who rightly cares? They are not banning the millions of penis's I have seen on killcards, nor the breasts or maybe it's the arse. It's rather dull, and I've bored of it.

ATTENTION ALL OUTRAGED READERS. TREYARCH DOES NOT ALLOW INAPPROPRIATE EMBLEMS OF ANY SORT. YOUR 'HILARIOUS' IMAGE OF A HORSE FUCKING A GORILLA WILL GIVE YOU A BAN FROM THE EMBLEM EDITOR FOR A TIME. PLEASE STOP ASKING WHY THEY ARE ALLOWED, THEY ARE NOT. THANK YOU AND RESUME YOUR ARGUING.

This is not a good answer...

You say they do not allow "inappropriate emblems of any sort". Now tell me, what counts as inappropriate. If I complain about a christian cross, will all who use it be banned? The star of david? The flags of a host of nations?

If one symbol is ban worthy, why not a multitude of others?

It is incredibly difficult to draw a line, and if they wanted to make their best attempt at doing so they should have done it pre-emptively by providing a set list of emblems.

 

[Wow they sure are generous with the usernames]

Nope. Guy even wants to go on record about how he knows it's not a Nazi-exclusive symbol and still ban it anyways?

I'd prefer if mods spent their time tracking down the people with shitty player reviews and banned them, instead of basing it on one damn symbol.

Hey, did you know me and my friends have a religious symbol that looks surprisingly similar to a gorilla jacking off a horse? Those fucking jerks at Treyarch how dare they disallow my symbol that is not bestiality-exclusive.

 

[blankedboy]

UM, the Swastika is a good luck symbol that was used by the Nazis, not created by.
I think they missed the point completely here.

 

[Atmos Duality]

yes but 99%of XBls comunity are trolls and little 10 year old gits so in the end it works out

Cheeky. How I wish that were absolutely true.

 

[Just_A_Glitch]

I just feel bad for any Hindus or Buddhists who try to play the game and make his symbol a Manji.

I disagree with the ban. Surely, the developers had to have known someone would do it the second the made it possible, because when people can be anonymous, often times they act as offensively as possible. I wish I could agree with this ban though. God forbid people behave like adults.

X-Box Live is full of dicks though, as many emblems point out. How many dick emblems have killed you guys today? My buddies got 27 already.

Asia doesn't play the Xbox, as a rule.

You don't have to be Asain to practice Buddhism or Hinduism.