Microsoft Launches “Snitching” System for Xbox

I realize that modern society is soft, but good lord! Is this type of thing really necessary? I said that this was a bad idea when it was announced. The first thing I thought of was how this was going to abused:

My Original Thoughts

Again, nobody should be harassed. My (presumably unpopular) take is simply a result of the social media world we currently live in. Xbox is going to become “Facebook” in how it handles disputes. How many people do you know who have been in “Facebook Jail?”This new feature will almost certainly be abused. Say something, one person doesn’t like and it gets reported. How would Microsoft handle the situation? Would you lose your online access or your entire account? Your account holds all of your digital purchases. As we know from “YouTube,” the end-user agreement changes often.

Generational Gamer

Facts as of August 15, 2023

As always, when a player believes they have witnessed a violation of Xbox’s Community Standards, we encourage them to report. All reports are evaluated, there are no automated enforcement actions based solely on the fact that a report was made. No volume of inaccurate reports results in an enforcement. Only reports that have been reviewed by the Xbox Safety Team and determined to be accurate result in an enforcement.  

With the new system, enforcements will also include strikes based on the severity of their actions. The system is similar to demerit strikes used in driver’s license systems in many countries. For example, a player that has received two strikes will be suspended from the platform for one day, whereas a player that receives four strikes will be suspended for seven days. Players have a total of eight strikes and, once reached, will be suspended from Xbox’s social features like messaging, parties and party chat, multiplayer and others for one year from the enforcement date. All strikes received stay on a player’s record for six months. Today, players will all begin with a blank slate, or zero strikes. Any previous enforcements, such as suspensions, must still be completed; new enforcements as of today will result in strikes.

https://news.xbox.com/

Will You Lose Your Digital Games?

Let me start by saying this; I rarely play online games. I do have a decent library of digital games, so I am coming at this from a perspective of losing digital games for “perceived” misbehavior. Like the bolded text above, it does not seem to be the case.

The punishments seem to be exclusively focused on online game play:

My biggest concerns with the “modern” digital gaming environment is the inevitable transition to losing digital purchases. They can’t take away a physical copy, although on a modern Xbox, those discs are largely licenses, and little more. In this following video, on my YouTube channel, I feature a segment directly from Microsoft, where they talk about the digital download regardless of whether you are using physical media.

I certainly hope that this new policy is not abused. I also hope that Microsoft does not associate perceived misbehavior with digital purchases. If they do, watch for a flurry of new accounts; one for purchases and another “throw-away” account for online play.