During the last generation of console gaming, Microsoft took a huge lead in multiplayer gaming, providing gamers with a large community of players linked by a robutst, well-designed infrastructure. Unfortunately, as the generation wore on Xbox Live became notorious for younger, immature gamers who use racist and homophobic language while screaming into their headsets.
To combat this blight on the community, Microsoft last year introduced a new reputation system that would be central to online interactions on the new Xbox One console. The system seems similar to the Xbox 360’s star-powered rating system for users, but with a few key differences. An Xbox Live subscriber’s reputation will be more heavily influenced by community reporting and users with a poor reputation will, in theory, find their online Xbox One experiences degrade due to bad behavior.
Today Microsoft detailed the Xbox One’s reputation system and gave gamers a head-up on when bad sports will begin to see consequences for their actions.
The reputation system is currently split into three categories: “good players,” “needs work,” and “avoid me.” Players start off in the “good players” category and an algorithm will be used to determine whether negative reports on a player will kick them down to lower rankings.
Players with the green-colored “good players” reputation ranking will be able to have regular online interactions through the Xbox One. According to Microsoft the majority of Xbox Live users will fall into this category, as most user do not receive much negative feedback.
From there players descend to “needs work,” the yellow- or orange-colored category that indicates players who may be receiving negative reports from the community. According to Microsoft, players in this category will begin receiving “reputation warnings” sometime this month. The warnings will be issued based on feedback from players obtained since the launch of the Xbox One.
The bottom category is the red-colored “avoid me.” Players in this category have passed through the “needs work” category without altering their behavior or paying attention to warnings. “Avoid me” players will have their matchmaking priority reduced and will no longer be able to use features such as Twitch streaming.
For those who worry that the system might be used to punish players who are more skilled, Microsoft claims that its algorithm corrects for false reports and griefing.