I’m pretty sure I set a gaming record the other night with how many people I muted while playing Halo 3. More times than not I scored a mute-tacular with the majority of the games requiring a total mute-astrophe. I am convinced that I managed to silence 99% of the Xbox Live population in one night. I found myself thanking my lucky stars over and over again for the much needed addition of the user friendly “asshole” button Halo 3 brought us. Muting has never been so easy.
The need to constantly mute all our opponents created a discussion within our party about how we wished there were blanket mute options. Someone suggested being able to mute everybody under the age of 18. While many people agreed, I found it inching too close to discrimination, not to mention that I know several young people who are quite mature and certainly nicer than the majority of foul mouthed randoms trolling Live. Muting by gamer zone was also brought up but again, much too broad.
So instead I made a survey that I think all gamers should have to fill out when signing up for Xbox Live. If anyone answers yes to two or more of these questions, I think my settings should allow for an automatic mute. I can’t even begin to imagine how much time and trouble this system would save me.
Xbox Live Playing Habits Survey
Do you think people will think you are a super cool bad ass if you play offensive obscene music at ear shattering levels directly into your microphone?
Does the thought of repeatedly dipping your virtual nutsack into complete strangers’ faces make you positively giddy with excitement?
Would you be willing to sacrifice your teammate’s life who just picked up the weapon you wanted in order to acquire possession of said weapon?
Do you think that any player that doesn’t perform up to your standards should break their game disc, throw their 360 out the window, and buy a Wii?
Are you aware that anybody who is a higher rank than you is pathetic and needs to get a life, even though they have fewer played games than you?
When you encounter a rare breed of a gamer often referred to as a female, do you feel the need to ask what the status of your sandwich is?
Do you think everybody you are playing with wants to hear constant commentary of your double kills with rockets and other highly impressive gaming feats?
Is insulting everybody in the room with an offensive racially charged slur the best way to get off on the right foot at the beginning of each game?
Do you agree with this statement? Xbox Live’s primary purpose is to function as my own personal dating and virtual hook up service.
Are you convinced that anybody who beats you is either cheating, modding, or enjoys having relations with people of the same sex?
I said before the survey that anybody who answers yes to two or more of these questions would automatically get an instant mute from me. I would like to revise that to anybody who says yes to any of the questions would get an instant mute. From all of us.
*Mute-acular medal made by Penguinish.
Posted by Cat on December 31, 2007 at 3:27 am
Excellent questionaire. I’d love to see that included, Live would be a lot better!
I never did understand why everyone goes on about teabagging so much…
Posted by Kurt on December 31, 2007 at 3:34 am
nice list, I want a copy for my muting pleasure. although, a friend of mine would have to check yes to questions 2, 3, and 4…
Posted by ashame on December 31, 2007 at 3:54 am
Thats weird all my answers are yes :|
Just kiddin :D
All no and I don’t even play any FPS online!
Posted by silvercube on December 31, 2007 at 4:12 am
Angel, I believe this should be used on shooting games.
Most of your questions are more halo-related.
Many people who sign up for xbox live will never even buy shooting games- so perhaps when someone boots up a shooting games like halo they would have to do this kind of survey.
But yeah- anyone who is Pro or Underground.. they are always the one stirring up trouble.
I believe I have only had 1 problem with 1 from Recreational – and 0 from the Famliy zone. In a few years I will probably switch my zone from Recreational to Family.. as that will fit me even more once I have children : )
Oh… and I answered No to all of them.
Posted by SafePit on December 31, 2007 at 9:16 am
LOL, hilarious. I was surprised you didn’t add in an achievement booster question to your survey.
Posted by Tortacular on December 31, 2007 at 9:37 am
Dude. DUDE! I totally got a double kill with rockets last night!
Posted by Venus Envy on December 31, 2007 at 10:20 am
Is it wrong that i answered yes to about 5+ questions?!?!! lol
I mean.. i know im super badass and who doesn’t enjoy listening to “My Humps” in a pre-game lobby?
Posted by Eloco on December 31, 2007 at 10:39 am
I agree with the FPS games bringing in the worst of the worst.. 99% of the people I met playing golf or Uno were pretty cool. I also work 2nd shift, and playing day times with the Euro crowd seems to net more mature gamers.
Posted by Jordan on December 31, 2007 at 10:45 am
I’d probably have several mute-tacular awards as well.
Especially when it’s in BTB, or any Social. If I’m just playing with one other person, we’ll go into a chat so I don’t have to listen to the other idiots. It never fails that even people on my own team have to foul mouth me and make derogatory comments. :|
Pls2STFU :(
Posted by wolfy on December 31, 2007 at 11:04 am
somehow i think they would just say no to everything
Posted by Crazyeye0 on December 31, 2007 at 1:00 pm
“Especially when it’s in BTB, or any Social”
Add Heroic DLC to that, that’s the most I’ve muted anyone on, and the most I’ve ever filed complaints against people for. Surprisingly, the people on ranked are less competitive assholes than those on socials =/
Also, I answered no to all of them.
Posted by PinkBulletz14 on December 31, 2007 at 2:24 pm
One more survey question…”Do you call anyone who kills you repeatedly in the same spot a Piece of @$#% camper who’s not good enough to go run around without any strategy.” I love this one as they keep running into my traps :o) Great article I mute tons of people on a daily basis.
Posted by Sarge Tomzilla on December 31, 2007 at 2:47 pm
Hmm, thankfully I answered no to all of them :P
I usually run into at least one of those at least once each day. I seem to run into Number 8 a lot. The odd part is, the use of the N-word is thrown a lot at me by these people, yet the lack of any african blood in me :P I usually respond with “screw you too ya *enters into list of ethnic slurs to be used against whites that includes those against germans, poles, italians, english or anything I am*”
Posted by Marcus on December 31, 2007 at 2:57 pm
I’m not really sure why people always have these complaints about Live, I’ve never had an experience that was so bad I had to mute several people, in several games.
I’m sorry that you did though.
Posted by Bryan on December 31, 2007 at 3:18 pm
“Do you think everybody you are playing with wants to hear constant commentary of your double kills with rockets and other highly impressive gaming feats?”
Umm… that warrants muting? It’s one thing if they’re being obnoxious about it, but I think that’s a bit over the top.
Gotta agree with the rest of your complaints though–especially the weapon betrayals.
Posted by w on December 31, 2007 at 3:26 pm
I hate teabaggers and I answer no too all
Posted by Jaded Target on December 31, 2007 at 4:29 pm
No. No. No. Well no, but I wish I bought a Wii. I think they should get out more. No. Now that’s actually an in-joke with my party that usually accompanies killing an enemy and getting a betrayal. No. No. Well, I blame it on faulty coding by Bungie…
Fortunately, I only speak to my party and teammates anyway but I guess I’ve just been auto-muted regardless. lol
I’m Pro. I prefer to take the game seriously but trash talking and being a bigot are two things that should stick to Underground. It just depends on the people because everyone will always make someone mad about something. But people are excessively idiotic with Halo’s matchmaking. The game just attracts all kinds of players.
Good survey though.
Posted by duncan on December 31, 2007 at 4:46 pm
lol funniest thing ever was when I killed someone while they were teabagging my teammate.
maybe he’s learned his lesson by now about teabagging..lol
Posted by bs angel on December 31, 2007 at 4:48 pm
Duncan, that is one of my favorite things to do! I will always prioritize killing someone that is teabagging a teammate before anything else.
Posted by alekat on December 31, 2007 at 5:23 pm
I’ve been forced to be broad and just limit player voices to team and party. This restrict me from meeting the cool people and I’d much prefer and alternative.
It would be as simple as forcing people to take a survey to “better their gaming experience” it would be maturity based and it would certainly improve things for the high population games like halo. What a great idea for an additional tool for game devs. Genious. I hope this idea makes its way to the xbox.com boards.
Posted by SleepyGlenn on December 31, 2007 at 5:34 pm
Also homophobia really annoys me on xbox live. Even though I don’t really expect the kids to really understand what they’re saying, it’s still irritating.
Still…
“UR GAY”
“Well… yeah.”
Posted by zukan on December 31, 2007 at 6:08 pm
I think just showing them pictures used in psychological surveys would be enough. Obviously the mute-worthy will simply answer “boobs” or “your momma” to whatever they’re looking at.
Posted by bibblles on December 31, 2007 at 8:09 pm
almost all my answers are yes.
i don’t care if you mute me everyone else can hear me and will know my opinions weather they want to or not.
i accept random friend requests (except the brits here) Xbox Live: bibblles
Posted by Penguinish on December 31, 2007 at 8:11 pm
Using my Photoshop skillz i present you an accutal Mutetacular medal.
Posted by Penguinish on December 31, 2007 at 8:12 pm
Opps cant use img html
http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/5265/mutetacularmn9.png ill just link.
Posted by bs angel on December 31, 2007 at 8:17 pm
Penguinish, that’s awesome! I am going to add it to the article. Thanks for making that. :)
Posted by Penguinish on December 31, 2007 at 8:23 pm
:)! thanks i added info on this one
http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/237/muteinfodc5.png
Posted by bndud on December 31, 2007 at 11:35 pm
How is muting everyone under the age of 18 ‘inching close to’ discrimination? Isn’t it the definition of discrimination? Or is it not discrimination if it makes everyone else feel bigger and gives them all a cheap laugh or two?
Posted by Dave Wilber on January 1, 2008 at 12:06 am
such a great post! Needed to see it!
Posted by Spectacular Halo2 Mute Work « DAVE WILBER’s TURFGRASSZEALOT.COM on January 1, 2008 at 12:19 am
[...] http://hawtymcbloggy.com/2007/12/31/i-deserve-a-mute-tacular-medal/ [...]
Posted by Laird on January 1, 2008 at 12:27 am
I answered yes tentatively to the “teabagging” question, If this applies to randoms that are “mouthy the whole game and suck”? I teabag the fuck out of those kind of people.
Posted by Cryms0n N1t3 on January 1, 2008 at 1:53 am
I got a no for all of them
all though I do love a good teabag when its worth it, such as getting a bultrue with a magnum, or killjoying with a beatdown when they have shotty.
Also, a good assassination to a sniper with 15 kills in a row is worthy of a teabag.
Posted by Juggling Joker on January 1, 2008 at 1:58 am
When I’m not playing with people I know, I just set set the sound setting that mutes everyone always. It makes life so much simpler, even though it might hurt my team’s strategy.
Posted by UnwaryLeo on January 1, 2008 at 2:49 am
Yeah i totally agree. so its no to all except for the occasional emotionless teabag after finally defeating an idiot that i have already muted.
Posted by Smurfa on January 1, 2008 at 3:45 am
I want to be included to this system, it would make gameplay so much easier.
silvercube: Unfortunately do not everyone understand the Pro setting, including you. I am Pro because of one reason, I want to play the game seriously, I play for winning. But there is a differece between playing like that and being an idiot. Insulting people, kill team mates to get their weapon and so on is pathetic and is most definitely un-professional.
Posted by Navi on January 1, 2008 at 6:13 am
Actually the medal is not so much made by Penguinish
http://highresolutionhalo.hollywoodnhouse.com/?page=gallery&cat=Halo%203%20Ranks
http://highresolutionhalo.hollywoodnhouse.com/images/pics/unknownrank.png
Still quite nice survey.
Posted by Kaiavatar on January 1, 2008 at 9:26 am
Lollerskateswtfbbq… that was awesome Angel… too bad Xbox live doesn’t take user input or requests…
Love the article… keep up the awesome work… I couldn’t have said it better myself.
Posted by xp194 on January 1, 2008 at 10:52 am
Heh, thankfully I don’t apply for any of those. My biggest annoyance are those who will betray you for your weapon, then be absoloutly rubbish. I have learnt never to touch the sniper rifle, because i can’t shoot something so accurate, tending to go for the “spray bullets into the air, and you might just hit something” philosophy. If I know that I suck with something, I leave it, so its surprising when someone picks up a weapon, misses everything and blames it on the others cheating.
“Noo… you just suck with that gun. Try something else…”
“NO! STFU NOOB! I R 1337!”
“Oh. Wow. ‘leet-speak.’ You have just confirmed my suspicion that you have an IQ level of -10…”
“STFU!
…
Wats an IQ lvl?”
thats an example of when I tried to get someone to put the sniper rifle down…
Posted by weefz on January 1, 2008 at 11:03 am
Hehehe… YES! This questionnaire should be a mandatory part of the match-up system for online games. Those who answer “Yes” can be funnelled off into their own section where we normal people won’t even have to know of their existence.
Posted by sabuj on January 1, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Most of your questions are helo reated.
my ans is “yes”
Posted by Penguinish on January 1, 2008 at 9:25 pm
well obviously you could tell i didnt 100% make it when i used the speaker image she orginaly used.
Either way i still “made” the medal
Posted by Full Time Loser on January 2, 2008 at 6:25 am
Awesome list. I would add people who have to shout “Oh, sh_t! NO SCOPE!” everytime they perform said action.
Posted by -S- on January 2, 2008 at 7:42 am
LoL @ #2 on the list – even if you mute your foe, you can never stop them from teabagging you :)
Thus is the beautiful horror of Xbox live <3
Posted by Internicivus on January 3, 2008 at 11:33 pm
I actually do like the idea of sacraficing a team mate who has the weapon I wanted, it’sonly the sniper rifle really. But that’s the only thing I answered yes to. I’m normally very quiet online.
Posted by Navi on January 5, 2008 at 8:52 am
Hm, definitely got a point there Penguinish.
Didn’t want to be an asshole, more like just mentioning with sneaky advertising HRH.
Posted by engtech on January 9, 2008 at 5:10 pm
crap, I answer yes to half of those.
Posted by Mute-tacular! « mendokusai.org on September 26, 2008 at 5:42 am
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