According to Epic Games community manager Will Kinsler, Microsoft will be banning guns for Xbox Live avatars starting in 2012. His exact words were, “A new policy goes into effect for all gun-like avatar items on the Marketplace, so get them while they’re hot.” With that in mind, are you planning to pick up a gun or an entire arsenal for your Xbox Live dolly?
As for me, I’ve never cared to have a gun for my avatar…but now I want one. I’m one of those idiots that hates being told what to do. If Microsoft is banning guns and gun-like items from the Xbox Live Marketplace then I sure as hell want one. Perhaps I’ll start an Xbox Live avatar libertarian movement or call for Microsoft to ban the incredibly destructive Halo energy sword too. Ha!
Are any of you picking Xbox Live avatar guns before the ban goes into effect?
No. I don't even have the newest update. Dota 2 then SWTOR killed consoles for the foreseeable future in my house.
Yeah, I'll get one now just to be an elitist.
This is such BS. I was against the avatar dollies in the first place because Microsoft wanted to bite into the casual pie that Nintendo owned. I was against purchasing virtual items for these dolly avatars because, in all honesty, it makes us (gamers) look like idiots as a whole. Seriously. Spending $2, $4, or even $5 on a created item that doesn't exist (and can be taken away) for a computer-generated doll tells Microsoft that we're wiling to give them money for the most asinine of reasons. This will embolden Microsoft (and others) to nickel & dime us for any future changes in their ecosystem. For example; if you want to import your dolly avatar (and all of the stuff you bought for it) to the new Xbox 720, they will probably charge you 500 MS points. Do you want to access your game profile from the cloud from a friend's house? That'll cost you 200 MS points. Do you want to import your avatar dolly to a Windows Phone? That'll be 150 MS points per phone. Do you see where I'm going with this? Please stop spending money on aesthetic virtual goods.
-M
Oh, wait! I forgot where I was going with this:
So now that they have conformed us to the "better and more mature than the Wii" avatars, they take away our guns. Our virtual guns that don't shoot anything or anyone, mind you. Why? Who knows? Maybe some overly-zealous parent didn't want their child's avatar with a chainsaw bayonet and complained to Microsoft. Maybe the Brady Campaign has more gamers than we previously thought. Maybe it's because there is not virtual NRA.
Whatever the reason, Microsoft misled us into thinking these virtual representations of us were "more mature" and "better" and now they are going to start watering them down to be more like the cutesy little Miis that are adorably non-violent. Way to innovate, Microsoft.
I'm with you on this one, Mr. Padilla: Fight the Power!
-M
Although, I'm still not going to spend real money on a virtual, meaningless item.
I'm ashamed of the dolly clothing I've already bought for my avatar as it is…..
This is lame. I love how they push the hell out of fps games in the dashboard and violent movies but now you can't have a harmless, worthless replica item of the games they so heavily favor.
Just to play devil's advocate… there are no individual parental restrictions on avatar items.
So… now you have some left wing crazy bitch in some city who finds a few minutes to pry herself away from MSNBC for long enough to go into their son's bedroom to see his avatar dressed like a pimp and holding a golden lancer.
Wouldn't be a problem… but they still want to sell to people who are pro-gun control too.
The games and the movies… have a ratings blocker.
I suppose implementing avatar age restrictions would be a lot more expensive than simply removing guns and gun-like items. Still seems silly to me.
Hey… I'm not saying I agree. But then again, I'm fortunate enough to be a citizen of a country that MS services in which guns are legal. So, I have an inherent bias.
I'm just saying that if I think hard enough, I can formulate a few plausible scenarios where there may be some rationale behind it.