Xbox Code of Conduct
This document was last updated: November 2005
The Code of Conduct outlines the rules that you need to follow to ensure that Xbox Live and Xbox.com are fun for everyone.
What not to do:
- Don't
use Xbox Live or Xbox.com to do anything illegal. Microsoft is not
responsible for anything you say on the service/website or for anything
that happens because of what you say; you alone are responsible.
- Don't harass, abuse, or spam other players.
- Don't scream, yell, threaten, or stalk other players.
- Don't
distribute, post, publish, upload, disseminate or discuss defamatory,
infringing, obscene, sexual or other unlawful materials like child
pornography or illegal drugs including images, audio, video, or text.
- Don't post links to websites that violate the Code of Conduct.
- Don't
give out information that personally identifies you (such as your real
name, address, phone number, credit card number, etc.) while you're
playing. This includes voice chat and the names you create for your
gamertag or mottos. This information could be used by other players for
illegal or harmful purposes. Also, don't give out the personal
information of other players.
- Don't create a gamertag or motto
that other users may be offended by, this includes comments that look,
sound like, stand for, hint at, abbreviate, or insinuate any of the
following: profane words/phrases, sexually explicit language, sexual
innuendo, hate speech (including but not limited to racial, ethnic, or
religious slurs), illegal drugs/controlled substances, or illegal
activities.
- Don't create a gamertag or motto that references
controversial religious topics, notorious people, organizations, or
sensitive current or historical events that may also be considered
inappropriate.
- Don't cheat in a game unless cheats have been deliberately enabled.
- Don't modify or hack game content to create cheats.
- Don't intentionally play with someone else who is using mods in order to help inflate your rank, also known as 'boosting'.
- Don't
post links to materials that could harm other users' computers or would
allow others to inappropriately access software or Web sites.
- Don't impersonate or harass Microsoft employees, moderators, or staff members.
- Any
non-game-related conversation that takes up a substantial amount of the
forum or chat space and prevents users from finding game-related
information may be considered a violation of the Code of Conduct.
- Don't
use the forums or chats for any commercial purpose without the express
consent of Xbox.com. You may only create an account for yourself as an
individual. You may not create an account for your corporation or other
business entity.
If you violate the Code of Conduct
or the Terms of Use that you agreed to, action may be taken against
your account. Some offenses warrant an immediate account cancellation,
including but not limited to hacking, modding, severe racial remarks,
continued creation of profane gamertags, and posting viruses or URLs to
viruses. In addition, trying to avoid a temporary ban by creating a
string of new accounts may result in a permanent ban on the new user
account and a possible escalation of punishment to the original account
and all related accounts. If you create an inappropriate gamertag you
may be required to change it. If you use an inappropriate motto, we may
delete it and you may be temporarily locked out of your account. If we
are notified that you are abusing the voice feature you may be voice
banned. If we are notified that you have posted inappropriate content
of any kind, it will be removed. Depending on the severity of the
offense, you may even have your account terminated. Microsoft is not
obligated to send you a warning before these actions occur. If you are
banned while participating in a tournament or competition Microsoft
assumes no liability in the loss of any potential prizes or recognition
related to the tournament or competition. Microsoft is not obligated to
monitor every post, but we have the right to remove any post or take
action against any user.
Microsoft reserves the right to remove
at any time, without notice, any user-created content from Xbox Live
and/or Xbox.com. Microsoft reserves the right to immediately terminate
or suspend a user for violations. Microsoft can contact any Internet
Service Provider and provide the ISP with information on illegal
activities.
How can you avoid getting into trouble? That's easy. Just follow the rules.
What you can do:
- Use your friends list to keep track of the people you like to play with.
- On
Xbox 360, choose an Xbox Live Gamer Zone that fits your playing style;
this way you can play with other gamers that like to play the way you
do.
- Take a break or mute a player who makes you angry. If you act out it could be considered harassment.
- Send
negative feedback or file complaints on problem players. Select them
from the player list and choose the Feedback or File a Complaint
option.
- If you find players you enjoy gaming with, put them on your preferred gamers list.
- If you encounter an obnoxious player, you can mute them. Some games even allow the host to boot them from the session.
- If
you're a parent, you can use parental controls settings to turn off
your kids' ability to use the Voice Communicator and their ability to
make online purchases on the Original Xbox. You can use Family Settings
on Xbox 360 to control who your child can play with and how much
interaction they can have with the community.
General Web Site Precautions
Some
areas of Xbox.com may post Internet Web-site links. Please be advised
that Microsoft is not responsible for the content on the Web sites
associated with the links you may view.
Some content and links
on the Internet may contain adult content and may not be suitable for
children. We encourage parents to join their children as they surf and
explore the Internet.
Be sure to reread this document once in a
while because Microsoft will update it periodically. Some games and
events may also have additional guidelines that govern your use, so be
sure to review them as well.
Enjoy the gaming community.
HB
HB's Helpful Support InfoPost are as-is and confer no rights