Now you know why Nintendo uses friend codes...

This is bullshit, and one of the reasons why i brought a fucking ps3 over the 360. I mean seriously, WHAT THE FUCK MS!! I hate live with all of the goddamn frat boys, 14 year old dick heads and jizzfucks. *end rant*

@FLASHBAK, yes youre right, there is no reason for him/her(maybe) to announce his/her sexuality, but the real question is what does it tell you about the live community in general. The person in question was simply using the freedom of speech, a god given right for goodness sake, the live community are real asshats, yes you do get your asshats on psn, but, for real, the ratio is a LOT less, the online aspect is inferior to that of LIVE without a shadow of a doubt. That I admit, however, I'd accept that if it meant
not dealing with fuckheads everytime I wanted to play online, which it does.

@5DIGIT
Exactly,talk about double standards

people have already seen things the way I see em especially trevor and Sterling but I'll just give my opinion another shout.

I think the only ones doing anything wrong here are the users that complained, M$ is only keeping up with their customers and well as its been said before what do you expect when you put thing like GAYESTgamer or FATTESTgamer? It's the same thing as when chicks with cleavage get mad because people ar staring at their tits, well don't wear a big fucking cleavage end of problem.

I honestly think it's just as much a case of people reporting the name because they think it's homophobic. I have these two friends, they're brothers, and they're not gay, but their Gamertags are aGayAccountant and aGayDoctor. Which they had to change from aGaySomethingElse, twice. Each. They think it's funny.

So I can imagine seeing somebody with the name theGAYERgamer and thinking, "Man, I really wish people would stop making fun of gays." And then yes, I would probably report him.

I personally hate it when people purposefully display their sexuality/gender/race/ect online. I really don't care about the personal lives of people on Live or PSN. As some other people have said, I believe this guy was just asking for it. He just wanted attention.

The bigger issue here is how the customer service reps deal with reported names. It seems that after a certain number of reports, the user is automatically banned. I don't think that is the best way to deal with these types of situations. The report system is often abused by the numerous kids on Live.

The guy is a stupid attention whore, there is no need to call attention to his sexuality like that, all it does is bring about more assholes, he was asking for it.

Well, technically, he indeed was asking for it.

Yes, it is unfair. Labeling and all. But it is also the guy's own fault, at least a bit.

As for XboXLIVE, couldn't care less. FPS crowds are always degenerates. (Exceptions still apply.)

I read a few of the comments, but I am certainly not going to read them all, so I apologise if this has already been said, but I think they banned the name because it would be taken as offensive from the GAY community, not the straight one.

And the word "gay" is taboo. It would be like if I called myself "The <ethnic slur> Gamer". Even if I was that particular ethnic group, the name would still be banned.

While on a personal level I'm not a fan of it, I see why MS did what they did. With a name like that, you're really just asking for trouble.

I'm glad to see the feedback system working. I don't find his name offensive, but if others did they have the right to leave feedback for it. It's not bigotry, if anything the community spoke and didn't like your name. MS listened to the majority, end of story. But I forget that when it comes to homosexuality anything done against homosexuals(regardless if it has anything to do with their sexuality) is looked upon as a form of hate and bigotry.
Also, the idiot who brought up "free speech" needs to read a fucking book and realize when and where free speech rights apply.

@ARTTEMIS
I hate to tell you this, but Xbox Live is not intended for all ages. You're not supposed to be able to get an account on there unless you're 17 or 18 (I forget) with your own credit card. It's fucking idiot parents who let their kids get on their and drive the prepubescent population up.

Oh look, lots of comments.

I hate fags that feel the need to around labeling themselves like this, just pushes the retarded notion that being gay and being a gamer are somehow at all relevant to eachother. If you need to present your sexual preference as some part of your identity like that, I have no respect for you. Not saying he shouldn't be able to do it, but it's just as dumb as any other number of retarded labels out there people put on themselves.

Either that or he's just a drama whores looking for press like this.

@Samit Sarkar: The hive mentality strikes again. Though I don't agree with Savages (possible, don't know him personally) homophobic stance, he has every right to say it and think it.

@Jim Sterling
The term "homophobe" is ridiculously misused. I am not "afraid" of gay people, I just disapprove of their behavioral choices. Perhaps there are people like me(actually there are millions like me) who don't think that it is necessary to broadcast one's sexual orientation. I agree with Microsoft's stand....and no, I don't think that makes them "afraid"(phobic) of homosexuals. Just like if I put "Heterosexualgamer" as my gamertag...it would be inappropriate because my identity as being straight has no place in a gaming community. Don't worry though, if Microsoft bans my new tag, I won't say they are "heterophobes"...because that would be plain...gay. Yeah, political correctness is stupid...a language system engineered by progressive liberals to try to curb freedom of speech. "Homophobe" is a classic, overused PC term. Thankfully, PC is dying a well-deserved death in our culture.

@I_Hate_This_Place: Ha, I noticed that. ;D

The guy wasn't banned, he just has to change his name. Is it stupid? Yes. Does this mean ZOMG MS SUPPORTS GAYBASHERS ORGANIZE A BOYCOTT!?!?!! No. They apparently got enough complaints that it became an issue. Whatever the motivation behind those complaints, they were from other paying customers of XBL. XBL is a commercial service. You aren't guaranteed the constitutional right of free speech on it or protection from the opinions of morons. If MS says "Sorry, people complained about your name, you have to change it" then either change it to something that won't piss off stupid people or stop giving MS money and quit.

When I used to play WoW, I had to change my name from "Mxyzptlk" because people complained about it. I changed my name, didn't cry on the internet about how I was being attacked for being a comic book nerd, and somehow managed continue living my life.

Also, some people need to learn what political correctness is. What Microsoft did, THAT is political correctness, not the people who think banning the name was lame.

Wow, ignorance is alive and well. To those who felt that reporting sexuality was not necessary. Is it necessary to not report your sexuality??

This is not something I would do, as I'm sure it's not something a lot of people would do, but I respect someones right to do it.

@Holiday, possibly one of the more fucked up comments I've ever read. I don't want to put words into your mouth, but what exactly are you insinuating about gay people?? Sorry if I read your comment wrongly, but if you would like to reword it, I'll happily listen.

Hay, this is Microsoft. Open-minded thinking doesn't exactly come standard.

@Respectable Gentleman

I assume you're just trolling, but I would go further and say that the difference is that gay people are indulging in a consenting relationship/partnership between adults and are not breaking the law. Also, pedophiles are aroused by children, which is not what I understand of the definition of someone who is gay. I don't agree that it's only 'morals' that stop them wanting to interfere with children. Or do you believe all amoral people are aroused by children??

I also doubt that being gay is something that is still defined as a sexual deviance any more than having a thing for blondes is.

Since when was a reference to homosexuality the equivelant of naming yourself after a sexual organ or acts like suitable to be discussed around younger gamers?

You ever think that, homosexual or not, the gamer tag was just meant to be cute and silly? And yet it's been compared to using derogatory negro terms or body part?

Since when was Destructoid full of so many idiotic bigots? *rolls eyes*

@ GARESON
I wouldn't call Destructoid "edgier" than Joystiq or Kotaku. I'd usually call it "smarter". I'd usually called it's reader-base smarter too.

I highly doubt most of us care about your extremely short-sighted belief that anything that discussed bigoted stupidity is "immature", and your self-absorbed intellect is infinitely more childish and self-serving than you propose Jim's article to be.

Apparently, gamers (and Destructoid) don't have the right to discuss broader, more niche (and possibly controversial in more PC-centric individual's minde) subjects? Last time I checked, that was the whole appeal of Destructoid.

Mind you, that doesn't change the rather depressing ignorance of poster claiming that calling yourself ihaveaPUSSY, BIGdickJOHSON, or NIGGERbitchWHORE is somehow equivelant to user the term gay in your gamertag.

Since when was it a derogatory term, might I ask?

"Sorry, Jim, myself and many do see homosexuality as a behavior and not as a genetic predisposition...and there are plenty of studies to back that up as I am sure you probably know."

Just like there are plenty of studies that "back up" the claims that videogames make people violent killers -- let's not hang on the words of the "research" too much, yeah? Just because "you and many" people think homosexuality is a choice doesn't make it true. Speaking from experience, I can tell you it's not something one just wakes up one morning and decides. No gay person says "I think today is the day I will like penis." It doesn't work like that.

"I guess all of those researchers are "ignorant" too...just because they disagree with Jim Sterling. Interesting."

There are "researchers" who "prove" the opposite as well. You can find a study for everything, so I tend not to use it in arguments. Makes a man look like he's on Fox News.

"Also, sorry...you have political correctness wrong. PC is always driven by a liberal agenda. Therefore, MS banning a name lauding homosexuality is hardly an action of political correctness...thankfully it is a strike back against it."

Do you have "research" that backs up these claims? Part of political correctness is labeling a term socially unacceptable. That is what MS has done. The idea that MS scored this heroic blow against political correctness is rather silly.

"Jim, with your choice of articles to write I am continuously amazed by your immature desire to focus on anything that stirs of social controversy surrounding videogames. I am not sure if you really see this as your niche at destructoid or whether you are just acting out to receive attention as a child might. Whether it's you beating up on Christians or chastising MS for banning a pro-gay gamertag, you seem to go out of the way to turn destructoid into your own personal soapbox of socio-political commentary. Honestly, I think people mainly come to this site for information about videogames, not to have offensive social views(at least offensive to a good portion of people) thrust upon them."

And we can't escape a discussion without a personal dig at my body of work, can we? It just wouldn't be a guy arguing against Jim Sterling if that wasn't the case, right? I don't even need to take this one apart. My readership speaks for itself -- plenty of people that come here for my work, but you keep speaking for everybody, please.