This week, Microsoft is rolling out a freshly standardized strike-based system setting out tiered enforcement plans for violations of the existing Xbox Community Standards. The intent, Microsoft states, is to give players “clearness into how their habits impacts their experience.” But the system’s time-based “8 strikes and you’re out” guideline and the relative severity of specific sample offenses are currently drawing perplexed comments from some corners.
As detailed in a Tuesday post on Xbox Wire, the new strike enforcement program will enforce more stringent penalties for successive infractions, a system Microsoft says is imitated “demerit strikes utilized in motorist’s license systems in numerous countries.” Succeeding strikes will result in suspensions from Xbox Live for one day to a maximum of 365 days, according to the following scale:
- 1 strike: 1-day suspension
- 2 strikes: 1-day suspension
- 3 strikes: 3-day suspension
- 4 strikes: 7-day suspension
- 5 strikes: 14-day suspension
- 6 strikes: 21-day suspension
- 7 strikes: 60-day suspension
- 8 strikes: 365-day suspension
Not all potential offenses are dealt with similarly under this rubric, though; Microsoft keeps in mind that the number of strikes per enforcement action can “range in severity based upon improper activity”and are” based on the seriousness of [the user’s] actions.”While Microsoft hasn’t published a total list of the number of strikes are connected with each various kind of violation, a sample “User Journey” graphic in the blog post consists of a list of the following “examples of strikes included for each type of action.”
- Blasphemy: 1 strike
- Unfaithful: 1 strike
- Sexually inappropriate: 2 strikes
- Harassment or Bullying: 2 strikes
- Hate Speech: 3 strikes
In an interview with The Verge, Microsoft Player Services Corporate VP Dave McCarthy noted that the old system caused some confusion about why particular violations caused particular lengths of suspension. The brand-new strike-based system, by contrast, “gives players a much better understanding of enforcement severity and the cumulative result of several enforcements,” McCarthy said.
However the relative seriousness of Microsoft’s sample enforcement actions has actually currently drawn some perplexed responses from players. One agent tweet called letting cheaters get away with a single strike “an L for Xbox … yall just letting them get away with [this], huh.”
Strikes are automatically removed after 6 months as well, suggesting occasional offenders who area out small violations could get away with just brief suspensions. As one Reddit commenter memorably put it, “it seems like I can call someone a fucking c * nt when every 4 months and only ever get 24 hour bans.”
