Microsoft's Toulouse explains why swastikas are banned on Xbox Live

4.3
An Xbox Live user recently inquired to professional banhammer-wielder Stephen Toulouse whether or not he could use a swastika as his Call of Duty: Black Ops emblem, to which Toulouse responded, "No, of course you can't, we'll ban you." Apparently, this sparked quite a reaction from gamers who witnessed the exchange, who defended the use of a swastika as a symbol widely used throughout several Eastern religions. In a post on his personal blog, Toulouse explained why this argument doesn't hold much water with the Xbox Live moderation crew.

"Let's be clear: no educated human on the planet looks at the swastika symbol ... and says 'oh, that symbol has nothing at all in any way to do with global genocide of an entire race,'" Toulouse stated, "'and, even if it did, one should totally and reasonably ignore that because it's a symbol that was stolen or coop-ted from religions.'" He succinctly adds, "If you think the swastika symbol should be re-evaluated by societies all over the Earth, I think that's great. Your Xbox Live profile or in game logo, which doesn't have the context to explain your goal, is not the right place to do that."

We certainly know that every time we see someone use the swastika as their identifier on an online game, our first thought is, "Oh, how nice, they're pushing for a global re-evaluation of the meaning of the swastika." Like, that's just common sense, isn't it?

http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/22/microsofts-toulouse-explains-why-swastikas-are-banned-on-xbox-l/

Posted:

Related Articles

Comments

"Microsoft's Toulouse explains why swastikas are banned on Xbox Live" :: Login/Create an Account :: 56 comments

If you would like to post a comment please signin to your account or register for an account.

LukasSkywkrPosted:

So people can't have Swastikas but my friend can have 1 animal raping another?

Boston-BruinsPosted:

Good, they were getting annoying.

-Scars-Posted:

Personally, swastikas just flat our irritate me.
People use them to show their great disliking of Jews, which angers me due to the fact I'm part (2/5ths) Jew.. -.-
I'm glad they are bannable.

Jacob8hockeyPosted:

reapermods its so pathetic you carnt have it online yet they can put it in the campaign they need to sort themselves out

Their game their choices suck it up buttercup.

reapermodsPosted:

its so pathetic you carnt have it online yet they can put it in the campaign they need to sort themselves out

shadow1Posted:

The_Commando
shadow1
The_Commando its funny whoever removes my posts on justice is clearly blind and a complete idiot
swastikas mean peace and happiness but because of hitler it is feared and hated and is never thought of except for killing jews and genocide and


you clearly dont see difference for the one that mean peace and the one that doesnt. see, the one the nazis made, as you can clearly see, is slightly reversed (as in turned). now the once that means peace is not turned and has 4 dots on it. look it up on google "hindu symbol for peace". now the people are making excuses for keeping it the bad way with the peace excuse, even though its turned and has no dots and has the same colors the nazis use. i know that doesnt mean peace. if you want it peace, make the symbol red and the way like i said it with a brown back round. now that means peace.
are you trying to prove something here or are you just making it up as you go along?


im trying to prove to you that there is a difference between the two symbols. but no you want to fight microsoft, knowing that you will loose, to keep you german swastika and make excusese to keep it by saying it means peace or its in nazi zombies. all im asking you is to make it the real way if you want it to be peace.

RedguardstolemehorsePosted:

shadow1
The_Commando its funny whoever removes my posts on justice is clearly blind and a complete idiot
swastikas mean peace and happiness but because of hitler it is feared and hated and is never thought of except for killing jews and genocide and


you clearly dont see difference for the one that mean peace and the one that doesnt. see, the one the nazis made, as you can clearly see, is slightly reversed (as in turned). now the once that means peace is not turned and has 4 dots on it. look it up on google "hindu symbol for peace". now the people are making excuses for keeping it the bad way with the peace excuse, even though its turned and has no dots and has the same colors the nazis use. i know that doesnt mean peace. if you want it peace, make the symbol red and the way like i said it with a brown back round. now that means peace.
are you trying to prove something here or are you just making it up as you go along?

BribePosted:

ohh this my be why my friend got banned lol its so stupid better take my swastika off

Jacob8hockeyPosted:

Noahboi808
Jacob8hockey
Noahboi808 Ya KOHE in Hawaiian means **** , And your not cool at all hangover is a dumb*** movie you f***n Scrub !


So much for ignoring and not posting back?
Fail?

Noahboi808Posted:

Jacob8hockey
Noahboi808 Ya KOHE in Hawaiian means **** , And your not cool at all hangover is a dumb*** movie you f***n Scrub !


Latest Downloads

Latest Tutorials