A Newbie Guide

By Alex McLain

Many are the times I've received the following call:

"Hey man, what's going on?"

"Not much, just playing a little Pandora Tomorrow on Xbox Live™."

"Really? Dang, I've got to get that hooked up and give it a try."

Unfortunately, many are also the times that I've fielded calls from the disillusioned Xbox Live player after they get smoked round after round in Halo® 2 or Madden NFL 2005 or Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell® Pandora Tomorrow™ or any other number of other popular Xbox Live titles out there. It seemed to me that my friends were just predisposed to disliking the online experience. I figured it was just the folks I knew, but then I began to pay attention in game lobbies and chatter on message boards, and I saw that legions of would-be online gamers who try out Xbox Live get frustrated or flustered at the experience.

It's a natural reaction, this I know. One thing we gaming veterans must keep in mind is that there are literally millions out there that are experiencing gaming for the first time, or are virtually virgins to the experience. Imagine picking up a controller for the first time and accomplishing absolutely nothing in an online Halo 2 slayer match. You spawn, you die, you spawn, you die, you spawn and run around the corner, and, oh yes, you die. There's nothing fun about that.

With that in mind, I've developed a few tips on how to approach Xbox Live for the first time and have fun instead of becoming embittered at the process.

Unranked is the Way to Go
Every game on Xbox Live is a competitive experience of some sort or another, but there are varying degrees to the severity of that competitiveness. Luckily, there's a quick and easy way to play more relaxed and easygoing gamers that aren't out for blood. Play unranked games. You can do so by selecting Optimatch from the Xbox Live menu and then choose to search for "unranked" or "free" games. Free or unranked games tend to be much more relaxed, as there's nothing really on the line.

What You Know
Let's say you're a casual gamer, but an avid golf fan. It would be in your best interest to introduce yourself to the annals of online gaming with a genre you're comfortable with. You may not have the instinctive controls of the game down, but at least you know it's better to hit the lip of the green and roll it down then to shoot straight for the pin. Your offline, non-gaming knowledge can help narrow the gap between you and your competitors.

Hecklers
Let's be honest. There are a lot of numskulls out there, and you're just as likely to run into them on Xbox Live as you are anywhere else. Online, we refer to them as Griefers, as they seem intent on ruining everyone else's experience. Luckily, Xbox Live offers you an option life doesn't, and that's Mute. Find someone annoying? Go into your options menu in-game and put them on your Mute list. You'll never have to listen to them again. Also, I've known quite a few people who just aren't comfortable talking to random strangers online. There's no real obligation to wear a headset. Don't want to talk or listen to other people jabber on and on? Take off the headset.

Note: Please understand that if you play team-based games, it's important to communicate with your teammates. In those cases, try to find a group of players you're comfortable conversing with, and invite them to join your Friends List. That way, you'll be able to find them easily and invite them to play with you in those team-based matches.

Support!
A lot of people will ask a friend what they need to get on Xbox Live. They'll often get the following response: broadband internet access, a router, and a network cord. Well, chances are it's that simple, but there are always exceptions. Some routers don't work well with Xbox Live, and some ISPs (Internet service providers) are easier to set up with Xbox Live than others. Do yourself a favor and take a few minutes to educate yourself. Visit our Xbox.com Connect page to get all the advice you need.

Multiplayer gaming, especially online gaming, can be a little daunting to the uninitiated, and it's a horrible shame that so many people have (unnecessarily so) been frustrated out of the experience. If you keep these tips in mind and approach the experience with an open mind, you're likely to discover (and enjoy) a whole new world of entertainment.

Cheating, Banning, Feedback

Alright, Xbox Live™ members. It's time for a refresher course on online cheating, banning, and feedback. Make sure you know what's expected of you online … and what's at stake if you don't abide by the rules.

Just what is considered cheating?
In a nutshell, we consider cheating to be the act of manipulating or interfering with aspects of the game or networking to give yourself or your team an unfair advantage.
 
The variety of modem/bandwidth cheats that are taking place online are absolutely considered cheating. All of these are done with the sole intention of exploiting bugs in the game code or taking advantage of basic elements of networking in order to screw your opponents. We have different ways of identifying people who practice certain types of cheats, and depending on what it is you do, you will be punished in a variety of ways.

How do players actually get banned from Xbox Live?
Players who find their Gamertags banned from Xbox Live have wound up in that situation due to violations of the Xbox Live Terms of Use. The Xbox Live team monitors players for not just cheating, but also for things like threats, racism, profanity, and just being an all around poor sport and ruining the game for others.

When a Gamertag comes up as violating our policies for online behavior, the person who owns that Gamertag is punished by being banned from the service. Keep in mind, this isn't just a ban on a particular game. This is a ban on the Xbox Live service as a whole, so you won't be able to go online at all during your ban. Initially, you may be banned for a day, a week, or depending on severity, permanently! Kiss that $50 goodbye.
 
What kind of stuff would get me suspended?
A good rule of thumb is to follow the Xbox Live Code of Conduct. This is a list of dos and don'ts for the Xbox Live community, and it will give you a good idea of what is acceptable on the service.

Please keep in mind that it's not just cheaters that get banned from Xbox Live. Jerks that spew racial slurs, shout profanity, threaten other players, and generally create an unpleasant environment on Xbox Live are all subject to potential bans.

How much evidence and data does Xbox Live need to support a ban or suspension?
It's important to point out that just one piece of negative feedback from that ticked off person you just owned on Lockout won't get you banned from Xbox Live. While I won't say how much feedback it takes to get banned, remember that the Xbox Live in-game feedback system has been successfully used for more than two years across hundreds of titles. Using a variety of tools and reports, we are able to confidently stand behind the actions we take to create a stronger Xbox Live community.
 
"It wasn't me!" What if someone was cheating using my account?
How many times have we heard that? Maybe people should not let their "little brother" or "friend" on their Xbox Live account. You should protect your Xbox Live account with the same level of security that you protect your e-mail account with. You would be pretty ticked off if someone sent e-mail from your account, wouldn't you?

A lot of people don't know this, but you can protect your Xbox Live account with a pass code that's triggered when you go to sign into Xbox Live. All you need to do is turn on your Xbox without a game, go to Account Management, and choose Pass Code.
 
Now you've got me scared. How can I avoid being suspended or banned?
Just follow the rules. Some people throw all social graces out the window when playing, but they need to realize that there are consequences for bad actions. If you and your team play fair, then you'll have uninterrupted gaming pleasure on Xbox Live.
 
"It wasn't me!" part 2: What if my Clan cheats but I don't?
Clans that cheat are subject to the same punishments as individual players; however, we won't necessarily be banning every player in a Clan. First piece of advice: If you're in a Clan that cheats, get out of it. No sense being dragged down and potentially banned because you're in a game where they start cheating.

Players who repeatedly cheat while playing for a Clan are subject to all the various penalties listed above. The Clan itself can also be removed from the score boards. And, don't think you can just create a new Clan. We look at the Gamertags within the Clan itself and act accordingly.
 
What should I do if I've been the victim of a cheater?
First off, please make sure your opponent actually cheated. As much as it may suck to be beaten, just because you lost doesn't mean the person cheated.

The more important thing you should do is leave in-game feedback for the player(s) you caught cheating. To do this, simply go to your Recent Players tab, select the player, and choose Leave Feedback. This also applies to anyone who has threatened you, spewed racial slurs, etc. The Xbox Live team monitors this feedback, and it will lead to offenders being banned.

Why don't game publishers just "fix" the game to stop the madness?
Hey, great idea! Publishers do work on potential solutions to some of the issues being encountered online. But, please keep in mind that the very nature of the Internet makes it impossible to ever completely stop someone who knows what they're doing from creating a poor game experience for others. Between potential game updates and stricter punishments, we will continue to work to alleviate the problem of cheating and help improve the Xbox Live community.

Cheaters suck, but racists are worse. How do I deal with them?
Use the Xbox Live in-game feedback to report them! This behavior is not tolerated on Xbox Live and is a violation of the Terms of Use.

Now, play nice.

Major Nelson
Director of Programming for Xbox Live