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Racism On XBox Live!
By: Avinash Bali   |   Apr 10, 2007
Racism has and will always be rampant in society, as we know it, and it is present in nearly all walks of life, but this social evil has unfortunately even made its way to the world of video games where gamers who were once discriminated on the basis of their skill are now being discriminated on the basis of their ethnicity. Racism in the online arena has existed right from the Diablo days but now with the advent of Xbox Live it’s gotten a lot worse thanks to the headset and mike that actually allow gamers to talk to one another. Don’t get me wrong here; I’m not blaming Microsoft (we’ll come to that a bit later) as Xbox Live is an incredible (albeit NOT FREE) tool that allows you to interact with your gamer friends as well as gamers around the world but due to certain retards who love misusing this facility, it has become a rather unpleasant experience for some.


If you own an Xbox 360 I’m sure you appreciate the importance of this headset as it allows you to constantly co-ordinate with other gamers adding a whole new dimension to gameplay. Unfortunately in recent times racism has become so rampant that most people would rather not use the mike unless and until they’re playing with their friends or people of the same community, which totally sucks, since these guys have paid for the console as well as their Live connection so why shouldn’t they be entitled to speak their minds. Why discriminate or stereotype them just because they talk in a way that’s different than yours? Tons of Americans find our Indian accents hilarious but do you have any idea of how much crap they talk while playing? Just the other day I was playing some GRAW MP online when some kid decided to share with us his rendition of Avril Lavigne’s Complicated (I swear I would have hunted him down and killed him like a dog if he lived here). If that’s not enough, you’ll constantly hear them whine like a bunch of bitches and don’t even get me started on the "Oh ma Gawd!" phrase which is used 10,000 times per second.

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I'm a member of 360i too
Good article and i suggest u try and put this on xbox.com(if its possible)

i get it taunted quiet a lot
europeans are nice people
some of them think i'm british and the some who check my GT don't really mind if i'm indian
some americans are cool too
but majority of them just start layin the insults once they check my GT or can't pick up my accent
and they go like "Dude why r u in India,dont u like have elephants runnin in ur streets","An indian playing gears of war?","i didnt think 360's existed in india","Woh an Indian leading the score sheets,this is embarassing"

Some americans though are nice to talk to and they hate people like the ones who said that stuff above
BTW i luv whippin racist c0cky americans anyday
especially in burnout and gears of war
PJmegax(360indians) @ May 07, 2007
Great article man but we cant debate with all retards put there. The best solution so far is to let them live in their drowning economies and change games or maps. Racism cant be tackled either online or in Rl.Let the rednecks rant. Now u know a word u can call them too
umesh @ Apr 16, 2007
@the_buildre (dude spelling's wrong)

Yeah anytime bud! bring it on :)
Teh_Architect @ Apr 15, 2007
Nice article nash!
Lakshaya (Diablo IV) @ Apr 15, 2007
hey nash,

great article!!

since one of my quotes made it into ur article, it must be stressed that these are isolated incidents and the people that make such comments are a small minority...on the whole, most players are quite friendly (of course u will be kicked if u bring lag to their games, but that has nothing to do with racism)....sam



peace
Sam @ Apr 15, 2007
awesome article nash...!! very well written..!!

well, its tough to think what actually can be done to stop all this....the only thing tht can be done is to educate and civilize the people of these countries....the problem is tht they are very advanced technologically and economically, but at the end of the days, as human beings, they are still uncivilized....and im not sure tht anything can be done to fix it...

even if MS started banning these ppl, how long does it take to make a new GT....!! so i doubt tht anything much can be done...!! but still, i appreciate yr effort in bringing forward what is happening....
vee-en @ Apr 15, 2007
Nice article. But as it was pointed out in the first comment by Shubham, this should be reported to Microsoft. I mean, yeah those kids (or grown-ups) abroad are bad and ignorant, but nothing can be done unless it is reported to the authorities. If you follow football (soccer), in Europe there have been some positive steps to wipe put racism.

Video games are a type of sport and if steps are taken, racist behavior can be banned, even though it takes place in Xbox Live Underground. So, this has to be reported to Microsoft.

Tech2 does interview the higher level authorities at Microsoft, how come it has never posed this question to them? There are many organizations abroad who are working against racism. Even they can be alerted and I am sure they would do something about that.
Jester @ Apr 15, 2007
awesome article nash!
Umang @ Apr 14, 2007
"Tons of Americans find our Indian accents hilarious" - you are right...

Those people should visit Bangalore and see how a house keeping person talks in SIX human languages including English. for so many generation Americans speak English - the simple language. so do it in style accent. But India, you can find different dialect of same language for every 200KM-300KM. So don't worry on ethnic /racism problem. some take birth to promote racism as their purpose of their birth. ignore them
Sundaram @ Apr 13, 2007
he's done a good job of highlighting this racism issue in a new world order where internets and video games rule....but avinash you and us both can do more abt this we should contact microsoft india .it is a virus which has to be controlled its gonna spread like t-virus in resident evil...they should keep some punishments for gamers anybody heard abusing over live...two days ban from playing games online and if it continues more severe punishments.....
m @ Apr 13, 2007
These are our people's mind..duwan or afraid to voice out your feelings? what you want to scared of? stop being losers and rise up and fight those indiscriminates. How long you people want to let they stomp your heads? Or do u like it? stop the accept and try get along mentality

This post is for noobies and losers.

-Malaysian Indian-
Kesh @ Apr 13, 2007
Hmm..kinda irritated when read those white guys crappy talks..yet sad felt like handicapped since we cannot do anything..as u said, just beat them nicely so they will realize who is the hero n zero..and they could be mocking, insulting, and humiliating because you guys are strong (they probably scared of you guys) ;p

-Malaysian Indian-
Kesh @ Apr 13, 2007
Teh_Architect...You are a bloddy Wannabe....i second the British dudes comment that they deserved 9/11....
RoGUE | PapaYA @ Apr 12, 2007
Its like the case of the pot calling the kettle black.
Avinash Bali's hatred towards the racist behaviour that he has been the bearing the brunt of, has turned him into a racist. He doesnt seem to know it yet though.

Its very sad that a good site like tech2.com will publish, nay, endorse viewpoints of such foul mouthed racists.

Very sad indeed.

- Dr. A. Chandran
Dr. A. Chandran @ Apr 12, 2007
12-04-2007 Chinese dominated places, starting with Hongkong, are
the most racist places/countries against indian people. In Hongkong
they "literally" spit on Indians, as any indian living there in private
(in public he/she won't say so). This Hutch-Essar investment in India
violates all laws ,rules,regulations of India including those of DoT,FIPB etc, delibratelypre-planned and preschemed. Its investment in India should be abrogated and in License to OPERATE
CANCELLED; and company merged with MTNL. MTNL should reimburse the investment made to Li Ka-Shing and others at cost.
You all women jointly protest to GoI to this effect. I once happened
to run into a Gujarathi prof that was with his 12 year(about) old son
and told him I'm from Hongkong. He said "that's the place hate ind
james @ Apr 12, 2007
@ and killed him like a dog if he lived here

Do I find a Racism in this article !
Badri @ Apr 12, 2007
You are very true my friend!
The day a middle class person is able to afford unlimited internet, India would rule the online world. There are much potent gamers here who just can't afford to show their talent and power "online"
boy @ Apr 11, 2007
@Teh_Architecht

If you find a handle called sore_loser, you will know the sulking face behind that.

Catch you online.

Teh_Buildre
Teh Buildre @ Apr 11, 2007
@ Teh_Architecht

First of all this isn't a forum but you get top marks for observation either way. And secondly my aim with this article wasn't to garner pity, but to warn people that racism does exist online and it isn't very pleasent. If you did read the article, you'd also come accross the part where I did "ruffle back", but once again that wasn't the point.
Avinash Bali @ Apr 11, 2007
DAIYUM...the world has gotten rotten. Racial abuse, as it seems from the comments given below, have become a part of everyday life and no one seems to care abt it. And when someone tries to surface this issue, he gets as lesson in "Living with it".

It seems there is no room for tollerence anymore. I might sound like a geek or a nerd or a guy who hasnt seen the world or something, but COMMON, isint there a limit?
Praveen @ Apr 11, 2007
Gosh! i have been a indian gamer since i was 12 yo and been playing online since 17. im 26 now and when someone tries to ruffle me, I ruffle them back....i dont hold it in and cry it out on a forum. Im surprised you even attract an audience to this naive and superficial draft which is so misguided by your ineptitude, insecurity and low self esteem. Its people like you that make me sick to the bones. BTW I have been in US for past 5 years and I have all American buds and while gaming guess what? "Anything goes"
My one advice to you: "Dude, wake up and grow up"
Teh_Architect @ Apr 11, 2007
@ sTrikEzErO

Every one's entitled to their opinion but the impression I get from your comment is that you're trying really hard to appear clever by psycho-analyzing this article. I am not trying to be accepted; I am merely highlighting the predicament that tons of people face online. Maybe you should wake up and smell the grass yourself; if you can afford a decent net connection i.e....
Avinash Bali @ Apr 11, 2007
Why do u care what they think anway man? Retarted minds need to create stereotypes as they can't handle reality. You should avoid falling into the trap as well by stereo-typing all westerners based on behaviour of a few juvenline gamers. Why adopt their failings?

Also - regarding another comment made here, complaining to authorities is a childish, whiner-like response, IMHO. At best you'll spend unneccesary time and energy on some morons not important enough to deserve it.

Either grow a thick skin, learn to dish out as good as you get or stop playing. sTrikEzErO's perception of India is obviously flawed, but he does give one good peice of advice - "Stop taking rants from kids living thousands of miles away and play with the kids next doo
g @ Apr 11, 2007
The impression I get after reading this article is that the author is a pseud, a wannabe, someone who wants to get accepted but cannot live with the fact that he IS from a 3rd world country and cant afford a decent net connection. he/she is a racist, albeit not overt.

Leave your Xboxes. Stop taking rants from kids living thousands of miles away and play with the kids next door. Live in the real world.
sTrikEzErO @ Apr 11, 2007
Yes even i experienced d same situation..when im askin ma doubts they didnt bothered refused to talk wid me & told me to quitd game. also they ignored me on gamez.

then onwards i stopped playin quickmatches n all.
now only playin wid my freds i know on live.
their language is very much vulgar dat i cant x-plain.

if i found them beside me i wil kick on their buns which wil make come shit frm their mouth
Prashant @ Apr 10, 2007
Man this is really serious y dont u guys contact xbox.com with the details and with testimonials from actual victims.And if they dont take it seriously contact some site like ign or gamespot I am sure someone wud find ataker for this disgusting incident
Shubham @ Apr 10, 2007
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