While this seems to indicate a problem in the work environment itself (I'm wary of accepting this until more news has released, but am interested), I still don't see how a company who has all the problems it does on Live can be given that distinction. I understand why they want to keep sexuality away from tags (then you have to police abuse of them), but as Lesbian Gamers recently brought up, it isn't effective.

Slurs are still in place. As you mentioned, straight sexuality can still be mentioned. All it does is reinforce the media trope that to be queer means that one is purely thought of in a sexual basis, something from which our society needs to progress.

I tend to take anything that the Daily Mail says with a pinch of salt…

Re Gamer tags: I think the XBL policy should be applied across the board in reference to sexual orientation being mentioned in one's gamer tag. We either ban all references to sexual orientation in the tags or we allow it for everyone. Right now homosexuals on Live are being unfairly targeted and the XBL team needs to work on fixing that. They are paying customers too. They shouldn't have to feel the need to hide that part of themselves if straight gamers aren't being held to the same standard.

I know it's a delicate issue. But I think this is an opportunity for Live to make the customer experience awesome for anyone who wants to play online.

I'm willing to give Microsoft the benefit of the doubt for the moment until more factual evidence is presented.

I like your blog but I'm a bit disappointed that you would be so quick to label the XBL team as homophobes.

I do think MS needs to look at the XBL user name policies, but words like “gay” and “homo” SHOULD be kept out of tags. Not everyone who wants to use them is going to do it in a positive way or because they're gay and Microsoft shouldn't have to sort through millions of usernames just to catch the one or two appropriate uses.