Microsoft Xbox's Community Guidelines Now Explain 'Acceptable Trash Talk'

'Looking for some new sick burns to throw out at other players on Xbox Live? Microsoft's got you covered,' reports Motherboard:
In its new community standards, published this week, the company's got some examples of acceptable trash talk, including gems like:
- Get destroyed. Can't believe you thought you were on my level.
- That was some serious potato aim. Get wrecked.
- Only reason you went positive was you spent all game camping. Try again, kid.
- Cheap win. Come at me when you can actually drive without running cars off the road.
- That sucked. Get good and then come back when your k/d's over 1....

'We get it -- gaming can be competitive and interactions with other players can get heated,' the community standards state. 'A little trash talk is an expected part of compe titive multiplayer action, and that's not a bad thing. But hate has no place here, and what's not okay is when that trash talk turns into harassment.' Microsoft defines acceptable trash talk as 'light-hearted banter or bragging' that's focused directly on the game and 'encourages healthy competition.' Harassment is 'negative behavior that's personalized, disruptive, or likely to make someone feel unwelcome or unsafe...'

For breaking the rules, players can expect consequences, but Microsoft is hesitant to call it a punishment 'We're not out to punish, but rather to protect everyone's experience,' the standards note. For every 'corrective action' -- which the standards state could be a suspension, or a restriction on the ability to send messages or stream live -- Microsoft wants its players to learn from their mistakes; players will be welcomed back to the community to prove they've changed their ways, the company says. But that doesn't mean every abusive gamer will be welcomed back into the fold. Repeat offenders or particularly severe abuse will garner a permanent suspension, the standards state, which requires the profile owner to 'forfeit all licenses for games and other content, Gold membership time, and Microsoft account balances.'

Read more of this story at Slashdot.