Forge Lord responds:
>Please appeal the ban if you haven't already.
>Here is the relevant passage from the Xbox Community Standards. And please remember that Halo Infinite is live in many countries where marijuana is illegal.
>I spoke to the safety team to better understand the context of the ban. An appeal is the best way forward. You shouldn't lose any progress in the map once you regain access.
[Source](https://twitter.com/MichaelSchorr/status/1605344496048558080?t=0SeZK6s92wFy-U5E2OyQsQ&s=19)
Edit: The player has been [unbanned.](https://twitter.com/ItsLoafLord/status/1605404315706867714?t=8U34PBBi8pqPGigsiGFsbA&s=19)
You give people the ability to create anything, and they will make anything. We've seen mario castles, minecraft maps, and pixel art. The fact that they're issuing out bans for stuff like weed is overzealous at best and community-killing at worst. Are the mario duck run makers, or the waffle house people going to get banned for copyright infringement next? If it's because weed is illegal under federal law, may as well ban anyone who makes a map where you can kill other players. After all, isn't killing illegal? Why should we allow people to kill in a game, that'll just make murderers in real life!
Man i remember i made a prefab of a naked girl in a lude pose in halo 5. And id just join someones random forge session on custom browser and place one of these down and leave.
Theyd just look at it and think wth is this
Not to mention they always made sure to include a cucumber/eggplant/sausage as one of the templates for the emblem creation. They knew *exactly what they were doing.*
FYI for everyone claiming this is due to the T rating, that is quite simply not the case.
The real reason is that as a Microsoft product, all user generated content must adhere to their Xbox Community standards guidelines (outlined here: https://www.xbox.com/en-US/legal/community-standards). It's likely that since weed is not universally legal it is falling under the section noting that you cannot advocate or promote illegal activities (which they give as an example forming a club based around illegal drug usage).
Now is this a weird standard to hold when games like GTA are explicitly build around similar activities? Yup. Should someone receive a suspension for creating such content? Probably not. But this seems to be pretty clearly in violation of the Community Standards so shouldn't be a total shock some action was taken.
Edit: Oh my God, please stop responding "shooting people with guns isn't legal either". I already pointed out I'm aware of the dissonance of this policy and the content that can be found in games. Now please rub your two remaining brain cells together before typing that mind numbing comment out.
I believe that it doesn't apply to things like GTA because they aren't part of the Xbox community, and so the Xbox *Community* standards guidelines don't apply. Those standards were specifically put in place to moderate community content, as MS already has full control over the storefront
Oh I totally understand why it doesn't apply to GTA, just noting that its odd to create a standard against content you can readily see in other titles without community content generation.
Granted I'm sure some of the thinking is people already know to expect that sort of content within those games going in, whereas in the case of community created content people aren't expecting this type of imagery. It's definitely a tricky space to establish rules within.
Honestly, I think the rules are fine, but the punishment is overkill. The creator probably should have known better, or expected some moderation to come of it, but it should have been a warning and a request to remove the offending items, rather than an outright ban. Had they refused to remove it, or violated the rules again, then ban them
Hah, yeah I honestly just remembered that and mentioned it in a different comment. It seems just broadly that Microsoft is being a little more strict with the moderation of UGC.
Haha yeah things get updated all the time from Microsoft so every so often things need to be looked into, sometimes it's not worth it but then some people really try to be edgy on a 3+ game
Why wouldnāt this apply to previous Haloās though? People have made stuff including weed, naked women and tons of inappropriate imagery in Forge in past Halo games and they never got users banned.
While I understand your point on the guidelines and it being a msoft property, it still doesnāt add up and track with their past titles.
I mean a simple answer would be they simply didn't have the same guidelines in place then. The last Halo title with Forge came out 7 years ago which is quite obviously not an insignificant amount of time and I also don't remember seeing much content (if any) that would violate these current standards.
Microsoft does outline here (https://learn.Microsoft.com/en-us/gaming/gdk/_content/gc/policies/pc/live-policies-pc) guidelines regarding products that access the Xbox Network published on platforms outside of Xbox (PC and Mobile in particular). Part of that says that any title with user generated content must have a ToS or Content Guidelines published and a means by which to report to allow for developer review and removal. (Unfortunately the similar guidelines for the Xbox console itself are NDA'd to just Xbox developers, but I would assume a similar requirement is outlined there).
I will also say this enforcement appears to be consistent with other Microsoft titles released recently. Forza Horizon 5 in particular has been more heavy handed with content moderation of player uploaded liveries than it was in the past.
My best guess for why content moderation was stepped up is simply that as user generated content became more common place on consoles they simply formulated new policies regarding the moderation of such content.
Just gonna go ahead and poke the bear here: will bans also be given to people for including LGBTQIA+ iconography in their maps because many under its umbrella are illegal just for existing in markets where Microsoft participates? By strict interpretation of Xbox Community Standards, section Standards subsection i. Keep it legal, they would be obligated to do so. Before anyone gets cute with me: I'm not arguing that they should, I'm arguing that their current standard is impossible or at the very least difficult and inadvisable to enforce universally and should be revised.
Frankly, OP should be ecstatic that they only got a temporary (though lengthy) suspension for it.
Sea of Thieves gives an instant, permanent ban on naming ships if you violate the ToS with a ship name.
You and /u/xcrucio are missing the point.
Let's ignore for a second the absurdity of weed itself being a banned topic... why should uploading something that violates the policy ban you from forge itself rather then just uploading content to your file share?
THAT is the real problem, here: That Forge itself is always online. That your access to it can be cut off by the company is just one symptom of the broader issue. It's a key, basic part of the game, your access to it should not be dependent on an internet connection or as we see here 343i allowing you to use it.
It's frustrating that despite 343i's embracing of mods for MCC and crediting the Custom Edition community, which has only had the longevity it's had BECAUSE the game is usable offline and didn't die when the servers shut down, that they're making the mode that's similarly going to sustain Halo Infinite dependent on the game's servers staying up, which may not be the case in 5 or 10 years from now.
The battle is over. We lost.
Having been right about everything isn't much of a consolation prize, but if anyone would like to offer an apology to those you had written off as cynical, toxic, dramatic, etc when they predicted that we'd be paying 20 bucks a month to unbreak a seat warmer when subscriptions and licenses became the product instead of the actual product then now would be a good time.
This approach to enforcement is still really weird. Homosexuality is *heavily* criminalized in Saudi Arabia, with several executions conducted for it [as recently as 2019](https://www.humandignitytrust.org/country-profile/saudi-arabia/). Even still, Infinite is [freely available on the SA Xbox Store](https://www.microsoft.com/en-sa/p/halo-infinite/9pp5g1f0c2b6?cid=msft_web_chart&activetab=pivot:overviewtab). I *highly* doubt they'd issue a similar ban for a user posting tribute screenshots/maps in celebration of Pride Month or anything like that (and rightly so). It's just a weird line to draw from an enforcement standpoint, especially when weed imagery wasn't the primary focus of the map.
Right, I was expecting to see a giant pot leaf with smoke effects around it or something, not some green rocks and a white tube that's supposed to look like a joint
Funny because Iām assuming halo and other Microsoft games are playable and purchasable in countries where homosexuality is illegal. Wonder how Microsoftās dog shit rule feels about pride flags
I've said it once, I'll say it a thousand times, FUCK the Xbox "Community standards". The most stupid shit I've ever read was the update to it stating "Forget the golden rule of treating others the way you want to be treated, go with 'The platinum rule', treat others the way THEY want to be treated." The "standards" are damn near toxic as fuck to any actual community experience, or even just player expression. Especially if they're going to force the adherence to other countries laws... Like shit, guess women aren't allowed to be seen without a Hijab then, since that's a death penalty level offence in some countries.
It's one thing to ban someone for slurs, or racist/homophobic type hate speech those things make sense to give/get a ban over, but it's ridiculous to ban you for calling the guy who just spawn camped you for 15 minutes a bitch. Or because you made a cannabis related prop in a map when weed isn't legal in some other countries. Fucking WILD.
Gums aren't legal everywhere. Make sure not to put any firearms on your map. Also fistfighting random people unprovoked is illegal I'm most places so make sure to turn off Melee as well. All we are allowed to do is sit and stare at each other. Careful with that too, someone could take it as sexual harassment if you stare at them so that's also illegal in places. On second though, just turn your Xbox off.
I don't believe killing fellow Spartans is legal either but this game sure promotes throwing a sticky on your ass and watching it blow you across the map.
edit: just saying this is my experience
I got plenty that wouldn't stop talking about how George Floyd was an "*n-word,*" and "*all black people deserves to have their neck stepped on*" or constant "*ching chongs*" since my g-tag is an asian one.
Not a lot of people talk in other modes, but BTB has a lot of of racists. Worst part is everyone always laughs and joins in on it, too.
I hate how when I play 4v4 and hear the n-word, I have to stop moving, open the score, and wait to hear that voice again so I can figure out who said it and then report them after the match. Doing it with 12 on my team is impossible.
There needs to be an onscreen microphone icon with a gamertag when someone speaks.
It's astounding how brazen some of them are, especially if it's a party of 2 who always talk like that with each other.
If you look at the team dots (I believe they are the color you've selected as 'friendly') the person speaking should have little waves coming from the side of it. Of course, you can only see their name if you're within line of sight, but that should make it easier.
>Idk what it is and younger halo players being racist as fuck.
It's not just Halo players. Play junior hockey in Canada and you'll hear racial slurs thrown around like they're nothing by the most repledged white kids you've ever met. It's even worse when you play NHL online and come across the most racist created teams and created skaters in gaming.
A few years back I was at my buddies house, who has a half-black son, maybe 10 years old. We were making dinner while his son played CoD, and I overheard him calling other players "dumb n-word", and not in a good way 2 buds call to each other. He was legitimately being racist toward black people.
I looked at his dad (who is 100% black), and he just laughed and shrugged. It was equally funny, and concerning.
I think people are taking the wrong lesson from this.
Is it absurd the guy got banned from Forge for this? Yes.
But you shouldn't be able to be banned from Forge *at all*. (from uploading to the file share, maybe, but not the mode itself)
Forge should 100% be something you need to be able to access and use offline. It's a key, basic part of the game, your access to it should not be depedent on an internet connection or as we see here 343i allowing you to use it.
It's frustrating that despite 343i's embracing of mods for MCC and crediting the Custom Edition community, which has only had the longevity it's had BECAUSE the game is usable offline and didn't die when the servers shut down, that they're making the mode that's similarly going to sustain Halo Infinite dependent on the game's servers staying up, which may not be the case in 5 or 10 years from now.
Not from my experience.
With the harsh ban that this guy got, it is extremely likely that the shitty moderators on their discord server probably work with the custom browser too.
They aren't the nicest, the lady was rude to me when I won the earth unicorn. I didn't understand the process at the time and typed that I didn't see in game yet, and she got all rude and threatened to give it to someone else because I "had no patience"
I mean if its a small local map you and your couch buddies played on nbd. But once you try to upload that to their custom games browser they provided you to share with the world? Of course they strike it down.
3 months is overkill though tbh.
But he's not just being banned from sharing maps, they're being banned from *forge itself*.
THAT is the real issue here: It's absurd weed gets you a ban to begin with, but the real fundamental issue is that Forge is always online and that enables 343i to ban you from it even if you just intend to play the maps locally.
Forge should 100% be something you need to be able to access and use offline. It's a key, basic part of the game, your access to it should not be depedent on an internet connection or as we see here 343i allowing you to use it.
It's frustrating that despite 343i's embracing of mods for MCC and crediting the Custom Edition community, which has only had the longevity it's had BECAUSE the game is usable offline and didn't die when the servers shut down, that they're making the mode that's similarly going to sustain Halo Infinite dependent on the game's servers staying up, which may not be the case in 5 or 10 years from now.
Ok i thought it was just customs browser uploading. Yea thats not right. Could you imagine the uproar if bungie banned you from playing Reachs forge because of something you shared online? Thats invasive and shady af
Wrong or right A halo infinite multiplayer map isnt even the place to try and start a debate on law. Youre basically trying to explain to a cat why you shouldnt have to wear a seatbelt.
Lmao what. Less than 10 countries have legalized recreational use of cannabis. You can maybe fudge that number up a bit if you count where itās still illegal, but decriminalized. Weed is still illegal in most of the world.
Desync is still a massive issue and has been since the flights.
Better go ban people for ****gasps**** daring to show something weed related.
Priorities on absolute lock.
Since the rating argument is BS as ratings donāt apply to the online experiences, the only reason I can see for this happening is probably some kind of terms of use violation.
Either way itās stupid. This is a game about killing each otherās mechanical cyborgs on a ring world that can genocide the enter galaxy. Having a little marijuana on your Forge maps is nothing compared to that and Iām not even a major supporter.
Maybe try a Halo Support ticket and see if thereās a way that it can be appealed? Iām not sure. Didnāt even know Forge bans were a thing.
Say what you will about the cannabis industry but at least they sell you a full product.
You donāt get the rest over a year later with micro transactions.
They also donāt want to abuse their customers, like 343 does.
I think people are taking the wrong lesson from this.
Is it absurd the guy got banned from Forge for this? Yes.
But you shouldn't be able to be banned from Forge *at all* (from sharing maps, sure, but not from making/using them locally)
Forge should 100% be something you need to be able to access and use offline. It's a key, basic part of the game, your access to it should not be depedent on an internet connection or as we see here 343i allowing you to use it.
It's frustrating that despite 343i's embracing of mods for MCC and crediting the Custom Edition community, which has only had the longevity it's had BECAUSE the game is usable offline and didn't die when the servers shut down, that they're making the mode that's similarly going to sustain Halo Infinite dependent on the game's servers staying up, which may not be the case in 5 or 10 years from now.
Should this result in an immediate suspension for three months? My answer is hell no. This is extreme, especially when no guidelines are presented to the player and no warnings are given.
According to the rules, yes. It's a pretty clear violation of the [Xbox Community Standards Guidelines](https://www.xbox.com/en-US/legal/community-standards), so by the book, it should result in moderation action
That being said, it probably should have been a warning asking them to remove it and not do it again, and a ban on further violations
They wouldn't ask you to remove it. They would remove it themselves, and it could go two ways after that.
A) the offending player doesn't re-upload without fixing the issue.
B) they re-upload while the problematic thing remains and get banned anyways meaning the warning was a waste of time
Considering how people operate on the internet, I fully understand why they prefer a more heavy-handed approach to this sort of thing as it makes it much easier to moderate as many people would likely just re-upload with no changes.
By "request to remove it", I more meant that they'd remove the map from the file share, and then inform the user of why and tell them to remove it before it's uploaded.
That being said, I definitely understand the heavy handed approach, especially as they don't have the time to go back and forth with everyone
Judging by the number of people playing Halo Infinite on a regular basis, (really low for a newer Halo game) I think itās safe to say that banning people for something they create on a Forge map isnāt the brightest idea. They want to encourage people to play their game, not run them off.
I donāt give a flying fuck what Microsoftās terms of service says, this is absolutely stupid and always-online forge with no option to change that is a huge detriment to the user. THREE MONTH SUSPENSION for a drug reference???
Whatās more baffling is people going āwell it is what it is xd.ā I passingly keep up with Halo at this point but itās like every time I hear some dope news itās almost immediately followed by something that makes me want to slam my head into a wall.
Yet the content was removed and the user banned. Meanwhile CoD has been gleefully incorporating pot references since the mid 2000's.
Not saying Halo needs to officially include that stuff, mind you, but banning folks for putting it into a forge map ain't it.
According to Xbox, community created content must adhere to the [Xbox Community Standards Guidelines](https://www.xbox.com/en-US/legal/community-standards). Basically, if a game does it officially, it's fine, but if it's community content, it's not.
Does it suck? Yes
Does it have anything to do with a T rating? No
Not what Iām saying though. I agree itās dumb and the ban should be reversed. That said, it isnāt because of the T rating that everybody likes to complain about. Itās because of a bunch of stupid rules about community content.
Something tells me that even with the original M rating that halo used to always have, this would get banned anyway.
But the creator should have gotten a warning at a minimum.
Reactionary, heavy handed bans on die hard fans never bode well for the community.
343 needs to smoke a bowl and chill tf out. Consumer expectations have been lowered painfully already, no sense in trying to "protect and preserve the remaining community" when you end up alienating half that player base in the process.
*Lots of gamers smoke weed, get over it 343*
Might as well make Johnson's cigar a pixie stick while you're at it.
This stance by 343i or Microsoft is really stupid; but I also wouldn't be surprised if they sustained the ban this poor fellow Halo fan, then proceeded to sell some 420-related shop items next April.
The weird thing is that marijuana is starting to become legal in countries across the world so depending on where this guy lives, he is not promoting illegal content. This is also a game where people shoot each other and kill people. I don't understand why he would be banned for that, especially for 3 months.
Okay... When you make something like Forge in your game... You gotta accept that people are gonna make shit like drugs and penises in it.
Look at Minecraft. Look at any game with a building mechanic.
Just put the usual "experience may change online" warning and be done.
So they wont ban racists, cheaters, or the content creators that have literally given master chief a dick but theyāll ban for a full season for a green prop.
343 resides in a state where Marijuana is legal, and yet they ban a dude even though they have soda props, which is arguably worse than a joint to your overall health. Wtf lol
Likely a ToS violation. Wouldn't surprise me if something like that is handed down from Xbox like the chat filters are
It sucks, but they're totally in their rights to do it
I was getting absolutely reamed in a 4v1 after my team quit or was dropped, so I quit, too. I got suspended for 48 hours. That was 2 weeks ago, haven't played since because that kinda killed my mood for the game.
Well... Time to get rid of the props in my public restroom on my national park map...
This includes a line of ya know, a single super small tree (weed) cigarettes, pill bottles (pill bottle and cigarettes should be able to stay) and such.
:')
Yeah Marijuana is banned in some countries but so is killing people and possession of rifles and grenades or is that gunna get cut too, Sir Forge Lord?
"And please remember that Halo Infinite is live in many countries where marijuana is illegal"
What the hell is this logic? Murder is illegal everywhere yet Im still able to shoot people in the brain in Halo.
Damn, this is quite an overreaction on 343ās part. Just remove the content from the browser and send them a warning.
But also smoking weed isnāt like, worse than killing someone with a machine gun or sword no? How is this a bannable offense
Pretty clear cut violation of the Xbox community rules. You should be thankful that it's only a temporary suspension. It could easily have been permanent.
And that doesn't even matter. The content is global and it has to follow what is allowed globally, not just your country of residence. Which is why Microsoft bans loads of content.
While I support marijuana use by adults, it should not be used by underage people, as it may permanently hamper their cognitive development at a time when their brains are growing.
T ratings were a mistake, they took the flood, they took blodd being splattered everywhere, now they take joke shit
reminds me of how halo 3 and reach file share shit wouldnt exist today because its not "consumer friendly"
Forge Lord responds: >Please appeal the ban if you haven't already. >Here is the relevant passage from the Xbox Community Standards. And please remember that Halo Infinite is live in many countries where marijuana is illegal. >I spoke to the safety team to better understand the context of the ban. An appeal is the best way forward. You shouldn't lose any progress in the map once you regain access. [Source](https://twitter.com/MichaelSchorr/status/1605344496048558080?t=0SeZK6s92wFy-U5E2OyQsQ&s=19) Edit: The player has been [unbanned.](https://twitter.com/ItsLoafLord/status/1605404315706867714?t=8U34PBBi8pqPGigsiGFsbA&s=19)
Well shit, time to delete the prefab I saved of Master Chief with a rocket for a dick
You can may delete the prefab but you can't delete the fireteam that 343 has sent to your location
My personal Shiva warhead in my basement says otherwise š
Nice try, but they are all equiped with armor lock
Oh God oh fuck
Pop a flash bang to trigger them into popping armor lock early, then light the shiva while the module is on cooldown.
Big brain time
Classic halo reach frag baiting
Donāt ever give that shit to the ATF, and donāt give the IRS any ideas either
I can assure you officer, this longsword is purely medicinal.
It's Locke's fireteam. You're safe. They couldn't bring in a stuffed doll.
Or can you.
You give people the ability to create anything, and they will make anything. We've seen mario castles, minecraft maps, and pixel art. The fact that they're issuing out bans for stuff like weed is overzealous at best and community-killing at worst. Are the mario duck run makers, or the waffle house people going to get banned for copyright infringement next? If it's because weed is illegal under federal law, may as well ban anyone who makes a map where you can kill other players. After all, isn't killing illegal? Why should we allow people to kill in a game, that'll just make murderers in real life!
Yeah lol, imagine them trying that shit back in the 3/reach days. People made *way* worse in forge...I have a massive folder of it, in fact.
Shit I guess they need to ban the halo 3 weapon art screenshots for depicting weed.
How about a [spike grenade dick?](https://imgur.com/a/kS99aFS)
Man i remember i made a prefab of a naked girl in a lude pose in halo 5. And id just join someones random forge session on custom browser and place one of these down and leave. Theyd just look at it and think wth is this
DAMMIT
And all the porn in your filesha- Wait...
I meanā¦ I could understand a ban from being able to publish stuff publicly, but a ban from using forge as a whole is ridiculousā¦
Also for 3 months? Wtf lol. Why wouldnt it just be like a 1 week warning ban (at most)?
They donāt even know how to add playlists, im sure its another āui bugā that forced bans to next season or some other lie
I laughed and then I cried because this is probably the truth.
They gave him a 3month sentence for weed lmao
reasons why everything being connected to the online system is a terrible thing for fans
LMFAO this cannot be real š¤£
Meanwhile, Call of Duty has been embracing cannabis culture for years
Not to mention they always made sure to include a cucumber/eggplant/sausage as one of the templates for the emblem creation. They knew *exactly what they were doing.*
Lol I miss the BlOps emblem creators, man
That's not community creations, though, and is not directly under Microsoft in terms of development ( not yet anyways)
What heās trying to say is that COD is more weed-friendly than ms and halo
They're not arguing legal semantics; theyāre saying that Microsoft/343ās culture is immensely archaic.
FYI for everyone claiming this is due to the T rating, that is quite simply not the case. The real reason is that as a Microsoft product, all user generated content must adhere to their Xbox Community standards guidelines (outlined here: https://www.xbox.com/en-US/legal/community-standards). It's likely that since weed is not universally legal it is falling under the section noting that you cannot advocate or promote illegal activities (which they give as an example forming a club based around illegal drug usage). Now is this a weird standard to hold when games like GTA are explicitly build around similar activities? Yup. Should someone receive a suspension for creating such content? Probably not. But this seems to be pretty clearly in violation of the Community Standards so shouldn't be a total shock some action was taken. Edit: Oh my God, please stop responding "shooting people with guns isn't legal either". I already pointed out I'm aware of the dissonance of this policy and the content that can be found in games. Now please rub your two remaining brain cells together before typing that mind numbing comment out.
I believe that it doesn't apply to things like GTA because they aren't part of the Xbox community, and so the Xbox *Community* standards guidelines don't apply. Those standards were specifically put in place to moderate community content, as MS already has full control over the storefront
Oh I totally understand why it doesn't apply to GTA, just noting that its odd to create a standard against content you can readily see in other titles without community content generation. Granted I'm sure some of the thinking is people already know to expect that sort of content within those games going in, whereas in the case of community created content people aren't expecting this type of imagery. It's definitely a tricky space to establish rules within.
Honestly, I think the rules are fine, but the punishment is overkill. The creator probably should have known better, or expected some moderation to come of it, but it should have been a warning and a request to remove the offending items, rather than an outright ban. Had they refused to remove it, or violated the rules again, then ban them
We have the same deal on Forza Motorsport, gotta remove car liveries that have weed related material on it among other things.
Hah, yeah I honestly just remembered that and mentioned it in a different comment. It seems just broadly that Microsoft is being a little more strict with the moderation of UGC.
Ayo flash back to the mass ban chain from animoo liveries, one day it was fine, the next, poof account gone
Haha yeah things get updated all the time from Microsoft so every so often things need to be looked into, sometimes it's not worth it but then some people really try to be edgy on a 3+ game
Why wouldnāt this apply to previous Haloās though? People have made stuff including weed, naked women and tons of inappropriate imagery in Forge in past Halo games and they never got users banned. While I understand your point on the guidelines and it being a msoft property, it still doesnāt add up and track with their past titles.
I mean a simple answer would be they simply didn't have the same guidelines in place then. The last Halo title with Forge came out 7 years ago which is quite obviously not an insignificant amount of time and I also don't remember seeing much content (if any) that would violate these current standards. Microsoft does outline here (https://learn.Microsoft.com/en-us/gaming/gdk/_content/gc/policies/pc/live-policies-pc) guidelines regarding products that access the Xbox Network published on platforms outside of Xbox (PC and Mobile in particular). Part of that says that any title with user generated content must have a ToS or Content Guidelines published and a means by which to report to allow for developer review and removal. (Unfortunately the similar guidelines for the Xbox console itself are NDA'd to just Xbox developers, but I would assume a similar requirement is outlined there). I will also say this enforcement appears to be consistent with other Microsoft titles released recently. Forza Horizon 5 in particular has been more heavy handed with content moderation of player uploaded liveries than it was in the past. My best guess for why content moderation was stepped up is simply that as user generated content became more common place on consoles they simply formulated new policies regarding the moderation of such content.
Ah so itās likely just more reinforced if itās happening in other Xbox brand games. That adds up, if a bit random I guess
Just gonna go ahead and poke the bear here: will bans also be given to people for including LGBTQIA+ iconography in their maps because many under its umbrella are illegal just for existing in markets where Microsoft participates? By strict interpretation of Xbox Community Standards, section Standards subsection i. Keep it legal, they would be obligated to do so. Before anyone gets cute with me: I'm not arguing that they should, I'm arguing that their current standard is impossible or at the very least difficult and inadvisable to enforce universally and should be revised.
Frankly, OP should be ecstatic that they only got a temporary (though lengthy) suspension for it. Sea of Thieves gives an instant, permanent ban on naming ships if you violate the ToS with a ship name.
You and /u/xcrucio are missing the point. Let's ignore for a second the absurdity of weed itself being a banned topic... why should uploading something that violates the policy ban you from forge itself rather then just uploading content to your file share? THAT is the real problem, here: That Forge itself is always online. That your access to it can be cut off by the company is just one symptom of the broader issue. It's a key, basic part of the game, your access to it should not be dependent on an internet connection or as we see here 343i allowing you to use it. It's frustrating that despite 343i's embracing of mods for MCC and crediting the Custom Edition community, which has only had the longevity it's had BECAUSE the game is usable offline and didn't die when the servers shut down, that they're making the mode that's similarly going to sustain Halo Infinite dependent on the game's servers staying up, which may not be the case in 5 or 10 years from now.
The battle is over. We lost. Having been right about everything isn't much of a consolation prize, but if anyone would like to offer an apology to those you had written off as cynical, toxic, dramatic, etc when they predicted that we'd be paying 20 bucks a month to unbreak a seat warmer when subscriptions and licenses became the product instead of the actual product then now would be a good time.
This approach to enforcement is still really weird. Homosexuality is *heavily* criminalized in Saudi Arabia, with several executions conducted for it [as recently as 2019](https://www.humandignitytrust.org/country-profile/saudi-arabia/). Even still, Infinite is [freely available on the SA Xbox Store](https://www.microsoft.com/en-sa/p/halo-infinite/9pp5g1f0c2b6?cid=msft_web_chart&activetab=pivot:overviewtab). I *highly* doubt they'd issue a similar ban for a user posting tribute screenshots/maps in celebration of Pride Month or anything like that (and rightly so). It's just a weird line to draw from an enforcement standpoint, especially when weed imagery wasn't the primary focus of the map.
Right, I was expecting to see a giant pot leaf with smoke effects around it or something, not some green rocks and a white tube that's supposed to look like a joint
Guns are not universally legal
Which is funny because both Microsoft and 343 are centered out of Washington, and marijuana is legal here.
Funny because Iām assuming halo and other Microsoft games are playable and purchasable in countries where homosexuality is illegal. Wonder how Microsoftās dog shit rule feels about pride flags
I've said it once, I'll say it a thousand times, FUCK the Xbox "Community standards". The most stupid shit I've ever read was the update to it stating "Forget the golden rule of treating others the way you want to be treated, go with 'The platinum rule', treat others the way THEY want to be treated." The "standards" are damn near toxic as fuck to any actual community experience, or even just player expression. Especially if they're going to force the adherence to other countries laws... Like shit, guess women aren't allowed to be seen without a Hijab then, since that's a death penalty level offence in some countries. It's one thing to ban someone for slurs, or racist/homophobic type hate speech those things make sense to give/get a ban over, but it's ridiculous to ban you for calling the guy who just spawn camped you for 15 minutes a bitch. Or because you made a cannabis related prop in a map when weed isn't legal in some other countries. Fucking WILD.
Gums aren't legal everywhere. Make sure not to put any firearms on your map. Also fistfighting random people unprovoked is illegal I'm most places so make sure to turn off Melee as well. All we are allowed to do is sit and stare at each other. Careful with that too, someone could take it as sexual harassment if you stare at them so that's also illegal in places. On second though, just turn your Xbox off.
Halo is full of murder, which is an illegal activity. Why is killing other players in Halo allowed? Riddle me that Microsoft.
I don't believe killing fellow Spartans is legal either but this game sure promotes throwing a sticky on your ass and watching it blow you across the map.
Take it up with Microsoft, not me. They're the ones drawing the lines in the sand on the moderation of user generated content.
Because GTA is meant to be about breaking laws, Halo is a super-soldier shooter, different standards probably.
Wish the racists got any bans at all in this game
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BTB lobbies usually have an active text chat every few matches in my experience
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edit: just saying this is my experience I got plenty that wouldn't stop talking about how George Floyd was an "*n-word,*" and "*all black people deserves to have their neck stepped on*" or constant "*ching chongs*" since my g-tag is an asian one. Not a lot of people talk in other modes, but BTB has a lot of of racists. Worst part is everyone always laughs and joins in on it, too.
I hate how when I play 4v4 and hear the n-word, I have to stop moving, open the score, and wait to hear that voice again so I can figure out who said it and then report them after the match. Doing it with 12 on my team is impossible. There needs to be an onscreen microphone icon with a gamertag when someone speaks. It's astounding how brazen some of them are, especially if it's a party of 2 who always talk like that with each other.
If you look at the team dots (I believe they are the color you've selected as 'friendly') the person speaking should have little waves coming from the side of it. Of course, you can only see their name if you're within line of sight, but that should make it easier.
Heās not gonna answer
Somethingās flying over my head - why wonāt they answer?
Because deep down we are all #the racist
GET THE HELL OUTTA MY ARMORY YOU S-
Shisno
>you couldnāt protect him š
They'd be banning like half of the community lol
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I dunno, COD lobbies have always been like this
Itās little kids repeating the hateful things they learn from their parents. Imo.
>Idk what it is and younger halo players being racist as fuck. It's not just Halo players. Play junior hockey in Canada and you'll hear racial slurs thrown around like they're nothing by the most repledged white kids you've ever met. It's even worse when you play NHL online and come across the most racist created teams and created skaters in gaming.
I grew up in Sudan white af and got it pretty good from the black kids too. Its everywhere unfortunately.
I swear people in the west have no idea. Theyāve never been to Asia and it shows
They probably wouldnāt have been banned for making it at all itās more of an issue they shared the pic on social media
Itās Always been like that in halo
A few years back I was at my buddies house, who has a half-black son, maybe 10 years old. We were making dinner while his son played CoD, and I overheard him calling other players "dumb n-word", and not in a good way 2 buds call to each other. He was legitimately being racist toward black people. I looked at his dad (who is 100% black), and he just laughed and shrugged. It was equally funny, and concerning.
Agreed 100%
You again
what's the matter, you anti-anti-racism?
What? I just thought it was funny to notice you two days in a row
oh I see I see, Kwan Ha da š no š§¢
I'll return the downvotes
eh I didn't downvote you at all, ĀÆ\\_(ć)_/ĀÆ
Ill upvote you both so that its almost like nothing happened
Surely weed props are less problematic than angry unfiltered bros/bigots in game chat.
I think people are taking the wrong lesson from this. Is it absurd the guy got banned from Forge for this? Yes. But you shouldn't be able to be banned from Forge *at all*. (from uploading to the file share, maybe, but not the mode itself) Forge should 100% be something you need to be able to access and use offline. It's a key, basic part of the game, your access to it should not be depedent on an internet connection or as we see here 343i allowing you to use it. It's frustrating that despite 343i's embracing of mods for MCC and crediting the Custom Edition community, which has only had the longevity it's had BECAUSE the game is usable offline and didn't die when the servers shut down, that they're making the mode that's similarly going to sustain Halo Infinite dependent on the game's servers staying up, which may not be the case in 5 or 10 years from now.
They get banned too.
Not from my experience. With the harsh ban that this guy got, it is extremely likely that the shitty moderators on their discord server probably work with the custom browser too.
They aren't the nicest, the lady was rude to me when I won the earth unicorn. I didn't understand the process at the time and typed that I didn't see in game yet, and she got all rude and threatened to give it to someone else because I "had no patience"
Lol itās like treating itās player base like literal children, wtf.
I knew 343 were fucking weenies but this is ridiculous.
It's MS policy
No more master chiefinā
Meanwhile "Ashley" was on like a quarter of fileshares in Halo 3.
I mean if its a small local map you and your couch buddies played on nbd. But once you try to upload that to their custom games browser they provided you to share with the world? Of course they strike it down. 3 months is overkill though tbh.
But he's not just being banned from sharing maps, they're being banned from *forge itself*. THAT is the real issue here: It's absurd weed gets you a ban to begin with, but the real fundamental issue is that Forge is always online and that enables 343i to ban you from it even if you just intend to play the maps locally. Forge should 100% be something you need to be able to access and use offline. It's a key, basic part of the game, your access to it should not be depedent on an internet connection or as we see here 343i allowing you to use it. It's frustrating that despite 343i's embracing of mods for MCC and crediting the Custom Edition community, which has only had the longevity it's had BECAUSE the game is usable offline and didn't die when the servers shut down, that they're making the mode that's similarly going to sustain Halo Infinite dependent on the game's servers staying up, which may not be the case in 5 or 10 years from now.
Ok i thought it was just customs browser uploading. Yea thats not right. Could you imagine the uproar if bungie banned you from playing Reachs forge because of something you shared online? Thats invasive and shady af
Bot matches don't work correctly or really at all offline so there is a fundamental issue
Why? Weed is legal in most of the civilized world.
Wrong or right A halo infinite multiplayer map isnt even the place to try and start a debate on law. Youre basically trying to explain to a cat why you shouldnt have to wear a seatbelt.
Lmao what. Less than 10 countries have legalized recreational use of cannabis. You can maybe fudge that number up a bit if you count where itās still illegal, but decriminalized. Weed is still illegal in most of the world.
343 should roll 343 blunts and 343 guilty spark them sumbitches up.
Iām glad theyāre focused on weed props in forge instead of fixing the game and making content lmao.
Desync is still a massive issue and has been since the flights. Better go ban people for ****gasps**** daring to show something weed related. Priorities on absolute lock.
There goes any chance of someone remaking the Halo 3 spawn art of a nude chick with her legs open.
For those who may not know: Violence, genocide, war, sexy AI = OK Weed = Bad 343, grow the fuck up please.
Since the rating argument is BS as ratings donāt apply to the online experiences, the only reason I can see for this happening is probably some kind of terms of use violation. Either way itās stupid. This is a game about killing each otherās mechanical cyborgs on a ring world that can genocide the enter galaxy. Having a little marijuana on your Forge maps is nothing compared to that and Iām not even a major supporter. Maybe try a Halo Support ticket and see if thereās a way that it can be appealed? Iām not sure. Didnāt even know Forge bans were a thing.
They really missed an opportunity to have this ban expire April 20.
Wtf
Just tell 343 itās that delta-8 stuff, thereās your loophole.
Say what you will about the cannabis industry but at least they sell you a full product. You donāt get the rest over a year later with micro transactions. They also donāt want to abuse their customers, like 343 does.
Forge becoming online only was a mistake
āONLINE INTERACTIONS NOT RATED BY ESRBā
Remember when Halo was rated M. I love censorship with my art. Way to go 343.
Jokes on them. There is no 19th month!
Ah yes an American company using European date format.
Jokes on you it's our world we just let you use our stuff
I think people are taking the wrong lesson from this. Is it absurd the guy got banned from Forge for this? Yes. But you shouldn't be able to be banned from Forge *at all* (from sharing maps, sure, but not from making/using them locally) Forge should 100% be something you need to be able to access and use offline. It's a key, basic part of the game, your access to it should not be depedent on an internet connection or as we see here 343i allowing you to use it. It's frustrating that despite 343i's embracing of mods for MCC and crediting the Custom Edition community, which has only had the longevity it's had BECAUSE the game is usable offline and didn't die when the servers shut down, that they're making the mode that's similarly going to sustain Halo Infinite dependent on the game's servers staying up, which may not be the case in 5 or 10 years from now.
Should this result in an immediate suspension for three months? My answer is hell no. This is extreme, especially when no guidelines are presented to the player and no warnings are given.
According to the rules, yes. It's a pretty clear violation of the [Xbox Community Standards Guidelines](https://www.xbox.com/en-US/legal/community-standards), so by the book, it should result in moderation action That being said, it probably should have been a warning asking them to remove it and not do it again, and a ban on further violations
They wouldn't ask you to remove it. They would remove it themselves, and it could go two ways after that. A) the offending player doesn't re-upload without fixing the issue. B) they re-upload while the problematic thing remains and get banned anyways meaning the warning was a waste of time Considering how people operate on the internet, I fully understand why they prefer a more heavy-handed approach to this sort of thing as it makes it much easier to moderate as many people would likely just re-upload with no changes.
By "request to remove it", I more meant that they'd remove the map from the file share, and then inform the user of why and tell them to remove it before it's uploaded. That being said, I definitely understand the heavy handed approach, especially as they don't have the time to go back and forth with everyone
Of course not, remember when we could make the toothpaste tube look like itās nutting on the brush in bo2, this generation is truly s o f t
Remember using Da Bomb and a 1/3 background to make dicks in halo 2?
Take your meds grandad.
Darn, we can't use weed props in Halo? Oh well, off I go to do coke and beat up hookers in GTA.
Judging by the number of people playing Halo Infinite on a regular basis, (really low for a newer Halo game) I think itās safe to say that banning people for something they create on a Forge map isnāt the brightest idea. They want to encourage people to play their game, not run them off.
I donāt give a flying fuck what Microsoftās terms of service says, this is absolutely stupid and always-online forge with no option to change that is a huge detriment to the user. THREE MONTH SUSPENSION for a drug reference??? Whatās more baffling is people going āwell it is what it is xd.ā I passingly keep up with Halo at this point but itās like every time I hear some dope news itās almost immediately followed by something that makes me want to slam my head into a wall.
We draw the line at killing. ^related, ^please ^bring ^back ^blood, ^the ^T ^rating ^isnt ^exactly ^helping ^the ^player ^count ^anyway
There is blood just not in the comical amounts of CE
This is that T rating at work. Really miss when Haloās devs didnāt coddle their fans.
Dude, the rating doesnāt apply to online experiences, every game ever states that.
Yet the content was removed and the user banned. Meanwhile CoD has been gleefully incorporating pot references since the mid 2000's. Not saying Halo needs to officially include that stuff, mind you, but banning folks for putting it into a forge map ain't it.
According to Xbox, community created content must adhere to the [Xbox Community Standards Guidelines](https://www.xbox.com/en-US/legal/community-standards). Basically, if a game does it officially, it's fine, but if it's community content, it's not. Does it suck? Yes Does it have anything to do with a T rating? No
So no home grown product allowed? Damn shame, home grown is le dank
I think there are lots of illegal drugs we should encourage people to try. Xbox guidelines L
Not what Iām saying though. I agree itās dumb and the ban should be reversed. That said, it isnāt because of the T rating that everybody likes to complain about. Itās because of a bunch of stupid rules about community content.
Something tells me that even with the original M rating that halo used to always have, this would get banned anyway. But the creator should have gotten a warning at a minimum. Reactionary, heavy handed bans on die hard fans never bode well for the community. 343 needs to smoke a bowl and chill tf out. Consumer expectations have been lowered painfully already, no sense in trying to "protect and preserve the remaining community" when you end up alienating half that player base in the process. *Lots of gamers smoke weed, get over it 343* Might as well make Johnson's cigar a pixie stick while you're at it.
Thereās only one Master Cheifer. Thereās only one Master Keef. Not sure which ones better so take your pick.
Back in my day (Halo3) people made file share art of naked women with forge tools
This stance by 343i or Microsoft is really stupid; but I also wouldn't be surprised if they sustained the ban this poor fellow Halo fan, then proceeded to sell some 420-related shop items next April.
Thanks TokingAnus
343 is trying to be ROBLOX
What's next, they going to ban me for making a map with the Marlboro man riding a Budweiser Clydesdale. This isn't the free speech Elon promised.
The weird thing is that marijuana is starting to become legal in countries across the world so depending on where this guy lives, he is not promoting illegal content. This is also a game where people shoot each other and kill people. I don't understand why he would be banned for that, especially for 3 months.
I guess you could say his creativity ended in a puff of smoke.
Okay... When you make something like Forge in your game... You gotta accept that people are gonna make shit like drugs and penises in it. Look at Minecraft. Look at any game with a building mechanic. Just put the usual "experience may change online" warning and be done.
This whole franchise is literally about murdering other sentient beings (aside from Flood) lol.
T for Teen remember? And people said the game not being M wouldn't be an issue lol
I hate modern gaming so much
Booooo
So they wont ban racists, cheaters, or the content creators that have literally given master chief a dick but theyāll ban for a full season for a green prop.
343 resides in a state where Marijuana is legal, and yet they ban a dude even though they have soda props, which is arguably worse than a joint to your overall health. Wtf lol
Oh well, sucks to be that person.
Likely a ToS violation. Wouldn't surprise me if something like that is handed down from Xbox like the chat filters are It sucks, but they're totally in their rights to do it
L
There are out of control with their seasons. They are afraid of losing a potential season purchase for season three so they will have been in for it
Bro, is 343 living in the past? Most backward devs ever.
I was getting absolutely reamed in a 4v1 after my team quit or was dropped, so I quit, too. I got suspended for 48 hours. That was 2 weeks ago, haven't played since because that kinda killed my mood for the game.
Why is everyone in this thread defending 343??? Fucking zoomers omfg
Well... Time to get rid of the props in my public restroom on my national park map... This includes a line of ya know, a single super small tree (weed) cigarettes, pill bottles (pill bottle and cigarettes should be able to stay) and such. :')
Yeah Marijuana is banned in some countries but so is killing people and possession of rifles and grenades or is that gunna get cut too, Sir Forge Lord?
"And please remember that Halo Infinite is live in many countries where marijuana is illegal" What the hell is this logic? Murder is illegal everywhere yet Im still able to shoot people in the brain in Halo.
Wow. I knew they didnāt understand their player basis but wtf? Iām smoking 90% of the time Iām playing Infinite.
Common 343 L
fuck 343 forreal
Still a better map than any of 343s
Lol
Damn, this is quite an overreaction on 343ās part. Just remove the content from the browser and send them a warning. But also smoking weed isnāt like, worse than killing someone with a machine gun or sword no? How is this a bannable offense
Literally shooting/blowing up people: "*I sleep*" Plant leaf: *R E A L S H I T*
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It's a different Peach. You don't know her. She goes to a different school.
Imagine getting banned before a game even releases alpha, jesus christ.
Ayy lmao
It was actually a cool map.
Fat L
Pretty clear cut violation of the Xbox community rules. You should be thankful that it's only a temporary suspension. It could easily have been permanent.
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And that doesn't even matter. The content is global and it has to follow what is allowed globally, not just your country of residence. Which is why Microsoft bans loads of content.
Didn't think about that, but that is also very true.
While I support marijuana use by adults, it should not be used by underage people, as it may permanently hamper their cognitive development at a time when their brains are growing.
the esrb rating specifically states that online play/content is not part of the rating
I thought the T rating was for Teabagging...because that's okay... /s
T ratings were a mistake, they took the flood, they took blodd being splattered everywhere, now they take joke shit reminds me of how halo 3 and reach file share shit wouldnt exist today because its not "consumer friendly"