Yesterday, August 15th, Microsoft presented its newest penalty system for the Xbox. Based on strikes, each infraction committed by the player will result in tags on his profile.
Each infraction will give a different number of strikes and when reaching 8, the player is suspended for one year from the Xbox online system. However, it seems that some users believe that 8 strikes is a high number, claiming that Microsoft would be hitting these users' heads and hurting those who play correctly.
Ryan McCaffrey, editor of IGN, commented:
Certainly Phil Spencer had to sign off on the new Xbox Penalty System. Phil, why does it take EIGHT strikes to get banned for a year? Here's why this doesn't make sense to me, in Xbox's own words:
“In 2022, less than 1% of all players received a temporary suspension, and only 1/3 of them received a second.”So if less than 1% of players are the problem, ruining the experience of other players, then why on earth are they getting so many slaps on the wrist before being kicked out for a year? In my opinion, the one-year ban should occur after a MAXIMUM of five strikes. Eight is just penalizing the rest of us well-behaved people who are there to have fun while playing by the rules.
Responding to criticism, Phil Spencer, Division Head of Microsoft games, that the system was designed to create a good environment for players who behave. In addition, the system will continue to be tweaked based on feedback received.
Thanks for the feedback. The penalty system is designed to empower players and create a good environment for people who follow the rules. Strikes are awarded based on the severity of the actions and may result in more than one strike per violation.
The feedback is helpful and I'm sure we'll want to continue tweaking the system. Visibility into how the system works along with the transparency reports we release will allow people to see our progress and how the systems are working. It's an important topic.
Under the new penalty system, getting 1 strike results in a 1-day suspension; 4 strikes for 7 days; 7 strikes for two months; and 8 strikes for 1 year. Strikes are cumulative and remain on the profile for a period of 6 months before expiring.