Xbox LIVE Bans Swastika Black Ops Emblems

The Call of Duty series has been a reliable source of controversy over the last few years, arguably to its favour, but this time nobody's asking developers or publishers to remove potentially offensive material. Instead, Microsoft have put their foot down over a sudden spate of swastika-themed Black Ops emblems, promising to ban those who transgress.

Xbox LIVE's Stephen Toulouse has laid down the law on the matter via Twitter, and later his blog. The Director of Policy and Enforcement was asked for clarification by a player wanting to use the symbol, which is most commonly recognised in the Western world as that of Hitler's Nazi party, as his Black Ops emblem. His reply was to the point:

"Seriously dude? Yes, you will get banned using a swastika as your Black Ops emblem. I don't care if you "just like the design". ... Sorry, this isn’t a debate. The number of people offended by the representation of genocide far outweighs the few who see an innocent symbol."

Despite the finality of the decision, Toulouse has suffered increasing attack from defenders of the swastika, mounting arguments that the symbol has other more positive associations or that the violation of Xbox LIVE's terms of service is part of their nation's right to freedom of speech.

Toulouse has since posted an exasperated reply on his personal blog:

"The Xbox LIVE profile and in game content you create is accessible by everyone. You do not have the context inside of it to explain your long winded contrarian view that your pithy text that violates the Terms of Use or Code of Conduct is actually intended to change people’s minds about a commonly held understanding.

It’s not political correctness, it’s fundamental respect. If you think the swastika symbol should be re-evaluated by societies all over the Earth, I think that’s great. Your Xbox LIVE profile or in game logo, which doesn’t have the context to explain your goal, is not the right place to do that.

... If you see offensive symbols in Call of Duty, Black Ops, report them using the in game option and they will be taken care of. If you want to argue that swastikas are actually AWESOME, go to another forum. On Xbox LIVE they are not allowed."




Personally I cannot imagine wanting to sport any particular icon enough to argue so vehemently for it. Your thoughts?

Swastica = Fine
Elmo = Annoying

Personally, something will only offend you if you let it offend you.

I personally think that having the swastica is wrong. In my point of view it is showing off Hitlers logo and saying its cool, when really, killing millions of innocent people is not 'cool'

Im not offended by it so i dont give a shit.
Its probably the right decision to ban people though.

oUJENo wrote:Im not offended by it so i dont give a shit.
Its probably the right decision to ban people though.

Yeh i agree. Also the Swastika was once a sign for peace, it was only when Hitler and the socialist party came that it all changed

Jackarseboyz wrote:

oUJENo wrote:Im not offended by it so i dont give a shit.
Its probably the right decision to ban people though.

Yeh i agree. Also the Swastika was once a sign for peace, it was only when Hitler and the socialist party came that it all changed

yes exactly there use to be a party in america called the NAZI party up to beginning of ww2 they were a politcal group that hitlers took charge of and changed there views and fucked it up for them apparently they were a pretty successful political group as well

the swastika that the nazi's used is not the same sign as it once was...they turn it around for their use(mirrored it), it used to be a jewish emblem until they did that
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EDIT: The swastika (Sanskrit: स्वास्तिक) is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles, in either right-facing (卐) form or its mirrored left-facing (卍) form. Earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization of India as well as Classical Antiquity. It remains widely used in Eastern religions, specifically in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.
Following a brief surge of popularity in Western culture, the swastika from the 1930s became strongly associated with its iconic usage by Nazi Germany, and it has hence become stigmatized and taboo in the Western world; it has notably been outlawed in Germany if used as a symbol of Nazism. Many modern political extremists and Neo-Nazi groups such as Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging and Russian National Unity use stylised swastikas or similar symbols

The word swastika is derived from the Sanskrit word svastika, meaning any lucky or auspicious object, and in particular a mark made on persons and things to denote good luck. It is composed of su- meaning "good, well" and asti "to be" svasti thus means "well-being." The suffix -ka either forms a diminutive or intensifies the verbal meaning, and svastika might thus be translated literally as "that which is associated with well-being," corresponding to "lucky charm" or "thing that is auspicious
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Gaming and the gaming community is getting way to serious these days i like to just have fun with the game and do what i want. but yes this can be offensive to some people but getting banned over this shit is ridiculous they should just be made to remove the emblem and get a warning. but people always have to whinge about shit

I understand why is offends people and i reckon it should be banned, why not do something creative with your emblem rather than attempt to offend others. I doubt anyone really sees the swastika as a symbol of peace anymore and if they do they must see why it offends.
Bout time they did this i hope they ban it on the ps3.

We need enigma in here......

All I can say is meh.

What more can you expect from some of the immature pricks that play COD.

LOL enigma has this but his crazyy