Microsoft details its 'PhD-validated' Reputation system for Xbox One

Microsoft wants to make Xbox Live on Xbox One a better place. Following the reveal of Xbox One, the company promised an updated Reputation system--one that promises to track player behavior and attempt to separate hostile players from the more sportsman gamers. But how exactly will it work?

14

Microsoft wants to make Xbox Live on Xbox One a better place. Following the reveal of Xbox One, the company promised an updated Reputation system--one that promises to track player behavior and attempt to separate hostile players from the more sportsman gamers. But how exactly will it work?

Xbox Live's Micheal Dunn explains that the new system is centered around "direct feedback," with actions like "block" and "mute player" going into an algorithm that was "created and validated with a Microsoft Research PhD to make sure things are fair for everyone." Kid tested, doctor approved!

Reputation will be visually represented by traffic lights, with Green meaning "Good Player," Yellow meaning "Needs Improvement," and Red meaning "Avoid Me." Most players will have the green light, but disruptive players will fall into the yellow zone. "Before a player ends up with the 'Avoid Me' reputation level we will have sent many different alerts to the 'Needs Improvement' player reminding them how their social gaming conduct is affecting lots of other gamers," Dunn writes in an official blog post.

The algorithm is flexible enough that gamers won't be penalized for the occasional bad report, allowing good players to receive "a few" reports each month before getting warned. The system will weigh where reports are coming from. For example, the system checks if players actually played with each other. In addition, the reputation of the person reporting will also be checked--meaning nasty players won't be able to troll other players through the system.

"The system will be as good as you make it, so all you need to do is report the players that are abusive, cheating or causing mayhem and their reputation will reflect that," Dunn adds.

Andrew Yoon was previously a games journalist creating content at Shacknews.

From The Chatty
  • reply
    July 31, 2013 1:30 PM

    Andrew Yoon posted a new article, Microsoft details its 'PhD-validated' Reputation system for Xbox One.

    Microsoft wants to make Xbox Live on Xbox One a better place. Following the reveal of Xbox One, the company promised an updated Reputation system--one that promises to track player behavior and attempt to separate hostile players from the more sportsman gamers. But how exactly will it work?

    • reply
      July 31, 2013 1:31 PM

      [deleted]

      • reply
        July 31, 2013 1:53 PM

        What they're not saying is that the researcher has a PhD in Medieval Studies.

      • reply
        July 31, 2013 11:22 PM

        aw bruh bruh sound real mad about their qualifications

        • reply
          July 31, 2013 11:39 PM

          [deleted]

          • reply
            July 31, 2013 11:59 PM

            a lot of phds are awarded precisely for technical stuff.

            • reply
              August 1, 2013 9:04 AM

              [deleted]

              • reply
                August 1, 2013 1:23 PM

                You are aware a PhD is a doctorate, right? You're getting your terms all mixed up.

                Your first post stated you work with PhDs who DKWTF, then you said 'great doctors, retards in re: to technical stuff', then I specified to you that in fact, a lot of PhDs (who are indeed, doctors - which is why both in content and context your reply here is ... strange) are awarded for technical stuff.

      • reply
        August 1, 2013 1:50 PM

        what do they have a PhD in?

    • reply
      July 31, 2013 1:32 PM

      This won't have issues.........

    • reply
      July 31, 2013 1:43 PM

      It'd be great if they took inspiration from League of Legends and Dota 2, which I think are at the forefront of community-policed communities. Here's what I'd suggest:

      - Temporary mutes for players that have been reported as abusive from multiple other players
      - A consensus-driven review board to go over excessively abusive players that can hand out longer time-outs (up to a month?)

      Not sure how that'd work considering you pay for XBL, unfortunately.

      • reply
        July 31, 2013 1:55 PM

        You pay for the service but you sign a contract saying you will follow their rules. Whether people read that and know that is irrelevant. They have every right to ban you temporarily or permanently if you violate those terms.

    • reply
      July 31, 2013 3:05 PM

      Great- more Big Brother datamining and trolling. If they got the Xbox Live reputation matching in better shape I'd believe Microsoft had a shot at fixing it. But guilds will still form cliques and flame people.

      Good idea- we'll see if they can actually execute on it.

    • reply
      July 31, 2013 5:21 PM

      Dr. Funke?

    • reply
      July 31, 2013 7:23 PM

      Another example of MS trying to emulate what they've seen other companies do, but get it very wrong. Let players leave feedback, don't force a description that gives no real indication of what the issue is. This'll coz a lot of player animosity, not help avoid it.

    • reply
      July 31, 2013 10:06 PM

      I think my professor helped work on this

    • reply
      July 31, 2013 11:05 PM

      This just sounds exactly the same as the 369 stuff they hyped up prior to that consoles launch. It did nothing to stop the shitcocks

    • reply
      August 1, 2013 8:23 AM

      I wonder how it will be before some one figures out how to game the system. I have yet to see an automatic reputation system that actually worked as advertised.

    • reply
      August 1, 2013 9:31 AM

      So basically I can play with anyone and just mute and block them near the end of the game regardless of who they are just to drop their reputation rating. Nice!

Hello, Meet Lola