Online communities can be a difficult and incredibly intricate thing to manage for companies hosting large-scale services like Xbox Live and PlayStation Network. Games can very quickly gain a reputation for toxicity and bad interactions, and sometimes, companies may choose to limit or remove means of interactions in situations like Riot Games restricting League of Legends' all chat feature. With Xbox Live being one of the largest communities in the modern gaming world, a recent acqusition from Microsoft took a major step towards moderating and protecting its online services.
Since Microsoft debuted Xbox Live almost 20 years ago in 2002, the online gaming community has brought together Xbox players from around the world and has grown into one of the most well-known names in the industry. The service was revolutionary in its inception as one of the first large-scale online gaming platforms, and Microsoft frequently supports its paid subscribers with free games through Games With Gold. Now, Microsoft has made a major acquisition of a familiar company with the goal of making Xbox Live a better community for everyone.
Microsoft recently purchased moderation company Two Hat, a company Microsoft has previously worked with, for an undisclosed fee. The gaming juggernaut was optimistic in saying the acquisition would help Microsoft to improve its online communities, including Xbox. The two have history working on programs designed for Xbox, Minecraft, and MSN that would detect and prevent malicious and harmful content from reaching players.
Corporate VP of Xbox Product Services Dave McCarthy praised the technology developed by Two Hat during Microsoft's announcement of the purchase. McCarthy paid particular mention to the highly customizable nature of Two Hat's systems, allowing individual users to "decide what they are comfortable with and what they aren't." Microsoft intends to use its partnership with Two Hat to improve the moderation of its online communities going forward, while still allowing for Two Hat to continue to work with its previous clients.
Online communities are a hot topic among both fans and companies within the gaming industry, as the reputation of a game's playerbase can have major impacts on both the reputation of the game and the well-being of its players. Organizations like the Anti-Defamation League expressed their desire to see the ESRB give ratings for toxicity within several online games, and the actions of a game's fanbase can significantly impact its reputation. Microsoft's purchase of Two Hat should look to make Xbox Live a safer place for all of its players, allowing them to come together through their love for games.
Source: Game Developer