XBox Live protects your children, crushes my creativity.

JackMeHoff, JackMiOff, not the most original of names for sure but I decided to inject my own bit into it and make my gamertag JakeMiOFF, we all know what it sounds like and the giggles can ensue. As my name is Jacob, and Jake looks a bit like Jack/sounds a bit like it, I found it a clever idea and used it. Yesterday around 9:00 PM EST, I was harmlessly going to launch the Netflix App and finish watching season 2 of Dexter (wonderful show by the way). That was soon crushed by the pop up on my screen telling me that my G/T had been reported and was against XBL rules, so it was deemed “inappropriate.”

Part of me understands this, XBL is a wide open area of people of all ages to collaborate and game. However, my name is a little bit of a stretch on sounding inappropriate to start. JakeMiOff, maybe if it was blatantly Jake Me Off, or Jack Me Off, I could understand. But simply I can’t; also, as stated by the ESRB which is plastered across any game with online features, they CANNOT rate online game play or interactions. Thus they cannot rate the level of appropriateness of names, which means as this is simply implying your kid is at risk to see/hear inappropriate things. Yes ESRB and XBL rules are separate, but they also work in collaboration with each other. Not to mention when I paid my 800 Microsoft points ($10 USD), I should have not been allowed to even change it then.

What baffles me more is it’s based on complaints, just like your average gamer I talk my fair share of trash, but I’ve yet to receive one single solitary in the flesh, vocal complaint about my gamertag. So let me put this simply XBox Live, who pissed in your Cocoa Puffs this morning?

Edit: Thanks to my buddy Alex, this article was found. Article here. Specifically note, “remember, you can’t have a sexual term in your name, regardless of sexual orientation,” good thing mine didn’t contain a sexual term of any kind. GIVE ME MY GAMERTAG XBOX!