Offensive language censored in PlayStation Home
- Posted December 30th, 2008 at 14:23 EDT by Steven Williamson
- 4,275 views
- 56 Comments
The virtual world of PlayStation Home is being monitored by the powers that be, who have taken measures to censor text chat so as to ensure users aren’t offended by what it deems to be offensive language.
The list of objectionable words includes the likes of "gay", "lesbian" and "bisexual", as well as the likes of "Christ" and "Jew". Users can currently leave feedback to Sony who insists that it will adopt a zero tolerance policy and will take action against any bad behavior, including racist and sexist remarks, but some believe that Sony has gone over the top by banning such words.
Michael Marsh, an 18-year-old gamer from Norwalk, Conn is one such disgruntled user who believes that Sony is discriminating sections of society by banning such words. He tried to set up a gay/straight alliance club, but was prevented from doing so due to the censorship.
"By blocking a word like 'gay,' which is a preferred term by the gay community, you're encouraging it as a bad word," he told the San Francisco Chronicle.
Sony has reacted to the complaints by assuring users that it is listening to feedback from its community and that it will take into account and act upon any issues that are brought to its attention.
"The key message is it's a beta and it's evolving on a daily basis," said Sony Computer Entertainment America spokesman Patrick Seybold. "We've said early on that user behavior and feedback will shape where we go with Home."
Comments
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LindenLocos420 |
LindenLocos420- 2:33pm GMT - December 30th, 2008
- 1
kinda funny, but still a good thing to have for the people who are being offended
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Dragoonlord |
KillZone3000- 2:33pm GMT - December 30th, 2008
- 2
being offended on Home? thats ridiculous!!!
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pmrsmiffy
- 2:39pm GMT - December 30th, 2008
- 3
I can see this going the same way as that Habbo Hotel. You could barely say anything without it all being scrambled by the censors.
Blocking "gay", "lesbian" and more ridiculously, "bisexual" is going a bit far. As Michael said, these words aren't souly used in an offensive manner and by censoring them Sony is inadvertantly discriminating against those who choose to call themselves by them.
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rivel
- 3:06pm GMT - December 30th, 2008
- 8
@ 5: his aurgement is completely flawed, he is doing the same exact thing as sony is. he says by banning the word 'gay' that sony says its a bad word just like making a 'gay/straight alliance' says that gays and straights getting along isnt right, if it was why would you have to fight for it?
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Girugamesh |
Shidousha- 3:53pm GMT - December 30th, 2008
- 12
lol
retarded gay rights kid, i still don't see how 'christ' or 'jew' is banned, but I sure as *&(*^ don't want a gay faction being made in home. "buh buh buh they're people too...!!1!"
lol, still dont want em practicing their sick shlt in public while im around
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Dragon-slayer87 |
Dragon-Slayer87- 4:11pm GMT - December 30th, 2008
- 14
When I look the word "Gay" in the dictionary, I find to my suprise that the word gay means cheerful or cheerfullness.. so why censor it :P
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SamuraiClarke
- 4:15pm GMT - December 30th, 2008
- 15
Why would they block the word "Jew"? It's like saying people of Jewish believes are bad people or something.
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Alpha2
- 4:21pm GMT - December 30th, 2008
- 16
I saw people using Gay and *He||o all night last night so some of these problems were probably fixed. Problem is how do you not justify censoring something if people are going to use it offensively given the chance? If my friend's name is *D|ck, how can you censor that even if you know there's the possibility it can also offend? Sure you can call him Richard or Rick in a pinch but it's just making thigs more complicated than it should be.
*=obviously the censors here have no problem choosing to block these words.
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Shadow Dancer |
Shadow_Dancer- 6:03pm GMT - December 30th, 2008
- 19
Racist and sexist remarks, I agree with and shouldn't be allowed, but putting homosexuality in the same category is wrong.
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Triple Dk |
TripleDk- 7:21pm GMT - December 30th, 2008
- 26
Apparently it's an insult to be a jew... is that a South Park inspired joke or what? Why don't they just add an option to remove the filter if someone wants it!? Then by default it's on and *****ing everything up, then you can turn it off if you're willing to take the risk!
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Ahaaa |
A-HAAA- 7:36pm GMT - December 30th, 2008
- 27
no one spells curse words out but if they do censor offensive remarks i really dont care beacuse if any one offneds me ill go crazy on you. some people need to grow a back bone and stop acting like a bunch of females.
@12
LOL your right though cause if i see some of that crap. Ima say some things were that censor would come in handy
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lordAlucard |
Sympozium_666- 8:40pm GMT - December 30th, 2008
- 29
Is your mother banned?? C'com Sony quick they insulted me 'sobs It will be worser in Home if Sony uncensor some of this words. You don't idiots running around the plaza with horrible words which are not needed in a game
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RedFury
- 8:55pm GMT - December 30th, 2008
- 30
First off I'm a gay person and I too was surprised by the fact that gay, homosexual and even homo were words it wouldn't allow me to use. I too wanted to create a club where gay and other people could get together and make some new friends. When I search for these words the search returned no hits but didn't say that word was not allowed or censored. I then created a club and had to use G@y Pride because I couldn't use the word gay. Some people won't find my club because they will search for gay and won't get any results. I don't thnk they should censor these words as it does more harm then good. Everytime I go onto HOme there is ALWAYS people crapping on gay peopleand accusing others of being gay. This won't stop people from being predudiced. What Home needs is a way of dealing with poeple who harrass others and make the Home experience a bad experience. I would report them but since home is free I'm thinking they will just create a new account anyways if they get banned. Anyone is welcome to join my club but if you join to discriminate I'll kick you out of the club with zero tolerance.
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l3iscomix |
BiscoMix- 9:58pm GMT - December 30th, 2008
- 32
Everyone here is taking this out of hand. I am bisexual and can see why Sony has banned these words. Well, maybe not bisexual, but I can understand gay. We all know that people go around saying, "You're gay." Their only trying to stop people from being called a fa**** in Home, which is understandable. It's not saying gay people are bad, but stopping people from using the word as something that's bad.
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The Master
- 10:40pm GMT - December 30th, 2008
- 34
You guys forgot to include how is censored and so no one in home can say to each other, which is one of the quick phrases you can use r1 to type. Apparently psu won't let me type the phrase either, which is also retarded. But it's a word people say to each other when you meet and it starts with an H and ends with an ello. Every new person walks around wondering why everyone else is cursing at each other. All the words people are complaining about don't matter at all to me, if people want to be racist I think they should have the freedom to do so. I hate political correctness with a passion, and the less that exists in the world the happier the majority of the populace will be.
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edward_moffet |
edd- 10:46pm GMT - December 30th, 2008
- 35
seriously people need to stop being so sensitive to a freaking word, if people were secure about themselves they wouldn't care if someone used a term for their particular demographic as a "cuss word" GET OVER IT
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UnasFortuna |
Unas_Fortuna- 12:42am GMT - December 31st, 2008
- 37
It is truly amazing this day and age that so many people are still afraid of a gay man or lesbian. Whether or not you believe the gay life is wrong based on your personal beliefs or religion is truly irrelevant when you are in an open environment such as is HOME. A person being gay is part of their personality and their very being and they have every right to be able to be themselves (within reason) in the world. @12: What the heck is your malfunction...? You think you are going to enter the Mall and see two dudes humping each other??? Are you that stupid? You have a right to your beliefs... but please spare us your stupidity...
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dragon1982
- 3:32am GMT - December 31st, 2008
- 39
The also censor the word "trophies" it comes up as "t*******".
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Stef Nighthawk
- 4:04am GMT - December 31st, 2008
- 40
Couldn't they give everyone a personal blacklist dictionary? With premade dictionaries to start from?
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benstevens
- 5:17am GMT - December 31st, 2008
- 41
As a gay guy i find this shocking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! all my mates call me gay and a gayer in jest!!!!!!!! its human nature and harmless banter SONY!
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GrayFox9395
- 8:14am GMT - December 31st, 2008
- 42
screw anyone that's offended that's life, if you cant deal w; it in the fake world of online you will never make it in the real world
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pizzamonkio
- 12:03pm GMT - December 31st, 2008
- 45
i think they should allow all the swearing people want. dont you have to be 18 to use home anyway? it sounds more strict than the censorship on this site. somethig i would expect from the chinese but not sony. @15 yes jews are bad look at whats happening in the gaza strip. lol
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gamewaffle
- 2:35pm GMT - December 31st, 2008
- 47
Why not just fight back in home? Seriously, beat them at their own game. Insult them more creatively. When someone falsely said I had AIDS, i said they had pub!c psoriasis. then, as I had a keyboard and could type faster, I used some prison population statistics, and his little "..." dialogue box dissapeared. Most people who are just there to make a fight don't know how to through a second or third punch, it seems.
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Ballonboy33
- 4:18pm GMT - December 31st, 2008
- 48
i agree with shadow dancer because that michael does have a good point. i don't really use home tho. btw..........HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE - PS3 RULES!
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