ell, I intended to use this post to lambast Microsoft for not acknowledging the true breadth of the Holiday service outage. However, since those issues have finally seemed to right themselves (and since Microsoft is now being sued over the inconvenience), I think I may just let those fourteen days slide. Instead, I thought I'd take a moment to address what I consider to be one of the most underutilized (and misunderstood) features of the Xbox Live service: reputation.
Most of us don't think too much of those yellow stars that reside just underneath our gamertags — all it took was a few positive reviews from friends, and three quickly became five. Still, those stars are the most visible sign of what is the heart of Xbox Live's matchmaking service. A player's reputation is, as we all know, the direct result of player reviews. Still, when was the last time you wrote an honest review about a complete stranger?
Ever since I purchased an Xbox 360, I've been a huge proponent of player reviews. I've always been hesitant to send a stranger whose company I enjoyed in a match-made game a friend request, but I'll gladly leave them positive feedback (thus making them a "preferred player"). I also relish the opportunity to leave a jerk bad feedback — there's no excuse for excessive trash-talk, poor sportsmanship or immaturity.
This is one thing that I feel a lot of players haven't entirely grasped: there's nothing wrong with leaving bad feedback for offenses that don't quite cross that line into ban-worthy (racism, cheating, etc.). Should I have to listen to some idiot recite the lyrics to Jay-Z's "Dirt Off Your Shoulder"? I think not. Do I care that this aspiring rap star may lose a sliver of one of their precious reputation stars? Not really.
Another thing that's very easy to do is avoid players whose skill is ridiculously at odds with your own. If someone doesn't seem to understand the rules to the game, or if they're so talented that it's ruining your own experience, leave appropriate feedback. The best thing about these skill assessments is that they have no bearing at all on a gamer's reputation — they merely remove that player from your matchmaking pool.
Ever since kindergarten, we've garnered an appreciation for gold stars. The next time you're sitting in the dashboard admiring your own, remind yourself to start submitting player reviews. This is without a doubt one of the best steps you can take to improve your long-term enjoyment of the gaming service you've invested in.
