PR: Xbox LIVE Creates New Political Forum Options

[Xbox-Scene]

PR: Xbox LIVE Creates New Political Forum Posted by XanTium | September 8 21:15 EST | News Category: Xbox360

From the press release: [QUOTE] The online entertainment service best-known for great multiplayer games like "Halo 3" is creating a forum fueled by a different type of passion: the 2008 U.S. elections. Starting Tuesday, September 9, Xbox LIVE members will receive an early opportunity to cast their vote - via a Gamerpic download - with poll results posted next week on Xbox.com. Gamerpics are visual representations of gamers' personalities, available for download through Xbox LIVE. "Voters" will have the option of downloading a Gamerpic for McCain, Obama, Other or Undecided. When the download is complete, they will be automatically entered for a chance to win a Gibson™ guitar for their part in rocking the vote. With more than 12 million active LIVE members worldwide, this unofficial poll could serve as a sneak peek into young Americans' perspective leading into November's elections. The breakthrough partnership with Rock the Vote allows Xbox LIVE members to quickly and easily register to vote, which removes one of the biggest barriers, especially for first-time voters: research. With only two U.S. states providing online voter registration (Arizona and Washington, respectively), Xbox LIVE is going where young voters are, online - and simplifying the registration process. In less than five mouse clicks, a young American can have their voter registration information complete, along with information where to send via U.S. mail. This fall, Rock the Vote aims to help register two million young voters. [/QUOTE]

[Reaper527]

interesting to see this close tie to politics from xbl. guess i'll have a mccain gamerpic by this time tomorrow

[Ranger72]

I downloaded my Obama gamer pic last week.

[bubbafett4hire]

next week XBL is going to start there "Were All Better Then The Rest" campaign in better hopes to further separate the masses and teach a whole new generation of people how to hate the opposing side. To further help this cause they will be getting the help of some great spokes persons to play games with people such as David Duke, Minster Farrakhan and the current Grand Wizard Of The Klu Klux Klan.

Ok well not relay and god i hope not but might as well. I feel everyone should do there part to rock the vote and so on but to now add even more groupings to something that has nothing to do with gaming is just going to cause separation and even more screaming in mics in rooms. I can just see it now "You voting for Obama what are you a f****ing n**ger lover" on top of whats already said. COD4 maps are going to be full of political nuts ranting and raving about how there backing so and so and how there #1 and the guy your voting for is a dick and how everyone must shoot this guy cause he want to destroy the world with his candidates wild views.

In short XBL should be about games bottom line by adding this crap to it just takes the idea of people coming together and having fun to a whole new shitty level people will speak politics during online matches hell they talk about everything else, but by someone wanting to show there support via gamer pic is just going to make them a target by the dicks on there.

[tristanx]

i would prefer they don't do this. i don't and will never vote. i am sick of hearing about the presidential election to begin with.

aren't games a tool we use to escape reality?

if i get any flames on this remember... it's my right NOT to vote.

[HotKnife420]

i would prefer they don't do this. i don't and will never vote. i am sick of hearing about the presidential election to begin with.

aren't games a tool we use to escape reality?

if i get any flames on this remember... it's my right NOT to vote.

I don't think it's going to be a big deal; it's just something else they have. I don't care much for the Netflix thing they're doing, but I don't have to sign up, and if I ever do need it, I know where to look.

Personally, I think it's great they're offering an easy way for people to register to vote. If you don't want to vote, that is your right, though I personally don't understand why you wouldn't want to.

[MrFish]

...that's assuming anyone actually bothers to read the premise, and doesn't just try to download all three because ZOMG FREE GAMERPICS.

Microsoft doesn't exactly have a fantastic track-record in the field of usability.

if i get any flames on this remember... it's my right NOT to vote.

Did ya even watch the nifty Red vs Blue video?

[Skunky]

"In less than five mouse clicks...."

Since when does the 360 have a mouse by default???

[tristanx]

Did ya even watch the nifty Red vs Blue video?

haven't seen rvb for 2 years now...

[nectar12]

i think the political gamer pics were a bad idea.. half of the topics on the xbox.com forums i go to go way off topic with replies like "the reason you suck using the orange button in GH is because obama is a huge flamer" or someting like that.. then its all down hill from there.

[spinr34]

guys, this is simple. if you plan on voting in the upcoming election and have a couple minutes, download the gamerpic of your favorite candidate. anyone that flames for your pic etc, probably isn't old enough to vote anyways. also, if someone downloads all of the pics, i think the first one they downloaded will be counted as their vote (it wouldn't make sense to count each one). also to the person that isn't voting, it is your choice and this is america so you can do whatever you want. but, if you care at all about what happens in this country and in the world, you should vote.

[Software2]

What does it say when you can only select McCain or Obama? What about all the 3rd party or independent candidates?

I say you exercise your right to choose to not vote.

[MrFish]

if someone downloads all of the pics, i think the first one they downloaded will be counted as their vote (it wouldn't make sense to count each one).

Which will be the one closest to wherever the cursor starts. Elections are one of the few times where usability can have a massive impact on the world, and the problems in designing ballots are hard ones. Some intern at Microsoft certainly isn't qualified to make a ballot that doesn't suffer from systematic bias, especially when most of its 'voters' won't even realise that it is one.

What does it say when you can only select McCain or Obama? What about all the 3rd party or independent candidates?

Unless/until the US introduces a transferable vote, the two-party system is enshrined in law. Basic game theory.

See also the last two elections, where if Kerry hadn't run (or there'd been a transferable vote), Bush wouldn't have won.

[Reaper527]

What does it say when you can only select McCain or Obama? What about all the 3rd party or independent candidates?

I say you exercise your right to choose to not vote.

have you logged into live and tried downloading the pic? you can choose between obama, mccain, independent, and undecided.

that being said, an independent will NEVER be president.

[tristanx]

if you care at all about what happens in this country and in the world, you should vote.

my vote is for jesus and his father