Go for Gold

Feedback Wanted

It's easy to be cynical when presented with the opportunity to leave comments. Ever wonder what happens after you fill out a feedback form at a restaurant? Does anyone even look at your responses? Will your service really be any different the next time you dine?

At long last, here's a feedback form that actually does something for you. The designers and engineers for Xbox Live® have listened to your pleas and have labored long and hard to bring you the Xbox Live feedback system on Xbox 360™.

How does it work? What does it do? How does it improve your online experience? Whenever you play someone on Xbox Live with Xbox 360, you have the option to leave two main types of feedback:

Player Reviews
These are basically a matchmaking tool. Let's say you just schooled some fools playing Perfect Dark Zero™. The other team suffered an embarrassing defeat, but they took it in stride and were good sports.

Such behavior should be rewarded, so after the game you look through the player list in the post-game lobby, highlight each player you liked, and decide to leave positive feedback. The entire process takes two button presses to complete. What happens now?

Each player that receives your kudos gets a very small bump to their reputation, but, more importantly, the TrueSkill™ matchmaking system assigns a higher priority to those people, increasing the likelihood that you'll play them again online.

You don't have to add these folks to your friends list, either. The system simply notes that you had a positive gameplay session with these players, and tries to group you together next time the conditions exist.

Negative player reviews work the opposite way. Let's say a few guys on your team were caught spawn camping, team killing, and engaging in other dastardly acts.

Your anonymous negative feedback simply reduces the chance that you'll play against those people in the future. Criticism can fall under numerous categories such as communication, behavior, and skill, so you have a degree of control when doling out a negative player review.

Complaints
These are a more serious form of feedback, and should only be used in extreme situations. If you encounter a really rotten player who delights in violating the Xbox Live Terms of Use, flag that person's gamer card to alert Xbox Live.

Every registered complaint is looked at by a human being (an Xbox Live staffer). This is not only a good tool for players looking to create a fun and healthy online experience, but also gives parents some power when reporting abusers.

Use It or Lose It
The feedback system was created to empower gamers. Choose to use it or not, but it drastically improves your online experiences when you let Xbox Live know what you think about certain players.

Leave feedback and increase the odds that you'll be paired up with someone of similar skill—and character—next time you play. While you won't get a free mint with each feedback form, you will get some satisfaction knowing that you're in control of your online world.

Article by Franklin Beans