Editing Xbox network (section)

==User information==
===Gamertag===<!-- This section is linked from [[Gamertags]] -->
A '''gamertag''' is the universal name for a [[user (computing)|player's username]] on the Xbox network. A gamertag is a unique identifier, and can include numbers, letters, and spaces. Gamertags can be changed using an Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, or Xbox 360 console (first time is free, all other changes afterwards are charged), while the Xbox 360 supports eight Xbox network-enabled profiles per memory unit and thirty-two profiles on the hard drive.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://support.xbox.com/support/en/us/nxe/kb.aspx?ID=905882&lcid=1033&category=xboxlive|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110722013304/http://support.xbox.com/support/en/us/nxe/kb.aspx?ID=905882&lcid=1033&category=xboxlive|archive-date = July 22, 2011|title = Xbox Support}}</ref>

A player's Gamertag account status can be checked using a variety of online tools, which is useful especially when looking for a new gamertag, or confirming that a gamertag exists. Using a valid gamertag, any player can be found and messaged from within the network. There are also several websites which allow users of gamertags to upload photos and information about themselves.

{{Anchor|Gamer picture|gamer picture}}
Gamertags also contain avatar images (or "gamer pictures"), with the stock images sometimes associated with certain games or game characters. On Xbox 360, individual gamerpics are available, but they are usually bundled into packs. It is also possible to take "Public" pictures (which are shown to all that view a profile, unless the user has a different "personal" picture set) which can be taken of avatars while using the avatar editor. On Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, players are able to upload custom images of their choice through the Xbox app, subject to Xbox approval.

Users were formerly forbidden to use strings such as gay or refer to homosexuality in any way in their gamertag or profile due to it being considered "content of a sexual nature", even if the string occurs in a legitimate surname. Incidents where a woman was suspended from the service for identifying herself as a [[lesbian]], and an incident where a male user was suspended for using his surname "Gaywood" in his username attracted controversy.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/lesbian-banned-from-microsofts-xbox-live |title=Lesbian Banned From Microsoft's XBOX Live |date=February 26, 2009 |access-date=October 27, 2009 |publisher=[[FoxNews.com|FOX News]] |archive-date=May 17, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090517034001/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,500824,00.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=GAYER>{{cite web |url=http://kotaku.com/390593/thegayergamer-gets-xbox-live-ban-microsoft-explains |title=theGAYERgamer gets XBOX live ban Microsoft explains. |publisher=Kotaku |date=May 14, 2008 |access-date=October 27, 2009 |first1=Leigh |last1=Alexander |archive-date=March 1, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090301130559/http://kotaku.com/390593/thegayergamer-gets-xbox-live-ban-microsoft-explains |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=gaywood>{{cite web|url=http://kotaku.com/5010324/microsoft-explains-gaywood-ban|title=Microsoft explains gaywood ban|publisher=Kotaku|date=May 21, 2008|access-date=October 27, 2009|first1=Leigh|last1=Alexander|archive-date=February 28, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090228083923/http://kotaku.com/5010324/microsoft-explains-gaywood-ban|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://consumerist.com/5160187/identifying-yourself-as-a-lesbian-gets-you-banned-on-xbox-live |title=Identifying yourself as a lesbian gets you banned on XBOX Live|date=February 25, 2009|access-date=October 27, 2009|first1=Meg|last1=Marco|publisher=[[The Consumerist]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091008213210/http://consumerist.com/5160187/identifying-yourself-as-a-lesbian-gets-you-banned-on-xbox-live |archive-date=October 8, 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | first=Nathan | last=Meuiner | title=Homophobia and Harassment in the Online Gaming Age | date=January 13, 2010 | publisher=IGN | url=http://xboxlive.ign.com/articles/106/1060720p1.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100116142533/http://xboxlive.ign.com/articles/106/1060720p1.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=January 16, 2010 | work=IGN Xbox Live | access-date=January 15, 2010 }}</ref> In February 2009, Xbox Live Lead Program Manager for Enforcement [[Stephen Toulouse]] clarified the service's policy on sexual identification, stating that "Expression of any [[sexual orientation]] [...] is not allowed in Gamertags" but that the company is "examining how we can provide it in a way that won't get misused".<ref name=seXBOX>{{cite web|url=http://kotaku.com/5160677/microsoft-looking-to-change-xbox-live-sexual-discrimination|title=Microsoft looking to change XBOX Live sexual discrimination|date=February 26, 2009|access-date=October 27, 2009|publisher=Kotaku|first1=Luke|last1=Plunkett|archive-date=May 16, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130516062012/http://kotaku.com/5160677/microsoft-looking-to-change-xbox-live-sexual-discrimination|url-status=live}}</ref> Changes announced in March 2010 permit Xbox Live members to express sexual orientation in their gamertags and profiles.<ref name="queerty">{{cite web |url=http://www.queerty.com/wow-xbox-live-will-let-players-mention-their-sexuality-without-getting-banned-20100305/ |title=WOW: Xbox Live Will Let Players Mention Their Sexuality Without Getting Banned |date=March 5, 2010 |publisher=Queerty.com |access-date=August 29, 2011 |archive-date=March 14, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140314200220/http://www.queerty.com/wow-xbox-live-will-let-players-mention-their-sexuality-without-getting-banned-20100305/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Gamerscore===
The Gamerscore (G) is an [[Achievement (video gaming)|achievements]] point accumulation system that reflects the number of achievements accumulated by a user on Xbox through the displaying of the number of points accumulated. These Achievement points are awarded for the completion of game-specific challenges, such as beating a [[level (computer and video games)|level]] or amassing a specified number of wins against other players in online matches and other various in game challenges.

Initially, retail Xbox 360 games offered up to 1,000G spread over a variable number of Achievements, while each [[Xbox Live Arcade]] title contained 12 Achievements totaling 200G. On February 1, 2007, [[Microsoft]] announced on their Gamerscore Blog some new policies that developers must follow related to Gamerscore and Achievements in future releases.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gamerscoreblog.com/team/archive/2007/02/01/540575.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100210173501/http://gamerscoreblog.com/team/archive/2007/02/01/540575.aspx |archive-date=February 10, 2010 |work=archive.org|title=Gamerscore Blog : Addicted to Achievements? }}</ref> All regular disc-based games must have 1,000 Gamerscore points in the base game; the title can ship with fewer than 1,000 points, but anything added later must be free.{{citation needed|date=July 2019}} [[Video game developer|Game developers]] also now have the option of adding up to 250 points via downloadable content every quarter after the first year of release (for a total of 1,750 points). Xbox Live Arcade titles also allowed players to obtain Gamerscore, initially up to 200 Gamerscore with additional points up to 50 Gamerscore via downloadable content (for a total of 250 points),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.411mania.com/games/columns/103556 |title=Xbox LIVE Achievement changes, ''411mania'' |publisher=411mania.com |access-date=August 29, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110919165545/http://www.411mania.com/games/columns/103556 |archive-date=September 19, 2011 }}</ref> but some XBLA games now contain up to 400 Gamerscore without DLC.

On March 25, 2008, Microsoft cracked down on "Gamerscore cheaters" (those who used external tools to artificially inflate their Gamerscore), and reduced their Gamerscores to zero without the option to recover the scores that had been "earned", and branded the player by denoting on their Gamertag that they were a "Cheater".<ref>{{cite web |last=Grant |first=Christopher |url=http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/25/cheaters-branded-on-xbox-live-gamerscore-reset |title=Cheaters Branded on Xbox Live, Gamerscore Reset, ''Joystiq'' |publisher=Joystiq.com |date=March 25, 2008 |access-date=August 29, 2011 |archive-date=June 20, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130620063008/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/25/cheaters-branded-on-xbox-live-gamerscore-reset/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The development of the Gamerscore system had created a new niche in the internet economy. Many websites  have been created to provide gamers with tips and tricks for getting achievement points. Some sites are solely devoted to these achievement guides, and some blogs provide gaming guides in addition to their other content.

On March 13, 2014, [[Ray Cox (gamer)|Ray Cox IV or "Stallion83"]] became the first player in history to reach 1 million Gamerscore.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.xbox.com/2014/05/01/xbox-stallion-83/|title=The Man with a Million Gamerscore: An Interview with Stallion83|first=Xbox Wire|last=Staff|date=May 2014|access-date=December 30, 2016|archive-date=November 20, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171120181419/http://news.xbox.com/2014/05/01/xbox-stallion-83/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Gamercard===
The Gamercard is an information panel used to summarize one's user profile on Microsoft's Xbox network. The pieces of information on a Gamercard include:
* Gamertag 
* Gamer picture ([[Avatar (Xbox)|avatar]])
* Reputation (only shown on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S if the viewed player is constantly violating the Community Standards)
* Tenure (How many years you have been subscribed to Xbox Game Pass Core or Ultimate) 
* Gamerscore
* Gamer Zone (Xbox 360 only)
* Recent games played

A player's Gamercard can be viewed via the guide, the Xbox app, or online through Xbox.com.

Similarly, [[Mac OS X]] users were able to download widgets that display their Xbox Live Gamercard within [[Mac OS X]]'s [[Dashboard (Mac OS)|Dashboard]]. These can be downloaded onto any Mac with [[Mac OS X 10.4|OS X 10.4]] or higher via [[Apple Inc.|Apple's]] [https://www.apple.com/downloads/dashboard/ widget download page].

On Xbox 360, there were four Gamer Zones; ''Recreation'' is for casual gamers, ''Family'' is for [[Family-friendliness|family-friendly]] gamers (without profanity, etc.), ''Pro'' is for competitive gamers who enjoy a challenge, and ''Underground'' is for no-holds-barred gaming where anything goes (as long as it does not violate the Xbox Live Terms of Use). However, in practice these gamer zones were displayed only on the Gamercard of the player, and did not tend to affect the gameplay experience or the matching of players in [[online game]]s.

===TrueSkill===<!-- This section is linked from [[TrueSkill]] -->
{{main article|TrueSkill}}
[[TrueSkill]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://research.microsoft.com/osa/apg/details.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081210013829/http://research.microsoft.com/osa/apg/details.aspx |archive-date=December 10, 2008 |title=TrueSkill}}</ref> is a ranking and [[Matchmaking (video games)|matchmaking]] system which was first implemented as part of the Xbox 360's ''Live'' service. Developed at [[Microsoft Research]] [[Cambridge]] ([[United Kingdom]]), the TrueSkill [[Elo rating system#Other chess rating systems|ranking system]] is now used in over 150 titles for the Xbox 360{{Citation needed|date=November 2008}} and was used in the [[Games for Windows – Live]] game ''[[Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II]]''. It uses a [[mathematical model]] of uncertainty to address weaknesses in existing ranking systems such as [[Elo rating system|Elo]]. For example, a new player joining million-player leagues can be ranked correctly in fewer than 20 games. It can predict the probability of each game outcome, which enhances competitive matchmaking, making it possible to assemble skill-balanced teams from a group of players with different abilities.

When matchmaking, the system attempts to match individuals based on their estimated skill level. If two individuals are competing head-to-head and have the same estimated skill level with low estimate uncertainty, they should each have roughly a 50% chance of winning a match. In this way, the system attempts to make every match as competitive as possible.

In order to prevent abuse of the system, the majority of ranked games have relatively limited options for matchmaking. By design, players cannot easily play with their friends in ranked games. However, these countermeasures have failed due to techniques such as alternate account(s) and system flaws where each system has its own individual TrueSkill rating. To provide less competitive games, the system supports unranked ''Player Matches'', which allow individuals of any skill level to be paired (often including "guests" on an account). Such matches do not contribute to the TrueSkill rating.