Reminder: Last chance to buy Xbox Avatar 'firearm' props

by Alexander Sliwinski on Dec 30th 2011 4:40PM

On January 1, 2012, Microsoft will remove firearm props it deems unsuitable for Xbox Avatars. What does that entail? Your guess as good as ours, since our request for a comprehensive list is still working its way through the machine. What we do know is that Gears of War weapon props are out.

"Xbox Live Marketplace has updated its policies to provide further clarity for third-party publishers submitting content for approval. This includes details about weapons such as firearms. Xbox Live has always reserved the right to reject or expire from the marketplace any type of weapon prop content that is deemed unsuitable for its general audience," Microsoft informed us in a statement. "Because the Xbox Live Marketplace is accessible to members of all ages, it is important our policies clearly address what content is available to all. This policy provides additional clarity to publishers in advance of the content review process."

Since items purchased in these final moments of 2011 will still be accessible to your Avatar after the content is yanked, take this as the final reminder to grab any Avatar prop "weapons," "firearms" and "gun-like" content before it's pulled.

Tags: avatar-marketplace, avatars, microsoft, xbox, xbox-avatars

Reader Comments (57)

its okay,the hardcore internet gamers dont care about these avatars or the guns they can no longer hold....right?

or should i get out my war paint and wave the injustice of the world banner to fight this?

this may hit CoD vs BF levels!!!

I remember the days when it was our parents who had the last word on what is suitable for us, their children, and not some dumbass prohibitive policies

@DarkSonata
P-Parents can do that?!

@arucious crazy stuff isn't it? parents actually doing their role as parents to educate their children about what they have onscreen. I bet you never heard of it before.

@DarkSonata Man, those were the days, when parents could dictate what multinational corporations could or could not sell on their privately owned virtual goods stores.

It makes you yearn for simpler times.

Oh Lancer prop animation... What are you trying to make my avatar even do?

@drballsey

Murder. Which is what your avatar is trying to make you do.

@King Johngie the Fourth

Murder? I wish. My avatar revs the chainsaw/rifle and then does an inexplicable hop. Completely ruins the lancer as a viable prop for my little guy.

Remember the days when Wile E Coyote could ride a missle to try to murder a bird and no one freaked out about it?

@FreakSheet and you know, the days in which some alien with horns impaled a bald midget through the chest and killed him, when a ridiculously huge muscle guy beated a teen girl almost to death on a tournament, when a kid with all but one limb broken blasted through the stomach of some green evil guy, etc..

and still no one freaked out? (but a few morons who were ignored completely)

Actually, Microsoft has the "right" to pull ANY item or bought purchase and allow such to expire.

This includes ALL Avatar items, be it a particular hat or a "gun that gives a dangerous message" such as this. It can and has pulled wallpaper off the marketplace (in the past), too. Although wallpaper is now meaningless on XBox, since there are no blades anymore.

I just wonder, since nobody, except friends list, sees your avatar, why pull off the guns? Also, I wonder even if this is our "last chance to buy", Microsoft can pull this completely from everyone's account, without refunds (as expressed in their contract with the end-user), so that is a potential $2 down the drain (or more, if you bought other guns).

@Space Cobra Because Microsoft wants to be the next Nintendo.

@Hank Hill

True enough.

These avatars are sure "Wii" enough for "Wii-me's". Just wondering if they'll ever be used in a virtual world lobby rather than specific games and friend lists (like Sony's Home).

Ah yes, god forbid a kid see a cartoony version of a fictional gun before he hops onto CoD/Halo/BF etc to scream derogatory racial and sexual slurs at people for 5 hours straight.

Because this will make the Xbox Live Avatar community some how safe.....

Guns don't kill people, avatars do

Well, good thing the Gold Lancer avatar prop is on sale today.

No mixed message there, no sir.

@lobster crush

True, but for -1 points meaning it can't be purchased. Looks like microsoft pulled the plug on the gun props early

@Kang 81

Still shows for me at 160 pts.: http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/Product/Gold-Lancer/00001000-d14e-d263-cdc4-72774d5308ab?cid=majornelson&partner=majornelson

(Not that I'm endorsing superfluous avatar props)

Kind of funny the normal lancer is 320 points, or $4, but the Gold Lancer is 160 points...

I don't have any weapon props for my avatar and had no desire to purchase any either... until now...

@Raiderfan

That's funny I still have no desire to buy any type of avatar weapons.

@Raiderfan

I wonder if they will give their remaining inventory away? If it ain't free, I won't buy it.

I'm still glad that the story I tipped them caused such a commotion (see: link to original article in this article). Damn this family friendly nonsense. That's up to the parents. It's not like you see RAAM doing his decapitation execution on the dashboard.... which might be the best ad ever.

HAHA The U.S.A. is a ridiculous country. What is Microsoft trying to say by doing this? "Don't buy a lancer avatar item, cause you might want to get a real gun (easily accessible in the states) and use it on someone" LOL I'm amazed!

@katarn7 ...So Microsoft moderating their digital content that is available worldwide makes the USA messed up? I don't see how that works.

@katarn7 I'm really glad you're not a US citizen. We don't need more stupid around here.

I love Microsoft when they do idiotic crap like this, you can buy a gun in Walmart, but soon you can't buy a cartoon looking gun on a games console.

whats next? - banning guns and scary monsters from cover art, all because little timmy's mom thinks somehow seeing this will have a drastic impact on his life? - censorship is bad: if you don't wanna see it/hear it , don't buy the console, game, movie or whatever it is and stfu

As long as they don't mess with my Dual Lightsaber prop, I'm good.

What about our Constitutional right to bear arms?! Is Xbox anti-American?!

@KnuxSonic the xbox is available in over 50 countries- the avatar props are viewable regardless of region, its not legal to buy guns in the majority of those countries so Microsoft's got to navigate the laws of each of these countries simultaneously

secondly - being anti-guns isn't anti-american. I know your trying to be patriotic, but your coming across as being plain uneducated

So wait, does this include the Grifball Bomb and Energy swords?

Im betting they can and will also make the prop vanish from your avatar, so i wouldn't waste a dime on it.

@Duke They technically *can*, but they have yet to remove content that a user has purchased from their accounts. For example, I can re-download any of my XBLA games that have been removed, including Ultimate Mortal Kombat III, TMNT, and Smash TV.

@Rather Dashing
I know you can with those games but that isn't the same scenario. if they determine it shouldn't be displayed then they can remove it from servers and direct you to the user agreement when you complain.

Wow. I can't even believe I am about to comment on this absurd post.
This is the third post rhis week related to this most trivial of video-game-related stories I have seen in a really long time.
I thought the first mention of it was fairly dutiful of a games blog, but now it just seems like Joystiq is shilling for EA.
I feel like I just logged onto the Xbox Dashboard with signs for all kinds of crap that doesn't really matter.

Will the Portal 2 gun be removed aswell?

FYI if you try to buy one now, it says they are -1 point, and won't let you buy them.

A little off the subject, but I wish they would fix the other dumb crap "designed to protect kids". My son was under the age of 13 when I gave him the OK to buy 1943 on XBLA, but found he couldn't play the game (online only game) since he he was under EA's magic age to play online. Microsoft said it was out of their hands since it's an EA game. After a while I was able to convince them to refund the points since they are the portal and safe guards were not in place to keep anyone under the age of 13 from buying a game they cannot play when their age is part of the live profile when you sign up.

Also, I'm against this stupid weapon ban for avatars, as a parent, it's my choice on what I let the my kids purchase, play or watch whithin reason.

Actually the Gears 3 weapons are selling for negative 1 microsoft space bucks right now meaning they cannot be purchased. It's looking like Microsoft pulled the plug earlier than expected.

FYI

Actually the Gears 3 weapons are selling for negative 1 microsoft space bucks right now meaning they cannot be purchased. It's looking like Microsoft pulled the plug earlier than expected.

I'm not sure if this is happening to everyone but it is happening to me.

@Kang 81 no, it requires 4,294,967,295 Microsoft Space bucks

Doesn't microsoft approve what items they can sell on marketplace? Like if they approved the prop why ban it? Just letting you know my honest opinion (if any one really cares)

So instead of just age-restricting avatar props so older players can still get them, they have to ruin our fun so the kiddies feel safe? Don't want little Billy in danger of being shot by virtual guns when Microsoft knows damn well kids play shooter games anyway?

Umm who the hell actually pays money for avatar items, pictures, themes and all sorts of other fictional crap? It's not bloody real! Who cares if Microsoft is removing avatar items. You should care this much! Save your money for actual DLC... you know something that actually adds some extra game content.

This is not newsworthy.... I remember when consoles used to be about playing games and not spending money to dress up your stupid profile.

I just bought my avatar a gold lancer (TY Xbox rewards)... seein him rev up that chainsaw.....

Ok. I just got back from the hardware store. I picked up a chainsaw, duct tape, gold paint and a machine gun.

LETS DO IT.

Let me get this straight, Microsoft will be removing FAKE DIGITAL PROPS because theyre "unsuitable". Hows about going all the way guys? If thats the case why not stop selling MW3 and Battlefield 3? Its only fair... *slams head into brick wall

So, instead of just placing age restrictions on the "unsuitable" content... you just remove it for everybody?

At least those little kids can still play their COD though, right?

Good job, Microsoft...

...dumbasses.

@DDustiNN The best part?

There are two BioShock 2 sections on the AMP for THIS VERY REASON. One is age locked, the other isn't.

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Reminder: Last chance to buy Xbox Avatar 'firearm' props

Reader Comments (57)

Posted: Dec 30th 2011 4:46PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Dec 30th 2011 4:46PM DarkSonata said

Posted: Dec 30th 2011 4:54PM arucious said

Posted: Dec 30th 2011 5:21PM DarkSonata said

Posted: Dec 31st 2011 2:19AM (Unverified) said

Posted: Dec 30th 2011 4:47PM drballsey said

Posted: Dec 30th 2011 4:59PM King Johngie the Fourth said

Posted: Dec 30th 2011 6:19PM drballsey said

Posted: Dec 30th 2011 4:49PM FreakSheet said

Posted: Dec 30th 2011 5:47PM DarkSonata said

Posted: Dec 30th 2011 4:52PM Space Cobra said

Posted: Dec 30th 2011 6:09PM Hank Hill said

Posted: Dec 30th 2011 6:54PM Space Cobra said

Posted: Dec 30th 2011 4:57PM Dubiousity said

Posted: Dec 30th 2011 5:00PM Stevetrop Man of Mystery said

Posted: Dec 30th 2011 5:02PM Styli said

Posted: Dec 30th 2011 5:15PM lobster crush said

Posted: Dec 30th 2011 7:38PM Kang 81 said

Posted: Dec 30th 2011 11:03PM lobster crush said

Posted: Dec 30th 2011 11:04PM lobster crush said

Posted: Dec 30th 2011 5:20PM Hoops said

Posted: Dec 30th 2011 5:29PM Raiderfan said

Posted: Dec 30th 2011 7:14PM Stevetrop Man of Mystery said

Posted: Dec 30th 2011 7:55PM latin trident said

Posted: Dec 30th 2011 5:33PM Schlecht said

Posted: Dec 30th 2011 5:49PM katarn7 said

Posted: Dec 30th 2011 6:28PM Schlecht said

Posted: Jan 1st 2012 5:14AM Martin C said

Posted: Dec 30th 2011 6:07PM Aizei said

Posted: Dec 30th 2011 6:08PM Jetleo1 said

Posted: Dec 30th 2011 6:11PM KnuxSonic said

Posted: Dec 30th 2011 6:38PM Aizei said

Posted: Dec 30th 2011 6:27PM iceytoa1 said

Posted: Dec 30th 2011 6:38PM Duke said

Posted: Dec 30th 2011 7:05PM Rather Dashing said

Posted: Dec 31st 2011 10:09AM Duke said

Posted: Dec 30th 2011 7:10PM JonahStein said

Posted: Dec 30th 2011 7:23PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Dec 30th 2011 7:26PM Jenks said

Posted: Dec 30th 2011 7:32PM TwistedJC said

Posted: Dec 30th 2011 7:40PM Kang 81 said

Posted: Dec 30th 2011 7:42PM Kang 81 said

Posted: Dec 30th 2011 8:04PM WigglesPNG said

Posted: Dec 30th 2011 7:59PM WigglesPNG said

Posted: Dec 30th 2011 8:01PM Maxx the Slash said

Posted: Dec 30th 2011 9:02PM JManND said

Posted: Dec 30th 2011 9:19PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Dec 30th 2011 10:46PM orcus said

Posted: Dec 31st 2011 2:17AM DDustiNN said

Posted: Dec 31st 2011 2:35PM Exu said

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