Interestingly enough, Microsoft, or more specifically Bungie, has announced a feature that might actually get me into Halo multiplayer more.  They've announced a built-in mute button for Halo 3. 

Now, I've tried Halo, its pretty good, and I tried playing the online multiplayer, but man... the brats playing the game on their headsets with their constant non-game related chatter or inane trash-talking.  I couldn't stand it.  I handed the game over to my buddy and was done with it. 

Look, I'm all for the occassional "pwned!" moments, but when you get fragged as much as you do in a FPS, hearing it over and over at a volume and pitch WAY too high, forget it.  I still recall playing Quake or maybe it was the first Unreal Tournament, where there was built-in trash-talking phrases that would get shot off when you got gibbed.  Fair enough.  Now with the new mute option that will be included in the next Halo, I just might get into that.  Communication is all well and good, but the rest I can do without.
 
The best thing hearing these same morons on the forums screaming that its either not a new idea, or "if you can't take it get off XBL!"  The whole point of it is to know that they're getting under your skin.  Otherwise they'd just scream at the screen with the mic off.  Now that's been taken away from them.  I do hope that they have a message that appears on their screen that says "Player X has muted you" as the final dig. :D