The virtual world of PlayStation Home is being monitored by the powers that be, who have taken measures to censor text chat so as to ensure users aren't offended by what it deems to be offensive language.
The list of objectionable words includes the likes of gay "lesbian" and "bisexual", as well as the likes of "Christ" and "Jew". Users can currently leave feedback to Sony who insists that it will adopt a zero tolerance policy and will take action against any bad behavior, including racist and sexist remarks, but some believe that Sony has gone over the top by banning such words.
Michael Marsh, an 18-year-old gamer from Norwalk, Conn is one such disgruntled user who believes that Sony is discriminating sections of society by banning such words. He tried to set up a gay/straight alliance club, but was prevented from doing so due to the censorship.
"By blocking a word like gay which is a preferred term by the gay community, you're encouraging it as a bad word," he told the San Francisco Chronicle.
Sony has reacted to the complaints by assuring users that it is listening to feedback from its community and that it will take into account and act upon any issues that are brought to its attention.
"The key message is it's a beta and it's evolving on a daily basis," said Sony Computer Entertainment America spokesman Patrick Seybold. "We've said early on that user behavior and feedback will shape where we go with Home."
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