Xbox 360, Idiots & Silence-Golden

Are you constantly bothered by unloved children playing games that are obviously rated above their age category? Do their squealing voices and constant cursing at you because they figured out how to use a n00b tube grind your nerves? No fear! There is a way to silence them without having to select their name in a game lobby, look at their profile, then mute them.

But before we go back, let me explain my "unloved children" part. I say this because if a parent truly loved their child the parent would not buy games rated "M" etc. and an Xbox 360 PLUS a Gold Subscription and then when it is 5am their child is still gaming on a school night. Or any night for that matter. All these things mean this: "I am too busy for you so here, go have fun and don't bother me. Enjoy the Video Gaming Babysitter!"

But enough, I digress. Back onto shutting up the idiots regardless of age. I call this "Locking Down My Profile". Something I had never done, nor even considered until last November, when MW2 came out. The last thing I heard in a MW2 game lobby before I locked my profile down was two boys? whom obviously had not hit puberty, discussing in a homoerotic fratboy way how they were going to bully a school chum into doing "crimes against nature". This is a family friendly blog so I won't say exactly what they said. Since that time, I hear nothing but the happy voices of my friends. On a quick side note, this has really improved my game as combat tactics are easier to hear without idiots in the background.

First of all, locking down a profile means that unless someone is on your friend's list, you can't hear then in any form of chat, in multiplayer of any game nor can they send you any messages via Live. Nice huh?

Downside:
Limits ability to communicate in games for co-ordination. (Why bother, they aren't listening anyway), if they join a Chat Party you are in, well, same as the previous and finally, you can't send a gamer a message such as "Nice work back there".

If you have decided to lock down your profile here is how to do it via xbox.com.

1. Log into your Xbox Live account via xbox.com.
2. Go to Edit Profile. Easy to access by clicking your own gamertag.
3. Click Privacy Settings.
4. For Voice & Text choose "Friends Only".
5. For Video choose "Friends Only".
6. For Gamer Profile choose "Friends Only".
7. For Online Status choose "Friends Only".
8. For Member Content choose what you like. Irrelevant to locking down profile.
9. For Played Games choose "Friends Only".
10. For Friend's List choose "Friends Only".
11. Click the "Save" button. And wait while xbox.com takes it's sweet time to process your changes.
12. Enjoy the silence!!!!

Locking Down Profiles from your Xbox 360 Console

1. Log into the account you want to lock down on your 360.
2. Scroll either up or down until you reach "My Xbox".
3. Scroll one to the right. See your Avatar? Great! Now press A on your controller.
4. Scroll down to "Profile" and choose that one. (Press A)
5. Select "Edit Profile". (Press A)
6. Select "Privacy Settings". (Press A)
7. For Voice & Text choose "Friends Only". (Press A)
8. For Camera choose "Friends Only". (Press A)
9. For Profile choose "Friends Only". (Press A)
10. For Online choose "Friends Only". (Press A)
11. For Video Status choose whatever you like. Irrelevant to locking down profile unless you watch shows on Netflix people will make fun of you about.
12. For Friends List choose "Friends Only". (Press A)
13. For Game History choose "Friends Only". (Press A)
14. For Member Content choose what you like. Irrelevant to locking down profile.
15. For Xbox Marketing choose what you like. I opted out.
16. For Partner Marketing choose what you like. I opted out.
17. Press the B button on your controller to exit you out of this.
18. You will see a HUGE grey box that says:
"You're being signed out of Xbox LIVE. The changes you just made will take effect the next time you sign in" with a single option for you to choose- "OK". Yep. Click that.
19. Sign back into Xbox Live and enjoy the silence!!!!