Halo 4 devs speak out against sexist abuse over Xbox Live

Halo 4 executive producer Kiki Wolfkill and 343 head Bonnie Ross have spoken out on the issue of sexist abuse over Xbox Live, and has reassured fans that Microsoft currently does everything in its power to stop tirades and ban offenders.

Speaking with Gamespot, Ross said, "I've seen many of the sites that have documented some of the more gender-specific slanderous comments. This is behaviour that is offensive and completely unacceptable. I'd like to think most of our Xbox Live players don't support this kind of behaviour."

Wolfkill added, "It can be dangerous to give adolescents a broadcast mechanism. There are always going to be jerks out there, and if you give them a way to express that side of their personality without being seen, you're going to see this type of behaviour manifest itself."

The subject of gender was a conscious one throughout Halo 4's development Ross revealed, revealing that the studio mulled over which characters would be male and female throughout the campaign, and to question their own decisions along the way.

Ross concluded, "Most people look at a franchise like Halo, and automatically assume it's run by a guy. People are surprised to learn that it's a woman who's running the Halo 4 show. When Microsoft created 343 Industries to take over Halo, I was given first choice to run the studio because I had proven myself. My gender played no part in it."

What's your take on the abuse doled out to Xbox Live players - male or female? Should further action be taken to ban or report individuals? What could be done? Let us know below.