No Voice or Sperm for Xbox Avatars

Microsoft's developer guidelines for the use of NXE avatars appear to signal to third-parties that they should produce games containing neutered, voiceless creatures who - while appearing clean cut and straight-edge kinda people - are frankly freakishly angelic.

Here are some of the things avatars can't do:

- "No sexual or bodily fluids or substances can come from the avatar." See the next point, however, which at least means they can express some frustration at their lives.

- "The player’s avatar should not have their own voice. They are allowed to make individual sounds, such as laughing and crying but otherwise cannot use a voice." Well, at least they will be able to cry at the sheer hopelessness of it all.

- "Sexual acts or terminology cannot be insinuated or enacted." - Sex is bad, bad, bad! Some violence is okay though...

- "Cartoon violence is allowed. Violence is allowed as long as there is no blood, gore, dismemberment, decapitation, maiming, or mutilation. An example of allowable injuries includes injuries that might befall an avatar in a sporting event such as American football. Avatars can die temporarily to depict failure." We assume that Mad World cartoon violence isn't in the zone though.

- "Game-controlled avatars cannot use profane, racist, or discriminatory language, nor can they make obscene gestures." Ah, so non-game controlled ones can? No, we didn't think so either.

- "Criminal activities need to be relevant to the story and are presented unfavorably." Fortunately for the Avatars (and their "Reals") then, they can go and rob someone...

^{Sources:
Xna Creator Club
OXM}