Patent ID: 6905414

Claim:
For use with an electronic game played on at least one multiplayer game console having a capability to provide verbal communication between players of games being played on said at least one multiplayer game console, a method for preventing verbal communication by a specific player, comprising the steps of: (a) maintaining data for each player participating in a game; (b) including an indicator in the data, said indicator referencing the specific player who is precluded from verbally communicating during at least one of: (i) a current game session played with another player who has chosen not to verbally communicate with the specific player; (ii) all games played with another player who has chosen not to verbally communicate with the specific player; (iii) all games played by the specific player over a network and using a specific online game service; and (iv) all games played by the specific player using any multiplayer game console; and (c) responding to the indicator in the data by automatically preventing verbal communication with the specific player in accord with said at least one of subparagraphs (i)-(iv) of step (b).