Time for the House Rules! Microsoft has now unveiled a set of lists for your Xbox Live Avatars. Not surprising at all considering how the Avatars actually are a representation of your visual self. No beer-guzzling, half-naked, foul-mouthed, hard-partying avatar for you then. Gosh, it's so much like real life.

The primary objective in all this is, of course, to protect the kids from anything that they might not want to find out until they are old enough to hold that vomit in.

Take note that these lists were formed to help XNA developers with their games. Check out the rules yourself, and see that Pinocchio absolutely had no reason to complain.

Oh shut up, you.

Player interacts with their avatar as if it's a separate character

• A player's avatar does not have an autonomous personality or instinct. The avatar is under the control of the owning player. It can have idle animations and can respond appropriately to game events but it should not interact with the user as if it is separate from the player, try to get the player's attention in an annoying manner.

Violence which causes blood, gore, dismemberment, decapitation, maiming, or mutilation

• 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.

Player's avatar talks

• 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.

Acts of sexual innuendo or mildly explicit sexual descriptions or images or sexual posturing

• Sexual acts or terminology cannot be insinuated or enacted.

Excretes obscene bodily fluids or substances

• No sexual or bodily fluids or substances can come from the avatar.

Glamorized criminal act

• Criminal activities need to be relevant to the story and are presented unfavourably.

Acts of an aggressive or threatening manner

• Gratuitous insults, bullying, intimidation or otherwise violent or emotional abuse of a position of power are not allowed. Avatars may leave innocents or bystanders slightly injured, but not dead.

Vulgar or profane act

• Game-controlled avatars cannot use profane, racist, or discriminatory language, nor can they make obscene gestures.

Use of controlled substances

• An avatar is not allowed to hold, be seen around or partake in any controlled substances or paraphernalia including, but not limited to, alcohol, tobacco and drugs.

Replace Avatar features

• The features of an avatar cannot be hidden or in obscured and cannot be replaced with alternative items. Items such as, but not limited to, masks, hats and alternative clothing, are not allowed.

Avatars proportions are not modified

• The proportions of an Avatar cannot be modified form their original settings. An Avatar can be resized as long as the proportions don't change.

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