If I owned an Xbox 360, my Gamertag would be 'gay4play'

Or, maybe it would be "evengayerthanilook." That's kind of a mouthful, though, isn't it?

Anyway, you're probably thinking, "What planet are you on? On this planet, Microsoft doesn't allow Gamertags like that." Au contraire, mes amis!

Earlier today, the folks at Microsoft announced an update to the Xbox LIVE Terms of Use and Code of Conduct that allows users to "more freely express their race, nationality, religion and sexual orientation in Gamertags and profiles."

Previously, some of those expressions of self-identification were not allowed in Gamertags or profiles "to prevent the use of these terms as insults or slurs," Microsoft's Marc Whitten said in a press release that announced the update. "However, we have since heard feedback from our customers that while the spirit of this approach was genuine, it inadvertently excluded a part of our Xbox LIVE community."

Of course, Whitten added, "this update also comes hand-in-hand with increased stringency and enforcement to prevent the misuse of these terms."

It'll be interesting to see what happens moving forward. I think it's a foregone conclusion that some (OK, a lot of) gamers will abuse the system, but what isn't a foregone conclusion is how the folks at Microsoft will respond to that abuse. Hopefully it won't prompt them to pull the plug on the update and go back to banning people with Gamertags like "thegayestgamer."

See also: 'Microsoft still hemming and hawing over gay gamertags on Xbox Live' and 'The Advocate: Microsoft Tries to Mend Rift With Gaymers'