While I donāt read any statements or endorsements of historical viewpoints behind this, Microsoft had to figure someone would notice that itās now selling a Confederate Army uniform for your Xbox Live avatarās virtual dress-up and call it out as a borderline offensive gesture. One of our readers saw it, and did.
Listed generically as āCivil War Uniform,ā the outfit is part of an āAmerican Historyā series of avatar costume items that went on sale this weekend, and in the context of the entire collection, it all seems rather benign. The collection offers British redcoat uniforms and hats, for example, and that armyās rifles and bayonets spilled plenty of American blood, and its government did some things we found oppressive and horrible, at the time, too. Weāve still patched up most of our differences, except the ones concerning football, of course.
Some might wonder why a Confederate gray uniform is offered and not a Union blue with it. Perhaps the Revolutionary War uniform (which is blue) is meant to represent the nation, a vastly different union from what it was 75 years later. Who knows.
July 4 celebrates the American Declaration of Independence. I suppose itās as good as any national holiday to reflect on American history, but the Civil War came 84 years later. (An Abe Lincoln hat and beard set is also in the collection).
Out of context, itās also curious because a gray āCivil War uniformā is recognizable Confederate symbology. Iām not sure what Xbox Liveās policy is on this particular emblem but it would seem using a Confederate flag as your gamer picture would invite moderatorsā attention, as that symbol is taken (and has been historically used) as a racial provocation. At minimum, someone would probably report you.
Iāve invited a Microsoft representative to comment on this but being that itās the July 4 holiday, of course, we may not hear anything about it for a while.
The uniform is 160 Microsoft points (two bucks) and thereās also a gray soldierās cap for 80 points (a dollar).
