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No nudity, please, we're GAMING: Twitch asks players to cover up

New rules apply equally to both sexes, as they should

Twitch, the streaming site where users show off their gaming prowess to the public, has altered its terms and conditions to ban users from being cheeky by playing in the buff.

"Nerds are sexy, and you're all magnificent, beautiful creatures, but let's try and keep this about the games, shall we?" the firm's updated rules of conduct now read.

"Wearing no clothing or sexually suggestive clothing – including lingerie, swimsuits, pasties, and undergarments – will most likely get you suspended, as well as any full nude torsos, which applies to both male and female broadcasters. You may have a great six-pack, but that's better shared on the beach during a 2-on-2 volleyball game blasting 'Playing with the Boys.'"

The company suggests that if people really have to play naked then they should either turn off their webcams or adjust the shot so that the audience isn't exposed to swathes of naked flesh. It also takes the opportunity to plug the fact that Twitch also sells T-shirts.

It might seem unlikely that people actually choose to game in the raw, but it turns out nude gaming is a thing. There are even regular events where gamers get naked and twiddle their controllers, and some have corporate sponsorship.

Youtube Video

Twitch has also amended its rules to require games that contain sexual content to be shown only in passing. You can create a video of your tryst with the female Commander Shephard in Mass Effect 3, but just don't show endless clips of the animated amour. Posting NSFW images is also verboten.

Other changes include a ban on "self-destructive behavior," by which it means playing while dribblingly drunk (which might inspire naked play) or indulging in risky behavior – although there can't be that many gamers literally climbing the walls during a tough showdown in Counter-Strike.

Twitch users are also going to be banished from the system if they spam others, engage in abusive or hate speech against other people on the system, or if they are playing an obviously hacked or stolen game.

If you are blocked by Twitch then trying to log in again under a different name is also on the banned list. Try this one on and Twitch will also extend your suspension beyond the period given for the original offense.

It's possible that Twitch is being told to be a bit more family friendly by its new owners, Amazon. But what's more likely is that some people have been engaging in anti-social behavior online and Twitch wants to put a stop to it. ®

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