Halo 3 will ''mute idiots'' via button [UPDATED]

Or rather, it'll refine the excellence of sound - by eliminating the sort of "vocal buttmunches" who help ensure the truth of the following equation: "Teenagers, plus anonymity, plus microphone = idiot."

The "A-Hole Button" as they're calling it brings up a score list with everyone's tag on it. By using the right stick, you can quickly select whichever player is smack-talking you into a stupor, and you won't hear from them again.

"Any muted player you have selected in your Xbox Live account overrides Halo 3's new system, but that should actually enhance the choice of maroons you're editing out of your gameplay. Best of all, it means fewer wasted or frustrating gameplay sessions," Bungie's Frank O'Connor notes.

"We're doing our best to come up with lots of smart solutions for stuff like this, but honestly, we can't be parents to some of these poltroons. We're much more concerned with giving you guys the tools you need to silence them."

It's also worth checking out this week's update for more hints about weapons, along with some comments on actress Jen Taylor's visit to the studio to record Cortana's Halo 3 dialogue.

"There's a lot more drama and a lot less technical jargon this time around. I actually just finished a couple of lines that nearly had me in tears. For an actor, more drama is always good," she notes.

[UPDATE] There's now a follow up story on this, explaining that you already have the mute feature today.