|
To the dismay of much
of the population of WOW, and the online community, girls
do play video games. What makes a girl play a game online? Are
they looking to pick up boys? Are they so socially inept that they can’t
talk to anyone in the real world? Are they just plain ugly? Or are they
really just a guy pretending to be a girl? None of these things
are true. They play the game for the same reason everyone plays. They
play for entertainment. Though women in the real life are striving for
equality in a male dominated world, and arguably making progress, the
ladies playing online games have a much harder task in front of them.
The exact ratio of female players to male players in WOW is not
known, but it is a far lower number than in the real world. Roderick, of
the Mal’Ganis Server estimates, “I’d guess I know maybe ten girl players
on this server.” Roderick ran a guild of over 200 people, that’s a
staggeringly low percentage. With that sort of male saturation, girl
gamers can have a tough time breaking into the “boys club” that exists
beneath the surface.
The male population of the any online community, WOW included, is
highly competitive, and the general feeling in an aggressive activity is
that girls cannot perform on the same level as boys. On the
virtual battlefield its far from true, but girl gamers are still
considered underdogs and have to prove themselves worthy. They may come
under harder scrutiny simply because they are female.
Because of the disposition some of the guys have on women gamers; some
girls actively try to hide their gender. This isn’t hard, since
according to Cezzani of Mal’Ganis, “Ninety percent of female characters
are played by ten percent of the guys.” Whether or not those figures are
close to accurate, the point remains the same. There are enough girl
characters running around WOW that a real female can hide her gender
simply by not admitting to it.
Those that hide their gender do it for a reason, to avoid the
stereotypes and sexual harassment. It may be due to the age or maturity
of the individual talking to the girl gamer, or perhaps because
there are seemingly no repercussions in an online community where you
can log off and not have to deal with the consequences. WOW has a strict
policy against any sort of threatening or hurtful communications that
removes the anonymity from it. In severe cases Blizzard will revoke the
players account, taking away their character and possessions. But the
same problems that exist in the real world exist in the virtual world.
Many of the women who go through the torture of this abuse will never
report it.
The male gamers must learn respect for the female gamers. They
are not there simply to pick up guys nor as part of the entertainment
for male players. They don’t want to be hit on, or asked what they look
like in real life. They will accept kindness, and will often times be
friendly, but that is no indication that they are less of a gamer
than anyone else who plays in a virtual world like WOW.
About the Author
Hunter Crowell is a
researcher, marketer, and an avid online gamer, including World of
Warcraft and also the creator of
WOW Gold Price List, a web site setup to help players
find the cheapest place to buy their WOW gold. Visit his site at
http://www.wow-gold-price-list.com
|
