While Playing as non-human races is considered unremarkable, playing as the opposite gender (termed gender bending) has always been a divisive issue. Current surveys show that 85% of MMORPG players are male and that males are up to 5x more likely to gender bend than females.
Surprisingly, feminist organizations see gender bending as another sign of female oppression. There is certainly some small minority of men who use female characters to approach other men online but doesn’t ultimate responsibility lie on the individual in defending himself against unsolicited advances online?
Current surveys show that 85% of MMORPG players are male and that males are up to 5x more likely to gender bend than females. Females who play a male character give up this gender specific advantage, which likely explains the far lower female gender bending tendency. Many players faced character deletion if their female avatars didn’t have a female face to defend them on the webcam. Shanda may of found the perfect way to reverse gender bending trends between the sexes – by putting additional barriers in front of male gender benders and encouraging female gender bending.
Recently in China Shanda Entertainment, a major developer of virtual worlds, issued a new rule that anyone wishing to create a female avatar must first prove their gender to the company via a webcam. Many players faced character deletion if their female avatars didn’t have a female face to defend them on the webcam. Shanda may of found the perfect way to reverse gender bending trends between the sexes – by putting additional barriers in front of male gender benders and encouraging female gender bending.
There are some very practical reasons why a man would prefer to play a female character online. Females who play a male character give up this gender specific advantage, which likely explains the far lower female gender bending tendency. It has also been noted that in third party MMORPGS many men prefer to spend their game hours staring at the back of a slim female body rather than a bulky man’s.
