Boys vs Girls (gender bias in online games)

[shoutingsteve]

So, you know how a lot of online games assign genders to classes (Warriors are guys and mages are lady-folk, for example)?  Has anyone else noticed that when playing as a female character, other players are noticeably nicer to you than when playing as a male character?  I don't mean just in the chats, I mean in the small aspects like not running off ahead in dungeons or in how quickly they healing/resurrect you. Am I just imagining this?

[Alireza]

9 minutes ago, shoutingsteve said:

So, you know how a lot of online games assign genders to classes (Warriors are guys and mages are lady-folk, for example)?  Has anyone else noticed that when playing as a female character, other players are noticeably nicer to you than when playing as a male character?  I don't mean just in the chats, I mean in the small aspects like not running off ahead in dungeons or in how quickly they healing/resurrect you. Am I just imagining this?

because finding a girl in action online games is like finding a GPU at MSRP 

everybody wants it and they try there best to at least get close to it

personally if i see a gamer girl which by gaming she doesn't mean fortnite and some stupid mobile game

ill marry her right away

[SansVarnic]

44 minutes ago, shoutingsteve said:

So, you know how a lot of online games assign genders to classes (Warriors are guys and mages are lady-folk, for example)?

Name one. I have not seen this.

Only thing I have noticed is trend that is common to use female for certain roles, selected by the player.

 

Also I suggest changing your title to be more fitting to the topic.

[dizmo]

I have not. In fact, I've probably noticed the opposite more often than not.

39 minutes ago, Alireza said:

because finding a girl in action online games is like finding a GPU at MSRP 

everybody wants it and they try there best to at least get close to it

personally if i see a gamer girl which by gaming she doesn't mean fortnite and some stupid mobile game

ill marry her right away

Fortnite is just as much a game as any other And mobile games are more popular than desktop or console games.

[LogicalDrm]

Misogyny and stereotypes are rampant in gaming industry overall. Just look into the Blizzard affair.

 

But this has much deeper roots in human history and fantasy fiction literature. Most game producers and writers have read fantasy novels, the classics being from era when females weren't seen as equal to men.

[Quackers101]

rants

So both as "role-playing" and game options to player behaviour?

For MMO's I don't really see that, while they do like in I guess WoW and Black desert, that some are Gender specific.

They do have their own warrior/melee and support characters.

 

if not one are thinking of games like genshin impact and the likes of that? But isn't both made to "sell" for either gender?

 

As for behaviours, some are to be expected, exploited, or for the female side to become more focused on or attract more attention towards.

Like as someone said above, some can be with the rarity or how less active females might become in certain spheres and is less "public".

Found that in CSGO, the communities can be quite different. from the russians having sometimes some very nice public group activity and chill. while on some of the more american/european ones, can be nice and sometimes total... oof

 

Also it very much depends on the game too, were like siege and being competitive, will make it easier to make a sh*tshow between males and females. Either from hostility or jokes that either might take differently both verbally and emotionally, and that about wanting to create an reaction and the clash between reaction and attention towards which often might end up on the female side? (not sure if this is the best way to put it).

 

Let's go Xbox360 voice chat, gamer420mut343v3r.

 

People are going to make their bias and stereotypes no matter what, or by what they experience.

Also some games are just going to put people in a set mindset.

 

If one made a game with NO player "identity" or able to be identitified while able to choose a character, would it solve these problems? not really?

As for games, it doesn't quite matter and some of it can just put some identity to the overall gameworld.

[Stahlmann]

3 hours ago, SansVarnic said:

Name one. I have not seen this.

Take Diablo 1 & 2, the warrior type classes are male, the ranged ones female.

 

Another example:

For Dark Souls you can be summoned to help other players fight a boss. I also noticed that i get summoned significantly quicker if i have a half-decent looking female character as opposed to your standard heavy armored male character.

 

And i can't tell exactly why, but every time there is the option to pick your character's gender, i tend to go female.

Maybe i subconsiously identify myself as female?

Maybe i just want to play someone as different as possible from my real identity?

Probably some psychology behind all that. But i don't really care as long as i'm having fun playing games.

[OneOfYas]

I met my woman on Steam by standing up for her in a match of Modern Warfare 2 back in 2010.

She accidentally let it slip that she was female, so I said I was also female and we had a laugh.

[shoutingsteve]

14 hours ago, SansVarnic said:

Name one. I have not seen this.

Only thing I have noticed is trend that is common to use female for certain roles, selected by the player.

 

Also I suggest changing your title to be more fitting to the topic.

Vindictus is the specific game that made me realize this.

Also topic title changed from  "Boys vs Girls" to "Boys vs Girls (gender bias in online games)"

[shoutingsteve]

1 hour ago, OneOfYas said:

I met my woman on Steam by standing up for her in a match of Modern Warfare 2 back in 2010.

She accidentally let it slip that she was female, so I said I was also female and we had a laugh.

That's so lovely.

[tikker]

15 hours ago, shoutingsteve said:

So, you know how a lot of online games assign genders to classes (Warriors are guys and mages are lady-folk, for example)?  Has anyone else noticed that when playing as a female character, other players are noticeably nicer to you than when playing as a male character?  I don't mean just in the chats, I mean in the small aspects like not running off ahead in dungeons or in how quickly they healing/resurrect you. Am I just imagining this?

 Gender bias would refer to the player base and whether men or women are the dominant player base.  Might simply be a mostly male player base acting out the weak and inexperienced gamer girl needs help stereotype being reinforced or simply all in your head.

11 hours ago, Stahlmann said:

And i can't tell exactly why, but every time there is the option to pick your character's gender, i tend to go female.

Maybe i subconsiously identify myself as female?

Maybe i just want to play someone as different as possible from my real identity?

Probably some psychology behind all that. But i don't really care as long as i'm having fun playing games.

Can be a variety of things I think. Like to stare at the opposite gender more, like to distance the game from yourself more. Or perhaps you like design according to https://quanticfoundry.com/2021/08/05/character-gender/

Quote

Men who prefer female characters score higher on Design. Women who prefer male characters score higher on Destruction.

 

[Stahlmann]

13 hours ago, tikker said:

Can be a variety of things I think. Like to stare at the opposite gender more, like to distance the game from yourself more. Or perhaps you like design according to https://quanticfoundry.com/2021/08/05/character-gender/

That was actually a really interesting article to read. Thanks for that!

[FruitOfTheLum]

On 10/18/2021 at 3:46 AM, shoutingsteve said:

Has anyone else noticed that when playing as a female character, other players are noticeably nicer to you than when playing as a male character? 

There's a reason I don't use a mic with online games anymore, and it's not because people are 'noticeably nicer'...

[Montana One-Six]

I really don't have a preferred gender for my characters in games and I usually have both a male and a female character if the game allows it. Sometimes I only use a male or female character depending on a variety of factors, like voice acting (the reason I only played Kassandra in AC:O) for example.

 

On 10/18/2021 at 4:46 AM, shoutingsteve said:

Has anyone else noticed that when playing as a female character, other players are noticeably nicer to you than when playing as a male character? 

I never played MMO's or anything like it and the closest game I played to it would probably be The Division 2.

Anyway in the Division 2 in noticed that when I play a male character I pretty much get ignored by other players in these hub areas where you can see other players. As a female character they often come to you do emotes and send friend requests and shit like that. So yes I can confirm that you are often treated differently depending on your characters gender in my experience.

[whm1974]

I play mostly Single Player Games. But some like the Neverwinter Nights games do have a Multiplayer Option.

 

Mostly I play a Male Character. But from time to time I do create a woman one.