Gender Inequity in Games
Nowadays, people gradually change the attitude towards video games. Video game is no longer merely a way to kill time, it gradually become an industry, a sports, a kind of arts. The quality of video games become more and more incredible; the story setting of video games are no less fascinating than movies and TV shows; and recently, Esport may join 2020 Olympics, which include League of legends, Dota 2 and other games. But, the problem is with the continue developing of Video Game, a serious imbalance between genders were continue growth without any improving. So, in this paper, I would like to make a summary about Amanda Marcotte and Braithwaite’s work, and make an analysis about it.
According to Marcotee, more boys between 13 to 17 paly games than girls; there is a moderate gap between two genders. Also, they play different games，boys play more video games also they would more likely play with someone in internet, which they do not know in real life. Controversy, girls are more likely play some mobile games and don’t play with someone they don't know in the real life. Also, boy tend to regard game as kind of social activity, and girls are like an intrinsic activity. From my humble opinion, this phenomenon caused by the difference between both of genders. Boys are more extroversive toward game, because they like to maintain a kind of objective thinking, they enjoy the process of the game, they could develop social relationship with other who maintain same play style, which is associated with their own personality. But girls more likely to maintain an emotional thinking, and the games are merely the vehicle of emotion, and also the emotional linkage is less likely to develop with someone they are not already know in real life. I think that cause that kind of problem, and significant limited the market of video game industry.
In the Braithwaite’s work, she took a different approach towards this issue. In her paper “‘Seriously, Get Out’: Feminists on the Forums and the War(craft) on Women.” She use a perfect example of this issue, in one of the beta version of Warcraft, Ji Firepaw used to say “you’re some kind of gorgeous aren’t you?” and in the final version change to ‘you seem poised and confident.’” And the second one seemed to be more political right that the first one; but people are really angry about the change. The problem is some people would like regard the game as a kind of kind of reflection of the real word, and that is the reason why they play it. And, the game producers changed it due to some gender respect issue, and people are out raged. The core of this problem is we are already get used to this kind of gender inequity in the real world, and when is reflect to the Warcraft, and fix it, we feel a kind of uncomfortable, so the solution of it should change it in the social level, clear this kind of terrible social norm in the real life.
In conclusion, this kind of gender inequity in game level is merely a kind of reflection on the real world. And how to fix it should focus more in the real world.
Reference
Marcotte, Amanda. 2015. “Teen Girls Love Video Games, but They’re Really Quiet About It.” Slate, August 18. http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2015/08/18/teen_g irls_play_video_games_but_they_minimize_their_contact_ with_other_players.html.
Braithwaite, Andrea. 2014. “‘Seriously, Get Out’: Feminists on the Forums and the War(craft) on Women.” New Media & Society 16 (5): 703–18. doi:10.1177/1461444813489503.