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Unintended Consequences
Sep. 26th, 2007 12:50 pmSo the makers of the MMORPG King of the World have now banned men from playing female characters. You will henceforth be able to create a female avatar in the game after proving your gender via webcam. The Slashdot story is here.
I understand (though I don't play in such games myself) that lots of men play female characters. I also understand that lots of men tend to hit on female characters in these games. Which is unspeakably sad. They're not really there, and if they were, they could be anywhere in the world, and they're probably not really women anyhow. (Okay, also unspeakably annoying.)
But this "solution" looks to me like it will have some very obvious albeit unintended consequences.
1. Fewer female players. Why should a woman who wants to play female character feel obliged to jump through hoops and provide a picture of her real face* to some anonymous dweeb on the net for the privilege? There are lots of other MMORPGs that don't have this stupid rule.
2. Fewer female characters. Woman who want to play this game can always opt to play male avatars (there's no corresponding rule on that point).
3. MORE obnoxious behavior toward female characters. Currently the most egregious offenders are restrained by at least the possibility that the flirty female character playing sex kitten may, in fact, actually be some 50 year-old guy from the Bronx. Thanks to this nifty new rule, those guys will now KNOW that a female avatar represents an actual female player.
Morons.
I understand (though I don't play in such games myself) that lots of men play female characters. I also understand that lots of men tend to hit on female characters in these games. Which is unspeakably sad. They're not really there, and if they were, they could be anywhere in the world, and they're probably not really women anyhow. (Okay, also unspeakably annoying.)
But this "solution" looks to me like it will have some very obvious albeit unintended consequences.
1. Fewer female players. Why should a woman who wants to play female character feel obliged to jump through hoops and provide a picture of her real face* to some anonymous dweeb on the net for the privilege? There are lots of other MMORPGs that don't have this stupid rule.
2. Fewer female characters. Woman who want to play this game can always opt to play male avatars (there's no corresponding rule on that point).
3. MORE obnoxious behavior toward female characters. Currently the most egregious offenders are restrained by at least the possibility that the flirty female character playing sex kitten may, in fact, actually be some 50 year-old guy from the Bronx. Thanks to this nifty new rule, those guys will now KNOW that a female avatar represents an actual female player.
Morons.