Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[The Soapbox: The unfairer sex]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/22/the-soapbox-the-unfairer-sex/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/22/the-soapbox-the-unfairer-sex/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/22/the-soapbox-the-unfairer-sex/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column.

Talking about the representation of women in video games is usually an exercise in depression. You don't have to search very hard for negative examples; consider The Witcher, in which sleeping with women is treated essentially as some sort of ersatz Pokémon variant. Or take a look at Grand Theft Auto III, hailed as a groundbreaking game, which featured a grand total of three female characters in the story, all of whom were painted as some combination of promiscuous, stupid, or untrustworthy.

Comparatively speaking, MMOs deserve a medal for being remarkably open to both players and characters of both genders. And yet that's damning with faint praise in the worst way. MMOs still leave a lot to be desired when it comes to how they handle women, in ways both subtle and searingly obvious. Female characters are generally expected to be in a state of perpetual undress, more often than not without a significant role in the storyline -- and precisely because the genre is so far ahead of its contemporaries, complaints are often met with eye-rolling and derision.

Continue reading The Soapbox: The unfairer sex

MassivelyThe Soapbox: The unfairer sex originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>classyclothingcolumndressfeaturedgendergender-balancegender-issuesmaturityobjectifyingopinionsexismsexysoapboxthe-soapboxTue, 22 Mar 2011 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Are you upset with how MMOs handle women?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/27/the-daily-grind-are-you-upset-with-how-mmos-handle-women/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/27/the-daily-grind-are-you-upset-with-how-mmos-handle-women/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/27/the-daily-grind-are-you-upset-with-how-mmos-handle-women/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

While this year's BlizzCon didn't feature any shocking revelations about World of Warcraft, it still contained some shocking revelations for a few people during one of the question-and-answer panels. A question about the game's treatment of female characters wasn't just brushed off, it was mocked by the development team. This has been picked up in a couple of places, with the uniform opinion not just being that it was a bad way to respond to the question, it was a bad sign that developers can essentially brush off the question altogether.

It's not an unfamiliar debate, one that runs through every media in one form or another. Whether you're a man or a woman, you might be of the mind that there's a serious problem with how the genre treats a substantial portion of its audience... or you might be of the mind that people get way too bent out of shape over a bit of extra skin on female characters. So where do you stand? Are you unhappy with the way that women are represented in MMOs, or do you think that it's much ado about nothing?
Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Are you upset with how MMOs handle women? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzconblizzcon-2010controversyfeminismgendergender-relationsmaturityopiniontdgthe-daily-grindwomenwomen-in-gamingworld-of-warcraftwowWed, 27 Oct 2010 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: How do you feel about mature content?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/23/the-daily-grind-how-do-you-feel-about-mature-content/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/23/the-daily-grind-how-do-you-feel-about-mature-content/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/23/the-daily-grind-how-do-you-feel-about-mature-content/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The game industry, in some ways, is akin to the film industry in that it grows up in fits and starts. Games such as Silent Hill 2 and God of War both have the same rating of "Mature" on the box, and both of them feature gore and some sexual imagery, but there's a world of difference in their attitudes toward them. Age of Conan is one of the few triple-A MMOs to really try and tackle mature content in the field as a selling point, with most of the market leaders eschewing it altogether.

On the one hand, mature content opens the door for more adult and immersive stories to be told. On the other hand, it can also be used for cheap shock value and lead to less maturity in storytelling. Not to mention that it can lead to some backlash for developers (as BioWare experienced not so long ago). Where do you stand on the issue? Do you want unmitigated violence and nudity in your games, with all the concurrent issues they can bring, or would you rather keep things at a lower key to avoid the slide into immaturity?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: How do you feel about mature content? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 23 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adult-contentage-of-conanaocbiowaregod-of-warmaturemature-contentmaturitysilent-hill-2tdgthe-daily-grindTue, 23 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Which WAR faction favors more mature players?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/01/which-war-faction-favors-more-mature-players/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/01/which-war-faction-favors-more-mature-players/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/01/which-war-faction-favors-more-mature-players/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

It's generally accepted as common knowledge that Horde players in World of Warcraft are, by and large, the more mature of the two factions. Whether or not this is actually supported by hard data is a matter of debate, but the logic says that older players are the ones best able to overlook the stigma of playing races long-perceived to be the "bad guys." There are mouth-breathers no matter what faction you roll, but perception is what it is.

We've been watching a poll over at Warhammer Alliance that sought to identify a specific age correlation between the two factions amongst the hardcore Warhammer Online community. With just over 2100 votes cast at the time of writing this, we did find an interest trend. Although Destruction was more popular than Order in every demographic, the disparity between the two become decreasingly pronounced as you move up in the age bracket. The ratio went from 1.7:1 in the 12-16 bracket to 1.5:1 amongst those 17-25 to 1.3:1 for ages 26-35, finally to 1.1:1 in the 35+ bracket. Does this mean Order will be the faction of choice for older players? Definitely too early to tell, but this early data is intriguing.

MassivelyWhich WAR faction favors more mature players? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 01 Jul 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>datadestructionea-mythicfactionsimbalancematurityorderpollWARwarhammer-onlineTue, 01 Jul 2008 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Making a mature guild member]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/11/making-a-mature-guild-member/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/11/making-a-mature-guild-member/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/11/making-a-mature-guild-member/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Normally I don't write about World of Warcraft (it' s just not my type of game), but Matt from World of Matticus has written a blog listing 20 characteristics that he thinks every "mature" WoW guild member should have. It got me thinking...

Thinking it was sad that he had to write it at all. Unfortunately, the term "mature" and "gamer" are terms not usually associated with each other. I don't say this out of hate, I say this out of experience. I'm a 40 year old gamer who has been around since day one of the Gaming Age. The garbage I've heard uttered in game chat and seen erupt on guild sites would make a prison inmate blush.

Matt writes this article out of his love for WoW, but the topic stretches across all game genres and can (and should) apply to any assembled mass of people (whether they're in a guild, a clique, a supergroup or just friends hanging out) in any game - massively or fragger.

Continue reading Making a mature guild member

MassivelyMaking a mature guild member originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Mar 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>guildsmaturityopinionthink-before-you-actWorld-of-MatticusWorld-of-WarcraftTue, 11 Mar 2008 20:00:00 EST