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TDG: Asura
We've seen it across the MMO spectrum: Gnomes, Hobbits, Halflings, Dwarves, Asura, Sprites, Danny DeVito -- they're all ridiculed, mocked, and often targeted by other players driven to an inexplicable rage at the mere sight of them. Small races may be fiercely loved by a segment of the playerbase, but their presence serves to infuriate even more.

So what is it about short races that drives good men and women to near-madness? Is it their tenacity at overcoming odds? Their propensity for kicking shins? Or their "ooh lookit the cute widdle fella!" adorability? It's hard to say, although this writer personally loves them. So chew on that, tallies!

But that's not today's question; today's question is whether or not you think short races in MMOs have become persecuted, to an extent. Are they unfairly targeted just because of what they are, and if so, does that mean we've traded real-world prejudices for virtual ones?

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 tiny races persecuted? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 30 Aug 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>asuradanny-devitodwarvesgnomeshalflingshobbitsopinionprejudiceracesshort-racesspritestdgthe-daily-grindTue, 30 Aug 2011 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[With persistent worlds comes persistent racism]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/12/with-persistent-worlds-comes-persistent-racism/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/12/with-persistent-worlds-comes-persistent-racism/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/12/with-persistent-worlds-comes-persistent-racism/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


The promise of what virtual spaces can bring us is significant -- erasing geographic limitations on interaction with others while fostering an exchange of cultures, beliefs, and languages. To this high-minded end, millions of dollars have been spent and many thousands of hours of work have been invested into creating rich graphical settings coupled with immersive environmental soundscapes. Crisp digital communication at its finest, right?

Much like the promise of the the eradication of artificial barriers to meaningful communication through the Internet, virtual worlds and online spaces in general have fallen short of expectations. It's generally not the fault of the companies or the service providers though. The fault lies with us, the users.

Continue reading With persistent worlds comes persistent racism

MassivelyWith persistent worlds comes persistent racism originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 12 Sep 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>academicars-technicaarstechnicacultureethnicitygriefgriefingmmo-industryprejudiceraceracismreal-lifereligionsocial-influencestherevirtual-worldsFri, 12 Sep 2008 19:00:00 EST