Convergence The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies · 2003 · 170 citations · 2 references
Social SciencesGender StudiesFeminist TheoryGenderWomen's StudiesGaming CultureParticipatory CultureVideo Game CultureVideo Game StudiesViolence Against WomenGamer CultureInterview Data AnalysisMassively Multiplayer Online GamesMultiplayer GamesOnline Social InteractionTeam-based ParticipationWomen In Human-computer Interaction
The article examines gender dynamics in MMORPGs, noting the growing number of women players and the prevalence of violent content. The study aims to understand why women participate in traditionally masculine gaming spaces, focusing on the pleasures they derive and how game design influences this emerging genre. Ethnographic interviews identified social interaction, mastery, status, team participation, and exploration as key motivations for female gamers. Highlighting the pleasures of gaming reveals a more nuanced view of gender in computer games, challenging the notion of women as anomalies.
This article explores the issue of gender and computer games by looking at the growing population of women in massive multiplayer online role-playing environments (MMORPGs). It explores what are traditionally seen as masculine spaces and seeks to understand the variety of reasons women might participate. Through ethnographic and interview data, the themes of social interaction, mastery and status, team participation, and exploration are considered as compelling activities female gamers are engaging in online. Given that these online games often include a component of fighting, the issue of violence is discussed. Rather than seeing this group of players as an anomaly, this article explores how focusing on the pleasures women derive from gaming might lend a more complex understanding of both gender and computer games. Finally, a consideration of how design is affecting this emerging genre is explored.
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