Chinese MMO puts the kibosh on 'dem "less feminine" female characters
by Eric Vice 
Sep 25th 2007 at 3:00PM
The illustrious and oft-misunderstood cheese connoisseur Turpster of WoW Radio made a comment in the WoW Insider podcast last weekend to the effect that everybody in World of Warcraft is a guy, which was especially amusing because Elizabeth Harper was on the show with me. Warcry's Razorwire posted an article this morning that just about made my eyes pop out of my freakin' head on this very subject.
To make a long story short, as one of my friend's often says, a Chinese MMO has banned the account of every male player in the game who played a female character. Yes Virginia, they made every player in the game verify with a webcam. While not a foolproof system (especially if you have a female family member or friend who can be bought for the right price) it obviously netted them results.
Since the first day I played World of Warcraft I've heard adult players like myself tell me how much extra they'd be willing to pay to play on a server where age of majority is verified somehow. This kind of verification though, seems to me to be just a little bit over-the-top. At the same time though, I can see where certain segments of the gaming population would be jumping-up-and-down excited about it.
What do you think about gender verification? Please keep it clean and respectful. I have the prototype for that paladin ranged weapon BRK talked about yesterday and I'm not afraid to use it.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Virtual selves, Odds and ends, News items
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Pandemona Sep 25th 2007 3:07PM
Gender verification is going a bit too far - it's not as if this is like the Facebook debacle - I highly doubt a male posing in a female character is going to get much personal information out of female gamers in WoW (I guess some might...but kind of a silly way to get attention).
Age verification? I'd pay double fee per month to have a server that's 21+
Hasselhof Sep 25th 2007 3:13PM
I personally have two female alts and am myself biologically male. Personally, I hate staring at the a55 of a dude for hours upon hours and it makes me feel better about my life to look at a NE or human female's backside.
deleted Sep 25th 2007 3:13PM
The issue isn't that black and white.
There is a difference between sex and gender.
Some people are physically male but of the female gender and vice verse.
...
Krick
http://www.tankadin.com
Hooper Sep 25th 2007 3:15PM
I think chinese mmo-makers just wanted to see some titties.
raverach Sep 25th 2007 3:16PM
so they can collect pics of females?
Verit Sep 25th 2007 3:17PM
I too would pay extra to play on a server without children.
Juneau Sep 25th 2007 3:22PM
Webcam verification is a bit rubbish for that, as like you said, I'd just get my sister to do it for me.
Karl Sep 25th 2007 3:23PM
Wow...really? Hmm....
I guess it is time for me to make the next step. If you are an ugly woman, you must play Dwarf, Orc or Tauren. If you have a nice figure, you may play an Elf or human. If you are short you must play Gnome or Dwarf. If you have a hairy back... I could honestly keep going for days.
I don't know that a guy playing a female character is really the downfall of society. Maybe the Chinese need to look at their Government's treatment of other human beings before they pass judgment on character gender...Just a thought though.
Edmundo Silveira Sep 25th 2007 3:31PM
I really dont mind about gender. Besides i would never go outside my city because a woman i also have plenty of very good alternatives on my city nights, thank you. Different playstyle? well, ive seen very bad playiung by men and prolly some of them were women, so nvm
I would pay adtional to play a server where everyone is verified above 25 years if population was good enough
Fruition Sep 25th 2007 3:34PM
A good friend of mine, his main is a female toon. I think he didn't like the way the male orc looked, and frankly I can't blame him. It's not like he goes around impersonating a female, so I don't think it's a big deal.
But when it comes to female characters, I pretty much assume the player is male until I hear them on vent. Chicks are definitely a minority in MMO's.
As far as age verification, I'd love that too, but I'm only eighteen so I'd like to see 18+ servers, not 21+ (honestly... let's just filter out all the twelve-year-olds).
Heraclea Sep 25th 2007 3:36PM
This is total malarkey. I am a male who plays female characters more often than male ones. Without getting deeply psychological about it, this has little to do with sexual identification issues.
The explanation is simpler. Outside the game, and well before the game, another of my hobbies involves creating drawings and paintings in a fantasy or superhero style. And yes, I prefer to draw female figures rather than male ones.
So every character I create is either a character I created outside the game, or a character I created with a mind to having them appear in a drawing. And most of these will be female.
That is the simple explanation. You might want to make some kind of elaborate explanation about what it really means in my subconscious. I can't quarrel with any of that: if it's subconscious, by definition I'm not conscious of it.
idburns Sep 25th 2007 3:41PM
I'm all for age-verified servers. But sex-verified? Who cares?
TheMinority Sep 25th 2007 3:50PM
I don't see a problem with female players having male characters or vice versa (unless they're taking pictures of the characters to use in... uhm... "private" situations. that's just wrong.) Just don't go around acting like a girl unless you're RPing (and of course, vice versa for us ladies)
But I wouldn't mind some way of knowing a general age range of another player. I'd hate to be in a group with someone, swear when we wipe, and suddenly someone goes offline because mommy and daddy happened to look and see little Timmy's screen and now he's getting a spanking. Personally I don't think people younger than 15-16 should play, but I can't stop it from happening. Might as well give me some kind of hint that they're too young to see a troll cuss like a sailor.
Terrant Sep 25th 2007 3:54PM
I think a 21+ or 18+ server would just shatter people's illusions about the maturity of older players.
onyx.ceilican Sep 25th 2007 4:01PM
Who cares about gender verification??
PLEASE GOD give us a server to play on that is 18+ so we can skip the 14 yr olds with no social skills, who get beat up at school all day and feel the need to take it out on people with lower level toons by ganking, camping, griefing, being an a-hole in general, screaming noob at everyone else, doing idiotic emotes, and giggling at d*ck and fart jokes.
Please... please... please...
Angelus Sep 26th 2007 11:49AM
So I guess none of them guys can play Tomb Raider. : /
Hazimus Maximus Sep 25th 2007 4:02PM
@ 11, I hear you. I draw a lot too, and prefer to draw females. I guess if I really thought about it, in order to take your figure drawing beyond a certain level you have to study anatomy, often in great detail, and constantly make references.
I would much rather refer to female anatomy than male, it just interests me more, it's more appealing.
I suppose the same goes with a WoW character. You are spending A LOT of time with that character if you are going to play them to 70. My main in a female NE, sometimes I just strip her clothes off. Try that with a male night elf and see if you don't feel some gay vibes after a few seconds.
I agree, I would pay double for a 18+ server. How can they have events like Brewfest in a server that has tons of minor's on it anyway? Isn't that "promoting alcoholism"? I know I'm gonna pick up a six pack of Sam Adams when I come home to play while brewfest is happening, wouldn't that encourage youngsters to do the same? It's gotta strike some politically correct chord somewhere. Personally I don't have a problem with it, they can do away with the default underwear and language filter as far as I'm concerned. :)
Scylloga Sep 25th 2007 4:04PM
the gender thing is stupid plain and simple.
age verification, yes I too would pay extra as long as you could report the kids playing mommy and daddies account.
@13 with the new voice clients in the patch that shouldnt be a issue. I prefer to use voice over typing during raids.
@14 this is true. I know several people on my server that are grown that are bigger jerks than the one we know are kids.
Queuetip Sep 25th 2007 4:10PM
Regardless of your sex, Female draenei make badass looking Shadow Priests.
Juneau Sep 25th 2007 4:12PM
I love all you people saying KIDS shouldn't be playing a GAME. Seriously, just look at what you're saying for a second.