June 25, 2003
Virtual Sexual Inequality?
A computer game researcher, Jason Rutter, claims that women characters are worth less on eBay than male characters from Everquest, the massive multiplayer online role playing game (MMOPRG). I love the statement about a growing body of literature about women adopting male characters to keep from being hassled. Clearly, I'm in the wrong line of work - I should be trying to persuade Washington University to hire me as the computer gaming chair. Sadly, I missed the boat on this opportunity as I have so many others. As to the sex difference, it could be that because there are more males playing ("vast majority") than male characters (80 percent), it could be that old fashioned supply and demand thing instead of that old fashioned male chauvinism, although I wouldn't rule it out based on the age and geekiness of the average EQ player.
Posted by Kevin Murphy at June 25, 2003 11:16 AM | Culture
