Women and World of Warcraft

We most certainly do. My sister and I have been avid fans of the game since we first joined the MMOG minions, approximately one year ago. For you non-gamers (women and men alike), MMOG is the widely used acronym for Massively Multiplayer Online Game. The World of Warcraft (WOW) is one such game and with approximately 8,000,000 subscribers worldwide, it is currently the leading MMOG in America. To date, men still outnumber female players, but industry statistics show that an increasing number of women are taking up the challenge to break away from 'noob' status.

Now, it is not only the atypical females in my family who brave the ancient perils of Azeroth. In our travels of Blizzard's fabled land, we have encountered many of our gaming sisters, who also enjoy questing in the adventure-filled fantasy world. Recent data confirms that the ratio of women to men gamers is changing on many fronts. For example, in casual computer gaming (i.e. card and puzzle games), women far outnumber men in certain demographics. According to a recent study from the Consumer Electronics Association, there are actually more women casual gamers in the 25 - 34 demographic than males. Come on ladies, how many of us have silently mouthed obscenities while scrambling to window out of a high-score Tetris game when our supervisor happens by? I know I'd have to raise my hand, and I'm guessing, so would many of you.

When it comes to online gaming, the populace of players is still primarily made up of testosterone laden individuals but there is a large influx of females into the MMOG arena, as confirmed by other commercial sectors. For example, many online merchandisers sell female MMOG fashion and accessories. Would these items stay on the market if there were not a demand for them? True, there could be some men out there sporting pink hoodies with curly-q writing, boldy proclaiming "I'm a WOW girl", but...unlikey. Even Microsoft, a god-like power in the area of computer software, validates that women are a force to be recognized within the gaming ranks. This industry giant just hosted its 6^th annual "Women in Gaming" night. In addition, there are countless other conventions, as well as literature and websites solely devoted to the female gamer.

With all of this data supporting an increase in the number of female gamers, it begs the question: Why are more and more females taking an interest in online games?

Ratio of Men vs Women At Home
There are still more women than men who spend the majority of their time in the home. In a 2005 study, the U.S. Census Bureau reported an estimated 5.6 million stay-at-home moms. That is a 22% increase from 1994. After slaying the dust bunnies under the couch, is it surprising that many of these women prefer to slay more formindable adversaries online?

A Venue for Women to Feel Empowered
In the World of Warcraft, it truly is an even playing field for the sexes. The method of progression does not discriminate as per gender. Women advance their character through the same grinding routine as men. Every opportunity for success in the game is the same for each player, including the ability to earn money or master a trade.

Social Outlet
Online gaming can be a social outlet for women, especially ones who spend the majority of their time in the home. Within the game, players often form guilds in order to create an army strong enough to slay even the nastiest of beasties. In addition to communicating through in-game typing, many guilds implement the use of voice communication software, such as Ventrilo. This software allows a large group of people to communicate much in the way that a phone party line would. It is an age old belief that women like to talk more than men. According to "The Female Mind", a book written by Dr. Luan Brizendine, women talk almost three times as much as men. The book also claims that women actually get a 'high' from speaking because the act of talking triggers a flood of stimulating brain chemicals. Couple this with the adrenaline rush a player can get from taking out a mace wielding ogre and it's easy to understand this lure of online gaming for some women.

Escapism Through Roleplaying
A woman can log on as a lithe night elf or a buxom human and get an instant make over with the click of a button. Just as men want to be all-powerful gods, women want to be goddesses, and just as powerful. WOW enables women to mind port away from responsibilities, household or otherwise, and exist in a different time and place. Besides, what female wouldn't want traverse to a land where scantily clad barbarian men strolling through town is the norm?

Partners with Men Gamers
Many women play because their partners do. WOW can be a shared diversion for a couple because physical ability isn't a barrier, as is the case with many other leisure activities. Indeed, I have peronsally witnessed a sister gamer being cheered on by her male counterpart when she was the last man standing (or more accurately last woman standing) in a bloody battle to the death. Pick up any book on healthy relationships and spending time together is usually near the top of the list. It's a good thing that more and more women are entering the online arena with their partners. Most MMOG's do require a decent investment in time and it is definitely a positive thing if that investment can be a shared one.

It's FUN!!
Yes, it could just be as simple as that. Women play WOW because it is pleasurable to do so. Some women like to read, some women like to play tennis and some women like to dole out damage that facilitates a better understanding of the anatomical workings of a dragon's entrails. To each her own, I say.

Real women do play World of Warcraft. So the next time you come across a badass shadow priest calling forth the powers of darkness to aid in her epic battle, don't assume it's a 'Mangina.' (I'll leave you to decipher that colloquialism on your own). I believe the slogan for Womengamers.com sums it up the best, look out boys, 'because women DO play'!

Online Resources for Women Gamers

www.killerbetties.com

www.fourfatchicks.com/index.shtml

www.girlzgametoo.com

www.gamermom.com

www.womeningamesinternational.org

www.womengamers.com

Article Sources

"Massively Multiplyer Online Game." Wikipedia. URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massively_multiplayer_online_game

James Brightman, "Study: Women Gamers Outnumber Men in 25-34 Age Group." Game Daily Biz. URL: http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/feature/?id=12424

"6^th Annual Women in Gaming Night, Hosted by Microsoft." Women In Game Development. URL: http://www.igda.org/women/archives/2007/03/6th_annual_wome.html

Dulce Zamora, "Hard Choice for Moms: Work or Stay Home?" WebMD. URL: http://www.webmd.com/content/article/122/114517.htm

Fiona Macrae, "Women talk three times as much as men, says study." Daily Mail. URL: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=419040&in_page_id=1879