Here is where we get to the real heart of this inquiry. The respondents were asked, simply: "Why do you play female characters? Please be thorough. If you play female characters in different genres, for example in FPSs and RPGs, please explain why you play females in each genre."
For this section, I combined the responses of all 64 subjects, as all 64 reported on their reasons for playing female characters. If at least four respondents gave a particular reason for playing as female, I included it in the data. If less than four respondents gave a reason, I considered it to be too idiosyncratic to include. Respondents often endorsed more than one reason for playing female characters; so again the following categories are not mutually exclusive. The categories are listed in descending order, with the most popular reasons for playing female characters listed first.
Sixty percent of the respondents endorsed some type of gameplay advantage as a reason why they choose to play as female characters. There were four types of advantages listed. The mindset is one of exploiting whatever edge one can get in the game, as exemplified by this comment from Cruciform: "In deathmatch, playing a female character often works best when playing against the egotistical and immature players…who get all worked up when a female frags them. Having people not knowing if you’re male or female, and having them make stupid mistakes in the assumption that they can frag a female player without effort is a definite advantage. You could call it ‘tactical cross-dressing.’ "
- Female Models are Faster & Harder to See (19%)
Twelve subjects, or 19% of the respondents, reported that female models can be faster and more agile, can jump higher, and can be smaller and harder to see (and thus kill) during game action. Many subjects specifically mentioned that in the action game series Quake, some female models are harder to hit with a rail gun because of their smaller size. Kyle comments that the advantages of the females often come "at the cost of a bit of armor" however.
- Other Players Give you Goodies (16%)
Ten subjects, or 16% of respondents, mentioned that they play female characters in roleplaying games because other players, usually other male players, treat them better and help them in-game. For example, Jer likes to "pass one over on the male players, cause men are suckers…and will give in to the sexy form of a female puppet along with ‘her’ sexy banter, and you can get guys to hand you things" such as gifts, spells, and weapons. Similarly, Dino comments that female characters "are treated better/kinder than males by other players. Since the majority of players are male, you can be sure of preferential treatment most of the time. It’s an edge. Not much, but enough."
- Better Skills (14%)
Nine respondents, or 14%, reported that they enjoy playing the female characters in fighting games such as Mortal Kombat because of their particular skills, moves, and attributes. Again, the mindset is one of pure gameplay advantage: "if a female character has an edge over a male character, then I will use whatever resources are necessary to ‘get the job done,’ regardless of what the other players think." (Tequilla). The Rayden comments further that in fighting games, it is all about picking the character with the right moves to defeat your particular opponent—thus the character’s gender does not really matter—"it’s the moves and the balance of the game that matter most."
- Psychological Edge (11%)
Seven subjects, or 11%, believe that playing female characters gives them a psychological edge over other male players. This edge was reported in both RPG’s and action games. IceSheild states, "I use names like, Brandy, Amber, etc….names that invoke images of weak women, which can give me advantages when playing against guys….males play less hard when they think they are playing against a female player." Theron believes that "many men underestimate a female character." Others mentioned how upset some male gamers can get when they believe they are being beaten by a woman, thus reducing their concentration. James muses that male players might have a "psychologic aversion to shooting cute virtual females," and Scott backs up this idea: "I get a fraction of a second of hesitation from some opponents at first. Which I gladly exploit."
Articles on WomenGamers.Com solely reflect the experiences and perspectives of the author(s). Feel free to agree or disagree in the accompanying forum thread.
