How It Feels To Be Harassed -- A Neutral Perspective...

[BeefSteak]

While enjoying a rather large bottle of a particular adult beverage, I came across a video that was linked by my good friends at Game Politics. The video in question was a hypothetical look from a male perspective of how females feel on the X-Box Live community (Link: http://gamepolitics.com/2011/02/25/how-it-feels-be-harassed-xbox-live ). I am one for welcoming female gaming, and hope that they become more entrenched in the culture... but there is always one thing that stand out to me when I add them to my friends list.

I always assume they are a well-spoken, culture, pre-pubescent boy.

Now, I know that I can't be the only one who has had an amazingly fun game of L4D2 with someone, assuming that they were going to wake up the next morning to go and practice their Multiplication tables. This situation has happened to me a few times in the past, but it's relatively minor in scope... But at the same time, it could be part of the reason why Females get little respect online even when they don't divulge their gender. Personally, I'm the kind of person who doesn't care what kind of toilet bits you've got, but how effortlessly you can shoot a zombie in the face with a shotgun.

I'm sure I'm not the first person to post a topic like this, I'm just curious to see the number of people who befriended another in a game without any pre-conception of their gender only to realize afterwards that they weren't what you had assumed. Thoughts?

 

[DeadlyYellow]

This must be a problem stemmed from using headsets. I assume 95% of players on a game are internet trash and thus mute everyone. Hell, aside from two people I know personally, I don't even know whether the other friends on my list are male or female nor see how it would matter either way.

 

[Katana314]

I unfortunately have to confess I end up paying more attention to a player if I see they're female. I honestly don't expect anything socially, it's just kind of male nature.

Despite the threatening atmosphere perceived, I'm happy to say this is becoming less and less the case. I've joked that at the rate it's going, Team Fortress 2 in 2020 will consist only of female players, and male players that are really female players using voice changers. The best part is, even now when using voice they're hardly harassed.

 

[BeefSteak]

That is the sad thing most of the time, being judge because of your voice/headset. I know many of time when I've been too jolly of liquor to talk and hence too slurry of speech, but still performing well enough in game. But the fact that people rely so very heavily on voice queues now they have a hard time realizing if people without voice/with a not-so-commanding voice (IE: Young males/soft voiced females) as potent allies.

 

[Danceofmasks]

Eh, I stick to letting my skills do the humiliating, rather than relying on crude insults.
So .. being the type to do well in just about everything I play, the only harassment I've seen is from people QQ'ing from being spawn-killed or whatnot, which is funny.

Insofar as women being harassed on the basis of their gender, I'm sure it happens (quite a lot), 'cos people are people, but I haven't personally seen it.

 

[Mcface]

dude, my girlfriend plays black ops and you would be surprised. for every negative comment, theres some loser buying her shit on XBL haha, thinking he somehow has a chance with a girl hes never met.

we have both profited greatly.

but i generally get top 5 leader boards so when people harass me a simple "u mad?" is what works, it always enrages them. i've passed that along to my girlfriend too

 

[pulse2]

Lol, when my gf plays online (which is rare, but when she does, its addictive playing) we usually tag team, she distracts while I blow MFS TO PEICES. Having a gamer gf is actually tons of fun

Harassing women online on the other hand is sad, as long as people don't get offensive, it works in my favour, the more they treat her nicely, the more they get pwnd, she herself is no gamer to mess around with, let alone me tag teaming with her.