Poll: Be honest, do you actually treat girl gamers the same online? (Minor update)

[GiglameshSoulEater]

I presume so. I have never attempted to learn the genders of other players, as I do not care.

 

[SageRuffin]

"Girl gamers" are gamers, period. I might watch my language a little better if I know of the other player's gender beforehand (key word: might), but that's about it.

Then again, I play a lot of fighters. There's no such thing as gender when it comes to fighters - you either body people or get bodied by people.

 

[Aragatory]

I'd say I treat them just the same as anyone else. If anything I'm more polite to girl gamers but I think I'm just more polite to girls in general. The majority of my good friends on WoW back when I played were girls. Seemed to get on better with them than most male WoW players.
I'm sure we both mutually rolled our eyes when one of them started talking on vent and they got the "OMGZ girl" comment.

 

[sivlin]

I chose yes. This nothing to do with the "gamer" part. I treat girls differently than I do men in general, I'm assuming it is the same for most people on both sides of the spectrum.

 

[Gralian]

I tend to treat girls online a bit nicer than guys. For example, if a girl asks me for help from the guild, i'm more likely to say yes than i am if a guy from the guild were to ask a similar favour.

I also tend to mind my manners a bit more when i'm playing with a girl, particularly one i don't know too well yet. If i'm questing with a girl i'll be far more patient with her and i won't say anything terribly rude or offensive, as opposed to questing with a guy, in which it'll rapidly turn into "guy talk", crass insults, and general "laddish behaviour".

However if i'm playing with a girl i've known for quite some time i treat them no different to anyone else. If we know each other well i won't have much or any compunction about cracking the same rude jokes i would with other guys, probably because i wouldn't be so worried about how she percieves me after having known each other for long enough. Take from that what you will.

 

[artanis_neravar]

snip

Playing Modern Warfare 2 recently I called someone out on hacking (it was very obvious, following me through walls and their cross hairs snapping directly onto my head) And I started trying to piss them off with comments like calling them sad and so pathetic that they have to cheat at a game to actually get people to notice them, things specifically meant to get a rise out of them. The person responded with, "how could you talk to a girl like that?", I told her(but probably him) that I didn't care if (s)he had a penis, a vagina, neither or both they were still a shitty player.

So in short, no I don't treat them differently mostly because I don't care who is controlling the character, although many of my insults lose some of there luster when thrown at females.

 

[DRes82]

My wife and I have both been gamers for the entirety of our relationship. I played WoW with her for years, and there have been numerous occasions when I've wanted to reach through my headset and throttle the little bastards on the other end. I have actually been pretty verbal several times about my irritation at some people on vent, mumble, etc. in relation to their treatment of my wife.

I quit WoW at the beginning of this year, in preparation for SWTOR. I like to think that she's put up with enough crap over the years that she can handle her own.

I can say right now that anyone who says that "no, they don't treat girl gamers any differently" is most likely lying. Because of my experiences, even I try to extend a little extra courtesy when playing with women. I have yet to meet someone who treats both genders with complete equality.

Whether its a positive difference or a negative difference, women will be treated differently in the gaming community. Its just a fact of life.

 

[BLAHwhatever]

No, I usually treat them better.
Gentleman and all.

 

[Saulkar]

No I do not, I cannot help it. It feels good to play with a female gamer. Even though I do not show them any mercy while playing I am extra friendly and chatty with them.

 

[Vrach]

Yeah I do. Had quite a few female friends when I played WoW and Guild Wars (I don't actually converse with people in other online games like shooters etc.), always got along great with them and we played together all the time - in fact, I usually ended up in a close friends group with most girls we had around and chatted with them loads during downtime and such.

Can tell you they didn't get bothered much either, there was the occasional comment I suppose, but it was a once in a blue moon thing and most of the time, people really welcomed them with open arms (and not in a creepy sort of way). There was only one incident where I saw a girl actually bothered by someone (the other rare comments were simply ignored). That said, I suppose MMOs have a larger proportion of female gamers, so I'm guessing stuff like shooters and the like are worse experiences for girls (though note, I have no numbers or experience to confirm that, just a guess from the experiences I read around Escapist and the like).

 

[Ramare]

To be honest, I fail to understand the fascination with gamer girls. You'd think they're some sort of rare mythical creature by the way people talk about them.

I treat them the same way as I would anyone else online, with heavy amounts of not giving a shit as I own or get owned by them.

i treat them the same as guys. with a mixture of apathy and thinly veiled contempt

These people pretty much sum up how I act around females compared to males. A combination of the two. Failing to understand what's so mystical about women who game, treating everyone with equal amounts of apathy, and contempt, as well as not giving a shit. Add in a very big helping of cynicism, a slight air of elitism (Although, I am actually pretty good, so it counts (See what I mean? Total douchebag /self contempt.).), and the fact that I don't discriminate because I hate everyone equally and you have my online, gaming-specific persona.

Hooray!

 

[Safaia]

I played Final Fantasy XI for years and no one but my close friends knew I was a girl. When it came up they were all "...really?" because I make sick jokes and swear like a sailor because I can count on one hand my girl friends compared to my guy friends and I haven't dated any of them.

Anyway a couple of the leaders of my linkshell started helping me do things they didn't need to, bumping me up gear lists, and other general things. After mentioning many times that I didn't need the help I eventually just went fuck it if they want to help just because I'm a girl then at least I'm getting the help.

I had a really good sniping 15 minutes in TF2. When they found out I was a girl they moped longer but that was about how differently they acted toward me.

If a guy wants to be sexist then whatever. I don't really care. It's annoying but if someone is still telling a woman to 'get in the kitchen' then they are stupid and not even worth the effort.

 

[Lupine Volt]

If the person backing me up in Dead Island can decapitate the Thug that has me backed into a corner with a machete, I don't care whether that player is a man, woman, child, or a very intelligent poodle. Of course, the fact that usually the female gamers I encounter are more willing to cooperate, will ask questions when they are genuinly confused, and do try new things when old things don't work. I'm not saying these concepts elude us male gamers, but it does seem less prevaliant.

 

[setting_son]

It's annoying but if someone is still telling a woman to 'get in the kitchen' then they are stupid and not even worth the effort.

It's the fact they didn't even say please. Some folks have no manners.

 

[Normandyfoxtrot]

Honestly, Online no, but for gaming will I suspect I probably wouldn't (refer to first) but I haven't really met one, or more to the point I don't ask because their gender neither hurt nor benefits my gaming.

 

[RedDeadFred]

Yes. I am always quite respectful to women in pretty much all situations.
Unfortunately, this "nice guy" attitude has proven to be my downfall on several occasions.

 

[neonsword13-ops]

I'll actually give them EXTRA respect, because they are few and precious.

Amen to that.

In my online gaming quest for companions, I have only found one female friend. Nice girl. Oddly enough, she is the only girl I have ever met online.

Of course, Playstion Network isn't really filled with female players. I would have to search xbox live for that.