Aleksandra K. Krotoski, "Socializing, Subversion and the Self: Why Women Flock to Massively Multiplayer Online Games"

(In Digital Gameplay)

- Pre-NES games less male-oriented ("family" games)
- Post-NES "did not appeal to potential female gamers" (that's a pretty bold statement)
- Removes girls and women from computer play
- Failed "girl game" movement (coopted by the industry)
- Renewed interest due to success of MMOs with women
- Community, feedback and play with self appeal to women in MMOs (apparently)
- Expand communication networks into MMOs
- Personalization of characters
- MMOs as less objective-oriented than other games (some, maybe)
- "Relevant setting" (to women) of The Sims Online (as in, the domestic space? Women should stay in the kitchen?)
- Allegiance to online friends/groups
- Feedback from the game/other players = self-confidence
- Choice of (feared/desired) fantasy selves
- Empowerment of women playing male avatars
- Krotoski demonstrates an incredibly shallow conception of gender as a more-or-less fixed concept in this chapter, assuming that there are specific features in games that appeal to women and can thus be used to target games at women... problematic to say the least