Chinese MMO company starts banning males playing as female characters

[FlierFox]

As of a month ago, a Chinese MMO company has started banning accounts of male players that play female characters in their game. Only a few news sites outside of China have picked up on the ruling.

Aurora Technology, a subsidiary of MMO giant Shanda that publishes many MMOs in China, including AION, Dungeons & Dragons Online, and Company of Heroes Online, started requiring players of their MMO King of the World, to start proving their gender via webcam. The rule, which was first announced in late September, seems to apply only to male players playing female characters and not the reverse.

There was no further explanation of the ruling, although the headline on the Pacific Epoch site says it is an attempt to rein in transsexuals in games.

In a more recent take on men playing women in video games, the author makes some broad generalizations, including that men like watching their lithe female avatars from behind, or that "a man would want to play a female character is often evidence enough for many in the online community to label someone a homosexual."

Do you male readers play women in your MMOs? If so, why? Should companies regulate how you play their game as long as your play does not infringe on other players? Maybe that was the reason for the ruling, the chance of deception, although it obviously isn't made clear. Either way, the ruling seems a stretch, in this writers opinion, and one that seems destined to fall by the wayside, if it hasn't already.

Chinese MMO Company Jumps on Gender Benders | GamePolitics

Ohhhhh China you're so WACKY.

[Torikakae]

The rule, which was first announced in late September, seems to apply only to male players playing female characters and not the reverse.

There was no further explanation of the ruling, although the headline on the Pacific Epoch site says it is an attempt to rein in transsexuals in games.

Uhkay......China does it again.....sexist little.... ~_~

lol@comment

Female butt for hours Vs. Male butt for hours. I'll let you decide which is gayer.

[Skiegh]

Via webcam...? Isn't that invasion of privacy or something?

But yeah, I don't care what anyone says, I still find a lot of women playing male characters and to only ban one sided on the issue is a definitely sexist. Though clearly the 13 year olds who try get perks by playing a female are idiots but I find the other 13 year olds who are so easily persuaded by a girl also moronic.

I say ban ***** driven kids from MMOs instead and the more rare gina driven females. (Some psycho *****es that lot are.)

This is one of my most... demeaning posts. I'm going to +rep myself for it just to leave a comment.

[SkyAngelic]

There are some many things they do that just don't make sense... O_O

[Mirae]

I find this a little weird. Why would you ban males that play as females but not vice versa.

The other thing is what if the game has gender specific jobs? The ratio is like what, 4 males : 1 female [?]. Would make it overpopulated with certain jobs.

[kag]

lol
Most games have female archers and healers.

They are gonna mess up the game.

Yet another dumb law.
especially if it is an RPG it is supposed to be Role Playing so it actually shouldn't matter which role you take.

[zgmfx19a]

Well, China is THE nation for quirky laws...

Like how I read where 1 county in China requires all the children to salute every passing car they see.

[Miyuki]

I read about this somewhere back, where you've to call/webcam the game operators before you actually can access your account whether you're female or male.

But yeah, it's kinda looks like...breach of privacy, you doesn't even know if they did "something" else.

But yeah, it's china...or ...just "your privacy is ours".

[FlierFox]

Originally Posted by Skiegh

Via webcam...? Isn't that invasion of privacy or something?

There is no such thing as privacy in China.

[Mirae]

They don't need to webcam to see if you're really a male or female. When you register, it asks you what gender you are. o.o

[Miyuki]

Gender can be faked, anyway...I know certain "policy" that requires you to registers with your id number [social number] like those in korean using their kssn when registering.

This also happens to other forums in china as well, where they have to exposes their real name before they can actually register for the forums.

Still, doesn't these...like...well, it's china, there's no such much privacy there...and just be prepared to get killed or stalked.

Like the one happened last few years ago, where certain mmo player got killed.

gg china.

[Light]

Good thing they don't host Lunia.
You are forced to play as a female when using particular characters, such as healers and archers.. heh

Oh no, it's a trap!
Ban him!

[Strikegundam]

Originally Posted by Skiegh

Via webcam...? Isn't that invasion of privacy or something?

i think you forgot a point....
They are communist and they are no invasion of privacy

[Bolter]

Sexist, just sexist.

[kag]

Originally Posted by Light

Good thing they don't host Lunia.
You are forced to play as a female when using particular characters, such as healers and archers.. heh

Oh no, it's a trap!
Ban him!

You meant Siegs and Kriegs >.<

Maybe they sell gender change set package or you start with no license to play any female characters (Ewww)

[Naps]

maybe they want to start encouraging games to have dual gendered characters instead of a set gender for a certain character.

[Skiegh]

Originally Posted by Naps

maybe they want to start encouraging games to have dual gendered characters instead of a set gender for a certain character.

That's a pointless excess in work for arcade or action style games. More-so if the game details it's armors and such. (I prefer companies to focus on more endearing parts of their game like say... gameplay!)

I still have to say... the day capcom makes a male Chun-Li and a female Ken from whiners like this is the day games die as a whole. (And no one who plays street fighter bashes someone from using a female character. They only whine if said character is overpowered!)