Gender Bias in the Gaming Community, Essay Example

When the gaming community originated, it failed to recognize the small percentage of female gamers that claimed to be a part of it. However, as newer gaming platforms have been created and more media attention has been centered on the female gaming experience, more games have been created that appeal to these individuals. We now consider female gamers to be a regular occurrence and an important part of the gaming community. There are in no way less skilled or different than their male counterparts. However, certain gaming communities still believe that video games aren’t for girls. The Dickwolves controversy from PennyArcade.com is an excellent example of the unnecessary sexism that many male gamers feel towards female hobbyists.

While many video games to have the typical hypermasculine hero and sexualized female characters, female gamers have become somewhat desensitized to this in the virtual world. However, it is entirely inappropriate to allow this same sexism to continue in real life at video game meetings and conventions. A majority of male gamers at the PennyArcade.com meeting approved of the sale of the “Dickwolves” t-shirt, which was highly offensive to many of the female attendees. It is important to make these individuals understand the difference between an inside joke and sexual harassment. While it is okay to make female video game characters more attractive and stereotypical than a regular female would prefer, it is not okay to make jokes about rape in a public setting.

The “Dickwolves” situation goes beyond a socially acceptable form of gender bias to a point where it makes females, especially those that have been affected by rape, feel uncomfortable. We cannot control these opinions, but the limit to which they should be addressed in public should be considered. Female gamers have the same right to attend video game conventions and feel comfortable in doing so. Certain aspects of the event need to be monitored to ensure a friendly environment for all attendees.