Gender imbalance in MMORPG: the case of World of Warcraft in Brazil

Abstract

The present article addresses the dynamics of the Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPG) with the objective of investigating gender imbalance, focusing on female members of the virtual community. In detail, we seek to understand which factors can influence or inhibit female participation in games and virtual communities. A netnography was employed, collecting about 1000 players’ statements from the World of Warcraft (WoW) gaming community. The results indicate that a dominant male share of players enforces sexism and other male-concepts onto the female players. Although not all female players perceive such behaviours, it does affect a large share of them and thus influences their choices and behaviours in the MMORPG.