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Games As the Great Unifier

Posted by Zonk on Thu Sep 21, 2006 01:38 PM
from the all-are-one-under-the-azeroth-sun dept.
Entertainment Games
OGX writes "In this racially divided world, who or what can step up and bridge the gap among people? Oddly enough, the answer comes from pop videogame technology. The anonymity of online gaming has made personal characteristics secondary to a game skill set. Michelle Dalrymple explores how online gaming vaults the issue of race in this editorial at OGX." From the article: "The computer/video console acts as a filter, extracting out any issues of race and placing emphasis on how quickly one can respond by selecting the correct button. Let's take a look at how this plays out in the online gaming world. As with any MMOG - character selection is core to the game play, and while one may have a skin color choice, usually appearance is tied to some imaginary 'race,' an arbitrary figure generator pulled from fantasy and folklore. It gives the idea of race a whole new meaning. What do fellow gamers care what race you the player really are, as long as your elf ranger or human mage can complete the task?"
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  • Still far to go (Score:3, Insightful)

    by the_demiurge (26115) on Thursday September 21 2006, @01:42PM (#16155599) Homepage
    If this was really the case, why do I see so many racial slurs being thrown around in an average game of Counterstrike, not to mention the nearly ubiquitous use of "gay" as a pejorative.
    • This is the dark side of online anonymity - freedom from reprocussions if you want to act like an asshat. Fortunatly, many games also allow you to mute the input from obnoxious players, so you don't have to deal with them beyond that. Many other servers also let you kick those players with a majority vote. Worst case scenario, you can always jump to a different server - however, so can they.
    • Well, the irony is that while a lot of people believe that internet anonymity allows people to be "assholes" (without ever really explaining WHY people's behavior heads south without supervision), I'd argue a more subtle point: with true anonymity, people have much more of a chance to behave AS THEY REALLY ARE.

      In that sense, it reinforces theory of implied social contract; without the immediate coercive ability of the group (through the simple mechanism of individual recognition and following consequences),

      • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

        by xappax (876447)
        You're right that when people call $thing "gay", they usually don't mean that $thing is attracted to things of it's own gender. But, they almost always mean that $thing is stupid, wimpy, obnoxious, or otherwise bad.

        Like, let's say we decided to use the term "Thansal" as an insult. If we got fragged due to lag, we'd say our internet connection was "acting like Thansal". Of course, if you got offended, we'd argue that we of course don't literally mean that our internet connection was acting like you...it

  • I disagree. (Score:4, Funny)

    by Skynet (37427) on Thursday September 21 2006, @01:43PM (#16155608) Homepage
    I had a Human Warrior in WoW named "Rick James" (after my favorite musician), and everyone kept calling me "bitch." :(

  • In-game racism (Score:2, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    I can't stand the smell of Orcs.

  • At last, a level playing field! (Score:3, Funny)

    by charlesbakerharris (623282) on Thursday September 21 2006, @01:52PM (#16155684) Homepage
    Totally right. Games take people without jobs and/or friends and elevate them, by the simple mechanism of "spend all day playing" to the status of powerfully equipped demigods, near-unassailable by the common man, whereas the successful, busy real-life person is relegated to a lifetime of mere mediocrity, looking up through the windows of Naxxramas at something they will never attain. Yes, gaming is the great equalizer! The mighty are brought down, and the weak are exalted.

    Disclaimers:

    • Yes, I play WoW.
    • No, I am not a hard core raider.
    • Yes, I have a real job.
    • Yes, I have a significant other.
    • No, she does not weight 250 lbs.
    • No, I don't care that I don't have any Tier 2 set pieces.
    • No, I do not live in my mother's basement. In fact, I own my own house.
    • Yes, I exercise.
    • No, I don't play a girl in-game despite being a guy in RL.
    • Yes, my alts are still levelling.
    • No, I do not subsist on pizza and chinese food.
    • Yes, I can spell.
    • No, I did not repeat any grades in middle school.
    • Yes, I know that "ur" really means "you are" and not "your".
    • No, I did not purchase any of my characters.
    • No, I did not eBay any gold.
    • Yes, I hate reputation grinding, but...
    • No, I don't hate them as much as you do - I never played Everquest.
    • No, I do not feel it my responsibility to tell people about (a) the trash greens I find while killing trolls in Arathi or (b) my life, over Ventrilo.
    • Yes, I bathe at least once a day. With soap. Real soap. Not like from Fight Club.
    • Yes, I bathe at least once a day. With soap. Real soap. Not like from Fight Club.

      What, you don't like Soylent Soap?
  • In this racially divided world,

    Which world is the submitter in, exactly? The one I'm in seems fine.

    It's really hard to read and process an article like this when you disagree with the very first phrase in the very first sentence...
    • Racially divide world. It is a hackneyed phrase that people either: 1. Have their careers invested in (Politicians, etc.) 2. Are too ignorant themselves to let go of. They just continue to see everyone around them as bigots and prejudiced. Irony, certainly. The fact is that racial divisions, in terms of active, purposeful interracial problems, have been largely stomped out in the realm of actual human interaction. Is there still lingering effects of racial division that existed many years ago? Education?
      • Well said, and I agree with you 100%. The only real racism I see is people declaring other people racists.
        • Well said, and I agree with you 100%. The only real racism I see is people declaring other people racists.

          Then your life is sheltered from real racism.

          Sorry, I'm not trying to insult you or anything, but if you don't see racism it's because you're just not around it then. I regret to have to inform you that racism is still alive and well.
          • Ok; and how does wanking like this actually help resolve any of those issues? Or, instead, does it just *point them out* to make them seem more prominent than they actually are?

            I think racism is dead (in the US at least), and the only reason you see constant news stories about racism is because it makes for good news. Tyra Banks can put up makeup and walk around and say "oh wow people treat me so differently!" when she's out of ideas.

  • Why do gamers feel this (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Tweekster (949766) on Thursday September 21 2006, @02:02PM (#16155775)
    need to be bigger than they are...they want to be this movement that somehow changes the world. Hint, it just isnt gonna happen. Gaming is not some noble endeavor that is unlike anything else that has ever happened. it is pure enjoyment, leave it at that

  • I don't think so. (Score:3, Interesting)

    by steveo777 (183629) on Thursday September 21 2006, @02:04PM (#16155790) Homepage Journal
    I've got a long ignore list in WoW of players who have accoused me of being many different things (dirty Jew, gay, and much much worse) because I would not give them money or politely requested that they keep their conversations in a party environment. I'm sure eventually these players will or have already been booted.

    I've played a few MMORPGs in my time but, generally, my experience is that there are three player types. The offensive, who's lack of identifiability makes them think they can do what they want.
    The passive, who keep to themselves or their guild. They tend to accept people who accept them. The vast majority of people lie in this group.
    The aggresive. They are active. Tend to help people whenever they can. And they really do find ways to be involved.

    The real reason people seem to 'get along' so well? There isn't even a fraction of lifes 'drama' running around in the virtual world. The worst thing that can happen to you within the confines of an MMORPG is that you miss out on some kind of loot, or you're late for/miss an event. If you can get worked up over that then you really must learn to chill out.

  • #1) MMORG designers work carefully to balance each of their races. It's not like a MMORG would design a "KALB" race where the characters automatically get aggro'ed by the town guards, earn a half share from all kills and are randomly barred from the forums for bullshit reasons.

    #2) Show me a 1/2 elf, 1/4 dwarf, 1/8 orc and 1/16 sprite and 1/16 centaur character and then we'll be a little closer to an apples to apples race discussion. (Is the character stronger because he's part orc or is it just chance?)

    • #2) Show me a 1/2 elf, 1/4 dwarf, 1/8 orc and 1/16 sprite and 1/16 centaur character and then we'll be a little closer to an apples to apples race discussion.

      Presumably that would have to have been a female centaur and a male sprite... :-)

      Side note: "race" in the context of fantasy games really boils down to what we would call "species" in reality. I suspect the main reason for using the term "race" is because it sounds more old-fashioned and less scientific.

      So really, the whole RPG race = RL race (ethnici

      • Side note: "race" in the context of fantasy games really boils down to what we would call "species" in reality.

        The common definition of "species" merely requires that different species can't interbreed to have kids which themselves can have kids. So the case of a "1/2 elf, 1/4 dwarf, 1/8 orc and 1/16 sprite and 1/16 centaur character", would at least imply that dwarves, orcs, sprites, and centaurs are the same species. If the character in question can have kids, elves join said species.
  • He has struck out with black chicks, asian chicks, white chicks, latina chicks, almost scored with a person pretending to be a chick. He is the model gaming citizen!
  • XBL has really unified the world...For just $49.95/yr people of all races, creeds, and colors can now come together and treat each other like total shit.

  • In WoW, you start by choosing a race. It's race that defines what faction you're aligned with (Alliance or Horde) and what classes you have access to. Even though they're fantasy races with no (direct) relation to real-world ethnicities, you're still forced by "genetics and culture" into certain roles in the overall story.

    In CoX, you start with a simpler choice: Hero or Villain. A far more fundamental conflict than anything that arises from ethnicity. From there, you choose your archtype, origin, and powe

  • You wanna see great unification? Visit a PvP WoW server. The only great unity is that the hundreds of skeletons laying on the ground after a huge world PvP event look alike (mostly).

    Characters die messily and unfairly dozens of times a day because they're the wrong race in the wrong neighborhood. It's no more unified than real-life race relations, except that there's less social inhibition on race murder and hate crime, because "it's just a game".

  • Most players, especially those in the MMO markets, have long ago stopped caring what "skin" the player is wearing and worried about their skill level.

    Heck, many of the female toons you see in games are played by guys who are either A) titilated at playing a female toon and dressing it, or B) tired of looking at a guy's ass in third person view.

    So it isn't like this story is anything close to a new viewpoint on the subject.
  • In all my travels as an adult, I have never been to a place more laden with racial slurs than in online gaming. We all wear different skins and are anonymous, but such anonymity causes some people to feel they can spit out whatever racial bullshit they feel like saying.

    It is really sad and reduces the quality of gaming.

  • What a load of malarky. (Score:3, Insightful)

    by ZombieRoboNinja (905329) on Friday September 22 2006, @01:31AM (#16159235)
    "There is one avenue of harmony that seems to pervade all people, regardless of race, color, creed and ethnicity. It is a unifying factor that calls to it men and women, young and old, from every stretch of the nation and the world beyond. It is the world of games - particularly video/online games."

    Except the vast majority of gamers are white males. I like how the article writer's counter to this is that IN ADVERTISEMENTS AND MOVIES, there are a lot of non-whites playing video games... interesting metric there.

    And except that most online gaming communities are fuller of racist swears than any real-world place I've seen - probably mostly from bored preteens trying to get a rise out of people by saying Something Naughty, but still.

    And except that as soon as any actual evidence of race or ethnicity comes into the mix - as soon as people find out someone is gay or female or black or whatever "IRL" - you're stuck with the same old racial stereotypes and assumptions again. Usually amplified because of the aforementioned intolerant attitude of gaming communities.
  • WITHIN the gaming community, sure there is a sense of unity and people getting to know each other without ever knowing race, religion, political bias, sexual orientation or (possibly) gender.

    However, the fact that only a small percentage of the country and world are playing video games makes this a very inaccurate sampling of data.

    The real dividing line is money. Only those with enough money to afford a gaming system or a PC (plus internet connection, software, subscriptions, etc.) are able to enter this

    • Don't just pigeon-hole this into an American phenomenon - the internet spans the whole world. And this decrease in patriotism that you are percieving isn't necessarily a result of information abundance, but perhaps simply because we lack strong leadership. You are mistaking correlation for causation here, a dangerous proposition.

        • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

          by Apocalypse111 (597674)
          No, you didn't specifically say that this was an American phenomenon, but your vernacular heavily implied it, specifically the "our great country" and "sacrifice for our country" bits (esp. without prior reference to your country of origin - seems a little pompous to me, but whatever). However, why shouldn't you be concerned about the global implications of a percieved problem? You're also living on this planet, I assume?

          I made my reference to information abundance after reading your "increasingly beco

    • Re:anonymity can be bad (Score:4, Insightful)

      by kalirion (728907) on Thursday September 21 2006, @02:12PM (#16155872)
      As far as I'm concerned, the world would be a much better place with a little less nationalism.

    • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

      by timster (32400)
      Diversity is way overstated. In America, if you go into an immigrant family's apartment, you're likely to see a PS2, a Dell computer, etc. Some people go to bars and drink with the good ol' boys, and some people go to coffee shops to blog, but there's not any crucial difference in what people want to do and buy.

      The most crucial differences I have seen is what people in these groups are afraid of. Conservative Christians are afraid of Muslim terrorists and declining morality; young liberals worry about gl

    • Re:anonymity can be bad (Score:4, Interesting)

      by Denial93 (773403) on Thursday September 21 2006, @02:32PM (#16156043)
      Nations are becoming less and less important as the information age gets going.
      Similarily, extended families became less and less important with the industrial era.
      Before that, the hometown/village.
      Before that, the clan.
      Each been the central social group everyone identified themselves by, each had seemed a natural constant in the lives of people and still each was replaced by the next. Currently, nation states are being replaced by continent-size cultural zones; most obviously so in Europe and South America.

      You can call this unfortunate, like you can call any natural process unfortunate. Or you can realize that identifying yourself as a citizen of your country is a cultural habit, not a necessity, so the value you are losing was virtual in the first place. Other social reference groups (say your family, or your race, or mankind) may be used interchangably. And some choices give you more options than others.
      • "Or you can realize that identifying yourself as a citizen of your country is a cultural habit, not a necessity"

        Unfortunately claiming to be a "citizen of the world" doesn't seem to help when trying not to pay taxes.
    • Sacrifice for their country? You mean there's fewer and fewer jingoistic people willing to die for a war that should never have been fought in the first place? This is a good thing. Patriotism is not- its an idea that a certain group of people are more important than everyone else because they happen to live near you. With the global scope of the internet, people are realising that all people are equal, and that there's nothing special about being American, Canadian, English, etc. This is a good thing
    • More and more people are less and less willing to sacrifice for our country.
      You say that like it's a bad thing. People shouldn't be willing to blindly sacrifice for their country (whichever country that happens to be) they should be willing to sacrifice for what they believe is _right_. Most people are citizens of a particular country entirely by accident - it's where they happened to be born. Why should I hold any specific allegience based on a geographical and biological coincidence?

      Hypothetical example
    • We are increasingly becoming so diverse that we having nothing in common, nothing that binds us.

      I thought the supremely American definining characteristic was diverity itself.

      We are a nation of immigrants from across the globe.

      And what binds us? Well the defining binding document of the United States is the Constitution... and the most revered part of the Constitution being the Bill of Rights. And the very first thing the Bill of Rights does, the highest thing it stands for, is for protecting and revering a
      • If somebody defames your country or fellow citizen, sacrifice your time to address them, ask why, and work something out.
        If somebody threatens your country or fellow citizen, sacrifice your time to contront them, and prevent the threat from being followed thru.
        If somebody harms your country or fellow citizen, sacrifice your time to capture and bring to justice the guilty party.

        With no sacrifice, we have no sense of one-ness. We see that today with many examples because it seems like if our country or fe

        • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

          by testadicazzo (567430)
          If somebody harms your country or fellow citizen, sacrifice your time to capture and bring to justice the guilty party.
          Me, I think it would be better to sacrafice your time to try to heal the harm that was done.
        • Holy crap - you are probably the strangest person I've ever seen. Let's take this step-by-step:
          ...With no sacrifice, we have no sense of one-ness.
          "One-ness"? Uh...
          ... We see that today with many examples
          Too bad you didn't cite any of them.
          ... because it seems like if our country or fellow citizen is defamed, threatened, or harmed we just seem to shrug it off.
          Huh? 'Defamed' is nothing, 'threatened' is something for authorities to look into, as is 'harm'. And, unless I'm mistaken, The United Stat
          • we have no sense of one-ness.
            "One-ness"? Uh...

            Did you not just prove my point?

            ... We see that today with many examples
            Too bad you didn't cite any of them

            Groups protesting an American soldier funerals instead of paying their respects. Immigrants burning our flag at rallies in San Fransisco. American citizens calling for the assasination of our president. Slashdot posters constantly making references / jokes about moving to Canada. I guess I just see the examples and you don't.

            ... If we don't
            • ..."Groups protesting an American soldier funerals instead of paying their respects."
              "Paying respects", like, not flying the flag at half-mast? Or "paying respects" by not giving them proper equipment in combat? How about "paying respects" by sending them into a war without a clear, if not totally false, reason to? How exactly do you want people to "pay respects"? Perhaps some people are focusing on the fact that these soldiers died invading another country that had not, would not, and could not make any s
      • I think your another crazy redneck who jumped on the "I love America! Never talk bad about our President no matter what he does" bandwagon. Think for yourself.

        It's funny how I've never really been referred to as a "redneck" except for on /.
        I do believe I'm thinking for myself, unless of course you're blaming GW for brainwashing Americans, which I wouldn't put past you.
        Since when did it become a bad thing to jump on the "I love America!" bandwagon? I guess I'm supposed to buy into this global, we're all h
    • There also seem to be a disproportionate amount of schoolgirls...

      Yeah... about those schoolgirls... I met one of them in RL. Jimmy "The Iron Brick" Hoskins is now one of my closest friends - nice gal and all, but she didn't look anything like I expected.

    • This, "PVP" mode where humans are pitted against Orc's and Gnomes against Taurans is to be abhorred. I couldn't agree more: the endless fighting is awful. Luckily, once the humans, dwarves and elves are annhilated we will have no more conflict. The gnomes we'll save for use as footballs and bar stools.
        • Ohh, spikey armor. My succy loves the spikes- they're so much fun to play with while you stare at her instead of the incoming shadowbolt.

          <introspection>WoW e-peen contests? Geez, I'm a grown guy with a wife and kids. What have I sunk to...</introspection>

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by RotJ (771744)
      If a dwarf and a night elf only had cosmetic differences and had the capacity to perform the same tasks equally well, then it would be racist to choose dwarves over night elves. But that's not the case, so this gets tricky.

      If in real life, practicioners of a certain profession who are of a certain race have two magical skills unique to their race that members of other races cannot learn, is it racist to make hiring decisions based on those magical skills?

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