In the well-known computer game World of Warcraft, you can be practically anything you desire. A female night elf who both kills foes and spears fish with amazing dexterity, a hulking giant of a male troll who is just as proficient with his bone-crushing hammer as he is in the kitchen – almost nothing is outside of your virtual bounds. Well, that is . if you’re straight.
I know what you’re thinking. How could anyone on the Internet – let alone an online video game – know your sexual orientation? The Internet is notorious for its magnificent masking ability – that sexy night elf you were talking to the other day could very well be the awkward boy in your English class who sits in the corner drawing pictures of anime girls the whole time. However, if you display any hint of abnormal sexuality in your name or guild (for those less nerdy among us, an in-game team) name, the moderators will definitely take note. Oh, and ban you from the game.
That’s right – ban you. Lately, a stir has arisen amongst the citizens of various massively multi-player online role-playing games (MMORPGs) over, as one Web site put it, a virtual “gay genocide.” Any mention of alternative sexualities within the characters of such popular games as World of Warcraft and City of Heroes has resulted in those responsible being punished. A male whose username included the word “gay” was banned from City of Heroes. A female World of Warcraft player was warned that if she didn’t stop recruiting people for her openly gay and lesbian-friendly guild, she’d suffer a similar fate.
OK, let’s take a step back from the virtual screen for a moment. I realize that we’re talking about a computer game here, and I realize that people do get incredibly worked-up over the Internet entirely too easily – and frequently. And to be fair, Blizzard, the company that created World of Warcraft, does state in their rules that using “offensive language” in gameplay is not allowed.
But, first of all, what exactly are they calling “offensive”? I can respect wanting to encourage a calm playing environment without offensive material, but since when is being gay an offense? Sure, having guilds that support members of the community with alternate sexualities may offend some folks, but if we’re going by what offends people, are the executives at Blizzard going to start banning characters with certain colors of skin? After all, though most of us recognize that as ridiculous, there are those among us who still see that as offensive, too.
Plus, there are references to sexuality sprinkled all throughout the game, from the endorsement of heterosexual “marriages” to the pre-recorded voice that says “Homogenized? No, I prefer the ladies” anytime a male member of the Tauren race types the command “/silly.” You can even make your character flirt with or kiss other players.
A Blizzard employee explained the company’s actions as an attempt to discourage discussion of “topics related to sensitive real-world subjects,” which they feel will create controversy. But by so blatantly endorsing the heterosexual norm in their game, yet attempting to sweep any murmurs of differing sexualities under the rug, Blizzard is only serving to provoke the controversy they’re trying so hard to avoid. Why is heterosexuality always OK, but homosexuality only when it’s kept quiet?
These game-makers need to realize that in order to reduce the chance of harassment, they need to punish the offenders, not those who may possibly offend. Yes, it’s only the Internet, and yes, it’s only a game, but that doesn’t make the actions taken any less discriminatory – nor does it make these virtual worlds any less of a community. And any community, on the Internet or otherwise, is not fully developed until it addresses the needs and wants of all its members.
In the end, the companies have the final say in what’s considered “offensive,” and honestly, they’ll have millions of players no matter what they decide. But if Blizzard and its fellow companies want to promote a friendly playing environment, as well as foster a truly rich community, they need to show that all players are welcome – not just those that they approve of.