University of Illinois Studies Sexual Diversity Among Gamers

[Double_Blade]

This is GP.com exclusive. I found this article and it sounds quite interesting.

University of Illinois Studies Sexual Diversity Among Gamers

While many gamers chafe about stereotypes and the non-gaming public's perception of who we are and what we are all about, oddly enough there has been little serious study done concerning gamer demographics.

Jason Rockwood, a recent graduate of the University of Illinois hopes to change all that. Under the supervision of Professor Dmitri Williams (author of a game violence study often cited by the ESA), Rockwood has designed a survey which examines the sexual diversity of gamers and how sexual orientation affects their gaming tastes and concerns.

Rockwood provided insight about his project during an interview with GP Correspondent Andrew Eisen:

AE: Tell us a little bit about yourself and why you decided to conduct this study?

JR: I'm interested in studying convergence: technological, economic, cultural, etc. The rate at which scientific innovations are occurring is accelerating, and I want to research how the human experience will change as a result. Though I am not a gamer myself, I became fascinated with video game culture when I realized the impact gaming has had (and will continue to have) on assimilating emerging technologies into society. Video gamers are the avant-garde, though I think they couldn't care less about that. Still, the media paint a very one-dimensional picture of video game culture, focusing on the heterosexual teenage male. My experience of gaming culture is that it is incredibly diverse and socially progressive. I designed this survey to attempt to quantify that diversity.

AE: What do you hope to learn from this study and how might the results ultimately be used?

JR: I'm disturbed by the sensationalist way legislators are trying to regulate video gaming for their own political agendas. There is surprisingly little data on gamer demographics, and the lack of hard data makes what little there is susceptible to manipulation. It is my hope that the audience for this survey will expand beyond the original GLBT (gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, transgender) demographic, in order to generate data that can be used in the effort to prevent and repeal gaming regulation.

AE: Why is the sexuality of gamers important?

JR: Why is the sexuality of gamers important? Why is the sexuality of anyone important? Sexuality is perhaps the defining component of an individual's identity, gay or straight. Denying a person their sexuality denies their very existence. Heteronormative society accepts this so completely it isn't even contemplated, let alone questioned. When gay and lesbian people ask to be recognized as legitimate members of society, it seems that suddenly society deems sexuality "unimportant." This double standard is unacceptable.

AE: How has the response been so far? What kind of feedback have you been getting?

JR: The survey has been open for five days, and there have been well over 8000 respondents from over 30 countries. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive about the content, though many people have rightly drawn attention to weaknesses in the survey's design. The only negative comment that really concerned me was from a man who claimed to be the creator of one of the MMORPGs listed in the survey. He said he was disgusted by the thought of homosexuals playing in his online world. Thankfully, his comment was the exception, not the rule.

Many thanks to Jason Rockwood for taking the time to answering our questions.

In Newsweekly has an excellent and comprehensive report with many more great quotes from Rockwell, Williams, Jason Della Rocca of the IGDA, and others on GLBT issues. The survey itself can be found right here and is open to gamers of all sexual orientations.

-Reporting from San Diego, GP Correspondent Andrew Eisen

 

[gick]

Hmm, this could be very interesting. I wonder if the level of homosexual gamers will be any different to the average in the rest of society.

 

[Double_Blade]

Hmm, this could be very interesting. I wonder if the level of homosexual gamers will be any different to the average in the rest of society.

I agree... There are majority of gamers who are not homosexual I think...

 

[bliink]

I agree... There are majority of gamers who are not homosexual I think...

I doubt there is a strong link between game playing and homosexuality haha

 

[Double_Blade]

I doubt there is a strong link between game playing and homosexuality haha

Well, as long as the diluded gamer would want to imitate from the games. But let's hope not.

 

[sinkoman]

Hopefully we'll get some respect now.

 

[Laivasse]

Hmm, I think this survey might get biased results. If you're gay and a gamer then you'll feel more compelled to fill in a survey about gaming and sexuality than most people would if they're straight.

In any case I don't see the point of the survey. So the guy is trying to identify inequalities between gay and hetero themes in gaming, or saying that gay interests are under-represented...? Well, of course. Big tits will sell a game, big cocks wont. A gay person is still able to enjoy a game with a stereotypically handsome, butch main guy character, or sexay female char, but a homophobe wont be likely to enjoy a game with 2 people of the same sex getting it on with eachother and the crux of the matter is that homophobic people still have money in their wallets. Developers aren't going to alienate large swathes of their audience with overt gay themes, and at the same time the lack of such overt themes doesn't necessarily alienate gay gamers. So, you know, like it or lump it tbh. Sticking homosexuality in a game will achieve nothing for a developer except political correctness/diversity kudos points - but that would be some expensive kudos.

 

[CptStern]

Big tits will sell a game, big cocks wont.

that's not entirely true

:E

 

[Laivasse]

that's not entirely true

:E

Although I don't remember seeing that in any bestseller charts. Maybe the Mel Gibson connection damaged it.

 

[CptStern]

ya it was definately Mel Gibson ..or it could have been that playing as a big cock had limited appeal

 

[PvtRyan]

Hmm, I think this survey might get biased results. If you're gay and a gamer then you'll feel more compelled to fill in a survey about gaming and sexuality than most people would if they're straight.

In any case I don't see the point of the survey. So the guy is trying to identify inequalities between gay and hetero themes in gaming, or saying that gay interests are under-represented...? Well, of course. Big tits will sell a game, big cocks wont. A gay person is still able to enjoy a game with a stereotypically handsome, butch main guy character, or sexay female char, but a homophobe wont be likely to enjoy a game with 2 people of the same sex getting it on with eachother and the crux of the matter is that homophobic people still have money in their wallets. Developers aren't going to alienate large swathes of their audience with overt gay themes, and at the same time the lack of such overt themes doesn't necessarily alienate gay gamers. So, you know, like it or lump it tbh. Sticking homosexuality in a game will achieve nothing for a developer except political correctness/diversity kudos points - but that would be some expensive kudos.

Isn't Master Chief very gay?

Halo sells just fine though