Chinese company bans gender-bending
by Eliot Lefebvre 
Oct 27th 2009 at 3:00PM
Filed under: Culture, MMO industry, News items, Legal
The ruling currently only affects the Aurora-developed game King of the World, but there's always the possibility that this action could have further-reaching consequences. After all, Aurora is a subsidiary of Shanda, a company responsible for publishing Aion and Dungeons and Dragons Online in the region, which are names slightly more familiar to players on this side of the pond. China is a fair bit more litigious than the US when it comes to its online games, and the country as a whole has taken some surprising moves already. While this ordeal has been going on for over two years now, we can't help but wonder if this will herald the start of some rather restrictive policies. We're assuming that you'll need to provide pictures or it didn't happen.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
THAC0 said on 3:15PM 10-27-2009
I almost always play female characters, i guess i'd just quit MMOs if i lived in China.
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Brian! said on 3:57PM 10-27-2009
I don't mind you playing female characters, I just wish you would hit on my male characters so much.
THAC0 said on 5:04PM 10-27-2009
I promise Brian; I will try to hit on you more. I'm sorry that I'm not giving you enough attention.
Seraphina Brennan said on 3:18PM 10-27-2009
Yeah, this news makes me wanna punch someone in China.
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kabshiel said on 6:23PM 10-27-2009
Pretty much all China-related news makes me want to punch someone in China.
Snowyjoe said on 12:55AM 10-28-2009
Acturally you want to punch the Chinese Government. What your saying is pretty much the same as punching a bum in the US because of Iraq.
Plastic Rat said on 11:01PM 10-27-2009
^This
Plastic Rat said on 11:11PM 10-27-2009
Ok, I've got a fair idea WHY they do this.
Many Chinese MMOs are marketed more as online dating services than actual games. They do everything they can to lure in the female players, and that brings in the male players chasing the female players.
I've seen stacks of competitions over here for female players to send in photos of themselves, which are then put up on the website with links to their characters. Oddly enough pretty much all of these female players are young and good looking. I can only assume that less nubile and possibly older women simply don't play the game.
Most of these games thus enforce the rule that you HAVE to play a character appropriate to your gender, since, well, think about it from a marketing point of view...
So that's pretty much it. It's just marketing. Pretty much the most evil force you will find anywhere in the world today.
Turlagh said on 11:29PM 10-29-2009
I heard that the male to female ratio in China is two to one.
ed anger said on 3:20PM 10-27-2009
wouldnt be the first time someone crossdressed for a webcam
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Teddix said on 3:28PM 10-27-2009
yea was thinking the same :D cant be that hard to fool the camera, a clean shave and a wigg and your all set :P
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Shogun said on 5:01PM 10-27-2009
Don't forget to tuck the tackle between the legs...
Syena said on 3:28PM 10-27-2009
This is utterly ridiculous. You should be able to play any gender you want in a game. It's a game. Not a dating service.
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Scuffles said on 3:29PM 10-27-2009
you ever get the feeling like one of the company higher ups started to get all romantic with a female "player" only to find out it was guy later on?
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Dodsfall said on 3:43PM 10-27-2009
Or more likely it was a government official that got caught hitting up a guy.
Dude said on 3:30PM 10-27-2009
Damn, there goes staring at hot girl pixel ass in my face if it happens over here in the west.
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Anders said on 3:35PM 10-27-2009
Do they also have to be of the same race as their avatar? orc, tauren, goblin, gnome, troll, elf.........
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THAC0 said on 4:36PM 10-27-2009
THIS! I wnat them to prove they are trolls before they can play one!
LaughingTarget said on 5:57PM 10-27-2009
That's easy, all they need is a screenshot of them making charged statements on the official message board.
RogueJedi86 said on 6:19PM 10-27-2009
I'm sure there's a slight difference in the 2 sides of your comparison. Orcs, Tauren, Goblins, Gnomes, Trolls, and Elves don't exist in real life at all, which makes it physically impossible for someone to be those in real life. Women do exist in real life, despite what the internet misconceptions would lead us to believe.