Transgender gamers?

[wilsonscrazybed]

I am writing a piece on sexual orientation and psychology in gaming. Specifically people who have used gaming as a way to deal with stress concerning their gender identity. If you feel like participating feel free to PM me.

For those of you who don't have input about gender issues and gaming, feel free to answer some (or all) of these questions. These questions are primarily for men, but feel free to participate if you have an extra X chromosome. Just make sure to specify your gender (if female).

1. Have you ever played a character not of your gender when given a choice in the matter? If yes, please give specifics about your reasons for doing so.

2. Are there games in which you wouldn't choose to play a character of the opposite gender? If yes, which games and why?

3. Have you ever spent time unlocking game clothing articles to make your character look different when you didn't have to?(i.e. go out of your way) Give specifics.

4. Have you ever played a game featuring; Rape or S&M, where the main character was female. If yes give reasons for doing so.

5. Have you ever had "cybersex" for money, or to gain favor under the guise of a woman? Again give specifics.

Handle these questions with care people, this is not a discussion about "right or wrong." If you want to contribute to my piece but want to remain anonymous please feel free to PM me. You may answer some, or all of the questions. Your help is appreciated.

SH

 

[Surggical_Scar]

I'm amazed no-one has openly posted on this. You bunch of prudes.

1) No.
2) Yes. Just about any that wasn't an RPG.
3. Yes. I'm always dicking about on Saint's Row, coming up with new costumes to suit different game styles. I was a whore for those clothes packs they released, too.
4. No. Please direct me to such games. Ah, not really.
5. No, although I have 'Gender-Switched' during cybersex, where the guy plays a girl and vice versa.

 

[wilsonscrazybed]

people who have used gaming as a way to deal with stress concerning their gender identity

Try the Second Life forums... You want to talk to people with gender issues, you'll find more than you can handle there...

Yea I've been there, it was scary. However I did learn a lot.

 

[Mr_Vorhias]

1. Have you ever played a character not of your gender when given a choice in the matter? If yes, please give specifics about your reasons for doing so.

Yes, but usually in fighting games, because I'm good with the specific character in question. Otherwise it's mostly been in MMORPGs, when I've gotten bored with staring at my old character for a while and felt like making a new one.

2. Are there games in which you wouldn't choose to play a character of the opposite gender? If yes, which games and why?

The only exception I can think of is Mario 2, and that's only because I'm not very good at controlling Peach and her strange hovering abilities.

3. Have you ever spent time unlocking game clothing articles to make your character look different when you didn't have to?(i.e. go out of your way) Give specifics.

The only time I can think of is once I decided to take a mission where the reward was I could get my hero a different costume in City of Heroes.

4. Have you ever played a game featuring; Rape or S&M, where the main character was female. If yes give reasons for doing so.

Fallout. I'm talking about the fact that you can rent your character out for prostitution (If that counts.) at one point, which I didn't even learn about until I talked to one of the people that can do that.

5. Have you ever had "cybersex" for money, or to gain favor under the guise of a woman? Again give specifics.

Nah.

 

[VikingRhetoric]

1.Yes, I'd rather stare at the backside of a woman for hours than some giant slab of man.
2.I have no idea.
3.Yes, for some odd reason.
4.No
5.No

 

[nightmare_gorilla]

1. yes, in tenchu z and in soul calibur 3, both times because the fighting style seesm to suit the feminine form better. i also use women in doa4 because they are hot and i like the way some of those chicks fight.

2. dynasty warrriors, the general testosterone level of the game tends to make me and my friends treat women worse than we ought to, tons of macho expressions and anti-women phrases i would not repeat in mixed company abound when we play that game. maybe it's the battlefield aspect of it but we just get caveman playing that.

3. actually it was because of the unlockable clothing in tenchu z that i started using a woman, women almost always have more and better choices for clothing option in create-a-character modes. so i almost always check them out simply because they're usually better looking comparativley.

4. now are we including hentai games? and does christie's stripper costume in doa4 count as s&m, either way the answer is probably yes though i can't think of any examples, as for the why. eh, i have a filthy mind, i like sex, and anytime they put sex in a game they usually have to excuse it with rape, i don't condone rape nor do i find it sexy but i don't really think game sprites count so it doesn't bother me.

5. can't say that i have but i know some of my friends have done stuff like that in world of warcraft, this big fat guy i know usually sets a hot chick character to dance in the town square for tips, usually works too.

 

[Count_de_Monet]

1. Have you ever played a character not of your gender when given a choice in the matter? If yes, please give specifics about your reasons for doing so.

Not by choice. Only in fighting games and this weird Korean game named Priston Tale where each class was assigned a gender.

2. Are there games in which you wouldn't choose to play a character of the opposite gender? If yes, which games and why?

I wouldn't avoid it. If my only choice was to play as a female then I'd play as a female.

3. Have you ever spent time unlocking game clothing articles to make your character look different when you didn't have to?(i.e. go out of your way) Give specifics.

I have never. Stats are all that matter and I don't play Second Life or The Sims. I feel clothes shopping is a fantastic waste of my time in the real world and my opinions of it in games is no different.

4. Have you ever played a game featuring; Rape or S&M, where the main character was female. If yes give reasons for doing so.

I've never played one but I wouldn't avoid such a game just because there was rape or S&M I also wouldn't play a game just because there was rape or S&M.

5. Have you ever had "cybersex" for money, or to gain favor under the guise of a woman? Again give specifics.

I haven't even had proper cybersex as a male with a female and I knew that the person on the other end of the keyboard was female... It was so boring and ridiculous that I felt no titillation at all.

 

[Moroha]

I shall answer truthfully since I am TS MtF in progress.

1. Yes, because it makes me feel more comfortable.

2. Yes, Duke Nukém 3D and DooM probably.

3. Yes, Soul Calibur III for the PS2 comes to mind. Although I managed to get my female Ninja look just the way I wanted her to look, I cannot get her alter-ego the Samurai version look as good. Infact she looks horrible as Samurai so I'll have to get even more clothing articles and hairstyles for her there and unlock the Soul of Mitsurugi I guess <_< And as the dude above me says, I'd probably play Tenchu Z a lot as well to unlock stuff but at the present time, cannot afford a Xbox 360

4. Perhaps, X-Change 2 & 3 Hentai games. And others which I can't recall.

5. For money? No, I have it because I find it satisfying and interesting.. Interesting... You get my point! x3

 

[heavyblues]

1. Yes, a few reasons. Some classes are gender-specific in some games, and sometimes I just like to play a girl, depends strongly on appearance, attitude, and skill-traits, really.

2. in most online games I'd rather play a guy. It's not a huge deal, but I like to be more 'me' online, so I can have more of a sense of being THERE,

Take "grand chase" for example. all the game has to play as it girls. While I wouldn't normally mind this, they're very GIRLY girls, and although they look, maybe, 12 years old, they seem to enjoy wearing scant uniforms. I don't very much like that T.T;
but it's a good game. minus that.

3. yes. In phantasy star universe, I spent ages trying to save up enough money to buy new clothes. It's really just a matter of looking different every now and again. I love it in RPGs when you look different based on what you've got equipped.

4. can't say I have, but I'm not a big rape person, and I can only take sadomasochism so far... *shudders* castration is rather extreme.
but I don't think I know of any games like that ^-^;

5. nope. only for fun :3 with friends.

oh, I'm pure male, btw, just figured I'd go ahead and state my opinions :3

 

[njsykora]

1) I always play a guy, it just works better for me.
2) If given the choice, I always play as my own gender (guy). I just like creating myself.
3) Yeah, Skate.
4) Yeah, I played some hentai games a few years ago. I was curious but haven't been back to any since.
5) Not for money.

 

[whyhalothar]

1. Have you ever played a character not of your gender when given a choice in the matter? If yes, please give specifics about your reasons for doing so.

This is how I work: If the character looks better as a girl or guy, then I pick that one. Also there is another factor (as mentionned before) where one gender is better at speed while the other is strengh. I mostly pick girls though (FEMALE GAMER HERE BTW), however I like trying different things so I alternate sometimes. [I'm gay btw]

2. Are there games in which you wouldn't choose to play a character of the opposite gender? If yes, which games and why?

If they're the stereotypical big, macho, too manly, and shit like that. No thank you. Because I don't like too much of masculinity nor too much femininity. On a serious note, it won't stop me from playing the game anyway.

3. Have you ever spent time unlocking game clothing articles to make your character look different when you didn't have to?(i.e. go out of your way) Give specifics.

YES I DO (sorry I was typing in class and had to leave); I like unlocking new costumes, because I like my characters to look pretty.

4. Have you ever played a game featuring; Rape or S&M, where the main character was female. If yes give reasons for doing so.

If only I could find a game like that here in NA... YAY YURI GAMES

5. Have you ever had "cybersex" for money, or to gain favor under the guise of a woman? Again give specifics.

No

 

[KaynSlamdyke]

Not filling out the form, but you might want to do some research on Dan Bunten, designer of MULE.

 

[Kogepan]

First, off, I'm a straight girl, but I'll also post about some of my guy friends. This is all using WoW. And my friends are gay men, if that matters.

1. Have you ever played a character not of your gender when given a choice in the matter? If yes, please give specifics about your reasons for doing so.

Yes. I've played as a undead male because I was sick of people asking if I was a girl, and if I could send pics. However, I do prefer playing as female, because females are prettier. Or were, until the blood elves were created. I've since created a couple of male blood elves because they're fun to look at. My friends tend to play as girls because again, the girls are more attractive to look at. Until the BEs, every single male was hideously ugly, and who wants to stare at that? The only exception would be undead males, because undead are supposed to be ugly, and they are kinda cool in their ugliness.

2. Are there games in which you wouldn't choose to play a character of the opposite gender? If yes, which games and why?

No, I don't think so. What difference does it make?

3. Have you ever spent time unlocking game clothing articles to make your character look different when you didn't have to?(i.e. go out of your way) Give specifics.

Not to make them look like a guy or a girl if they were the opposite. I've done it to make my character look better with a matched set of armor (e.g. Gladiator Season 1). One of my friends did buy a dress though for his undead male character during the Lunar Festival because it was hilarious seeing him run around in a pink dress with his jaw rotting off.

4. Have you ever played a game featuring; Rape or S&M, where the main character was female. If yes give reasons for doing so.

No.

5. Have you ever had "cybersex" for money, or to gain favor under the guise of a woman? Again give specifics.

I have not, because personally I think that's creepy. It might be because I'm actually a woman IRL. One of my friends, however, will go out of his way to strip and dance nearly naked for money. He plays a human female warrior, and makes sure to find the sluttiest skimpiest armor for the biggest tips.

 

[Jeroen Stout]

people who have used gaming as a way to deal with stress concerning their gender identity

Try the Second Life forums... You want to talk to people with gender issues, you'll find more than you can handle there...

Those are not gender issues, those are gender features!

1. Have you ever played a character not of your gender when given a choice in the matter? If yes, please give specifics about your reasons for doing so.
Yes. In RPG I usually make female characters because in women I find appearance attractive and in men charisma, in games the first is sexy polygons and the later is a slider going 'level 0'. So in that regard... if I could make an attractive man, I would. For now I prefer to thinkof my female avatars of the 'close friend'-type of game character.

2. Are there games in which you wouldn't choose to play a character of the opposite gender? If yes, which games and why?
I would not if the game presents characters I cannot relate to or be attracted to, such as very girly girly girls.

3. Have you ever spent time unlocking game clothing articles to make your character look different when you didn't have to?(i.e. go out of your way) Give specifics.
Only when I'm into the game and find the changes interesting.. I'm annoyed when I it's obvious I'm just making tons of effort for what should be a small extra task. My choices in looking different are mostly into showing the character is 'mine', such as my own colour styles, type of clothes... etc.

4. Have you ever played a game featuring; Rape or S&M, where the main character was female. If yes give reasons for doing so.
Have not.

5. Have you ever had "cybersex" for money, or to gain favor under the guise of a woman? Again give specifics.
Have not.

 

[Dessembrae]

1: yes often, mostly becose i like to watch girls more than guys but somtimes like in every fighting game in existanse i play cose they have different styles. and in some games (mass effect for example) the events and dialoge can change depending on gender.

2: none so far.

3: yes, doa4, smash bros and a few more.

4: nope but i someone knows of any, please do tell so i can try ^^

5: never.

as a sidenote i remember reading a study a year or so ago about somtehing like this, it only conserned MMO games however. Intrestingly he found out that it was far more common for european or asian gamers to play as the opposite gender than among US players. he never gave a definitive answer to why, atleast not that i can remember.

 

[Kronopticon]

1. Have you ever played a character not of your gender when given a choice in the matter? If yes, please give specifics about your reasons for doing so.

yes, out of sheer curiosity as to what the other gender could or could not do differently in the game

2. Are there games in which you wouldn't choose to play a character of the opposite gender? If yes, which games and why?

mortal kombat, since most women on games like that arent too amazing, but soul caliber does well, as well as power stone.

3. Have you ever spent time unlocking game clothing articles to make your character look different when you didn't have to?(i.e. go out of your way) Give specifics.

out of sheer boredom and lack of anything better to do

4. Have you ever played a game featuring; Rape or S&M, where the main character was female. If yes give reasons for doing so.

our of sheer boredom again, i like to push the boundaries of my knowledge...

5. Have you ever had "cybersex" for money, or to gain favor under the guise of a woman? Again give specifics.

i have, with an ex-girlfriend, it was interesting to see who had a better imagination aside from the usual, "i do this, then that", also, finding out what the other person is into, but ive never pretended to be a woman, ive never had the need to be honest

 

[Panda Convoy]

Don't know if it matters for your research, but I'm speaking as a homosexual male. Also, I apologize ahead of time for my long windedness.

1. Yes. The reason is usually a matter of subject matter. I'm a heavy RP person, and occasionally I get character ideas that are female and have no qualms dealing with them. Also, in the instance of Mass Effect, I did it simply to express my infinite nerdom. Female Shepard's voice actress is the same as Alex Roivas from one of my favorite games Eternal Darkness. Thus, I recreated her for sheer giggles. On that note, I do have a tendency to play male characters, and in some cases, for the same reason many men on this thread pick females: something nice to look at.

2. Mostly fighting games, just because I generally prefer powerful brawlers and wrestlers, and that doesn't typically mean women. That being said, I love me some Samus on Smash Bros, so it's not a perfect fit. Sorry?

3. Yes. Two examples that come immediately to mind would be No More Heroes and Paper Mario: Thousand Year Door. (I want Wario's colors, dang it.) As a side note, I do love it when my attire does not affect my characters performance, so I can look how I please.

4. Uhm... I played Silent Hill 2... but otherwise I can't think of a game I've played with rape in it at all, much less with a female lead.

5. No, and no.

I hope this has been helpful or at least mildly entertaining.

 

[thebobmaster_v1legacy]

1. Have you ever played a character not of your gender when given a choice in the matter? If yes, please give specifics about your reasons for doing so.

Yes, I do it all the time, simply because the female character is easier on the eyes, and in the case of Mass Effect, has a superior voice actor.

2. Are there games in which you wouldn't choose to play a character of the opposite gender? If yes, which games and why?

No, I always enjoy looking at girls. Seriously though, no, can't think of an example. Except wrestling games, in which girls look hella deformed.

3. Have you ever spent time unlocking game clothing articles to make your character look different when you didn't have to?(i.e. go out of your way) Give specifics.

Yes, I do it all the time on Saint's Row.


4. Have you ever played a game featuring; Rape or S&M, where the main character was female. If yes give reasons for doing so.

Does such a game exist?

5. Have you ever had "cybersex" for money, or to gain favor under the guise of a woman? Again give specifics.

No, though playing on WoW, you don't have to go out of your way as a female character.