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For some players, the avatar becomes a purposeful projection
or idealization of their own identity, while for others, the
avatar is an experiment with new identities. There are also those
for whom the avatar is merely a pawn - the means for an end. These
differences actually fall along personality
differences. Introverted players tend to create characters that
are projections or idealizations of themselves, while extraverted
players tend to experiment with new identities through their characters.
Of course, differences in avatar importance are also influenced
by differences in motivation. Players driven by achievement focus
more on the power and effectiveness of their avatar’s equipment,
while players driven by socialization or immersion are more focused
on their avatar’s appearances.
These online environments also tell us a great deal about identity
in cyberspace. While some might have argued that cyberspace freed
us from our bodies and gave us freedom over our identities, gender
stereotypes and even national affiliations transfer into these virtual
worlds where male and female bodies are equal and where real world
nations don’t even exist. Perhaps the complications of our virtual
identities derive from our insistence of embodiment in virtual worlds,
and MMORPGs are showing us how easily real world privileges, affiliations
and power structures transfer into virtual worlds.
The difference in emphasis on character customization between Asian
and Western MMORPGs is also quite striking. Asian MMORPGs typically
have pre-defined character appearances while Western MMORPGs give
the user the ability to customize many physical features. While
this at first appears as if Western gamers care more about their
appearances and individualism compared with Asian gamers, something
more intriguing is happening. Full-fledged character creation systems
frustrate Asian gamers because they do not like the fact that more
skilled users can create avatars that are more attractive and appealing
than theirs. Instead of individualism, the underlying issue is two
very different views of egalitarianism.
See also:
- WoW Character Class Demographics
External Links:
- Terra
Nova Post on Avatar Appearances (in particular, See Richard
Bartle's first comment)
- The
Value of Man and Woman by Edward Castronova
- Race
In/For Cyberspace: Identity Tourism and Racial Passing on the Internet
by Lisa Nakamura
Other Reading:
- Life on the Screen by Sherry Turkle
- Race in Cyberspace by Beth Kolko, Gilbert Rodman, and Lisa Nakamura
(editors).
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