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Why don't more women play Eve Online?

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Crompton Aberforth
Gallente Federation
#21 - 2015-02-09 07:54:22 UTC
There have been lots and lots of forum inches in the past talking about this very issue.

I'm not sure what the current stats are but it is generally accepted that the proportion of female players is a single digit percentage.

Just consider though that some players choose not to publicly disclose their gender. For every person making this choice there is probably a slightly different reason involved. Reasons might include:

  • not wanting to be treated differently (either favourably or poorly) than the rest of 'the guys'
  • prior poor experiences Evil

Many women who play EVE Online are out there enjoying themselves blowing you up and unless you talk to them on voice comms you won't even realise you just got done over by a girl! Cool

The most wonderful thing is that women have the choice to play EVE Online if they want to.

Do you play EVE like a girl ...because um... you ARE a girl?

Do you know about the WGoE (Women Gamers of EVE) chat channel?

For access information visit the public chat room 'Women Gamers public'.
Valkin Mordirc
#22 - 2015-02-09 08:49:43 UTC
I've meet a few female players in EVE

One FC'es fleets out in Low and Null

The other kicked my corps ass almost entirely by herself.

Other one ran an entire Indy corp in Highsec and did pretty good for herself.

Another other solo roams out in lowsec from time to time and does fairly well.


Granted there are far more Male players but who cares?

I'm a quality over quantity kinda guy. 
#DeleteTheWeak
Leannor
State War Academy
Caldari State
#23 - 2015-02-09 09:28:29 UTC
Kenneth Endashi wrote:

I read a 2008 study that says gaming activates the reward center of the male brain more often than in the female brain, but I still don't believe that totally accounts for the discrepancy. I am wondering if any of you are aware of more complex studies on the subject. I also saw a 2013 "study" that suggests more women play games than men, but it was referring to mobile games like Candy Crush Saga, and did not speak directly to my question.
.


not sure they were talking about electronic games ... or even any entertainment games at all ... Blink

"Lykouleon wrote:

STOP TOUCHING ICONIC SHIP PARTS"
Ralph King-Griffin
New Eden Tech Support
#24 - 2015-02-09 09:44:15 UTC
Plenty of women play eve,
they just don't interact with the sort of players that breath heavily in the comms care that they're women.

Murderers of Negotiable Motivations

=]|[=
Jallukola
#25 - 2015-02-09 09:58:03 UTC
Ah THAT question...
"Why don't more this and that involve with X/Y/Z?"

I am not sure have you heard about this thing called 'interests', but I hear a similiar question usually coming from a pathetic progressives. You're not a pahtetic progressive, are you, OP? Do you understand the concept of being interested and not being interested at something?

All posts and mails screencapped and time stamped, including out of EVE, you will not reverse on me.

Might come in handy!
Malcanis
Vanishing Point.
The Initiative.
#26 - 2015-02-09 10:23:36 UTC
Kenneth Endashi wrote:
I have played Eve for about one year, and observed that fewer women play Eve Online than men.

While I acknowledge variables like gender identity, avatar gender, and the choice to join teamspeak channels, I still feel like women are either missing from the game or underrepresented.

Incidentally - and of no consequence to my question, just an observation - a group I have noticed an abundance of are law enforcement officials, prison guards and truckers.

I always enjoy a diversity of perspectives. It would be ideal to have a group of people from all walks of life on the same teamspeak channel, for instance. But I acknowledge that even in real life, this rarely takes place.

I read a 2008 study that says gaming activates the reward center of the male brain more often than in the female brain, but I still don't believe that totally accounts for the discrepancy. I am wondering if any of you are aware of more complex studies on the subject. I also saw a 2013 "study" that suggests more women play games than men, but it was referring to mobile games like Candy Crush Saga, and did not speak directly to my question.

I believe there must be some social reason - maybe even a problem - to better explain the reason. This could be a good opportunity to hear from the women some of the things that potentially drive you away from Eve Online. I would love to have this discussion.

Thanks. Be well.



A better question is why EvE has a lower proportion of women than other mmos

"Just remember later that I warned against any change to jump ranges or fatigue. You earned whats coming."

Grath Telkin, 11.10.2016
Chal0ner
Hideaway Hunters
The Hideaway.
#27 - 2015-02-09 10:32:21 UTC  |  Edited by: Chal0ner
Have been in pvp fleets? Maybe it's Goon fleets but seriously ....
I'd run as fast as I can from the game had I been female. N3 isn't as bad (yet, in my experience).
I feel Eve is a very masculine environment (maybe it's the pvp sector) but else I don't know.

That said, when I lived in low sec back in 2009 I was neighbour to a very successful female-only pvp corp.
Kestral Anneto
Reign of Steel
Brave Collective
#28 - 2015-02-09 11:08:09 UTC
Does it matter? I mean really?
If women aren't play EvE, they aren't playing EvE.
The players, the community and the game should not pander or change just to attract women to the game.
The game is over ten years old, it has a rich history and lore, it is an entity on its own that should not be affected just to 'diversify' the game.
If women want to play, they can either adapt and enjoy or go play WoW, like any other man.

On a seperate note, please don't start with diversity and Gamer Gate with EvE, it has stay relatively clean of that mess, please keep it that way.
Godfrey Silvarna
Arctic Light Inc.
Arctic Light
#29 - 2015-02-09 11:15:53 UTC
My scandalous and almost-seriousish suggestion is that almost all ships in eve are visually extremely phallic, with Throax being just the worst of the bunch. I can imagine that the visual design of internet spaceships does not appeal to women the same way it appeals to us men who get awfully excited about collecting bigger and bigger and shinier and shinier phalluses. P
Ralph King-Griffin
New Eden Tech Support
#30 - 2015-02-09 11:17:48 UTC  |  Edited by: Ralph King-Griffin
Kestral Anneto wrote:
Does it matter? I mean really?

not in the slightest.

fyi though, they do.

Kestral Anneto wrote:

On a seperate note, please don't start with diversity and Gamer Gate with EvE, it has stay relatively clean of that mess, please keep it that way.

a couple of people tried,
nobody here gives a flying ****.
the whole thing is so transparent and stupid thet even our love of a good manufactured outrage wasent enough to get the ball rolling

Murderers of Negotiable Motivations

=]|[=
Kestral Anneto
Reign of Steel
Brave Collective
#31 - 2015-02-09 11:43:17 UTC
Ralph King-Griffin wrote:

a couple of people tried,
nobody here gives a flying ****.
the whole thing is so transparent and stupid thet even our love of a good manufactured outrage wasent enough to get the ball rolling


Thank god for that
Ria Nieyli
Nieyli Enterprises
SL33PERS
#32 - 2015-02-09 12:09:40 UTC
You can't assign a gender to the space pixels that you interact with online. If it bothers you that much that not enough women are playing EVE, you can just pretend that everyone is a woman.
Rockstede
Center for Advanced Studies
Gallente Federation
#33 - 2015-02-09 12:49:56 UTC
baltec1 wrote:
Elenahina wrote:
Part of it may the fact that a girl in teamspeak is generally enough to reduce corps of grown men to teenagers in a **** measuring contest. I imagine it's amusing at first, but I expect the novelty wears off after a while.



We stamped out that bullshit a few years ago.



Lol BS
Inxentas Ultramar
Ultramar Independent Contracting
#34 - 2015-02-09 13:04:33 UTC
Who the hell cares? Do they explode in a fluffy cloud of cotton candy and kittens? No, they die in flames and molten metal just like the guys. Eve doesn't give a damn about your gender so why should I? Lol
Kaarous Aldurald
Black Hydra Consortium.
#35 - 2015-02-09 13:11:26 UTC
Because, for a likely variety of reasons, it doesn't appeal to the typical female gamer.

"Verily, I have often laughed at the weaklings who thought themselves good because they had no claws."

One of ours, ten of theirs.

Best Meltdown Ever.
Godfrey Silvarna
Arctic Light Inc.
Arctic Light
#36 - 2015-02-09 13:14:25 UTC  |  Edited by: Godfrey Silvarna
Inxentas Ultramar wrote:
Who the hell cares? Do they explode in a fluffy cloud of cotton candy and kittens? No, they die in flames and molten metal just like the guys. Eve doesn't give a damn about your gender so why should I? Lol

I care in the sense that we are probably missing out on a lot of good players because EVE, for whatever reason, does not seem to appeal to even the large number of women who enjoy science fiction.

I suspect that this lack of appeal is mostly because of eve's visual style or lack thereof, instead of any game mechanics.

It's not that we'd need to make EVE appeal to your stereotypical highschool girl, no. The problem is that even the women who are enthusiastic fangirls of Asimov, Star Trek, Frank Herbert, Sci-Fi TTRPG:s etc. go "meh" and move on when they see EVE. We fail to reach even the core demographic of science fiction nerds.
Leannor
State War Academy
Caldari State
#37 - 2015-02-09 13:23:08 UTC
Godfrey Silvarna wrote:
Inxentas Ultramar wrote:
Who the hell cares? Do they explode in a fluffy cloud of cotton candy and kittens? No, they die in flames and molten metal just like the guys. Eve doesn't give a damn about your gender so why should I? Lol

I care in the sense that we are probably missing out on a lot of good players because EVE, for whatever reason, does not seem to appeal to even the large number of women who enjoy science fiction.

I suspect that this lack of appeal is mostly because of eve's visual style or lack thereof, instead of any game mechanics.

It's not that we'd need to make EVE appeal to your stereotypical highschool girl, no. The problem is that even the women who are enthusiastic fangirls of Asimov, Star Trek, Frank Herbert, Sci-Fi TTRPG:s etc. go "meh" and move on when they see EVE. We fail to reach even the core demographic of science fiction nerds.



I suspect tha the % of women who are attracted to sci-fi, and the % who are in EVE, are probably pretty close. The only thing that makes it more noticable is that there are something like 3billion in the world, and only, what, little over 100k in eve? 5% of 3 bn seems alot. 5% of 100k by comparison doesn't seem alot.

It's just that, it's a guy thing on the whole. Why can't peopel just accept that there are real trends in sexes, and we shouldn't force a group to do something, or try and entice them to do something they otherwise wouldn't do. EVE has no difficulty attracting and keeping guys ... therefore the PR must be correct in what it's advertising (unless by sheer fluke they keep attracting people for one thing, and these people don't get disapointed by what they find and actually like what is really on offer).

There are girls who fight, and those who don't. Like guys.

But I have to say, I do not wander around eve thinking 'oh my not a girl in sight', or anything like that. It doesn't even come into my mind. Which, honestly, is the best form of equality if you ask me. Freedom to choose.

"Lykouleon wrote:

STOP TOUCHING ICONIC SHIP PARTS"
Delt0r Garsk
Shits N Giggles
#38 - 2015-02-09 13:34:23 UTC
My wife plays with me. We have a good time. But she hates some parts of the game. In particular things like Fitting.

But then again some of the best ever HKers i have blops with are woman.

So i think its about 50% guys in video games give women a vested interest in hiding this fact, or just not sticking around, and 50% its just not something they like all that much.. on average.

AKA the scientist.

Death and Glory!

Well fun is also good.
Ralph King-Griffin
New Eden Tech Support
#39 - 2015-02-09 13:54:10 UTC
Godfrey Silvarna wrote:
Inxentas Ultramar wrote:
Who the hell cares? Do they explode in a fluffy cloud of cotton candy and kittens? No, they die in flames and molten metal just like the guys. Eve doesn't give a damn about your gender so why should I? Lol

I care in the sense that we are probably missing out on a lot of good players because EVE, for whatever reason, does not seem to appeal to even the large number of women who enjoy science fiction.

I suspect that this lack of appeal is mostly because of eve's visual style or lack thereof, instead of any game mechanics.

It's not that we'd need to make EVE appeal to your stereotypical highschool girl, no. The problem is that even the women who are enthusiastic fangirls of Asimov, Star Trek, Frank Herbert, Sci-Fi TTRPG:s etc. go "meh" and move on when they see EVE. We fail to reach even the core demographic of science fiction nerds.

Or
there's actually plenty they just don't publicly identify as female.

In the short time iv been PvP ing and interacting with the community iv come across a few (more than ye would expect) and they've liked eve for the same reasons I have,
they've played eve the same way I have,
they're just as ruthless as the next man,

The only issue I see is when they do join a Corp,
the teenagers and neckbeards lose their normal attitude and go full "omgomgomg a lady gamer waaaaaaw....quick, act natural" '****** and make everyone cringe,
no one enjoys that.

Those I have met tend to hang out with the adults -who couldn't care less about their gender-

I would advise ye against thinking of them as any different from yourselves

Murderers of Negotiable Motivations

=]|[=
Primary This Rifter
Mutual Fund of the Something
#40 - 2015-02-09 14:04:53 UTC
Kestral Anneto wrote:
Does it matter? I mean really?

No, it doesn't.
But that doesn't stop social justice warriors from crying bloody murder about it.
I'm seriously surprised the fact that there are so few female gamers in EVE hasn't attracted more attention from that crowd. It's probably because Ms. Sarkeesian doesn't know about it.