Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering (한국정보통신학회논문지)

The Korea Institute of Information and Commucation Engineering (한국정보통신학회)
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Gender Differences and Gender Stereotype in Play Style among Young Korean Gamers

한국 남녀 청년 게이머의 플레이 취향과 성차 및 성 고정관념

  • Song, Doo Heon (Department of Computer Games, Yong-in SongDam College) ;
  • Park, Sojin (Department of Computer Games, Yong-in SongDam College) ;
  • Yang, Seung Won (Department of Computer Games, Yong-in SongDam College) ;
  • Yang, Yunjung (Department of Computer Games, Yong-in SongDam College) ;
  • Won, Kyohyun (Department of Computer Games, Yong-in SongDam College)
  • Received : 2016.11.09
  • Accepted : 2016.11.30
  • Published : 2017.01.31
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Abstract

There is a common misbelief that female gamers prefers simple cute easy games so that they are incompetent if higher skill level is required or disqualified to be a winning party member in MMORPG. This pink game theories are the results of video game analysis done in US and Europe way before online games and mobile games become popular thus. there are many evidences that such misconceptions do not hold anymore. However, researches on gender game culture and gender preferences have not been seriously conducted since 2007 in Korea. Thus, in this paper, we surveyed 88 male and 151 female gamers from their late teens to 30s and found a gap between behavior and perception due to serious gender stereotypes. Gender differences are still found in several areas, but the degree of differences were weakened or in different direction from 2007. The game design to attract female gamers should understand such gender gaming culture and gender difference.

흔히 여성 게이머는 아기자기하고 쉬운 게임을 선호하고 게임의 숙련도가 낮아 파티 구성 등에서 승리를 원하면 여성 게이머를 기피해야 한다고 믿는 경향이 있다. 문제는 이런 핑크 게임 이론은 요즘처럼 온라인 게임과 모바일 게임이 성행하기 전의 연구 결과들이라는 것이다. 최근의 외국 연구 결과들도 게임의 숙련 수준에서 성차가 전보다 현저히 줄어들었다는 보고도 있지만 한국의 남녀 게이머의 특성에 대한 연구는 2007년 이후 별로 이루어지고 있지 않다. 이에 본 연구는 10대 후반부터 30대에 이르는 88명의 남성 게이머와 151명의 여성 게이머를 대상으로 설문 조사를 한 바, 심각한 성 고정관념에 의한 행동과 인식의 괴리를 발견한다. 여전히 여러 부분에서 성차는 발견되지만 이전에 성차가 있던 부분이 약화되거나 없는 경우도 많았다. 게임 산업의 블루 오션인 여성 게이머의 증대를 위한 게임 기획은 이처럼 성별 게임 문화 차이를 제대로 인식하는 데서부터 출발해야 할 것이다.

Keywords

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