It's all gone tits-up - or "out", more aptly - for numerous Chinese blokes playing MMO King of the World, as the game's publisher has brought the axe down on in-game sex changes for men.
According to reports, Aurora Technology has frozen the accounts of men playing as female avatars in the game. It's now been ruled that only women can play as women in-game, and gamers are required to prove their sex over webcam.
Presumably the publisher has received numerous irate emails from players complaining that the character they've had a bit of virtual how's-your-father with has turned out to be the same sex in real life. Or something.
However, the good news is that apparently women are still permitted to play male characters. Phew. We thought the world had come COMPLETELY crazy for a moment.
Our agony uncle is ready in the comments below to hear all about your MMO flings that ended in shame-faced embarrassment.
Got to love China's policies. Every day I get more glad I was born in Europe with our Human Rights and Invasion of Privacy laws. The UK might have it's issues, but bloody hell it's better than China.
Couple of flaws in the plan:
1) What if the potential buyer doesn't have a webcam? 2) How do they prove that the person on the cam is the account holder?
They're basically screwing themselves over though. The harder they make it to get into a game, the more people they will lose to one that's easier to get into. And the market is already saturated with MMOs, so if you don't like one there's always another waiting.
They will either withdraw this crazy idea or fail within the year.
thats completely assinine, I agree about the role playing aspect is to be someone your not, but these complaints were from guys that-how did they put it- "played Hows your father" with. If you go on an MMO to have a little virtual x, then maybe you need a bit more of a life... hhhhhmmmmm maybe thats what that guy in korea was doing that died staying awake for several days playinng online...
Sheesh, someone in China is missing the point of role-playing - you get to be someone else! So what if that someone else is female?
Why not make everyone use their real-life names and likenesses while they're at it...
LOL - that should be a wonderful game. Everyone roleplays as themselves. Imagine WoW full of 15-year- old spotty geeks trying to move - let alone fight - in full chainmail and bastard sword.
On the other hand, this MIGHT just be what we need to counter the growing problems with obesity. You want new gear from the Auction House? You'll need to shed a few pounds, son.
This is just funny, if people are "falling for people online" which I think we all know happens. Isn't it kinda their fault for not double checking before things got that far? Then again it is China and personal responsibility isn't big for them.
What gets me is that the #1 reason I hear from guys who play female avatars is because they want to look at the female form running around all day and a male.
thats completely assinine, I agree about the role playing aspect is to be someone your not, but these complaints were from guys that-how did they put it- "played Hows your father" with. If you go on an MMO to have a little virtual x, then maybe you need a bit more of a life... hhhhhmmmmm maybe thats what that guy in korea was doing that died staying awake for several days playinng online...
But surely anyone who indulges in such cyber action, whether it be in a RPG or forum/BBS, knows there's always a risk that the person you're doing it with isn't in fact a hot bi-curious 22 year-old model but is in fact a bored, fat, middle-aged cabbie?
It's fantasy, and I guess you'd be fantasising about what is described on screen, not the reality that is lurking behind it? And if you do start worrying about the latter, perhaps you're better off just rubbing one out over the reams of p0rn online...
And as for your last point, I think if I was in an Internet cafe and the guy next to me was masturbating furiously, I'd probably say something to the proprietor. Certainly by the second or third day...
Stupid chinkense. Obviously bored whilst they wait for the 2008 Olypics to be over so they can invade Taiwan.
Anyway, I usually prefer a female avatar - the simple (and brutally honest) reason being is that I'd rather look at a scantily clad womans bottom for hours on end (albeit a computer generated bottom) than some tight buttocked bloke in the Zap Brannigan mould. I mean I know most MMO's have wobbly t**s on the women these days, but you can't see them from behind so I'm not strange, honest.
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I don't think thats going to go down well.
