A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal

Pink and Blue Pixel$ – Gender and Economic Disparity in Two Massive Online Games.




SubtitleGender and Economic Disparity in Two Massive Online Games.

AuthorsVili Lehdonvirta, Rabindra A. Ratan, Tracy L. M. Kennedy, Dmitri Williams

PublisherTaylor & Francis

Publication year2014

JournalInformation Society

Volume30

Issue4

First page 243

Last page255

Number of pages13

ISSN0197-2243

eISSN1087-6537

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1080/01972243.2014.915277


Abstract

Information and communication technologies are blurring the boundaries between work and play. We present the first empirical investigation of gender gaps in virtual game economies. Analyzing big data sets from two major game economies, we find that player gender and character gender influence virtual wealth in different ways in different games. We conclude that this can be explained by different returns on female- and male-dominated play activities, that is, virtual pink- and blue-collar occupations. As the line between work and play increasingly blurs, researchers should track which occupations get to keep their conventional economic rewards, and which end up being remunerated in play money.




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