Name: Jingwen Chen

preliminary research question or topic:

How online gamers understand online gaming culture from gender perspective.

A brief description of (ideal) interviewee:

People who consider themselves as game players, also having a rich or simple experience playing games with others especially female players.

Introduction:

This interview protocol is designed for interviewees who regard themselves as video game players. This protocol is for an open-ended semi-structured interview, and has been reviewed in conjunction with the interviews. Interviews are estimated to last between 60 and 90 minutes.

1. Myself: Student at UM / Media studies: Digital Cultures
2. Topic: How online gamers understand online gaming culture from a gender perspective
3. Focus: Interviewees’ attitude towards girls and acknowledgement towards online gaming environment for girls.
4. Goal: Gain a better understanding of ordinary players’ attitudes towards online gaming environment and to raise awareness about misogyny and gender injustice in games.
5. Privacy: By default, the information will be anonymized when published.
6. Record: Record the interview for purpose of reporting/analysis only: permitted?
7. You should of course feel free to interrupt or terminate the interview at any time that you want.

Background

1. When did you start playing video games online? Do you still play constantly?
2. Can you give an approximate number about how many different games you have played until now?
3. To what extent does the time you spend on video games account for your daily life?
4. Do you play more online games or stand-alone games?
5. How would you value yourself as a gamer? Skilled? Normal? Noob?

Familiar Video Game communities

1. On which game you spend the most time?
2. How do you like this specific game community? What makes you keep on playing this game?
3. Could you describe your online roles when playing with other gamers?
4. And how do you think about others’ roles when you are playing together? Could you give some example?
5. Are there any girl gamers you know? How do you like them in general？
6. Did you ever have a fight with other players (both male and female)? Could you describe the situation?
7. What is your impression related to girl gamers? What is your attitude towards girl gamers? What about the attitude of others?

Video Game Experiences

1. When you are playing online video games, does it feel different compared to real world social activities? How?
2. Is the attitude of others different from real society to you? And how? Any examples?
3. What are the different impressions of the girls encountered in the game and in real life?
4. Which social environment you prefer? Online or real-life? Why?

Female Video Characters

1. What is your favourite video game female character? Can you describe her? And why you like her most?
2. Did the design of female characters ever change over time? How do you feel about it? Is it bad or good from your perspective? Why?

Female gamers as professionals

1. Do you have a favourite girl streamer or professional girl game player? Why?
2. What are the impressions girl game streamer you have in general?
3. What are the differences they have from male professional game players?
4. Do you think there will be more girl professional players in the future? Why?

Online Game Environment for Female

1. Do you think the current video game environment is friendly for women? To what extent?
2. Have you ever encountered situations where female players being insulted (such as “grils” or being asked to stop play games) because of gender?
3. Why do you think such situations happen from your personal experiences?
4. Do you consider this situation as “sexism”?
5. What would you do when encountered such (or worse) situation?

Closing Off

1. How do you feel when asked about questions related to gender issues in video games?
2. Is there something you consider as important to address in this field?
3. Should there be more regulations in controlling online game environment?
4. Do you think the future game environment will get better? From which perspective?