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Perfect spouses in digital games: The impact of virtual character attachment on traditional gender relationships and marriage in Mainland China
Author(s)
Date Issued
2022
Citation
Zhu, Z. (2022 Jul 11-15). Perfect spouses in digital games: The impact of virtual character attachment on traditional gender relationships and marriage in Mainland China. International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR) 2022, Beijing, China.
Type
Conference Paper
Abstract
This study focuses on the "harem" elements in Chinese digital games, which offer illusions of spouses for players. Chinese gender relationships have traditionally been based on ag-ricultural production and Confucianism. Traditional Chinese roles are frequently described as “the man in charge of the outdoor, the woman in charge of the indoors.” Chinese femi-nism has been fighting to break this patriarchy for years. Moreover, the growing cost of liv-ing has prompted many men to challenge the idea that they should be burdened with sole responsibility for the “outdoor” world and its associated economic pressures. Thus, the Confucian tradition has faced considerable threats from contemporary cultural and eco-nomic trends.
This study argues that the harem design in Chinese digital games deconstructs traditional concepts and defy not only Confucianism traditions, but also severe political and economic pressure. The virtual relationship threatens the necessity of marriage by providing a solu-tion that accommodates emotional demands. Chinese established pre-eminence in the in-ternational game industry several years ago. Nevertheless, there is a dearth of research into the influence of games on prevailing cultural traditions, not least in relation to gender roles and marriage. Over half of China’s citizens are now game players. These games may encourage people to remain unmarried, which also has implications for the nation’s birth rate. Therefore, the new ethics, morals, and behavioral configurations emerging from the popularity of games in the digital age are all worthy of future research. The current re-search examines games from the perspectives of gender studies, political economics, and traditional Confucianism.
In order to evaluate the influence of popular computer games in China, this study employs textual analysis and online ethnography. The male/female gaze in these games is undeni-able. In male-targeted games, nearly all the females are portrayed from the perspective of the male gaze. Hence, the characters have pretty faces and exaggerated body shapes and love the players. They are treated as objects that players can purchase in a manner akin to the purchasing of weapons or equipment. Conversely, in female-targeted games, male characters are treated in an equivalent manner. In the online discussion, players refer to these characters as their wives/husbands. Virtual wives and husbands do not ask for equality or demand shared responsibility for the raising of a family. In this sense, the games are encouraging young Chinese players to balk at the idea of marriage, preferring instead to spend their money on virtual wives and husbands who are perfect in all ways except for the absence of any physical existence. The trend shares similarities with Otaku culture in Japan. However, the huge popularity of these games also increases gender differentiation and bias in reality. These virtual rela-tionships may be seen as a digital form of the anesthetized sterilization of the pathological rebel who seeks to oppose patriarchy and commercial pressure. Contemporary China is experiencing falling marriage and birth rates, while divorce rates have risen. It is clear to appreciate how digital spouses might have contributed to these social trends.
This study argues that the harem design in Chinese digital games deconstructs traditional concepts and defy not only Confucianism traditions, but also severe political and economic pressure. The virtual relationship threatens the necessity of marriage by providing a solu-tion that accommodates emotional demands. Chinese established pre-eminence in the in-ternational game industry several years ago. Nevertheless, there is a dearth of research into the influence of games on prevailing cultural traditions, not least in relation to gender roles and marriage. Over half of China’s citizens are now game players. These games may encourage people to remain unmarried, which also has implications for the nation’s birth rate. Therefore, the new ethics, morals, and behavioral configurations emerging from the popularity of games in the digital age are all worthy of future research. The current re-search examines games from the perspectives of gender studies, political economics, and traditional Confucianism.
In order to evaluate the influence of popular computer games in China, this study employs textual analysis and online ethnography. The male/female gaze in these games is undeni-able. In male-targeted games, nearly all the females are portrayed from the perspective of the male gaze. Hence, the characters have pretty faces and exaggerated body shapes and love the players. They are treated as objects that players can purchase in a manner akin to the purchasing of weapons or equipment. Conversely, in female-targeted games, male characters are treated in an equivalent manner. In the online discussion, players refer to these characters as their wives/husbands. Virtual wives and husbands do not ask for equality or demand shared responsibility for the raising of a family. In this sense, the games are encouraging young Chinese players to balk at the idea of marriage, preferring instead to spend their money on virtual wives and husbands who are perfect in all ways except for the absence of any physical existence. The trend shares similarities with Otaku culture in Japan. However, the huge popularity of these games also increases gender differentiation and bias in reality. These virtual rela-tionships may be seen as a digital form of the anesthetized sterilization of the pathological rebel who seeks to oppose patriarchy and commercial pressure. Contemporary China is experiencing falling marriage and birth rates, while divorce rates have risen. It is clear to appreciate how digital spouses might have contributed to these social trends.
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