Continuing the Conversation About Lack of Women in WoW

Note: This post and the previous post are meant to coincide with conversations I'm having on Twitter and more of a means for me to try to vent my frustrations and organize my thoughts in ways I can't with a 140-character limit. Other content will be forthcoming as I get used to blogging again.

Look, I know there'll be women in Warlords of Draenor because we know neither draenei or orcs of old were single gender societies.  I know we'll likely see some of their stories, but what I can't overlook is that in the first bits of promotional information delivered to me via the livestream and the website, the information that's supposed to get me pumped and eager to play the new expansion, is made up of men.  First impressions are important and as first impressions go, this one left me concerned rather than excited.

Here's what I saw when I went to the website for Warlords of Draenor (as of November 20, 2013):

Still not sure they aren't going to be a boyband.

And then as I scroll down to read about the legendary characters I'll get to play alongside, this is what I'm shown:

The great Sleeve Shortage of Draenor was a real problem.

Do you see a trend here?  If you check out the new character models, the only options are limited to male previews so far, though there is some concept art of the female models available.  As I've pointed out, I knew even at seven years old that seeing myself in a game was important to me for reasons I didn't always know or understand, and it's disheartening to see a game in which I can play any gender without penalty and still see the story be mostly about men.

There is a woman featured as part of the artwork on the website, one we've been told by Dave Kosak on Twitter is a draenei named Yrel (pronounced "Yee-rell").  From what little is available about her so far, I do actually have good hopes for her story, both as a woman and as a fan of draenei lore (shhh, don't tell my blood elf characters).  Well, aside from comparing her to Joan of Arc because, uh, we know how well that story turned out for the real Joan of Arc and I don't think the end of Joan's life is the imagery they meant to invoke.

When companies create ad campaigns--and make no mistake, this whole website, the trailer, and all the information at Blizzcon is an ad campaign meant to inform us and encourage us to hand over our monies--they do so with an audience in mind.  In this case, it's very clear the audience Blizzard is aiming for doesn't include me as I'm not a man who does manly things.  This might not be such a big deal if we were talking about a product specifically designed for men, or if WoW's player base was exclusively male or the overwhelming majority was male.  It's not, and in fact nearly half of all gamers are women, to say nothing of the multitude of women players I know and interact with whenever I log into the game.

I can't help but see the website, read the information, and think maybe Blizzard is a little out of touch with their player base.  If their desire is to energize the whole player base and not just a portion, wouldn't it behoove them to include more women?  And when it comes to the sorts of women I want to see, I don't just mean women who are instant bad asses (Just add sword!), but women who are, well, people with complex histories and motivations.  You know, like a lot of the male characters we've had, strong yet vulnerable and capable of overcoming tremendous odds.

Finally, just a little side note here.  I've seen so many people react defensively, even angrily at the suggestion that WoW isn't being inclusive and that there is a real problem with their seeming lack of desire to make women more pertinent to the overall lore of Azeroth.  I want to know why?  What harm is done by asking questions?  What harm is there in requesting Blizzard take our concerns and wishes into consideration?  Why, instead of listening or simply ignoring what is being said, must people loudly proclaim there is no problem and tell those of us participating in this discussion to shut up?  If there's really no problem, or Blizzard ultimately sees no problem, then the game will carry on as it is with no changes.  If the developers agree with the criticism and aim to be more inclusive, it can only benefit the game and encourage more people to play as they'll feel like they have a part in the story, which ultimately means more money and a longer lifespan for WoW.

My posts here and on Twitter are totally voluntary on your part to read, and you can choose to agree a little or not at all.  How does what I and others say interfere with your ability to both play and enjoy the game in any shape or form?  What, exactly, are you afraid is going to happen?