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I joined WOW I did not have as much harassment. Interestingly, the sexual harassment I did receive in WOW was not male on female gender specific. In fact, sexual harassment came from players with a variety of sexual preferences and ages. I could add a profanity filter or modifications to my game to stop spamming, profanity, or to block players. While these worked, I felt they should not have been necessary.

I played on four different servers and felt harassment also varied from server to server. The newer servers seemed to be populated with younger, more immature players who expressed themselves poorly to impress more experienced players. I ultimately chose one of the older servers. There were still younger players, but they were few and far between. By younger players I refer to male teens 15 and younger who recklessly play without parental guidance. Interestingly enough, younger female teens were not very verbal, preferring to stay with family or friends, probably due to fear of harassment themselves.
My experience with console gaming is not as great extensive. I know of several females of various ages who do play Microsoft's X-BOX or Ninetendo's Wii, but they are fewer in number than the quantity of females I know who play MMORPG's. I think more teen boys play console games because they are games that can be picked up and put down with ease. Many of console games are also geared toward the male population, though software developers have shown a great deal of ingenuity in creating non-gender biased games such as THE SIMS, BALDUR'S GATE, and SECOND LIFE. Console games do not require as much patience to play as a more involved MMORPG, though the age gap with online gamers is starting to close as more males and females of varied ages play them.
In my opinion, men and women are both attracted to online gaming because there is more latitude in an online role-playing game than other forms of gaming. I found many X-BOX games not to be as multi-dimensional as the online games I have played. The online games also had more involved storylines because the games were not quickly beaten' but could be played daily with continuously unfolding, evolving storylines. Online toons and scenery move more smoothly with a grace console toons do not have.
Online gaming gives players the oppotunity to game with people from all over the world, which is amazing. With the advent of voice-over IP programs like VENTRILO or TEAMSPEAK players can talk to one another regardless of their time

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