The importance of allowing users to express themselves in their own personal way in online games and virtual worlds has been universally recognized these days. One company, however, feels that there are limits to this -- Chinese MMO company Shanda has actually frozen the accounts of male players who choose to play female avatars in-game.

Shanda subsidiary Aurora has stipulated that only females can play female characters in its King of the World MMORPG. What's more, those who claim to be female players actually have to prove it by appearing on a webcam.

Not only does this limit the customization options for male players, but it's a safe bet that being forced to verify their gender on-camera will turn off some female players, too, an odd move considering the desire in all gaming markets to open online gaming to more women. Neither has Aurora stated that female players are prohibited from representing themselves as male.

In social interaction online, many men bemoan the hazards of trying to establish social relationships with women who aren't really women, and Shanda and Aurora seem to be attempting to secure its userbase by alleviating this concern. It remains to be seen, though, whether the number of users discouraged by the policy, be they females facing a new barrier to entry or males no longer allowed to represent themselves as they like, will measure up to those who appreciate it.

But with Shanda's stock recently achieving a new 52-week high as it saw a 77 percent increase in year-over-year revenue in 2006 on the heels of its switch to a virtual goods-based model in 2005, perhaps it can afford to be exclusionary.

[Via MMORPG Blog]