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((Because the SE forums only allow me 1 1,000 character post every 10min, I'm posting this here. I know there's already a thread discussing this topic, but I feel like this is deserves its own post.))
Recently it was announced that marriage would be a feature within Final Fantasy 14 ARR. The system as of now, is planned to be for opposite gendered couples only, with the possibility of same gendered marriages being implemented based on player feedback.  I argue that waiting for this feedback is, statistically speaking, a complete waste of time. The numbers already exist to indicate that the players of the afore mentioned game approve of same sex marriage by a wide margin. Let's consider the following, using the United States,a traditionally conservative country, as a model.
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- Among millennials (people born after 1980), support forsame sex marriage is over 70%
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- Among people born after 1965, support for same sexmarriage is over 50%
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- According to the Entertainment Software Association's 2013 data, the average age of video game players is 30, with 64% of all players falling in the millennial category.
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These numbers alone show that a good majority of video game players (if not a substantial majority), support same sex marriage. Assuming that Final Fantasy 14 players fall within the "video game players" demographic, it's quite easy to see in advance that support among the player base would be high.Â
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Square Enix is running a business though, and I understand that. After the debacle that was the initial release of Final Fantasy 14, and all the hard work they've put in to revitalizing the game, I can understand that they don't want any niggling distractions to keep any potential players away. Fortunately, there are real world examples to show that SE shouldn't be afraid to implement same sex marriage.Â
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First, let's look at the Old Republic. Bioware has a history of offering same sex relationships in their games, and well before this one launched, they stated that the intent to continue that tradition within the Old Republic. The usual suspects came out in protest, the American Family Association, One Million Moms, ect. (people who don't play video games in any real numbers by the way), but Bioware was warmly recieved by the video game community. When the game launched, they had over 1 million subscribers within the first 3 days. The game ultimately took a tumble in the numbers, but that can in no way be attributed to the same sex marriage "controversy".
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Next let's look at Trion's game RIFT. In one of the game's post launch patches, they implemented a marriage system without gender restrictions. There was no controversy, there was no fallout, but they did set the record for most marriages in a video game in a single day when the patch went live.
Â
Historically, video game developers who have taken the boldstep of supporting equality have been rewarded for their bravery by the good will of their player bases. There will always be detractors, but support for the issue among gamers has been rock solid, and support grows with every new poll.Â
As someone who first realized he was gay thanks to your video games (Kuja you naughty thing), I humbly ask that you consider my arguments in deciding on the fate of marriage equality in Eorzea. Â Â Â
Recently it was announced that marriage would be a feature within Final Fantasy 14 ARR. The system as of now, is planned to be for opposite gendered couples only, with the possibility of same gendered marriages being implemented based on player feedback.  I argue that waiting for this feedback is, statistically speaking, a complete waste of time. The numbers already exist to indicate that the players of the afore mentioned game approve of same sex marriage by a wide margin. Let's consider the following, using the United States,a traditionally conservative country, as a model.
Â
- Among millennials (people born after 1980), support forsame sex marriage is over 70%
Â
- Among people born after 1965, support for same sexmarriage is over 50%
Â
- According to the Entertainment Software Association's 2013 data, the average age of video game players is 30, with 64% of all players falling in the millennial category.
Â
These numbers alone show that a good majority of video game players (if not a substantial majority), support same sex marriage. Assuming that Final Fantasy 14 players fall within the "video game players" demographic, it's quite easy to see in advance that support among the player base would be high.Â
Â
Square Enix is running a business though, and I understand that. After the debacle that was the initial release of Final Fantasy 14, and all the hard work they've put in to revitalizing the game, I can understand that they don't want any niggling distractions to keep any potential players away. Fortunately, there are real world examples to show that SE shouldn't be afraid to implement same sex marriage.Â
Â
First, let's look at the Old Republic. Bioware has a history of offering same sex relationships in their games, and well before this one launched, they stated that the intent to continue that tradition within the Old Republic. The usual suspects came out in protest, the American Family Association, One Million Moms, ect. (people who don't play video games in any real numbers by the way), but Bioware was warmly recieved by the video game community. When the game launched, they had over 1 million subscribers within the first 3 days. The game ultimately took a tumble in the numbers, but that can in no way be attributed to the same sex marriage "controversy".
Â
Next let's look at Trion's game RIFT. In one of the game's post launch patches, they implemented a marriage system without gender restrictions. There was no controversy, there was no fallout, but they did set the record for most marriages in a video game in a single day when the patch went live.
Â
Historically, video game developers who have taken the boldstep of supporting equality have been rewarded for their bravery by the good will of their player bases. There will always be detractors, but support for the issue among gamers has been rock solid, and support grows with every new poll.Â
As someone who first realized he was gay thanks to your video games (Kuja you naughty thing), I humbly ask that you consider my arguments in deciding on the fate of marriage equality in Eorzea. Â Â Â