Marriage feedback [inofficial Poll]

[Reika]

I voted yes and I'm glad that the yes votes outnumber the no votes 4 to 1.

Thinking back to how EA handled this... it's really easy to handle homosexual content and get away with it. There really isn't much risk at all unless you completely mess up a blog post advertising upcoming support for it. The best way to go about it, is to do what Skyrim did and just say "yeah we support it" and just be done with it. Most of the gaming community seems to be for it or just doesn't care either way, so supporting it will no doubt be in their favor. So, if it was added, I think that it would go like this:

1. People who feel strongly for it will probably have more of an interest in the game and SE.

2. People who support, but not very strongly will still be happy and it will probably have a positive impact on sales due to the increased publicity it brings.

3. People who don't care either way will still be hearing more about SE and FF14 due to news articles reporting on it. This will create more publicity and most likely sales.

4. People who are against it, but not strongly against it will still receive more information about the game and it will most likely not impact sales.

5. People who are strongly against it will hear about it, and whether or not they are players, it may impact whether they keep playing or not. But, there will always be those who will keep playing despite being against it.

I think that this little spectrum here is pretty accurate and that no matter what they do, it will work in their favor. Especially with how much publicity the topic of same-sex relationships is getting these days.

Just pump something out, and let the media know. Kotaku and other sites will post up articles talking about it and how they are thankful for it, etc. I guarantee it will work in their favor, much like it did for EA, despite their bad rep as a company altogether.

http://kotaku.com/5888909/why-a-vide...o-be-a-gay-man
http://kotaku.com/5899246/homophobes...me+sex-romance
http://kotaku.com/5802122/you-wont-k...-mass-effect-3
http://www.webpronews.com/swtor-the-...verage-2012-02
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10797_3-57...tar-wars-game/
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/25/sk...sex-marriages/

And for the not so Western part of the world...
http://kotaku.com/5868301/skyrim-japan-likes-you
http://www.computerandvideogames.com...e-chart-debut/
http://kotaku.com/5272178/japanese-g...u-might-expect

These are just some example articles, out of the many hundreds out there on this topic that I'm posting just to show that gamers just don't care enough to not buy games because of this. I know these games are mostly popular in the Western world, but the Western world usually counts for an enormous proportion of sales. If you read through the comments on these articles, or even topics about this on their own forums, you will see that people who speak out for it, are for the most part in favor of it. And either way, publicity is publicity.

If EA can do it... so can SE. I dont even like most of the games with EA's name on it, but at least they aren't wimps.

[Zantetsuken]

If Japan has any concern about their own survival, they won't sanction same-sex marriages anytime soon.

[Arcell]

I think the subject of same sex marriage is touchy, maybe too touchy for SE at the time since for one they originate from japan where its not allowed, and they have to think of it from a business perspective, nobody has an issue with straight marriage but there is a big number of people who aren't for same sex marriage.

I believe asking for it at the time is on the same magnitude of asking for polygamous marriage, which is ok in some places and not so accepted in others.

No one has an issue with straight marriage, the issue is with the restriction and exclusion of same sex couples from participating. The only relevant information we have is this thread and the poll in it. Those votes and posts are from people who actually play this game. Going by that info, SE would be losing almost four times more business by not allowing same sex marriage (if everyone who voted left if they didn't get their way). Realistically, they'd be upsetting/disappointing four times more people.

Morally of the same magnitude? Possibly. If you consider resources though, making a restrictive system here is actually more work than just allowing any character to marry any other character.

[RoxyLalonde]

If Japan has any concern about their own survival, they won't sanction same-sex marriages anytime soon.

I don't think that's taken into proper context.

[Keisuna]

If Japan has any concern about their own survival, they won't sanction same-sex marriages anytime soon.

Wait, you actually think that birth rates will suffer if Japan allows marriage equality? Based on what, exactly?

[Arcell]

If Japan has any concern about their own survival, they won't sanction same-sex marriages anytime soon.

However same sex marriage in Eorzea won't hurt its survival.

[ZakarnRosewood]

The same reason there isn't just one thread of everything. This is a message board, people use it for opinions and polls and debates too.

Marriage services were brought up in the live letter. It is potentially brought up content planned for the future. People have opinions on what that content should include.

Hello folks,

This topic has been brought up a number of times and Development has been made aware of all the thoughts and feelings, from both sides. I am going to lock this thread, now, as this has been a hot topic in the past, so we are getting no new opinions.

Thank you for your thoughts and support, but some of the posts may need to be removed after we do a full review of the thread.

-Senior Game Master Jhanaka

I support marriage of all types, just for the record. but this is pointless. like regional servers they will do what is in the best intrests of their game succeeding, they cant afford to piss off all the closeminded people. most of them are already on the forums, lol j/k.

[Kallera]

If Japan has any concern about their own survival, they won't sanction same-sex marriages anytime soon.

Marriages are not required to have children. Nor are married couples forced to procreate.

How does preventing same sex marriages force the LGBT crowd to marry people they are not attracted to? How does it even foster the needed family environment for raising children, or wanting children?

More to the point, how does same sex marriages in game have anything to do with Japan's population?

[Wynn]

Marriages are not required to have children. Nor are married couples forced to procreate.

How does preventing same sex marriages force the LGBT crowd to marry people they are not attracted to? How does it even foster the needed family environment for raising children, or wanting children?

More to the point, how does same sex marriages in game have anything to do with Japan's population?

Didn't you know? If gay marriage were recognized as valid everyone in the world would suddenly turn gay and the human race would die out. I mean it is so obvious.

[Keisuna]

I support marriage of all types, just for the record. but this is pointless. like regional servers they will do what is in the best intrests of their game succeeding, they cant afford to piss off all the closeminded people. most of them are already on the forums, lol j/k.

They locked that thread because it got too heated AND because there wasn't any opinion that the devs haven't already heard. I realize you'd rather not have this thread exist, but the mods haven't locked it yet, which means that at least for now this thread is not a problem.

If the mods think this thread needs to be locked, it will be locked. Just let them do their job.