Thank you for those messages Bayohne. If Square Enix is communicating with her family at any stage, please pass on the condolences of the players on Behemoth who are part of my Free Company and associated link shells. I feel sure that there are a very many players throughout all of Eorzea's instances who would likewise want to express their condolences to Ms Blake's family.
One thing that I have learned through playing MMORPGs, and FFXIV exemplifies this very well, is that the impact and influence of such games goes well beyond the scope of the game itself. Each player character we see and interact with is more than just an avatar, there are real people behind every player character. A living, breathing being with wants and needs, feelings, opinions, loved ones, and friends. Those real people deserve our respect just as we deserve theirs. When an active player passes away, it leaves a hole in their community that will be felt by all that knew them.
In this way, FFXIV and the communities on each of our worlds as well as the greater community of FFXIV players from all worlds, are no different from the real life community, or society that we physically live in. As such, we must remember that everyone deserves respect and compassion. When we lose someone we know, perhaps a friend, or merely an acquaintance we all feel a sense of loss and sorrow. When a voice is silenced are we not all diminished to some degree?
The passing of Sian Blake and her children is a painful reminder that our community is not limited to the world server we play on, it's not limited to the game itself. No, that community extends outward including those responsible for developing and producing Final Fantasy 14. The voices of the characters we interact with in Eorzea occupy a firm place in that community, they are in a sense more real to us because we see them when we play, we hear their voice and work with them.
Some may say that what happened to Ms Blake and her children is an unfortunate and tragic event, that the impact is just a change in voice. However, I think that misses something important. When we play in a virtual world such as the one provided by FFXIV, we inhabit it, we learn to like/dislike characters in that world, and connect emotionally with those characters. One of the biggest reasons we can connect with these characters is the voices that give them life. Without a voice, they are just images and text on a screen. But with a voice, the character becomes multi-dimensional, they come alive to us. We remember them, their voice, their emotions and the events we shared with them, they walk the path of life with us in Eorzea.
When one of those voices falls silent, it should sadden us all, because something special has left our little virtual world. Of course, the fine folks at Square Enix will try to find a new voice for Yugiri, and she will once again live on our screens and in our ears. A tough task to be sure, but like in real life, we have to put aside our grief and move on. But that doesn't mean we stop feeling or forget those we have lost.
I am saddened by the loss of Sian Blake and her children in a stupid, senseless act of violence. I hope that her family can find some solace for their grief in the knowledge that Sian Blake touched the hearts of many, even those who only knew her voice.
Nice to see gamers on Siren showing the class, compassion and fellow feeling that we all should show. Thanks for posting this.