Final Fanta psychology: An Investigation into Perceived Gender Stereotypes Within the Final Fantasy Game Series

ABSTRACT : For many people, video games play a crucial role in everyday life. Video games can have a significant impact on the players, and this impact can manifest in a multitude of different forms. One of the ways an individual can be affected by video games includes the representation, and perception, of gender stereotypes. Within the Final Fantasy game series multiple gender stereotypes are represented. This paper aims to determine if those who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community view gender stereotypes in Final Fantasy differently from heterosexual cis-gendered people – specifically, whether the gender stereotypes depicted in video games influence individual player’s perceptions of specific gender identities. The research undertaken determined that the perceptions of stereotypes differ for each individual player, depending on the Final Fantasy game. This paper concludes by explaining how those who identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community do in fact view gender stereotypes differently, perceiving them as more harmful than their heterosexual, cisgendered counterparts.

KEYWORDS : Video games, gender stereotypes, LGBTQ+, Final Fantasy, narrative agency, ludic identity, gender representation