Queer(ed) avatars : exploring visual identity construction in final fantasy XIV online gaymers

Abstract

I explore gaymers’ use of virtual photography to construct their avatar persona in Final Fantasy XIV Online. The study of game photography is a field that has seen relatively sparse engagement from scholars in the past decade. In this article, I discuss virtual photography's potential in gaymers’ visual construction of avatar personas in massively multiplayer online role-playing games. I focus on “gaymers” as they seek alternative identity affordances, expressing dissatisfaction with the narrow range of possibilities in games. In contextualizing the phenomenon, I engage with theories on virtual photography, persona studies, and social networking. I apply this theoretical framework to a series of Instagram accounts dedicated to FFXIV Online avatars. I incorporate a queer methodology in my research to expose how gaymers resist heteronormativity in games. My findings indicate that gaymers queer FFXIV Online's mechanics and visuals through modding and shaders to visually co-construct a digital self.