USER INTEREST IN CHARACTER DESIGN ELEMENTS IN VIDEO GAME TRAILERS OF FINAL FANTASY XIV

• Main Author: Fikrul Hadi Atsabit, Muhammad
• Format: Theses
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/76901
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

In February and May 2021, the number of Final Fantasy XIV players jumped dramatically after the release of a video game trailer featuring player images, especially characters, using visual elements to attract video game fans. Video game trailers as one of the transmedia storytelling, present an overview of the characters and the narration contained in video games and are used to attract video game fans and players. Various kinds of previous research have been discussed related to character visualization, typology, and persona as well as their emotional impact on users, but there has not been any research that discussing user interest specifically towards the character design elements featured in the video game trailer of Final Fantasy XIV. Based on this, this study examines the relationship between character design visualization and user interest using a mixed method approach based on the MECA (Mixed Emotions and Character Appeal) Model on qualitative data from content analysis and manga matrix as well as quantitative data from questionnaire results. The number of respondents involved was 151 peoples consisting of enthusiasts and players from the Final Fantasy franchises and Final Fantasy XIV. The results of the study show that the character designs shown in the trailer really describe the role of these characters, especially from the aspect of costumes and accessories. The costumes and accessories used by the characters also give the user a sense of interest in the character even though the character is an antagonist.