How would you feel if this happened to you?

[Professor James]

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/120803-Couple-Celebrates-Wedding-by-Murdering-Virtual-Girlfriend

In response to this article and the one with sal9000 marrying a virtual girl, I've wondered how the game developers or writers who created these characters felt. How would you feel if you created a character that other people were marrying or called their girlfriend?

 

[aba1]

I think it would be very strange but I guess what ever makes them happy as long as they don't begin to act as though they own the character or anything.

 

[Sanguine]

Disturbed. Thoroughly, thoroughly disturbed. And perhaps a little proud. For a character to be real enough for someone to literally fall in love with it says quite a bit about the writer's ability to bring the character to life.

That said, it seems likely that the writer's interpretation of the character and the lover's interpretation of the character will be quite different. If someone really feels that connected to a character, its likely that they've filled in any blanks themselves or perhaps even ignored details that the character has in order to promote the image they have.

Raises an interesting question about interpretation of writing though, how far are we reading what a characters traits are and how far are we giving them traits ourselves in the form of "filling in the blanks".

 

[UnusualStranger]

I...would be quite pleased with my work, actually. I managed to make something varied, and with enough deep ideas and paths that someone actually grew connected to it. To the point in which legalities kicked in and things changed. I mean, everyone else might consider it bad or something, but I think it would be a different step.

I would have not a problem with those sorts of things. I mean...its a great success then, right?

 

[General Twinkletoes]

I know that some of the writers behind Katawa Shoujo are weirded the fuck out by the really hardcore fans who genuinely fall in love with and obsess over the characters. I don't blame them, some of the more devoted KS fans are... odd, to say the least .

I'd probably feel the same way. I'd be proud that I managed to write a good enough character that people got so emotionally invested in it, but the whole idea of having a "waifu" has always been odd to me. If someone fell in love with a character that I made, I wouldn't try and stop them or anything like that, I'd just find it a bit strange. Obsessions are almost never a good thing, especially if it's for something that isn't even real.