What's with video game localization and censorship nowadays?

[YUPPIE]

I admit, I like to dress up female characters in skimpy or hot outfits when playing a video game and given the opportunity to, usually if not always through unlockable costumes. That is entirely my call and I can do as I please in the game I paid for.

Unfortunately, while I won't list specific examples since they get too numerous, I find it pretty distressing in NoA's localizations they outright remove or change unlockables and dialogue because someone else has beef with optional content. I find this out through the news before I decide to buy a game I've been eyeing since pre-release.

You know a usual case is when they replace a bikini with like, a Mario or Luigi costume. And it's just like, no, I don't want this shit. Can I please have the original content that was pointlessly edited as a feature or something?

[stellvia]

Basically the companies are so worried about the SJW crowd and possible lawsuits that they self-censor just to avoid any possible controversy. They know that those mad about the censorship will buy it anyways or mod in what they like.

[Faldric]

No you can't. Because certain people without better things to do decided that skimpy outfits in videogames are the root of all evil in the world.
Once you see an elf wearing a bra, you are only 2 steps away from beating up your wife, murdering your children and starting the 3rd world war. Watching a badly animated breast in a video game makes you basically hitler.

Didn't you know that?

[Faroth]

No you can't. Because certain people without better things to do decided that skimpy outfits in videogames are the root of all evil in the world.
Once you see an elf wearing a bra, you are only 2 steps away from beating up your wife, murdering your children and starting the 3rd world war. Watching a badly animated breast in a video game makes you basically hitler.

Didn't you know that?

I believe the trendy phrase is "literally Hitler."

[Tech614]

NoA does this because they're trying to market there games to more then just the Otaku market. Sometimes that is futile in a game like TMS however where young teens are never going to be interested unless they already like anime and shit like it already.

Most other localization companies don't censor anything and embrace said market. XSeed and Atlus almost never censor anything, Aksys will very rarely if they're worried about making the M rating and NISA will every now and then if they think things threaten the M rating.

So stop acting like Nintendo is the only company localizing games. Nintendo targets a wider market with their games then the above companies, and thus will always try to make them appeal more to the main stream. That's not likely to change, whether you, me or anyone else disagrees with it.

[YUPPIE]

NoA does this because they're trying to market there games to more then just the Otaku market. Sometimes that is futile in a game like TMS however where young teens are never going to be interested unless they already like anime and shit like it already.

Most other localization companies don't censor anything and embrace said market. XSeed and Atlus almost never censor anything, Aksys will very rarely if they're worried about making the M rating and NISA will every now and then if they think things threaten the M rating.

So stop acting like Nintendo is the only company localizing games. Nintendo targets a wider market with their games then the above companies, and thus will always try to make them appeal more to the main stream. That's not likely to change, whether you, me or anyone else disagrees with it.

It's too bad Nintendo has such a localization grip on things I like then. Remember when they didn't localize a fully-fledged Fatal Frame 2 remake for the Wii because of its themes and censored the shit out of 5.

Yeah, I'm aware of XSeed and Atlus (I like Senran Kagura and all things from the latter), but still...not always. Remember that fiasco with Tokyo Mirage Sessions being totally butchered because it was on the Wii U?

[Tech614]

It's too bad Nintendo has such a localization grip on things I like then. Remember when they didn't localize a fully-fledged Fatal Frame 2 remake for the Wii because of its themes and censored the shit out of 5.

Yeah, I'm aware of XSeed and Atlus (I like Senran Kagura and all things from the latter), but still...not always. Remember that fiasco with Tokyo Mirage Sessions being totally butchered because it was on the Wii U?

ATLUS USA had no say in anything that got censored in TMS. That was NoA. ATLUS USA simply translated the game and passed it onto Nintendo. Atlus USA doesn't even have a programmer on staff yet you think they changed outfits and skins like the wedding dress?

Do you honestly think ATLUS, the company that has 15 and 16 year old girls dancing in bikinis in a game with no censorship gives a rats ass about a wedding dress showing cleavage? Nintendo was the owner and publisher of the game... do the math.

[YUPPIE]

ATLUS USA had no say in anything that got censored in TMS. That was NoA. ATLUS USA simply translated the game and passed it onto Nintendo. Atlus USA doesn't even have a programmer on staff yet you think they changed outfits and skins like the wedding dress?

Do you honestly think ATLUS, the company that has 15 and 16 year old girls dancing in bikinis in a game with no censorship gives a rats ass about a wedding dress showing cleavage? Nintendo was the owner and publisher of the game... do the math.

So exactly as I said...it's Nintendo's problem.

And like I said again, I really can't understand why they have to remove these things and not keep them in as optional features. No one is getting hurt and all it does is give them horrible publicity.

[Tech614]

So exactly as I said...it's Nintendo's problem.

Yeah, I'm aware of XSeed and Atlus (I like Senran Kagura and all things from the latter), but still...not always. Remember that fiasco with Tokyo Mirage Sessions being totally butchered

Here you are completely relating the issue to Atlus. In fact your entire post seems to be making this "issue" out to be some growing epidemic when in fact it's 1 company. 1 company who is trying to market their games in the west to more then just the anime crowd. This entire thread is an over reaction and if some cleavage being hidden actually harms your enjoyment of the game I suggest you learn Japanese because that is a far more sane task then complaining because some cleavage was taken out.

[zealo]

The western market is full of prudes compared to Japan when it comes to sexuality, they're just trying to avoid having their product cause controversy.

[YUPPIE]

The western market is full of prudes compared to Japan when it comes to sexuality, they're just trying to avoid having their product cause controversy.

Does this "controversy" ever affect sales, though.

Like has there ever been an instance where people did not buy a game because it had fanservice and, say, a Kotaku journalist screamed?

If it doesn't affect sales, I see no reasons people should cave you know?

[Edge-]

Does this "controversy" ever affect sales, though.

If it doesn't affect sales, I see no reasons people should cave you know?

It can threaten the game at retail stores. Places like Walmart and Toys 'R Us like to have family friendly images, so should a game become "controversial" they may end up pulling it from shelves which can hurt sales. Target pulled GTA V from retail shelves in Australia because of such a "controversy", for example.

It's unlikely, but the sales lost from angry nerds refusing to buy censored games don't outweigh the risk of having a retailer pull copies of your game from store shelves.

[YUPPIE]

It can threaten the game at retail stores. Places like Walmart and Toys 'R Us like to have family friendly images, so should a game become "controversial" they may end up pulling it from shelves which can hurt sales. Target pulled GTA V from retail shelves in Australia because of such a "controversy", for example.

It's unlikely, but the sales lost from angry nerds refusing to buy censored games don't outweigh the risk of having a retailer pull copies of your game from store shelves.

Jesus christ, that much triggering over teasing boobies and butt is a thing in the world now? What you described is something I'd think of when it comes to a genuinely disturbing game like Manhunt, not a game with optional fanservice costumes or features (Fire Emblem, DQ, etc).

Shit like that is why I support digital and some niche publishers go that route.

[Arachnofiend]

The western market is full of prudes compared to Japan when it comes to sexuality, they're just trying to avoid having their product cause controversy.

The otaku market is as fringe in Japan as it is here, the difference is that the people over there don't just buy the game, they also buy the figures, and the audio dramas, and the doujins, etc. etc. etc.

It's possible for a company to thrive appealing to that specific market in Japan because that market spends an absolutely absurd amount of money. Not the case in America, where a game that is too off-putting for the mainstream market is guaranteed low sales figures.

Also, the new otaku-bait Fire Emblem games are utter shit. The franchise was way better prior to the fiasco that was Awakening.

[Jester Joe]

Also, the new otaku-bait Fire Emblem games are utter shit. The franchise was way better prior to the fiasco that was Awakening.

Awakening was great, but I do agree Fates was bleh to even cringe at times.

Also not sure how Tokyo Mirage Session "got butchered", all I heard was they removed a costume set (or changed it) and they increased the age on some characters. It's just like said though, different markets overall.

[YUPPIE]

Awakening was great, but I do agree Fates was bleh to even cringe at times.

Also not sure how Tokyo Mirage Session "got butchered", all I heard was they removed a costume set (or changed it) and they increased the age on some characters. It's just like said though, different markets overall.

All that and more including dialogue changes.

I mean, you can understand why people would be furious and not want to buy the game.

[Jester Joe]

All that and more including dialogue changes.

I mean, you can understand why people would be furious and not want to buy the game.

Not really honestly. All you're doing is hurting the chance of more niche games getting imported over.

[Arachnofiend]

All that and more including dialogue changes.

I mean, you can understand why people would be furious and not want to buy the game.

If it makes you feel any better TMS was so bad not even the otakus wanted it. As it turns out a Fire Emblem and SMT crossover that has nothing to do with Fire Emblem or SMT appeals to no one.

[dope_danny]

We live in an age of the professionally offended white person. A strange subset of a guilt ridden racial culture raised in a post 2000's climate of fear,directionlessness and hopelessness. They police all media, even media they would never pay money towards consuming and believe they are paragons for doing so when the only reason studios cave to them is because they will campaign for the ruination of companies and the dissolution of jobs to get their way.

Thankfully its starting to reach a point where studios are noticing that changing to suit the witch hunters is changing to suit people who were never going to buy your product and only pushes away those that would. To say nothing of all the bullshit "we are here to ruin your toys, mmm male tears so delicious" whackjobs that found jobs in the western media in recent years that are genuinely just doing it because of a chip on their shoulder and mental health issues going unaided that ruined so many games journalism sites in the eyes of the general public the long and short of it is studios are now noticing that a lot of these complaints are not seeing any connection to money spent on their products.


Shit go look at the FFXIV forums right now. They added a native american themed set of outfits in the next patch and one self proclaimed 'social justice warrior' claimed it was 'racially insulting' until they got 150+ pages of people including actual native americans saying they were pleased their culture got any showing in videogames as anything but bad guys in western games -not unlike something similar in overwatch a while back- and the OP flipped her shit and started screaming about harassment and about "clearly you dont understand you are all racist and NEED. TO STOP. TALKING." Its the age of entitlement where everyone thinks they are special and can moderate everyone else. Thankfully people are tiring of it just like they did when Thatchers government did it in the late 1980's to the point film critics had to go into trials to defend films from being thought crimes. Different generation same bunkum.

Bottom line is if you ever see someone try and cry for something to be altered and they are treating entire groups as one stereotype while doing so they are probably part of the modern "politically correct beliefs, tea party political behaviour" regressive left clique that thinks they are 'the good guys' but only in so far as they know better than everyone else and criticism of them is a personal attack from "the other" which is whatever buzzwords they can use in their agree mailing lists that month.

Different cultures make different products. its why they stand out, its why our species makes such wonderful things as we do. But in the age of the perma offended everything must be one innoffensive homogenous white noise. Heads down, mouths shut, head half shaved and died a neon colour and don the problem glasses. Everyone is special when nobody is blah blah blah.


TL-DR - studios feared their bad press and assumed they were the hot ticket in revenue. Now they are increasingly the butt of jokes as people are no longer scared of them and they were never profitable to begin with. They lose what short lived power they had day by day, just vote with your wallets to buy what you love. Lifes not worth spending it pissed off and offended over things never made for you.

[YUPPIE]

We live in an age of the professionally offended white person. A strange subset of a guilt ridden racial culture raised in a post 2000's climate of fear,directionlessness and hopelessness. They police all media, even media they would never pay money towards consuming and believe they are paragons for doing so when the only reason studios cave to them is because they will campaign for the ruination of companies and the dissolution of jobs to get their way.

Thankfully its starting to reach a point where studios are noticing that changing to suit the witch hunters is changing to suit people who were never going to buy your product and only pushes away those that would. To say nothing of all the bullshit "we are here to ruin your toys, mmm male tears so delicious" whackjobs that found jobs in the western media in recent years that are genuinely just doing it because of a chip on their shoulder and mental health issues going unaided that ruined so many games journalism sites in the eyes of the general public the long and short of it is studios are now noticing that a lot of these complaints are not seeing any connection to money spent on their products.


Shit go look at the FFXIV forums right now. They added a native american themed set of outfits in the next patch and one self proclaimed 'social justice warrior' claimed it was 'racially insulting' until they got 150+ pages of people including actual native americans saying they were pleased their culture got any showing in videogames as anything but bad guys in western games -not unlike something similar in overwatch a while back- and the OP flipped her shit and started screaming about harassment and about "clearly you dont understand you are all racist and NEED. TO STOP. TALKING." Its the age of entitlement where everyone thinks they are special and can moderate everyone else. Thankfully people are tiring of it just like they did when Thatchers government did it in the late 1980's to the point film critics had to go into trials to defend films from being thought crimes. Different generation same bunkum.

Bottom line is if you ever see someone try and cry for something to be altered and they are treating entire groups as one stereotype while doing so they are probably part of the modern "politically correct beliefs, tea party political behaviour" regressive left clique that thinks they are 'the good guys' but only in so far as they know better than everyone else and criticism of them is a personal attack from "the other" which is whatever buzzwords they can use in their agree mailing lists that month.

Different cultures make different products. its why they stand out, its why our species makes such wonderful things as we do. But in the age of the perma offended everything must be one innoffensive homogenous white noise. Heads down, mouths shut, head half shaved and died a neon colour and don the problem glasses. Everyone is special when nobody is blah blah blah.


TL-DR - studios feared their bad press and assumed they were the hot ticket in revenue. Now they are increasingly the butt of jokes as people are no longer scared of them and they were never profitable to begin with. They lose what short lived power they had day by day, just vote with your wallets to buy what you love. Lifes not worth spending it pissed off and offended over things never made for you.

that is crazy. Where is this SJW post with FF if you don't mind sharing? Can't find it.