N3 DS Tomodachi Life Box Art

Nintendo has this week been making headlines over the absence of same-sex marriages in upcoming 3DS Mii-sim Tomodachi Life. Following a social media campaign called Miiquality, Nintendo issued a response to explain its reasoning. As well as extensive coverage in the gaming media, Nintendo's explanation for not including same-sex relationships was also reported on some prominent mainstream media outlets.

Nintendo, likely as a result of the reaction and coverage of that statement, has now issued a follow-up message on its official website and to the media. It reads as follows, with the heading "We are committed to fun and entertainment for everyone":

We apologize for disappointing many people by failing to include same-sex relationships in Tomodachi Life. Unfortunately, it is not possible for us to change this game’s design, and such a significant development change can’t be accomplished with a post-ship patch. At Nintendo, dedication has always meant going beyond the games to promote a sense of community, and to share a spirit of fun and joy. We are committed to advancing our longtime company values of fun and entertainment for everyone. We pledge that if we create a next installment in the Tomodachi series, we will strive to design a game-play experience from the ground up that is more inclusive, and better represents all players.

This statement re-affirms the previous message in terms of ruling out a change to the game that will ship on 6th June in Europe and North America. The pledge to produce a more inclusive experience that "better represents all players" in a prospective follow up entry is a new commitment that hadn't previously been made in such a direct manner.

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