Swedish Newspaper Questions The European Release Of Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson

wait, what's the problem with this game? it's not sexist, it's just...sexy.

I am a women and don't have a problem with this game. It's just a game.

When she pays for my games, then she can decide what I can buy. She can think the Senran Kagura games are objectifying if she wishes, but trying to ban me from the fun brawlers? No.

Just no.

(Katsuragi #1)

It's not objectifying anyone in anyway. . .. It's a Style of artwork - A Genre if you like. It is not Illegal in the slightest. . .And if you say that ladies with big boobs shouldn't be in video games then you are discriminating against ladies in real life who do have such bodies. Why doesn't the journalist go up to a woman with a large chest in real life and tell her not to have such a large chest.

Ridiculous

I bought the last one because people were making a fuss about a bunch of pixels. This is just making me want to buy the game more.

SJWs/Radical Feminists don't want to take our games away, huh?

I can understand how it is viewed as objectifying to some. I still disagree, as that implies the audience has no nuance and will reduce women to objects.

The part I don't get is the no satire. The whole series just has campiness all over it to me.

The game is incredibly sexist and definitely does objectify women, but let people decide if they want to play that or not. It's certainly not Nintendo's job to decide what is suitable or not if the passes certification from a ratings board.

"everyone involved - developers, publishers, hardware makers and the gamers who buy the end product - is guilty of having a very "stale" view of women."
Right. Literally everyone. Despite being a staunch feminist, if I buy this game then I'm definitely not taking it as the joke that it is. I bought the first one, so I guess I agree that women are just there to be pretty objects owned by men.
I mean, it makes total sense. Not like I'm gay and was just looking for a decent and funny brawler to play on 3DS.

And yet there's nobody saying that Call of Duty objectifies men as being angry, blood thirsty, gun toting maniacs that enjoy nothing more than starting wars and blowing stuff up.
It just bugs me that these politically correct minded people are wasting time on something that has a very narrow audience to begin with. I'm sure there are far more pressing matters than an animated pair of oversized tits.
And the thing is, there's the possibility that there are going to be more sales of the game because it's had more media attention. And I'll be glad it that happens.

Everyone, aftonbladet, is known for its bullwinkle and dumb news, its like fox news of sweden, DOnt worry about it. Move along

I genuinely feel sorry for people who take Senran Kagura seriously. It's a ridiculous over-the-top beat-em-up with with ridiculous, over-the-top fan service. It's like getting mad at Looney Toons.

ARE you freaking serious?

You know why people don't care about Senran Kagura? It's RATED as a game which promotes nudity and violence (to some extent, not full-blown) and that's WHY it's rated 16.

Did someone really get their knickers in a knot because of they saw 1) Women fighting, 2) breasts sticking out?

Honestly, it's not XSEED's or Tamsoft's responsibility, they're creating an art, an art which a certain audience enjoy, And just for a fighting game?
Also, I'm sure that you can attack other games for their integrity, but why choose this one?

People who don't think this objectifies women or say "some real women have large chests" need to get real. Some woman do, there's nothing wrong with that. There's nothing wrong making a character like because they exist. However, when you make a game based off it, make jiggle beyond any sort of physics, make a gameplay mechanic where woman lose clothes when tey take damage, and make a "happy boobs edition" you need to freaken wake up and stop blinding themselves. She goes too far with her criticism (not everyone who's played it is a terrible womanizer), however, there is truth in what she says. What the game does is wrong.

Everyone is out fighting about gender inequality and what they beliefe would be equal (actual equality/manhating Feminism) and I'm just siting here without knowing why this all is made so dificult....

They don't want to take away games, huh? Not the moral police, right? She has merit in what she says, but she ought to commentate on her country's problem first before going after something so superfluous in the impact of culture. Sweden, fix your problems, please.

@Jaz007 You do have a point… a point which seems to be escaping everyone. There is no denying that it is pretty awful in that regard. It's definitely a cultural thing, as games like this and far worse have been fairly common in Japan. That doesn't mean that they are good for the rest of the world outside of that context. People can choose to play what they want… but a little honesty instead of all of the defensive comments or denials would be nice. It IS flat out crude.

How can one not take this game as humorous? It has a special edition "Happy boobs"! Is there something wrong with all of them having huge boobs? Its not like I'm going to rip clothes off of all the women I see after playing this, just like I wouldn't start shooting people after playing gta.

" has stated that she has issues with developers making "entertainment" of objectification, "especially when there are no obvious elements of parody, satire or deeper message." She also said that Nintendo "has a responsibility" to prevent games of this type reaching market, and that everyone involved - developers, publishers, hardware makers and the gamers who buy the end product - is guilty of having a very "stale" view of women"

1. Isn't this game already a parody of sorts? I'm telling the truth right now when I say the franchise is basically a comedy that parodies the typical Naruto style ninja. Plus, there is going to be a male character as well who is also gonna be as ridiculously exaggerated as the girls being Ikaruga's brother... though he fights like an idiot.
2. Nintendo has no say in what can be released on their systems if they've already handed out a license. Plus, after Bayonetta and arguably Xenoblade and some Fire Emblem DLC, it's not like that they would anyways.
3. I didn't buy the game for the girls. (Though the personalities of them are quite entertaining) I bought it for the gameplay. It was a decent game overall and has my attention as a NINTENDO franchise. Not getting the PS games due to limitations. So am I really guilty? Especially whem my favorite character in the game more resembles Akuma from StreetFighter rather than a DoA girl? (She's more about muscle than looks)

Since this is like the 15th article Damien has written about this game, I think it would be appropriate to add 'the resident NL expert on games featuring semi-nude underage school girls' to his site bio.

I only read as far as "columnist in the Swedish newspaper..."

Of course they were going to object to it.

At least the Swedes who want to play the game are able to import it from elsewhere. If the pathetic campaign against the last game is anything to go by, it's probably going to do quite well!

@dizzy_boy That is what is called 'false equivalency'. The CoD games don't hyper sexualize and objectify men; they are dark and violent, but they don't sport pant bulges, or penises swinging around in banana hammocks. No one shoots someone and has the victims butt revealed as a reward.
Not even remotely the same thing.

Yet another whining, uninformed rant.
She obviously has no idea what she's talking about, since she neither could've played this games' japanese release, nor does she seem to know a thing about the japanese market and what counts as parodic representation or the like there.
Besides, objectification would imply the game would reduce the characters to only their visual aspects, and while the looks are definitely emphasized, the girls' personalities and character development show a level of depth absent even in some widely-celebrated RPG's - not to mention the writing in general.

If I knew any swedish, I would most likely call the author of this article out on this narrow-minded and one-sided waste of ink and inform her of the unbelievable logic failures in it.

This debate ends with these girls being fictional characters, in a fictional universe of bizarre rules and occurrances.

It is absolutely nobody's job or responsibility to prevent this from reaching the market.

I like boobs.

Where can I get this game from? I'd never heard of it until now but it seems appealing

Aftobladets games section is a joke (heck, the entire paper some might argue), just ignore it.

so they write for Sweden, version of the dailymail

I personally have never been a fan of these types of games. Cartoon breasts just aren't appealing to me. However, I think everyone has a right to buy what they wish. I do slightly think it is a little objectifying of women. I mean, they don't have a floppy dong mode in this do they? But anyway, that's just japan for ya. Their culture is very different from the rest of the world.

We have more important things to be worried about.

Aftonbladet is a crazy left wing extremist communist "newspaper". They literally publish everything. Last christmas they published an article about someone finding a flap to close a box of chocolates....yeah..
Please ignore this, Nintendolife. Not even worth mentioning.

It's not the Swedish Newspaper that is doing the questioning but the Journalist herself. . This article was always gonna create debate .. .

@Jaz007 Ha ah! That's me! I've pre-orderd the Happy Boobs edition - I didn't think the Unhappy Boobs edition would have such positive effect on the world

i mean i understand that ladies has an issue with sexist, but when your targeting a game then don't buy it or see it, that simple

@cfgk24 I was tempted by the Happy Boobs edition for the soundtrack CD, but ultimately I wanted to save space on my Limited Edition shelf. The Ultimate Shinobi Edition was also tempting, but wall scrolls and posters aren't my thing. I only got the LE Majora's Mask 3D for the Pin and SteelBook, not the poster.

So when is a paper going to be written about the objectification of men?

Oh man herrrre we go....

@EllenJMiller It's all so tempting lol!

Nintendo DOES have a responsibility to stop games of this kind.

Wait... the problem is the ridiculous anime boobage rather than the fact (going by my experience of renting the first) the game will probably be awful?

Weird.

Oh just think how wonderful the world would be if this Alex could just decide what we all should be playing! Surely she has proven she is the true arbiter of all that is good in the world.

@cfgk24

It's not illegal, no, but it is totally objectifying women. To say otherwise is laughably absurd. Now, if half the cast was male and their clothes were removed during battle, and their parts swung during gameplay, then it'd be much less so--then it'd be more of a humorous celebration of human sexuality.

This is totally objectifying women, and the evidence is everywhere, from naming one edition "happy boobs" to featuring an all-female cast where jiggling oversized breasts is a prominent feature, to the very cover of the game which de-emphasizes that women are people by hiding the face and focusing entirely on breasts.

That said, this isn't really Nintendo's job to go banning or censoring--even though their history has them doing precisely that all over the place. This is on the developer and publisher to make something more respectful, and on players to simply choose to ignore it as I did the first game.

It absolutely objectifies women but at the same time, if you don't like it, don't support it.

...attacked the game for its objectification of women..."

Welcome to Japan, my friend.

@dizzy_boy

Your description is pretty much the only way I ever see core Nintendo fans talk about Call of Duty, or the people who play the games.

Slow news day (The newspaper I mean.)?

If it offends you, don't buy the damn game.

@Shadowfied

When people resort to ad hominem attacks, it's because they're on the losing side of an argument, FYI. Your post is entirely that.

@ShanaUnite When it's an actual issue? The harassment many women face on a daily basis from a lack of equality in many societies is a very real issue. As much as I don't have a problem with this game, I firmly believe that we still have a long way to go. It's why we should encourage a broad range of voices in all media and ensure the tools of access are available to all.

If you don't like it, don't buy it. Though I'll admit, this is definitely objectifying women a little.

This whole "objectification of women in media" schtick is a red herring. Everyone gets objectified in media.

If this person wants to cover real promiscuity issues and real objectification of women, including in entertainment, she would more effectively get to the heart of the matter by covering the sex trafficking, prostitution, and Mcdonald's style of expanding strip bar industries in Sweden. The Swedish government has apparently prided themselves on curbing those activities and cracking down on them, but in reality, the underworld is just making better use of online tools and private property laws than before.

Gaming is not where the real problems here lie. If you want to deal with the real problems, then you need to prepare yourself for a whole lot of backlash from greedy employers and dirty politics on the ground. It's a dangerous task, and I'm not certain she has the guts for it. Inquiring too many questions into the underworld (or politics, for that matter) makes you more enemies than friends.

@ShanaUnite

Because "objectification of men" is not a problem. Men are not judged on their looks, men don't have to deal with sexual harassment at remotely the level women have to+, and male characters are not put in games emphasizing their sexual use. When Master Chief has to go into battle shirtless and in a thong with ample package sway, we'd be on the right track. When Mario is the crying, distressed weakling that needs constant saving, we'll have that understanding. When a heavy focus on Zelda games is on Zelda herself, and Link's clothes are ripped off in sexually suggestive ways during battle, then there'd be equality.

If you think those scenarios are ridiculous, then you should think the same for female characters. To think it's okay for women to be treated this way but ridiculous for male characters, that it sexism, and that is objectification.

+And it should be noted that statistically, most of the sexual harassment men receive--is from other men.

Fact: That Mousemat in the Special edition pack may be the most comfortable mousemat ever.

(p.s. - yes - I love it when a Senran Kagura debate enflames on NintendoLife )

@cfgk24

I don't think you know what "facts" are.

Particularly when using non-factual terms like "may."

Just another feminist who wants attention. Nothing to see here.

This game makes me want to eat Swedish meatballs.

People are making a big deal about this game, it's just bouncing mammaries. Nintendo is not your parent, they can sell whatever games they want.

This game doesn't bother me, and I'm a woman. That said I haven't played the game myself, only seen trailers and such.

It's like @Pokefanmum82 said: It's just a game.

Some women tends to overreact on how fictional female characters are designed. Either they made them too thin (anorexic looking and tall), they are too well shaped (big boobs and round hips), too perfect or too young. What they mean to say is: they want chubby, tiny chested, ugly ladies in their mid 30's everywhere. I hope that never happens.

@Quorthon I 'May' or 'May Not' have a sense of humour. . . Hurrah!

@Jaz007 Couldn't of said it better myself!

@Phle See, that's the thing. I love playing as characters like Bayonetta, the SK girls, so on. So what that they don't look like me, I don't care! Many rock awesome character designs. Would I like to see more variety? Sure, I want some badass old ladies and some super muscle-y girls too in various games, but that doesn't mean I want less of X or Y. Just more of Z.

The game has a right to exist.........that ends the debate. To say otherwise is to contradict yourself. There is no way to argue for the freedoms of 1 adult by taking them away from another lawful citizen.

The game isn't going to change how parents raise their kids or the friends you have. It is your social circle and environment that dictates how you treat other people. My children won't be passive and tolerant because of a lack of violence and bigotry in video games....they will be that way because I will teach them respect for all people....even those I may dislike or disagree with.

people wouldnt buy it if street fighter was sexualized like this, (however it would be awesome if there was a male version of this game, i would love to play that!) and the more people talk about it, the more i actually want to get this game and see what its all about. and it doesnt objectify women, it objectifies CARTOONS. and theres nothing wrong with that. however an all male version of this game would be so much more entertaining.

@3dcaleb I'd love to see a male version. Bishounen everywhere, and some bara too.

@Shadowfied If 97alexk is correct, then Aftonbladet is actually more of an authoritarian right wing capitalist "edutainment" outlet. This article she wrote is definitely reminiscent of the radio and TV pundit rant shows over here in America...

Modern feminist ideology and cultural marxism, just like right-wing social authoritarianism, are fundamentally incompatible with free societies because they are never satisfied with merely arguing why something should be avoided. Success is only obtained when everyone lives in their thrall and obeys at implied gunpoint. The personal is the political.

Anyhow, I'm sure if the first game managed to survive the intense amount of scrutiny and calls for censorship it received, this one can too.

@EllenJMiller Your wish has been granted, look up Kagura: Aoaki no Shonentachi.

How about instead of trying to get Nintendo to play big brother we let ratings and consumers determine what has a place in the market or not. I don't need anyone telling me what i should find offensive or morally reprehensible, if i have a problem i have to option to refrain from making a purchase, and if someone is too young to make that decision then that's what the rating's are for. Censorship is a bigger issue than sexism because it doesn't allow for individuals to determine their own sense of morality. I also fail to see how it's more morally reprehensible or sexist that say COD where it's just glorifying violence and providing way stronger stereotypes for men to follow in terms of looks and attitude. It's nonsense, let the market decide what people find offensive, telling people how to live their lives never works and is fundamentally oppressive.

Such rage in the some of the posts lol. She has a point but then comes across as a complete idiot. "especially when there are no obvious elements of parody, satire or deeper message."

Instead of a silly arse cartoon style fighting game why is she not taking on things like GTA, a good game to pick up and murder prostitutes in.

And just to add, this game is absurd IMO and i'd never buy it, so it's "sexist" overtones aren't just to it's benefit.

I might just get this for the hell of it,i bought the first no one is going to stop me from buying the second one.And god the happy boob edition,it kill's me.

Nope, I completely disagree with this newspaper. This game is perfectly legal, and people have a choice whether or not to play this. It would be worrying precedent if this game was banned.

The funny thing is, this game introduces the first male playable character and yes, his clothes rip off in battle leaving him flushed and embarrassed, bare chested in his undies (well according to the Japanese Trailers).

@EllenJMiller hahaha - "senran kagura 3: furry wolf bara" hahahahaha, now THAT would be a game!

@PlywoodStick See, I want to believe, but the main information about it is on one site and it was published April 1st, 2012.

No matter one's view's on the game it isn't Nintendo's job to censor that stuff unless they make it and they feel that they have to do that from a business stand point. No company has the right to be a moral compass. No matter how much you like or hate them...its a business.

Sweden, please scram off and die in a ditch, where nobody can see you.

Signed: a sane person.

@3dcaleb See, I don't know who I'd want to do the artwork for it. I'd love some Sakurako Yamada character designs, she can draw some rather awesome male characters but I'm not sure if she'd be able to get them to the tone of the series.

Does the "Happy Boobs edition" really, really bother me? Yes, I personally find it seriously disturbing.

Does anyone have a right to stop its sale? Does Nintendo have a "responsibility" to stop its sale? HELL NO.

Ah, Aftonbladet, silly as always.

Where this writer falls down in her argument, not that she had one to start with in my opinion, is labelling anyone with any involvement with this game s "guilty of having a very "stale" view of women.

All her prejudice comments do is make her out to be a massive hypocrite.

I've been told this paper is extremely left leaning even by sweden standards...

Oh hey, it's Sweden again. Get outta here, ya goof. No one cares.

@Ryu_Niiyama

Actually a company does have a right to be a morale compass, if that's how they want to portray themselves. Self-censorship is better than government censorship.

I wish Nintendo refused to publish this game for its stupidity.

Gauging by these comments, maybe Nintendo should start censoring stupid.

"Mrrrr....lady wants to take boob game from us. Lady is wrong! Lady and her country needs go die!"

Man, I hate censorship! This reporter needs to get over herself, and find something else to write about...

@Gerbwmu

Couldn't agree more. Playing this game or others like this will not change one's attitude towards women, much like playing violent games doesn't make murdering psychopaths.

People's attitudes and traits comes from education, experiences as a child, and to some extent their genes.

-sigh- Here we go again, I swear the amount of "objectifying" games I've bought in the past 2 years would give Sweden a heart attack

-owns every Senran Kagura game-

Also just one small thing: Can women not laugh at ourselves anymore? I find this series to be a fun action game and the rest of it is just silliness. Don't get me wrong I don't want bikini armor and the grizzly Caucasian male protag all the time but I don't get mad every time I see it. I don't know if that makes me a level headed woman or a jaded one.

@Ryu_Niiyama Level-headed. Don't worry, you're not alone.

@Luigitornado

I think we aren't talking about the exact same thing here. I feel that a company has a right to censor themselves from a business perspective (and I stated as much in my post) but that doesn't make them a moral compass. It may make their business practices in line with a customer's morals but that doesn't mean that they set the standard/reference point for morals nor should they be expected to. That isn't a inherent right to a business.

Unless that business is a church. Yes I consider churches to be businesses.

@LUIGITORNADO "Actually a company does have a right to be a morale compass, if that's how they want to portray themselves. Self-censorship is better than government censorship."

That's getting into dangerous territory which brings up corporations having individual's rights... which has already happened in America through the Citizens United vs FEC Supreme Court decision... There are a lot of problems with businesses having the same rights as individuals, but that's a completely separate discussion from this one.

I had a good laugh reading this! XD

In a weird way the views the columnist have for this game's is quite similar to the views bloggers have for certain low grade games on the Wii U (mainly meme run) which I think any game that is legal should be open to play. Just change the part relating to women to gamers and leave in company responsibility part and its almost spot on in views.

Just like with the "low grade" Wii U games, certain people make it a bigger deal than it really should be and get others to step in.

@AugustusOxy That meme just saved me minutes worth of typing. Spot on

@cfgk24

You can have a sense of humor and still use words correctly.

@Ryu_Niiyama

That's because churches are businesses.

But, since (in the US) they have brainwashed the government into special rules so they don't have to pay taxes and actually contribute to the country they try to control, I'd consider them more like rackets.

Sell people an afterlife, tax free, and rake in the cash. It's horrifyingly brilliant. And morally reprehensible.

@Ryu_Niiyama @Quorthon In America at least, churches are usually registered as 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations with special benefits. They might conduct some sort of income acquisition on their own, but they are not a business in the traditional sense. Certainly, they are not technically considered the same as for-profit businesses in the eyes of the law.

I could go further in-depth, but that would be way off topic.

@dizzy_boy I don't think you know what objectify means.

@Ryu_Niiyama The general audience who this game is meant to appeal to don't view woman the same as you. They typically have never actually encountered any in real life.

@SetupDisk GTA is entirely about parody and satire. After you beat V specifically, the game writes up a psychiatric report of your game behavior to tell you what kind of sicko you are.

@DatFunkySmell What about their dear mothers?

@CTs_Lieutenant That's just it though. To a lot of immature young men out there, this game and other forms of media like it, misinforms them as to what real life is like with real people. It's giving gross misogyny a pass because it's "art" but it doesn't help when this art reinforces negative stereotypes.

I don't feel Nintendo should stop games like these, but it sure would be comforting if less people bought them.

And to those saying this game doesn't objectify women, allow me to lol:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cH1DpPZq9c

Yeah, there's a good reason for everybody losing their clothes, and fighting in a mini bra with boobs bouncing around.

Ugh...why do women - no, sorry - "feminists" think that women are the only gender that are objectified? The double standard is appalling. If they want women to stop being portrayed as sex objects, then they need to get rid of the perception that males are bloodthirsty, overly-ambitious, obscenely fit, machismo and vapid simpletons.

If you ask me, no one has the right to play the victim, and just because genders are portrayed certain ways in the media doesn't mean they're the same way in real life. If anything, the entertainment industry is responsible for screwing up people's expectations and perceptions of reality because they take it too seriously.

It's just entertainment. Just be entertained for God's sake.

@kensredemption

It's my understanding that most feminists actually do critizise that portrayal of men.

@Quorthon @PlywoodStick,

Hi, I know that churches are businesses from a legal viewpoint...but I live in the Southern US so it is habit that I word that in a way that concedes that if I highlight that fact I'll get sucked into an argument. Sometimes I forget that I do that when posting on the internet.

I would play this game if it were men, ducks, snakes, mouses, wolves, foxes, turtles, fish wearing pants and wanting to rev up those fryers, pencils, tables, plates, or even mail boxes losing their clothes like that, as long as the game is good, then i'll play it.

Also Magic Mike 2, but I don't care or won't be bothered if anybody sees that ;3

@Quorthon I sure hope that there isn't any anti-theistic sentiment behind any of that, as that would be morally wrong considering we should all be allowed to believe what we want to believe.

There are certain things that I dislike in this world, those things are authoritarianism, extremists of any sort (religious or not), and anti-theists which group together with the extremist part. Basically, those who will not let people maintain the beliefs that they want. We don't want communism, we want freedom to think and feel the way we decide to.

@Datfunkysmell
I don't want to mass marketed media a pass, but shouldn't those immature young men be taught by their parents/family members that those types or portrayals aren't accurate and you should never use them as a standard by which to judge people by? I acknowledge that peer pressure is very demanding, and that media often becomes an a source of identification (which is why representation is important) but i still feel that the bulk of the responsibility in cultivating a healthy view point of others falls upon both one's family and one's self (one should always seek to learn more about the world and expand their viewpoint). I get that parents can fail at their job but that doesn't mean that media should be held responsible for picking up the slack.

Well, it is an objectifying game, and that's nothing new, but this is a bit on the extreme side, and I think that's why this one is brought up. Personally, I'm disgusted by this sort of game, but it's par for the course in Japan I guess, which just goes to show how behind the curve they truly are when discussing gender and objectification.
I'm personally trying to avoid supporting this kind of game as it doesn't give me anything personally, same thing with excessive violence. The expceptions would be games like Bayonetta and DMC. Brawlers that are so over the top, and are so self-aware of what they actually are and what they represent. Bayonetta herself and Dante, they aren't "sexy" per se, and their unnatural attributes just sort of fit in the completely bonkers world that they inhabit. They are in charge of themselves and they own their sexuality and use it to their advantage. Anyone who takes any aspect of those games' storytelling seriously is doing it wrong.
This however... this is just sad...

@AugustusOxy PERFECT!!! Thank you!!!

@SheldonRandoms You would play a game about innocent mailboxes having their lids be opened, so their compartment can be displayed for all the world to see!? You pervert!

Hey, this is an okay thing in Japanese culture, the only reason people have problems with it is because western regions have a hard time accepting and glorifying the human body. The ancient Greeks did it in their sculptures, but if those sculptures were made in the present day in America/most English speaking countries, everyone would be foaming at the mouth.

It just seems to me that this is more cultural ignorance and the current attitude of most western regions to make everything hyper realistic in all media than anything else. The ancient Greeks would make their sculpture, putting emphasis on body parts. A lot of it was an exaggerated and idealistic image of beauty within the human body. Did they expect to have those exact shapes and sizes? No, because any intelligent person knows that it's impossible to reach those standards, and that it's simply glorifying the beauty of the human body itself.

Oh! So we get a Miiverse Community for this game?

@BlatantlyHeroic I haven't seen any Greek sculptures of women who have either large chest implants or macromastia. Do tell if you know any specific ones, though!

@PlywoodStick Hey, it's true! I would love to see a bunch of mailbox ninjas with their ninja weapons just come out and kick each others flags. And when they lose their clothes (What, you mean to tell me you all don't dress your mailboxes? Well look who the REAL perverts are ;3) it is in no way fan service (••). ( ••)>⌐□-□. (⌐□_□) It's postal service!

@SheldonRandoms LOL

O-O-Of course I dress my mailbox! It has a cloth flag and everything! How absurd! It even has an extra tab to prevent any accidents! It's not like I have a thing for mailboxes or anything...

...Baka.

Annnnd it starts.

@Peach64 Just because women show their attributes it doesn't makes it sexist, in fact I think Homura is one if the most badass female characters in video games ip to date.

The problem is that the characters depicted are children. They are not WOMEN they are not ADULTS THEY ARE CHILDREN! Worse things every day to children yet it is glorified in games anime and like media. It needs to stop.

I was wondering when this nonsense was going to start. Now just waiting for the back peddle on cries for censorship.

@Plywood That's the thing, that's just what the Japanese find more beautiful culturally. The Greeks were more into the overall shape of the body and muscle proportions. Their sculptures were almost always nude, and the reason was because to them, the human body was a beautiful thing.

This whole argument is stupid no matter what side you're on. Human society doesn't even matter, we could all be wiped out by a plague. Would this argument even matter in the face of that? NOPE. We're such trivial beings that like to make everything complicated. This, THIS is why people choose to live in the mountains secluded from other human beings. We're a society that applies rules to every problem we meet. If you were alone in the wild though, and decided that a lion isn't allowed eat you, I'm pretty sure that wouldn't save your life.

@BlatantlyHeroic No complaints here either way. I still don't understand why so many Japanese artists dislike drawing noses, though. It's one of the more uniquely identifying features of the face!

@AJ_Lethal It's not the countries fault, and even if it was the countries fault, you don't need to be so mean. sob.

Really dou, was it really necessary?

It's none of Sweden's business whether a game gets a wider European release. If they want to ban a game, or not follow PEGI, that's up to them, but don't try and tell the rest of us what to do.

After playing the original, I thought it was a pretty poor game and generally a bit sad, but the only thing I outright objected to was the acceptance of a character who gropes the others. Trying to get a thrill out of others without their consent is a serious matter, but let's not forget other games feature theft, violence and murder against non-combatants without their consent.

Overall, when you look at the campaigns against Page 3, Nuts magazine, scientists' shirts, Spider-Woman etc, I am utterly sick of feminist crusades against art and particularly against male sexuality. If it's between consenting adults, it's no one else's business.

@PlywoodStick I literally don't even know why I'm so upset with people right now. I guess it's because they can't see what I see? That's hypocritical though, isn't it? X'D

@BlatantlyHeroic Nah, you've seen a universal truth. In essence, you've seen that trees/plants are more important to survival than people. If everyone suddenly dropped dead, the universe would keep revolving as if we never existed. If all of the trees/plants die, most other lifeforms go with them. As we have discovered from our space exploration and observation, life-bearing planets are very scarce in this universe. It would be a shame to value human issues that affect some over planet-wide issues that affect everyone.

But that's another topic for another time.

@PlywoodStick So in essence, we have a common understanding that instead of arguing over something that will probably never be resolved for the better, we should instead use all of this attention we put on trivial things onto things that actually matter like the planets well being and continued survival.

Sigh, not this againnnnn.
Video games do not exist in a vacuum outside of reality. People are incredibly receptive to ideas especially if it's in a form that can be easily "digested". "It's not real,it's just art" is not an excuse, art/media is not just a form of expression, it's also a form of communication and it can negatively impact how people think and feel about things. Just look at #gamergate and how much doxing,harassment and other bs happened over people having differing opinions on VIDEO GAMES, for christ's sake.

@Quorthon
Agreed, I don't think this game "shouldn't exist" and I feel that's a bit excessive; but this almost-hysterical "SJWs gonna take muh tiddies away/I'm not okay with male objectification but I'm okay with it happening to girls" attitude is really dismissive. It just drives legitimate conversations about the lack of diversity in video game characters into the trash.

This womans opinion is wrong.

I have bought five Senran Kagura games so far and love them all, I DO NOT have a "stale" view of women - I love my wife, my mum, my sister and my nieces.. This ***** can **** off.

Ok, reading my last post, I got mixed up with stereotyping, still I'm sticking to what I said regardless.
Just to add, this video as a humorous take on the situation.
[youtube:vEahSAB9-x8]

In other news Turkey wants to ban Minecraft for being too violent.

Since when was the mainstream media supportive of video games in general and not pushing straw feminism SJW topics for views? Oh yeah, never.

This sounds like another anti gamergate straw feminist SJW.

Nintendo has NO responsibility to stop this from reaching market, while not something I would buy, it's up to the individual/ The individual's legal guardian, and it apparently has some really fun beat 'em up gameplay.

NO.

@BlatantlyHeroic

There's nothing immoral about being anti-theistic. After all, I still believe people should be able to think what they want and believe what they want--and in true free speech, those of us who can think for ourselves have every right to mock the silliness of any religion--or call them out when they're doing horrible things like raping kids and protecting pedophiles or calling for holy wars to murder their enemies, or trying to take away the rights of some people for the terrible sin of being born gay--the way their god made them.

Hell, given the content of many of these religious texts, it's far more immoral to abide by them. For instance, I think it's wrong to marry children or own slaves, but I can think of two holy books that totally support these concepts.

@PlywoodStick

I'm aware that churches are listed legally differently, but the fact remains that they operate like businesses and are big bucks.

Here's a picture of Joel Osteen's megachurch (I won't post it here, it's not the point of the article) : http://rollingout.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/2.-lakewood-church.jpg?f66a58

Tell me that "church" isn't technically a damn business. Horrible legal exceptions aside, that thing is a full-blown corporation that sells you promises and makes millions on it. Getting saved is as easy as opening your wallet.

My gripe on that is that, if these people are going to keep trying to influence government policies, then they should be recognized as the businesses they are and pay some taxes. It was calculated that we could fund 70 Curiosity-style Mars missions a year with the amount of lost tax money from not taxing these snake-oil salesman.

If I were religious, I'd still be appalled.

I always find it interesting that anyone could be religious while also being a gamer. Playing video games was one of the motivators that pulled me away from the threat of indoctrination. Church was lame, but Contra was cool.

@Bagels I am happy with objectification happening to either men or women (i.e equality) when it comes to fiction which is not real simple as that.

I am against positive discrimination in any way shape or form for any reason.

@DarkKirby

Every self-respecting person, and especially every self-respecting gamer should be anti-gamergate. That made every gamer look like a terrible, sheltered, basement-dwelling, woman-fearing virgin by association. And again, they sided with Neo-Nazis and child porn distributors and conspiracy theorist lunatics like Alex Jones.

This is much an embarrassment to gamers as old films with white people in blackface is to Hollywood.

"She also said that Nintendo "has a responsibility" to prevent games of this type reaching market, and that everyone involved - developers, publishers, hardware makers and the gamers who buy the end product - is guilty of having a very "stale" view of women."
PFFF getting sick of ppl targeting this sort of thing... ok then... so Muscular men in skin tight spandex is Sexest Surely? if so basicly EVERY hero from Comic books is sexest to Men its "Objectifying" a Man.. seriusly this has to freeking stop...

Sweden: a hellhole of self hatred, political correctness turned up to eleven, and radical feminism all wrapped up in a blanket of "inclusivity" and "multiculturalism". Way to demonize the male sexuality and make an issue out out of absolutely nothing, Sweden. Just flat out amazing. Sweden is what happens if you take away all the good things the EU does have and leave only the disastrous nonsense: Sweden.

@Quorthon Lies and slander.

It was the journalists that portrayed gamers like that and then continued to go on about how bad the effects of Gamergate were. The blind, schizophrenic panic of saying "you're scum!" without any evidence and then going on to say "oh, woe is us, the reputation of gamers is dead" when they caused it in the first place is just ridiculous.

"And again, they sided with Neo-Nazis and child porn distributors and conspiracy theorist lunatics like Alex Jones."
Citation needed. Though I do know a guy from anti-Gamergate that actually spread that stuff. Funny, isn't it? In fact, I recently heard that the paedophilia community is, for a good chunk, anti-Gamergate because of Gawker defending paedos once. Isn't is lovely how your view is incorrect on every level? You can look those things up, I couldn't come up with this level of weirdness if I tried.

There is one main reason to buy this game, and it's not for the average fighting mechanics. Same with DOA, there are many vastly superior fighting games, so they have to rely on other things to sell.
While many people will have laugh at the game, remember it is not intended as a joke, but as a way to get people to buy a game that won't sell otherwise.

@Quorthon

"Every self-respecting person, and especially every self-respecting gamer should be anti-gamergate."

But they aren't. Get over it.

@Chrizzel28 Yet the "evidence" backing GamerGate is the people who were upset about Mass Effect 3's game play being too mainstream but totally upset that the ending was totally sci-fi, an article by a woman about how a majority of humans are gamers so calling yourself a gamer isn't much of an identifier (but with a proactive headline written by someone else) and a jealous ex who is a proven liar.
But hey, they are women so of course these things MUST be true, because they are militant feminists who want to change gaming by making it only about things they enjoy, like enslaving men or something....
And you wonder why a massive amount of GG followers have published very sexist messages that they then delete and pretend never happened...
But then again why trust independent news sources when you have GG conspiracy blogs to read - ones that dismiss all criticism as crazy lefty nonsense?

@Quorthon I'm a Christian, I attend a church that is definitely on the poorer side, with one full time minister on a low wage, bare minimum spent on the building, and most of the money going to projects to help those in need.
What would be the point of a modern fancy building when you have people with no shelter?
And I agree there's nothing wrong with anti-theism, as long as you are treating the theists and different types of atheists with respect.
Yes religious people have done terrible things in the name of religion, but people have also done great things too, and I would be to net that it's exactly the same ratio with non-religious, as obviously it's very easy to have proper morals and ethics without religion and religion without proper morals and ethics.

Oh dear, I wonder how many GG maniacs have sent her death threats by now? Yeah, its pretty tacky marketing but if its gotten her talking about it in the media, then it's working. If she really wanted to fight this kind of thing, the most powerful tool she could have deployed as a journalist would have been to not write a single word about it. The same thing applies to those who disagree with her - newspapers hype up outrage to sell newspapers and gain publicity. If you find her views offensive, then starve them the oxygen of publicity and if you find a game offensive then ditto. Controversy sells both newspapers and games. Everyone getting upset about this is probably delighting both the game publishers and the journalist.

@MadAdam81 Whoo, strawmen, amazing.

The only people in GG that claim it's leftism behind it all are a tiny minority of far-righters. And everybody that actually did some research into GG knows that it consists of mostly left-leaning libertarians, so you're talking complete bollocks.

Yes and no. Authoritarians that keep advocating for changes for "inclusivity" that minorities didn't acutally ask for while pressuring game developers through shaming tactics and the like is quite frankly appalling. Cronyism is also appalling, and it takes almost no time to find examples of this. Then you also have things like the Game Journos Pros list. Classic. I recommend watching Sargon of Akkad's videos the most, he does a great job of explaining the situation and he generally sources his videos well.

Also, evidence, mate. You can claim that they posted it and then deleted it, but that's a rather odd claim to make without any evidence to back it up. First, prove they were made. Then, prove they were by GG'ers. You'll have a hard time doing so, and it doesn't exactly help that it'll likely come down to cherry picking, considering the sheer difference in numbers between GG'ers that are and aren't sexist.

And I won't respond to your first "point", because it's quite the incoherent mess. Simplify the sentence so it doesn't come across as meaningless drivel, please.

@Quorthon
That entire squabble was nothing more than cancerous on both ends of the argument. The Law & Order episode annihilated both sides by showing every person sane enough to keep their distance from it just how ridiculous and embarrassing gamer culture has become to outsiders.

@AugustusOxy Agreed.

While the series is definitely over the top with the fan service, it's hardly the first game of a sexual nature. Sony and Microsoft have also greenlit their share of games that are just as bad or even worse. At least these girls aren't actually getting fully naked or performing sexual acts. The first game even managed a T rating in North America.

While this isn't exactly what she's talking about, if anything she should save her ire for the games that act as pseudo-porn rather than the ones that supposedly objectify women through mere fan service.

@Quorthon If experiencing the stories of Japanese storytelling in gaming has taught me anything, it is that spirituality is not inherently tied to religion. The two are actually completely different things.

It's worth mentioning that many of the thematic settings and conflicts which exist in many Japanese games have some root inspiration from Shintoism, Buddhism, or Bushido. Senran Kagura, for example, has at least some fraction of inspiration taken from Bushido.

How did GamerGate become a part of this topic?

@PlywoodStick

Spirituality is one of those fuzzy words that means something different for everyone that applies it to their lives to the point that it really has no standard meaning or use. But it is closely tied to people describing religious feelings. It's all still the same woo. People can apply that word to anything from feelings for nature or their church or their astrological sign or how their cat makes them feel. No, "spirituality" is not inherently tied to religion. A nonsense word like "spirituality" can be applied to literally anything.

Most ancient mythologies are interesting in some way--Norse, Greek, Shinto, Hindu, etc. Fascinating stuff, and great for storytelling. Zoroastrianism has long been particularly fascinating to me--not so much for the mythology, but more for the fact that Jewish and Christian mythologies have largely been copied and pasted right from it.

All glory to Ahura Mazda.

@BRAINFOX

By both ends, you mean the people who actually stood up to gamergate? Because without them, the total BS behind that movement would not have been exposed.

That's a little like saying that the World War II made everybody look bad because the Allies had to end up fighting with the Axis to prevent the world from turning into a full-blown fascist toilet. No, the Allies still walked away putting to rest a scourge on humanity.

Sorry to invoke Godwin's Law, but it seemed apt.

Way to go Aftonbladet, way to go.
I'm from Sweden and from my experience I take everything that Aftonbladet writes with a huuuuuge grain of salt. I mean come on, whats the big deal. IT'S A FREAKIN GAME! NOT REALITY!
Preordered Happy Boobs Collection and yes im a huge fan of Senran Kagura and
@Chrizzel28 NO Sweden ain't a hell-hole, and I enjoy living here But journalists are journalists and there good ones and there are bad ones and in this case it's a bad one.

@Chrizzel28

http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Gamergate

There yah go, champ. All heavily sourced at that.

By the way, "journalists" weren't the people sending death threats to women. It was gamergaters.

I do enjoy the irony that the misogynists, like when Jack Thompson and Joe Lieberman criticizing gaming, have actually turned Sarkeesian into a celebrity and a leader in feminism. Ha, good for her. Jack and Joe helped make GTA and Mortal Kombat bigger, and ironically, the criticisms by Lieberman led to the ESRB which allowed far more violence because now it's regulated.

@MadAdam81

This isn't really the place to start throwing around lazy religious apologetics and the "many types of atheists" comment is just confusing. Atheism literally means you don't accept the existence of a deity. That's it. It has no other meaning at all. So, I guess in that regard, there are as many types of atheists are there are people, but it's not like there are a couple thousand denominations of it as there are for Christianity.

What would be the point of having a big, fancy church while some people have nothing? I don't have a church, so I wouldn't know, but apparently Joel Osteen has the answer for you, as he does have an enormous, fancy church while some people have nothing. Perhaps if you send him your money, he'll answer you.

@YorkshireNed

It certainly worked for Nintendo Life. This article must have thousands of views by now.

"You know what makes gamers angry? GamerGate!"
"You know what makes gamer gaters angry? People with vaginas and opinions!"
"You know what's great clickbait?"
"I already posted the article, Gary."
"LOOKIT ALL THE CLICKS."

You're point is spot-on. While the game is the same tired old objectification of women, the best thing to do would have been to ignore it. This reminds me of old Jack "PAY ATTENTION TO ME, I HATE GRAND THEFT AUTO" Thompson, who did great things for the gaming industry, or Joe "MORTAL KOMBAT IS SUPER BAD" Lieberman before him.

She's wrong that Nintendo needs to do something, she's right that it's objectification, and it's likely she just wanted some clickbait attention.

@Metafalica

I heard Sweden has the highest percentage of atheists in the world, and Amon Amarth. It sounds pretty awesome.

@Quorthon
haha yes that is true, and yes Amon Amarth are awesome ^^

@Quorthon "That's a little like saying that the World War II made everybody look bad because the Allies had to end up fighting with the Axis to prevent the world from turning into a full-blown fascist toilet."

Another thing that storytelling in games has inadvertently taught me... There is almost always someone who is a hidden Puppetmaster trying to guide the course of events behind the scenes.

The Nazis would never have have been as efficient and effective as they were without Thomas J. Watson's support- the support of the American branch of IBM. You've heard of them, right? The manufacturing and service of the Hollerith punch-card machine, used in conjunction with their extensive census data gathered during the decades leading up to WW2, helped ensure a steady flow of inmates to the concentration camps... Not to mention Henry Ford of Ford vehicles supplying both sides. He was even awarded the Grand Cross of the German Eagle, in July 1938.

Surely, such grand acts of treason would not go unnoticed by our government and President? Surely, they must have known? But then, that's not how they want that imperialistic war to be portrayed... In reality, the Puppetmaster doesn't care who wins, they just roll with whoever has the most money.

Suffice it to say, there are no good nations in war, only bad nations and less bad nations. The only ones who can be good are individuals. That lesson also crops up in game storytelling from time to time.

Don't like it? Don't play it. Simple as that.

@hybridseed She is correct because they characters depicted are not adults. They are children.

I kind of have to ask...
So a random Swedish newspaper posts a story against the game, and it gets reposted here. Nevermind that other places far more prominent have probably done similar stuff.
Is this really news, NintendoLife? Or did we just need a place to have the Senran sexism etc discussion beforehand where it could be contained and weaned out to prevent it from taking over future news posts about the game?

I mean, if that was the point, good thinking.

@Quorthon
You're quoting Rational Wiki as a legitimate source of truthful information?
I mean, yikes dude. Just...yikes.
That's like saying Fox News or MSNBC are unbiased journalism.

If it was for people like these all women will be fat and butch.

@Quorthon I think you would find that the prosperity gospel that Olsteen preaches has actually very little to do with the message of Christ. Any preacher that promises you that God wants you to have a mansion, fast car, a big bank, account and immediate, unending happiness on earth really should spend more time reading the book they claim to preach from.

Most of the first followers of Christ were poor, persecuted, and ended up either on a cross or in the belly of a lion (and praised God for the opportunity to have those things happen to them in the name of Christ). Christ promised eternal treasures in heaven, not worldly goods or fame (in fact, promised the world would hate you). But then most of the church's current problems boil down to an issue of love because our collective actions show that we love ourselves, the world and it's trappings more than we love God and others.

As for the game, I see this as where moral relativism, subjectivism, and Ann Rand's version of Objectivism start to fail. When everyone gets to subscribe to their version of the truth, then ultimately it is the mob/herd mentality that rules because there is no absolute authority to base a judgement on.

@Metafalica Well, I hope you enjoy it then. I mean, I wouldn't want to live in a country where they want to implement "feminist foreign policy" (whatever that's supposed to mean), but of course it can't be all bad. Pretty much every country, except places like North Korea, have at least some redeeming factors. I mean, my country is going to s*** as well, but at least it's a lot better than a lot of other places.

@Quorthon
"There yah go, champ. All heavily sourced at that."
There are indeed a lot of sources, but in most cases they're rather empty, misinterpretations or even just simply wrong. It has the general outline roughly right-ish, but it's pretty inadequate.

"By the way, "journalists" weren't the people sending death threats to women. It was gamergaters."
And this is exactly the place your post falls flat on its face in its entirely. Proof, mate. Evidence or it didn't happen. And I mean more than just "oh this woman said that...". Considering most of those professional victims are simply charlatans, their word alone is inadequate. As a perfect example, Brianna Wu claimed she got threats from Gamergate, but it turned out that the person sending those threats had absolutely nothing to do with Gamergate.

Also, those death threats are almost completely irrelevant, if they're even real. Gamergaters received harassment and death threats too, people of both genders. I'm going to be charitable and say it's probably third party trolls, but it's just as easy to claim your side does that scheit. I could probably make a better case for the Aggros to be worse in that sense, but I'm afraid this is getting far, far off topic.

@97alexk

boobs

I remember when it was the right-wing who were authoritarian. Good times.

Well this has certainly caused a stir.

Umm.. Aftonbladet. Not really the high-end kind of news making.

Besides, feminism in Sweden has gotten out of hand. Seriously. And it annoys me that where it spears first? Here of course.. GRR!

They have kindergardens that have no boys or girls, there are just "friends".
(IMHO, no matter how hard you try, the biological differences are still there).

So like others... Isn't it TPTBs job to rate it and then up to people, if they buy it? Like any other game, let's say violent games (GTA, MadWorld, wargames) etc.

But Aftonbladet... meh. They have such a silly articles...!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LiN57nfjFw

Oh Sweden how the mighty have fallen, what happened to you?

Its just boobs, whats the big deal

@Morph The characters depicted are CHILDREN NOT ADULTS so they are being exploited more than objectified.

@Anclation Exactly. Cue the faux outrage machine.

Feminists/SJWs can whine on their crappy Tumblr all they want, but if Nintendo made a new LoZ game where Link is a girl that looked very fanservice-y, I wouldn't enjoy it any more than normally - I play for the gameplay, not the fanservice.

@SheldonRandoms If SJWs want to complain over a game containing women with big racks, go ahead, but their Magic Mike 2 and their Fifty Shades of Grey prove their hypocrisy.

@MizizMau I disagree, they are young adults.. Anyone who says the girls are children clearly just doesn't like the games and wants to stop others enjoying it. I hate how much controversy this causes.. It's just super cool, sexy, busty ninja chicks that kick ass.. Don't like it, simply don't play it.

I hate Sweden. Sweden is an embarrassment to Europe, especially nordic Europe, and I live in nordic europe.

Well, for one, this is a niche game, it's not like this is a game that could reach a mass market and if well-educated parents follow the rating properly, I don't see how this can be a problem. There's partial nudity here, but I guess there won't be any sexual, or even implied sexual scene (I never got into the series anyway).

And blaming Nintendo is non-sense either, as much as Nintendo keep their family-friendly face, they have a share of mature games in their library.

you know the really bad part is, as soon as I read the quote in the beginning and then saw the word "objectification" I had already finished reading the article in my mind before i actually got to the end of it.

@Morph jealousy nods i imagine the women bothered by this have some kind self-esteem issue. If a there was a sudden outrage about heroes in games always being muscular, it would make me think those people complaining are the total opposite, and muscular men on the other hand would scratch their heads wondering what the problem is.

@Quorthon I hope you femnists realize that the burden of roof is on the people who claim these games to be objectifying. I never see you feminists prove it. Just because you say it objectifies women doesn't mean it does.
And until you're done it, you're in no position to talk like this: "but it is totally objectifying women. To say otherwise is laughably absurd."