Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water (or Project Zero if you're in Europe) is out this week, and as we reported a few days back, comes with unlockable Nintendo-themed costumes which are exclusive to the western edition.
These costumes replace the more revealing lingerie bonus outfits that were included in the Japanese version. That's right - we've been cruelly denied the chance to gaze at a fictional lady in her underpinnings. Gnash those teeth and grab those pitchforks.
Our review went live yesterday. "A bit too much repetition and a few rough edges do mar the experience a little," is what we said. "But that absolutely shouldn't stop you from taking the plunge regardless."
Here's what we're missing out on:
And here's what we're getting:
Let us know which one you'd prefer a family member to see you playing when they accidentally walk into your room.
Comments 278
Annnndddd, queue the angry rants:
Son of a... No wonder the scores are so low in western version reviews.
Honestly, not disappointed in the slightest! I preferred the Nintendo-themed costumes in Bayonetta over the fanservice-y ones, too. Those outfits belong more in DOA or Senran Kagura, not Fatal Frame.
I'm a bit peeved, since this game is rated M, and Nintendo's western branches both seem to think we're too immature to have anything remotely fan-servicey, but at least we're getting exclusive costumes to compensate. It's better than Bravely Default only having its costumes be less showy in western countries.
I'd rather they be left in there. They're optional costumes, no one has to use them if they don't want them, the game is rated 18. The removal of them (outifts that I wasn't particularly interested in using) has me concerned for the localization of Xenoblade X, which has outfits I do want to use at times for my protagonist.
They're both extremely out of place, and this isn't an over the (bikini) top title like Bayonetta, so... Neither of them make sense. Doesn't really matter much to me either way, but still a strange decision either way. I'm not a fan of paid DLC in general, but something relevant to the source material might be more prudent.
BBBBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!
If anyone get's annoyed by this, to the point of refusing to buy the game or going on an angry rant, then you probably need to reevaluate you life.
@EllenJMiller The lingerie outfits passed in the original Xenoblade, so I doubt they would miss X. The selectiveness of the West's puritanism is a funny thing, though, isn't it?
That's a little disappointing. The Zelda costume is pretty cool, but I would have much rather they just kept it how it was.
I don't mind it personally and prefer the zero suit and Zelda dress. I got the Japanese version though so I can't even use those ones
How many people even knew about this?
I don't really understand why though? Does NoA think we're not mature enough to handle seeing things like this? I remember them doing this for Bravely Default.
"Let us know which one you'd prefer a family member to see you playing when they accidentally walk into your room." Wouldn't give a poopitypoopoop because I'm not insecure enough to worry about what my family would think, also my family wouldn't care either. I also wouldn't play an M rated horror game infront of kids.
Don't care.....just hoping for a few hours to try out the demo and see what I think. Maybe I'll add this to my digital library
Come on, countries in North America are among the top countries that look at porn, even higher than Japan, I am sure we can handle a bit of lingerie
i would prefer Nintendo leave the game as is after all it is rated Mature even if some people that play the game are not its still OPTIONAL...but overall im still fine with this im still whinning about not having a retail release here in NA...i mean they couldve done a limited retail release...even Pikmin 3 is out of production...i mean c'mon...ok...im whine some more to myself
Yeah I don't think even I could explain my way out of playing in those in front of the fiancée. Tbh, why complete a 12 hour game if you want to get those kind of kicks... There's In Private Browsing for more than 'jewellery' shopping.
Oh noes
I know this is a matter of taste.
But not having these costumes is not a sign that we're lacking maturity - but quite the opposite. This needless titillation isn't sexy and doesn't add anything to the tone of the game's horror.
I deplore censorship of any kind - but this isn't removing 'mature' content. It's getting rid of something that is overwhelmingly tacky.
We should get both sets but whatever. In fact it would have been interesting if these were unlockable normally and the new ones required the respective amiibo.
@liljmoore AAAHHH!!! A GHOST! LET ME TAKE A PICTURE!
Coming soon: Silent Hill 2 Anniversary Remaster, now with unlockable Pyramid Head Thong outfit!
I honestly don't care, besides do we always need to see video game chicks in revealing outfits?
I had zero intentions of getting this game before this "controversy". lol
Compared to putting Metroid stuff instead of that it makes sense. Samus is no stranger to fighting spirits in areas of dread and loneliness
I am not sure why the alternate costumes are included to begin with?
Do they sell the game? Or do they make game-players look less than enlightened?
I think this is a matter of taste rather than censorship. There is nothing revealed in the costumes that you can't generally see at a beach or a Victoria's Secret network TV commercial in the US. But in a world where Playboy has decided to go "nude-free," maybe the idea of offering something different as an alternative (since the costumes have nothing to do with the story) was thought to be a better selling option in the west.
It's never too late to jump ship to the more mature consoles
@bezerker99 well it's free to download the first episodes so its worth a shot
No problemo. I never play story-driven games with "alternate costumes" anyway...
Were they taken out of PZ2 on Wii? Also, isn't this out next week?
I don't care about the outfits, all I want to know is where she's hiding that camera... :b
@SamirMalik I seriously have no interest. Buy the game for me if you want and it will just collect dust.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOKAY....
Wasn't getting the game as it was too pricey given my interest.
@SuperWiiU Exactly. A 9/10 game is def only a 2/10 if a single pixelated tummy isnt shown.
I hate it when content gets cut. I know quite a few people who will not buy games if content gets cut.
Isn't this the game that isn't getting a physical release? Download only??? Or am I thinking of another title?
@ShanaUnite The Mountain Dew and Call of Duty One? Ehhhhh
Actually, its more thematic to horror and gothic horror to have the heroine in underwear than... samus/zelda suits.
While it does have an erotic undertone, the other aspect is... underwear increases the sense of vulnerability.
Considering this is a M game, I'm not angry, but more of "Really?"
@EllenJMiller But no one 18 and above is sitting around hoping to see cartoon abs. The costumes are more to excite 13-14 year olds.
@AlternateButtons Agreed. If i saw an ad for "bikini scary cartoon fun time" i'd roll my eyes and realize it was for 14 year old kids, not adults. Metroid is simply fun for all ages- cartoon tummies are for teenagers and tweens that just discovered girls.
Put on some New Wave records because we're all adults now.
@bezerker99 Correct for NA that is but EU got a small batch of physical copies in the form of a LE.
@bloodycelt De f***? No. It doesn't. Hell, I argue that it makes sense for Samus since she's been stuck in the same situations herself. Lost. Alone. Having to fight the spiritual.
@bezerker99 yes. It's free to start. Like I said, you can give the first few chapters a shot on Halloween Day if you want.
"These costumes replace the more revealing lingerie bonus outfits that were included in the Japanese version. That's right - we've been cruelly denied the chance to gaze at a fictional lady in her underpinnings. Gnash those teeth and grab those pitchforks."
Entirely beside the point. They're probably not something I would have even given more than a cursory glance at (this IS a horror game, after all), but I am troubled by Nintendo's insistence on patronizing its audience by censoring content from a clearly M-rated game. Nintendo is treating its adult customers like children (you could say... like Nintenyearolds!), and this is a troubling precedent to set. And to be honest, I'm disappointed in the cavalier attitude the article writer and many of the commentators are displaying toward clear instances of unnecessary censorship.
It's not really a big deal here (I actually prefer Nintendo outfits, to be honest, and the zero suit is probably more revealing than people give it credit for), but it's setting a disturbing precedent for other Nintendo games. In particular, I'm wondering to what degree Fire Emblem: Fates is going to be censored.
It's sad, though: Fatal Frame's audience is a bit of a niche crowd, and between the digital-only format, the lack of advertising, and the censorship, it's going to bomb in NA, which Nintendo will probably use as an excuse to not localize any future games in the series.
Xseed's vice president just expressed opposition toward the concept of unnecessary censorship. Many of the folks in that company feel the same way: all censorship is bad, and it must be engaged in only to the extent that it is necessary to legally release a game as M-rated or under in the West. I have to wonder which company I should begin supporting more, since one clearly respects me as an adult consumer more than the other.
All options should be there. Good grief America, so worried about sex, never worried about violence.
@dacangri12 Inter-dimensional pocket. Sailor Moon uses one as well...
Just wondering. Is the DoA's Ayane mini story in there?
Why do people even give a crap about this?
I mean I can see why this is news, but really if you want to see that crap there is always the internet. Someone actually made toaster porn, I am sure the nasty crap you are looking for is on there and more.
@SamirMalik, the zero suit looks utterly ridiculous, which is fine. I have nothing against an optional ridiculous suit.
But seriously, have you not watched horror films? A very common theme is a woman waking up in underwear, walking to the window or trying to turn the light on, and BOOM killed by the slasher, or forced to run away. Gothic fiction which is the forerunner of horror was very clear to its audience of the sexual danger that the heroine was in.
And again considering this is a game for Adults, and the outfit was an option, all Nintendo is doing is making themselves look more foolish than the Japanese team that added the option in the first place.
This is like the Mortal Kombat blood code all over again
Pretty much a dead cert then that Xenoblade Chronicles X will have altered outfits too then. Which is probably for the best since I think there's a 13 year old girl in that one and she gets....a very revealing attire. o.o
But yeah, this was a game for adults. Guess Nintendo don't want the sort of sexy image Team Ninja are happy to have (Outside of Japan at least...)
@bloodycelt having to be killed naked is still unnecessary. Not to mention making you feel more vulnerable not to mention making you feel more vulnerable is upmost ridiculous to say especially when you're the one in control.
In with the gore, out with the boobies.
I will never understand this. Oh well. Not a big loss either.
I disagree with censorship in general, and given the age rating for this title there is no good reason to remove any content.
That doesn't mean the underwear costumes really had good reason to exist in the first place - while I'm not against the idea, it seems to have been added as an unlockable afterthought for no reason other than to be racy and titillating...
In the end it doesn't matter to me though. NoA choosing to go digital only already killed my interest in the game.
Honestly, the Zelda and Zero Suit Samus costumes are way cooler than her skimpy one. So in this case, I'm not really that upset. Thinking about it, at least they put some effort into the changes, rather than just cover her up. We get the better end of the stick in my opinion.
Guess we will just have to stick with Shulk in his underwear!
I live on my own, so I don't care what my parents would think. I actually don't care. I was always going to buy this game. My big problem is that, in the west, it's digital-only, which means I have no room for the gigantic 16 GB game. I have to go get a large USB for this thing. A minor point, but I wish they had just removed all the bonus costumes entirely. Considering the atmosphere this game is trying to convey, the Nintendo-based costumes (and, really, lingerie) are silly and out of place.
The lack of user choice is a ****ing kicker.
I'll be trying the demo and decide from there.
The Zelda outfit looks ridiculously out of place. The Samus suit... I quite like.
Lingerie has its place, to be sure. That place is not on a video game avatar.
Censorship IS Censorship.
We should be getting ALL costumes but instead removing and replacing costumes gives us something different than what Japan received.
Why remove the costumes in the first place? Why not add new costumes and keep the old ones? Bayonetta on Wii U kept old costumes and added new Nintendo ones.
Why couldn't Fatal Frame V do the same?
Obviously its Nintendo being parents to adults buying an M rated game again and I"m getting sick of this.
RIP Xenoblade Chronicles X
RIP Bravely Second
RIP Fire Emblem Fates
they will all be censored probably by Nintendo.
Preorder cancelled.
If there's anything to be taken from the majority of comments here (and around) it is that it seems like Nintendo is being culturally sensitive here.
While I wouldn't care about ANY of the outfits (original skimpy OR new nintendo-themed) I think Nintendo is making the right call if only because a majority of its western audience thinks this is a better fit.
As for the rating.... er... I'unno
@Mr_Rawky exactly
All censorship is bad. No matter where you stand on the issue. Thumbs down. Way down!
I'm not sad about this at all. A good decision by Nintendo.
Sense im reading this on the internet with other people, Im just going to assume we have all already seen worse.
Okay i thought i read somewhere the Nintendo didn't censor EU but must of read that wrong oh well, I think the zelda costume looks stunning!
I don't care for costumes in games, but it always worries me when stuff like that gets left out. Nintendo was fine with this in Japan, so it's probably done to avoid controversy. I'm all for freedom of expression in all forms of media, art and whatnot, so in my opinion they should've left it in out of principle.
The funny part is, a few years ago we would be blasting the puritanical ESRB for refusing to allow even the tiniest bit of skin to show in video games, but today we are blasting video games for disrespecting women and showing so much skin.
What baffles me, on top of the obvious 18/M rating is the censorship is applied to the western copies. Yet Europe has completely different tolerances for this sort of thing compared with America . Why should Europe have to suffer because of NOA?
Personally I'm not bothered whether this sort of thing is included or not. It doesn't offend me nor is it something I seek. What I detest is the censorship when it isn't needed.
So taking out the adult stuff in a Mature game and replacing it with kid-friendly costumes?
Sounds like Nintendo of America, alright.
Bloody censorship, damn Obama lol
Are you sure they've been removed from the European version?
http://operationrainfall.com/2015/10/19/nintendo-has-personally-killed-the-fatal-frame-series-for-the-west/
https://twitter.com/dizzy_ziddy/status/656138371257929728
i don't get the mass hysteria over showing a little skin, I would easily want to run the game in a bikini, and why the hell would I not be allowed to do that? moral panic....
If its just a different skin I'm not really worried about it missing but if the lingerie outfit is part of the plot and its been removed I am not ok with that. They should have the lingerie skin as a free download so whoever wants it can and if not don't download it.
Don't care for either set of alternative outfit and won't be using any of them, but it's really dumb that they felt the need to do this in a game that is for adults only.
@Ralizah
Considering they picked up NoA's slack at the end of last gen (and I'm willing to bet they'll do the same again next year or the year after) by publishing The Last Story and Pandora's Tower, you should probably be supporting XSEED more. Nintendo doesn't give a crap about their fans in America. To them, we're just pigs in a pen which they harvest loads and loads of bacon from. They feed us in the beginning of a generation, but in the end we would be lucky to even get scraps; even moldy, decayed scraps.
Seems unnecessary, it's already rated M
Nintendo-Life, a UK based website, only looking at the American version again, or is it really this way in Europe as well? Seeing as from what I've read on other websites, this isn't the case.
lol WHY? This game is rated PEGI 18 anyway!
I'm still gonna get it anyways
It's not like much was lost
Roshi is not pleased.
@Angelic_Lapras_King Watch all the outfits stay in X. XD
@maukenboost Watch all the revealing outfits be replaced with Mario and Luigi cosplays. ;P
Since I live in NA, I'm going to make my language family-friendly so Nintendo can understand it:
Fudge you, Nintendo, for pulling such wantonly unnecessary censorship. Fudge you.
I don't have a problem with the oufits, I personally wouldn't use them though. I have a problem with content that is cut that others get. Sounds familiar, ah yes I remember, Fatal Frame getting physical copies in Japan and Europe, but not America. NoA is giving the shortest end of the stick with this cut content. Yeah I most likely wouldn't use it, but it would be nice to still be there. And is there something wrong with bathing suit-like attire in a game rated M/18? No, so there should be no reason for the content to be cut.
@Angelic_Lapras_King Oh dear no. Please not that.
The only "good" reason I can think for them doing this is that the main character is under 18 (is she? I need to check) and portraying her in highly suggestive, lingerie style clothing can be considered "sexualising if minor" to some so it could open an incredible large can of worms.
On the other hand, if this is related to NoA's supposed attempt to aim for a T-Rating then that just sucks; maybe we're lucky and I their Marketing building gets buttered sewage rebound that causes all their toilets to overflow into their offices and meeting rooms to make them realise that they have completely lost the plot when it comes to their more mature fans and niche products.
Still getting the game though; I'm not really one for playing games in out-of-place outfits. Then again, even lingerie is more believable than a freakin skin-tight space suit!
After the negative public flack that NoA received in the West for some aspects of Tomodachi life, and knowing that females now comprise a not-insignificant portion of Nintendo's fanbase, it doesn't surprise me that changes like these are made to appease the SJW rabble out west.
WTF...........
F**K this BS........
I reserved the game for these costumes.....
This is another small reason why the Wii U will be my last system and that my time with nintendo is coming to an end. Too much BS from the company that claims to be fun
I'm gutted... And so's my wife lol!
This is a classy decision which I aplaud. Those costumes were immature and kinda bothering me. The Zelda and Samus costumes are still ridiculous but I guess I'll have to deal with it. There are plenty of that kinda games if you're interested in polygon curves. They shouldn't ruin this kind of games with tacky filth.
@EllenJMiller Your defense is gonna be so low
I refuse to buy a game that has been censored in any way. So, I will not be getting this.
Totally disrespectful to cut content from the west/eu. Fair enough if it was removed from the Japanese version but to only remove it from certain parts of the world is out of order it's a 18 rated game so there's no need to censor it. It's bad enough that Americans have to download it fortunately I'm from the u.k. so I preorder a physical copy. I will be trying the demo first then if I don't like it will just keep the game sealed for collectible purposes.
@russellohh In Japan there is
Doesn't bother me at all. I would be annoyed if they had removed the japanese audio though.
It's simple... the majority of Nintendo products is purchased by children or their parents and not by "mature" dude bro's. If they spoil the family friendly image they are doomed.
I prefer the Nintendo costumes actually, but I think censorship for a game aimed at adults is unnecessary.
There's really no reason the extra costumes couldn't be unlockable by scanning Amiibo. With a place full of ghosts, I'd want to control Pac-man or Luigi instead.
Remember guys, there's nothing scarier than the female form. What a bunch of nonsense.
@amiiboacid fun fact! you can Google this, but Japan has the highest rate of virgins older than 30s, one of the lowest birth rates, and is the least.....fun adult times active race.......in human history. do games like this cause those, or are these games caused by the audience? I have my theories, but meh . Just thought i'd point it out!
I liked what someone said about having to reevaluate your life if you not going get a game because If something dumb like this. It's lame they are censoring it. Yes it is. But it even lamer that someone needs to see a virtual semi naked lady in order to enjoy a video game. Maybe you you stop playing video games in the first place and you might see a naked lady someday...
In no way is this going to stop me from getting the demo, then buying it when I find out I'll like it.
I'm not interested in pixilated TNA but censorship stinks.
I would have NEVER used those lingerie outfits; the Samus and Peach ones on the other hand...
Wow unnecessary censorship in a M rated game and digital only here, haven't been this disappointed in Nintendo in a while.
What the.... Why remove anything from this game? You think kids are going to be playing this? It's a horror game! This is quite literally the last kind of game I would expect KIDS to buy. (Not that they could buy it mind you.) God I'm F***ing sick of this censorship.
@russellohh The chicken or the egg.
Boo. Screw the man.
@amiiboacid the egg. Japan is literally the least sexed country in human history. You can google that, it is verifiably true. So instead, they get lingerie animu waifus.
I find it amazing that something as stupid as this, gets more comments, and attention than the review about the game.
@SamirMalik o.0 vulnerability is a huge part of horror. The best horror is all about empathy. Not saying this costume adds anything to this particular game. But... underwear is a horror trope, so its at least thematic... samus and zelda are not, Samus fought aliens, is a bounty hunter, is all about empowerment; completely at odds with a horror game. (This is why Resident Evil has failed in recent games).
@Donutman It depends on the reason. If someone values the principal of anti-censorship no matter the content, then I respect them for not compromising. I really doubt anyone in the states buying this would buy it just for the underwear costume. But I could see some not buying hoping a LOT of people refused to buy it as an anti-censorship protest.
Of course, those people assume NOA is intelligent, in reality what will happen if anything is NOA will just not bring over ANYTHING if it required censoring.
( And if for some far-fetched reason people just outright boycotted Nintendo until they brought games over to the US... NOJ would just shrug... and shut NOA down and not really care. Do remember Japanese companies don't really care about anything outside of Japan).
Why even have ratings?
It's kinda funny... Put a girl almost naked in a game and everyone will need to talk of sexism, wondering if the game is offensive towards women, remove those elements however and people will complain and want them back in because it's not a big deal. Nintendo had clearly such an easy decision to take here XD
Not that I even cared about the removed outfits, but it's just a silly decision to remove them. Nintendo seems to be forgetting that the target audience for this game is mature enough to not be bothered by a few skimpy outfits; the ESRB rating is already M, it's not like the outfits would bump it up to AO. It's not a big loss for me, but the fact that they are censoring something so insignificant is an acceptable cause for worry.
PRE ORDER CANCELLED!
Hmm they are optional and its already an 18 game so anyone who would be offended that their child is seeing a cartoon stomach is kinda hypocritical. Reminds me of the Tharja stuff from the FE:A DLC.
Pre-order cancelled
I'm sure this has something to do with their age, not because it's too lewd or something. This could be considered underage soft porn. (For us anyway)
Anyway, doesn't bother me much. At least we're getting something else in return. The ZSS one seems more lewd imo. XD
@bloodycelt Actually, I think the zero suit does make some sense to include as a bonus costume. Samus might be an empowered character, but the section in Zero Mission that introduces the zero suit is all about vulnerability and dis-empowerment.
i mean its kind of stupid in the sense that its already rated M, but besides that i don't really care, the Zelda and Samus costume are awesome
What? The Nintendo costumes are far tackier. Nintendo would have been smart to leave the lingerie as-is and include the Bayonettesque Nintendo costumes as amiibo unlockables.
The principle of censoring a mature game that is made for a mature audience is what is the problem. Replcing them by Zelda and Samus outfits that breaks more the immersion of the game is also another low blow. I'm sure this will affect the sales of the game even more and then no other Fatal Frame will come to the west because of lost of interest in the series. It was already bad that the game is digital only in NA. It's like they want to kill the series in the west so they need a reason for it to be less popular and not bring more of it.
Also the characters are not 12 or 14 years old in that game.
Dam if you do, dam if you don't, that is the way with social media and Nintendo "fans". At least this will only bug certain types of gamers (we know the types) who follows gaming news closely instead of the social media who don't even know what the game is about or how it plays.
I just hope other gamers will focus more on the overall gameplay instead of a minor look. It's just feel weird that something that is not a key selling point in the horror game is making an impact on people's decision, especially when the target audience are supposed to be mentally Mature and not only physically.
It's just the west is getting a minor version of the original game with contents missing. What people hate is not really that they can't see their characters bare skin it's the principle of a mature game made for 17+ and not for kids getting censored, also how would a parent buy that game for a kid when the game is Digital only in NA ? It's physical in europe but even it's just bad parentship if they buy a mature game for kids and they are more of a minority.
The Samus and Zelda outfits are just a little bandaid option to say we will get the same amount of content as Japan but with no bare skin showed, this also break the immersion more, even Ayane fit more in the game than Samus and Zelda.
I'm confused, wasn't there an actual water-based mechanic in this game (do more dmg, get more dmg - or something like it)?
Bathing suits would have made some sense then, no?
I think the right move would have been to not put it in, in the first place ... it's not like one act of hypocrisy can neutralize a previous one.
Removing content for no reason whatsoever is what I hate the most when it comes to localizing titles.
Granted, the lingerie outfits are just as unnecessary and out of place as the Samus and Zelda costumes, but just removing them is pretty pathetic.
@ultraraichu I don't think anyone would seriously pass on the game over costumes. If anything, people (including me) bemoan the arbitrary removal of content during localizations in general, which I see as a good reason to at least wait a bit with the purchase.
@ralizah Metroid is science fiction, Fatal Frame is a ghost story. Putting in random science fiction elements into a ghost story usually makes no sense especially as a random costume unlock.
Just stop for a moment and reflect... isolate the fan-boy emotions relating to Metroid... and imagine if this were a movie where samus randomly shows up out of nowhere with no explanation in a ghost story. Once you've done that... it sounds ridiculous right?
Now think about a ghost story where the leading lady ends up randomly just wearing her underwear... sure there's the fanservice alert going off, and it leaves a bad taste as bad writing... but I'm sure you've seen a movie that's done that.
Imagine if Sixth Sense ended with Samus just randomly opening the door and zapping Bruce Willis.
Um... I don't really expect Fatal Frame to be like DoA Beach Volleyball, so why should that matter (and never really cared for that kind of tradition of alternate costumes in survival horror and other games anyway, just think it's mildly amusing but little else).
lol, Nintendo trying to be the parents of adults once again, and yet they wonder why most people see the company as a joke in today's market. After not even having the confidence to release it physically in the states and now this I'm really having second thoughts on buying this for full price.
I'm fine with the lack of lingerie. Running through the woods in heals just doesn't make any sense, anyway.
In regards to this news, I have two... differing opinions on it; I believe that would be the right term for it.
On the one hand, I feel the Zero Suit Samus and Hyrule Warrior's Zelda costumes are much better. The Hyrule Warrior's Zelda has a wonderfully designed costume, and both costumes emphasise the recent connections between Koei Tecmo and Nintendo.
On the other hand, I'm disappointed this came at the cost of replacing something, and something that there was no need to replace. The lingerie outfits had little appeal to me, but I see no reason as to why they should be removed. Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water is already an M rated game, and with all the other aspects of the game, some scantily clad costumes seem very tame in comparison.
Any censorship of art is bad and should be forbidden. Just let stuff be the way the creator(s) wanted it to be.
I think this is simply adjusting to the values of the markets they wish to sell the game. If the costumes were in the game here in the west, that is all the gaming press would talk about. It would do little good publicity wise while greatly damaging Nintendo of America's family friendly image. It doesn't make sense to offer it.
@bloodycelt You realize these are bonus costumes that you unlock. As in you probably have to complete the game in their normal outfits. It is akin to unlocking the 1920's gangster outfit for Leon Kennedy or the Pop-Star outfit for the girl he is rescuing.
@BakaKnight Removing the costumes from the game doesn't make the game less sexist, the creators added them in the original, which reflects their sexism. NoA removes them reflecting their own variant of sexism.
The right thing would have been to not create the alternate costumes in the first place.
@Darknyht Yes, but we seem to have a horde of metroid fans who are offended that someone might suggest that the zero suit is not perfectly in theme with this game. And I've been letting myself get trapped in "Someone is wrong on the interent!"
Meanwhile Senran Kagura is totally OK in Nintendo eyes. Talk about their hypocrisy.
Another NOA stupid decision
This was the closest most of these guys were going to get to seeing a woman in her underwear. It's no wonder they're upset.
This mean the next Fire Emblem games will get censored not only in outfit but in personality and dialogue.
Here is my issue with this. It does not matter if the lingerie suits seems tacky or out of place. The issue is that NOA is censoring content for a game that is already rated M by the ESRB.
M ratings are the gaming equivalent of R ratings. In other words, you can expect M rated games to have very graphic Blood and Gore, nudity, sex scenes, and cursing. Other systems have this content all the time, some of it from the first-party developers themselves.
Sony of course had God of War which pretty much takes full advantage of the M rating, games like Witcher 3 and Dragon Age have sex scenes.
The issue I have is this. Nintendo is stepping in and deciding what kind of content players should have in their games. This is no different from them censoring blood in Mortal Kombat back in the 90s.
Only this time, its arguably worse, since this game is clearly aimed at an adult audience. As for the Nintendo is doing this to protect thier family values argument, I have a simple reponse. The game is rated "M" already. All Nintendo needs to do is point out that the game is intended for adult audiences and point to their family friendly franchises like Mario and Kirby for younger players.
Sony sells God of War alongside Little Big Planet and Ratchet and Clank, and people don't slam Sony if a kid plays God of War.
This just comes off as petty and pointless censorship. It does not matter if you think the costumes are out of place or tacky, the fact is, this is censorship and it has no place in 2015, especially if Nintendo is trying to sell their game to an adult audience. An audience that has far more mature content all the way up to sex scenes on games found on both the Playstation and Xbox.
Disappointed to see this many of the site users claiming that removing the option to strip the female protagonists is an act of censoring the game's maturity.
Yes eroticism and nudity have a place in horror - but this is just an optional 'add-on' that acts as a reward - not a component of its narrative or aesthetic. I find a great deal of 'gaming / geek culture' frankly embarrassing and appreciate Nintendo having the good sense to avoid this.
This is going to be an unpopular opinion but I find most JRPGs almost unbearable due to their desire to so consistently oversexualise tween girls in revealing outfits. This isn't done for any reason I can see of being of artistic merit - it just undermines a game that I otherwise have a great respect for (Fire Emblem being a good example of this).
I don't want to feel like a creep when I play a game. And being told that I can remove the girl's clothes as a reward is going to do exactly that.
This isn't censorship - it's not lowering the game's maturity. It's showing a modicum of cultural awareness.
I know loads of you disagree but there must be a fair few that agree surely?
But it's rated 18, though....
I'm assuming this was to please the feminists?
"Let us know which one you'd prefer a family member to see you playing when they accidentally walk into your room."
Had to go back here, does the author live with his mom and get all shy about liking girls here? What about this would be embarrassing to anyone but a teenage boy insecure in his feelings?
Chicks being hunted in their underwear is classic horror. I'll try the game regardless, but my goal this Halloween is finally beating Super Ghouls N Ghosts. Which, I'm straight, but Im about to see a pixel dude in his boxers a lot. Not bothered, but that game makes you feel VERY vulnerable in your underwear.
A perfect example of why I think this use of nudity is not analogous to horror is the example of 'It Follows'.
There's a film that is dripping in scares and sexuality - with plenty of scenes where its young protagonists are depicted either nude or in underwear.
These scenes have CONTEXT however. There is not a button on your remote that allows you to strip off the characters at your pleasure. These characters are in vulnerable (often sexually explicit) scenarios for a reason that feeds into the drama.
Nudity does not equate to maturity.
Apologies for posting a couple of times. I really do hate censorship but this is a publisher deciding on how they want to market their own game. I constantly find myself bothered by this sort of stuff in games. Maybe many of you would accuse me of being a SJW or feminist appeaser.
I have no problem with sex and maturity in games but so often it seems that these equate to infantile fetishim that just make me roll my eyes.
@Darknyht That's assuming the gaming press talks about it at all, of course.
The lingerie outfits could be defended from an aesthetically gothic perspective, but the Nintendo ones feel both out of place and kind of insulting to Nintendo fans: here, here are the characters you like!
I can't be too bothered either way, really. I wasn't going to get the game, and anything on this wasn't going to change my mind.
@SamirMalik Plus the Zero Suit has already appeared in the series before. It was an unlockable in the Japanese version of Fatal Frame IV.
Is being caught in a ghost story while cosplaying more weird than while in nothing but your naughtiest skivvies?
@Kogorn733 @LaVelle @NintendoFan990 I hope social justice doesn't wind up being used as a straw person here. This is very consistent behaviour from Nintendo of America going back quite some time. I think they're squeamish about their family-friendly image and sometimes freak out about it. Other times (Bayonetta, Senran Kagura) they seem to shrug.
The fact is it will hurt the sales of the game even more, it took 10 years to bring that series back in the west and we get this.
It's like they are trying really hard to make this game not successful in the west so they never localize another one again.
First the game barely got any marketing in the west since the Treehouse at E3 2015, then NA get digital only. Now they remove mature content in a 17+ Mature game, meanwhile games like Senra Kagura on 3DS is alright in their eyes. Then trying to bandaid the removal of those outfit they add Samus and Zelda outfits so we get the same amount of content. Just get the lingerie outfits as DLC and I'm sure it will sell, this seems the only option left to get that content now.
@bloodycelt
You made the point that Samus is an empowered character, which is contrary to the emotions evoked by horror games, and I made the counter-point that the zero suit is representative of her vulnerability. I'm not arguing that it makes more sense to include Metroid-universe elements than it does lingerie. I'm saying that it fits with the theme of vulnerability and disempowerment.
And honestly, it doesn't make any sense for the main character to walk around a mountain in lingerie to begin with. That's why it was a bonus costume, and not one of the default options for the game. It was a silly extra bit of fanservice to mess around with after you've already had the core experience. In that respect, I see nothing wrong with Nintendo outfits showing up. They're simply other silly bonus things to mess around with. What I don't appreciate is them being used as a form of censorship.
I like the Nintendo-themed outfits better.
Nintendo outfits should of been extra content and not just a replacement of censorship.
@bloodycelt Samus has dealt with ghosts in Prime, remember? And the opening of Echoes strongly convey's horror. Nothing new for metroid.
Also this is Japanese horror. Not Western horror.
While worthwhile replacements were included (wonder how the Japanese fans are taking that news), it is a groaner that Ninty removed skimpy outfits from an M-rated game. I mean, if Onechanbara Z2 Chaos is allowed to exist, then... But, I have seen it argued that knowledge of these costumes existing in our copies could mar people's image of Fatal Frame as something to take seriously, but then, doesn't news of their removal only serve to highlight that concern?
Good. I don't understand why some people wanted this. I feel this is wrong and disgusting. The fact that people like this makes me scared, and very creep ed out. Sorry for the rant, but I still feel sick after watching that video.
So suicide and ghosts and murder and violence and whatnot are ok, but when it comes to skimpy outfits, that's a "no"? Seriously? Right. This is plain ridiculous. What next? Remove Samus boobs because they might be viewed as arousing or sexist?
@Kaze_Memaryu Fair enough, that makes more sense, and also less pervy
Personally I don't mind if something minor like looks is replaced with something else but if a character(s) and/or stage(s) was removed or the story been altered greatly, that's where I mind.
"is out this week" ... in North America.
To Damien McFerran and anyone else who doesn't get it: it isn't about wanting or needing to have buttcrack and lingerie in this game. It is about censorship. It is about Nintendo publishing a "Mature" game and then deciding its audience is not mature enough to handle sexuality in gaming. It is about a lack of options for the consumer thanks to region lock. It is about deciding, on your own, as a consenting adult, what content you are comfortable with in video games.
I encourage anyone who is interested in this game to play whatever free demo Nintendo provides, and then, when it is time to pay for more, go straight to PSN on your PS3/Vita/whatever and purchase Fatal Frame games there.
End censorship in gaming. End regional differences. End region locking.
I'll just say this, only because Nintendo (of America) removed the lingerie outfits do I even know now that they were in the game in the first place.
If you guys are upset over this, maybe you should stop watching your Japanese pornos. It's not like there's dozens of other better costume you can use.
@bloodycelt Japanese markets are different from westerns ones and sometimes it's unpredictable what's gonna make a news. I put it a bit on a joking side, but my point was that maybe Nintendo was trying to avoid an unwanted advertisment (not everyone believes that all advertisment is good advertisment afterall). Anyway if I'm right they failed anyway, removing the costumes caused maybe more uproar than keeping them XD
i am disappointed. Besides, isn't one of the heroines a gravure model? If so, the outfit is fitting.
...People are making a big stink out of this? Meh. If it's DLC for the west and if I get bored I'll indulge, but other than that it's not a deal breaker for me. I'm still getting it.
Couldn't care less. I just want a good game.
Well this is quite annoying, though predictable. Three things which really irritate me are content being available to certain regions only, unnecessary censorship and the creators being forced to change their vision.
I would be ok with it if it was due to trying to lower the age rating or trying to appeal to a younger audience. However, it's rated 18, so there should be no reason why they can't have lingerie in the game.
This probably won't cause me to cancel my preorder, but I'll sleep on it and then think tomorrow whether I still want this game.
The point is not people would miss those costume but that they are censoring a game made for a 17+ audience, meanwhile they approve everything about Senran Kagura and Bayonetta both having the same Mature rating.
I don't see why they felt it necessary to go in and replace some swimsuits that you can only use after beating the game multiple times when it wouldn't even be considered problematic in a T rated game. Freaking NISA of all companies had a bunny girl outfit as a preorder bonus for Disgaea 5!
Rate M Game. TAKE OUT THE T&A AND ADD AMIIBO SUPPORT.
@Savino Not the only thing changed. Film grain effect is gone, some lines are changed and/or removed entirely, and one of the scenes (flashback of a 30 year old woman doing a swimsuit shoot on a beach) was edited.
If this was a T rated game with characters being 14 and 15 years old I would understand. But it's an M rated game with Mature grown up characters, this is why there's an uproar. It's not because people want the pervy outfits it's just the censorship was not needed for the audience this game is aimed at.
@FierceRagnar "...there's a different place for it (take note, Intelligent Systems)."
^This.
So they also removed part of the story and edited it with censorship ? It's even worst than just removing optional outfits.
look ,,is there REALLY anybody who cares''-guys whose questions could easily be answered if they would read the comments (wich they don't): i know i am in the loosing team and absolutely in the minority, but i would have loved to have these costumes. can't lie about that.
I think the character costumes look better personally but I don't like the censoring of costumes in games. The game is already rated M and if it was in the original there is no reason it shouldn't be here.
@Technosphile Preach.
Ummmmm, it's a hard call! Samus or skimpy.
Regardless of your feelings on it, at the end of the day it IS a form of censorship and Nintendo is once again patronising their audience. Nintendo allowed this content in the Japanese territory but thinks us Westerners should be shielded from it, and if that doesn't annoy you at all, then I don't know what to say.
And to Damien, the outfits are an option, dude. It's entirely up to the player (and their own common sense) which outfit they choose to use in the public setting they're in.
I know, I know, its pointless critquing games journalists at this point, even they know games journalism is not to be taken seriously.
Just want to add that the Samus/Zelda costumes look like garbage. Terribly out of place - moreso even than the removed content - and really, really silly.
The embarrassing part of this whole situation is that the racy costumes exist at all. It's not necessary content. It doesn't add value. If the sexist costumes weren't in the game to begin with then there would be no controversy.
Localization always involves hard choices, as changes are made so that games become more appealing to the target market, It's a shame that Nintendo of America in particular feels so comfortable removing content from a game that is already restricted to adults though.
If Nintendo gets smart it will finally stop this localization nonsense.
Just keep the lingerie for the ones who like it. Walk into a mall and you will see the same outfits hanging.
Another stupid localization thing is the voice track for XCX, just keep it Japanese and add subtitles.
Hopefully Europe will still do this...
So that is what some were saying on the last post. Not a problem for me kinda awkward to have them dressed like that the whole game
Of course they censor it. BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY EXTREME FEMINISTS IN THE WESTERN WORLD WHO JUST SEARCH FOR A REASON TO HATE! This will again cause an unreasonable scandal and everyone starts to cry. That's how it would be. Of course more content is better, but lets get real: Does this affect anything of the actual game? No. It's not like you have cool features only with lingerie except for maybe getting a boner (which is not the purpose of the game & if you're actually 18+, you shouldn't in my opinion actually need something like this because there are countless other ways.).
So, let's be real: Yes it's content that was cut out of the game, but in the end, it doesn't affect this game and since there are so many feminists / moralizers they don't want to get hated by them.
@geheimxy I'm pretty sure it's because there's "feminists" or whatever in the localization team. Tecmo should've just done the translation themselves and spared everyone this fiasco.
This seems that not only costumes got removed but part of the story got edited or removed completely with this censorship.
I want what everyone else gets, even if i dont use it. Though this does seem pretty pointless in this game, the fact remains it should be our choice specially being rated the way it is ~
If only Nintendo could drop there stereotyped "lol nintendu iz only for kidz" look....oh well.
Time to spam the Miiverse for them to fix this. Costumes be damned, I want the film grain effect back!
I would question why we need characters in lingerie in a vidoe game, but I would question even more why and who thinks it needs to be removed from my version.
I say my version, if I was going to buy it which I'm not because the review did not inspire my enough.
Yet we in NA get the boot, not only do we not get a disc version, we also not get one with a hot costume.
Quite honestly, having any of the playable characters in the game (of either gender) run around in their skivvies in environments like that makes no sense. As someone mentioned above, boycotting the game over something as silly as this is absurd.
Some people said that not only lingerie got removed from the game. What is supposed to be removed or edited: Film Grain, Boobs jiggle physics, part of the story removed completely or edited, dialogue removed/edited, flashback of a 30 years old doing a bikini shoot edited.
I wonder if Ayane will even be in the game now.
1) Why the hell was there underwear in a horror game in the first place?
2) Why is the western world still run by puritans?
I wish Nintendo realized not all of us are 12 year old girls. This change is absurd and one of the many reasons Nintendo remains nostalgic for many gamers, but not a company they currently game with.
Meh, it always bugs me when stuff gets edited/ censored from the original Japanese version. Regardless what it is. But I guess this won't matter cause I was never really looking forward to this game at all.
Welp I'm still buying it. I won't be using any of the alternate costumes anyway. I don't see why so many people are trying to make the slippery slope argument about this.
Just when I thought Nintendo was beginning to respect its customers...
NOA is run by chimps. If they sell a game like Senran Kagura on the 3DS, it makes literally no sense not to include these costumes in Fatal Frame.
If it's a problem with age, they could have just rewritten them to be 18 or older. They've done this in the past after all.
@ColdingLight My thoughts exactly
@kensredemption So by your logic, if I acknowledge the Sony or Playstation brand at all, am I immediately a Sony Pony?
Do you not believe in being a fan of multiple systems and games?
I don't think either the lingerie or Nintendo costumes belong in the game.
And one more thing - sorry about all these posts but I must say this.
This article should really be labelled as an opinion piece, not a news article. Damien McFerran clearly wrote this with a one-sided mindset.
Eh. Lingerie in a horror game is dumb anyway, and the Nintendo costumes are still out of place, but slightly less so, It's not censorship if they're changing to fit the target audience; that's just localization. It's censorship if they remove or warp content to the point of it not being recognizable. Covering up slightly more skin isn't bad, and often improves the design of characters (see Bravely Default), so calm down on the "un-censored content or no content" front, okay?
@AlanJones84 Fantastic album.
Good, all the power to you nintendo.
Flame bate article by Nintendo Life, why am i not surprised. Thie is exactly why I stoped following this website. News articles should be opinion free. If the author wanted to express his opinion write a fricking editorial. The way you worded this encourages heated opinions such as in this comment section.
The content is irrelevant, removing things like this for western releases is an outdated concept that needs to go. I appreciate the additions but this is insulting.
This game is rated m so there is no defending this to me. But it is free to start so whatever. If they are going to bring something from Japan they might as well keep it as is. Japan being creepy is nothing new. But I suppose NOA censoring things is nothing new. No one cares anymore. If they did, they could easily get Nintendo for letting both senran kagura games for coming here. Even though they didn't make them. But again whatever.
How the hell can a group of horny idiots be so upset over a small costume that is purely cosmetic and totally out of place costume is beyond me. I don't get how so many of them also pull the "but mah censorship" card because most games are censored in some shape or form to begin with, even some rated M games (just look at the Vita). This is probably going to be the last Fatal Frame game to come to the West too because people not buying it for petty crap like this.
Of course I'm still buying it.
With that said, NoA needs to get off this censoring crap. The game is rated M. What do you accomplish by censoring this out? Aside from pissing people off?
I amazed at the childish reactions to those costumes being inappropriate. You do realize that this games is a horror game at least I hope. Horror games are an evolution of films which at least in the orgin were films that would discuss topics that the weak minded couldn't bear to discuss like social rights, abortion, violence against women, abortion and the acceptane of gore and the absurd notion that the human body is smut.
Here we are in 2015 with people being offended by an optional costume in an M rated game that features scenes with characters slicing their throats, etc but some lingere is not appropriate. The violence is perfectly acceptable. No wonder the world is so messed up.
******* idiots. It's not a deal breaker for me, I actually like the western costumes better. But to be so ignorant about something like that?
Why are you not complaining about the whole game in general? Do you think that sex is worse than violence? Are you one that has to use violence to get aroused for sex? Violence does not continue the human race, it helps destroy it.
This game covers not dark stuff, real stuff like suicide and emontions and human relations.
You idiots are still stuck on stuff that was being shown so foolish in horror films from the 70's.
The real problem isn't that they are cutting that from the western version, instead is, why do japanese people want to play a horror game in a bikini?
Those guys need to get laid.
I have the solution for the angry western audience:
1) Go watch some porn on your computer...
2) Service yourself...
3) come back and play your horror game
4) Repeat as needed
You are welcome.
@Al_Godoy
It's not about porn simple minded tool.
As noted above, censorship these days is ridiculous unlike other decades when there was no age classification. Blood and weapons are normal from a Western perspective, but only appears lingerie (and not say naked) and lose their heads. Zelda and Samus costumes are interesting, but they are also out of step with the plot
Lol: Western people can't handle lingerie.
@sillygostly i dont think nintendo made that decision seriously i think parents saw this and started complaining about but nintendo didnt censor bayonetta 2,hyrule warriors cia chest reveal or the senran kagura 3ds games with the all female ninjas in it and also on ninja gaiden 3 razors edge where ayane getting a back rubbed as well
Ayane is actually in this game too. I don't know if they changed anything about her.
@SetupDisk I am very simple minded, but I have to agree with NoA's decision. I think we don't need women in bikini in a horror game. It is just not important. And Japan has a very misogynist culture. The objectification of women is a real problem, and women are fighting hard to gain respect for their bodies.
I ask you. What do you obtain as a player within the context of this game and its story, when you play in a tiny bikini? Absolutely nothing.
I am against censorship, and I think the problem is the bikini content in the first place, I believe it is unnecessary and promotes an oppressive stereotype about women's bodies.
@russellohh That's just a recent phenomenon of the younger Japanese. Japan's population is greater than that of the entire United States, yet they occupy a landmass less than half the size of California. They didn't reach those numbers through abstinence.
Woah, this topic really exploded. High post and click count, NintumblrLife is happy. Posting more examples of overly conservative Western reactionary measures (except when it comes to guns and violence) as news never fails to roll in mass commentary.
I've seen more rique stuff in TEEN rated games.
Lord of magna is TEEN rated game WITH NUDITY (rear ends)
@PlywoodStick Japans population is nearly 3 times less than the US. The US is the only 1st world country whose population is increasing at a substantial rate. 126 million Japanese, over 318 million in the USA.
I don't know about the accuracy of your California statement, but I do now Japan is 4% the size of the USA and that only about 16% of this land is arable.
@Samurairu WOOPS! You're right about the population number, I think I was thinking about something else... Sorry about that. The landmass size is true, though. It's a good thing the younger generations are letting the population shrink, they can't sustain so many people in such a small space forever.
Arable land around the world is rapidly shrinking, due to industrial development, environmental poisoning, bad farming practices, and soil erosion. I'd be surprised if Japan even has 16% arable land left at this point. California probably doesn't either, with all the environmental destruction going on there right now.
@Samurairu Never mind, my brain is out to lunch. (Or dinner at this time...). Japan is almost as big as California, all told, almost 378 sq km for Japan vs almost 424 sq km for California. I think I was remembering a not drawn to scale world map... Still way too many people crammed into such a small area, though.
@NintendoFan4Lyf
I think that might be for downloading for access to the full game.The free to play games on the eshop work that way and since there is a free demo they might try pushing it that way.
@LaVelle It really all depends on who the lead character designer for the game is. If they're a man, skimpier people are more likely. If they're a woman, they're much more likely to aim towards the sensibilities of those who have a greater understanding of the messages being conveyed through clothing. (Or lack thereof.). In other words... You pretty much need to have some women in charge to provide any expectation of moderation in character design.
Just compare the differences between woman designed characters (such as those by Rieko Kodama in the Phantasy Star series) and male designed characters from countless games, especially RPG's, as you mentioned. Alys from PS4 is the perfect example of this: a female warrior who actually wears pants, and is a motherly "tough love" mentoring type who acts in context with the series design.
@PlywoodStick No worries, we all make mistakes and that's the best way to learn. Have you been to Japan? I actually would think Japan's arable land 'may' be increasing. No basis for this claim, only a feeling as the population shrinks. They continue to reclaim land from the ocean and effectively keep their land very clean. Japan is the cleanest place I've been to. I'm Canadian and we produce more garbage per capita than most of if not all of the world. We continue to dump raw sewage into the oceans and have a clean image only because of the mass amount of free space we have. Perception and facts are often two very different things.
In Japan, you can safely eat fish right out of Tokyo harbour and it's good. It wasn't always like that, but they've really turned their environment around in a few decades out of necessity due to lack of land and population density. Whereas countries like Canada continue to build up filth and destroy their environment on a much, much larger scale than even the media juggernaut of the Fukushima incident.
Sorry for going on about this off topic.
I personally do not care about the censorship in terms of what the game will lack, but I don't support Nintendo's actions in terms of taking away the consumers ability to choose. I'm not a child and no child should be buying an M rated game. Adults should be able to decide for themselves. It would be nice if Nintendo would stop holding the hands of their customers outside of Japan. Here's to hoping for the resurrection of region free with the NX.
@Samurairu I understand what you mean, one can't drive (or sometimes even walk) 100 meters around where I live without seeing trash on the ground. The Japanese population definitely has more overall sensitivity to environmental responsibilities (like promoting conditions for high quality food) than the USA does; I can't speak for Canada, though.
I haven't been to Japan before, but I have attended a couple meetings and read a couple books where Japanese have come over here or described their situation to report the state of things on their lands. Making efficient and low maintenance, low erosion use of rice paddies is one of their greater concerns.
Surprising considering we get all the Dead or Alive 5 DLC.....
@Al_Godoy
Maybe but people calling sexuality smut in NA has lead to women who enjoy sex and/or are proud of their bodies being labeled as sluts which is nonsense.
If you see someone at the beach wearing an outfit you deem too revealing do you tell them to cover up or degrade them?
Do you think everyone that is attracted to women will only see that person as a sexual object? Maybe they will if all they ever hear is the villainy of sex they might.
What do you gain by taking it out of the game? If people were going to be using it as porn in NA at least you need a Wii U and a broadband connection. They have access to the almost limitless amount of porn on the internet right now.
I am sorry about being so rude in my last post but I just can't get over how someone can be worried about lingerie in a violent M game. If the player can use that as rational for treating women as sexual objects they are not mature enough for the rest of the content as well.
I actually prefer the NA costumes but sex has always been a part of horror. Before horror movies, before Hollywood. The wolfman represents rape, Dracula seduction surpassing rational thought and Frankenstein masturbation/the creation of life without an other or God. True horror is about primal human fears(not just sex of course but it is a big part), which need not language. A lot of which is pretty terrible. That's what makes it horror.
If the lack of those costumes is the main reason why anyone initially interested in the game would now not get it, then they've got bigger problems than Nintendo does.
With all the places I've been, seeing so many whining and crying over this, I'm glad Nintendo did what they did. These regions aren't ready for it. They need to grow up first.
Meh... costumes aren't the reason for getting this game. Will probably dip into it when I get some dosh for it.
I don't personally care about the lingerie but why on earth remove it on an M rated game? This isn't for kids and it's not like we don't already get senra kagura, dead or alive volleyball, and rumble roses here in the west? It just seems a bit silly to remove underwear from an already rated M game here.
INB4 we get an update or a DLC to bring back those outfits after a week and their sales increases.
@AlanJones84 Going to have to go listen to that album now. Joy of joys, I just got it on vinyl.
I'm betting they just repointed the alternate costumes to the new ones. They will still be in the game data but locked away.
@Discostew
Are you actually paying attention to the complaints? If you were you'd see most of the "whining" as you put is over the pointless removal (which even NOA admits is silly) and Nintendo's apparent need to helicopter parent their adult audience.
A lot of people feel pretty strongly about censorship when it comes to localizations (and in general), particularly the niche crowd, which is the main target of a series like this.
I seriously doubt many people are pissed because they can't get their jollies from a bonus costume, especially with this being a horror game.
@Godhard Exactly.
@Damo You always have the best articles.
@MarvinTheMartian I don't think you're correct. I don't know the specifics of your laws but I know that these girls are under 18, and I know in the US of A that's perfectly acceptable since they're not real, but in Canada, Australia, and the UK it's illegal to have sexually explicit image of virtually underage girls. If they removed the ages it'd be fine, but legally speaking I'd say the ole US is more lenient to this sort of thing.
Recent reactions to 3DS games may help to explain Nintendos decision: "Nintendo not allowing non-straight romantic relationships in Tomodachi Life"
Senren Kagura Burst "insulting to the intelligence of gamers, damaging to the reputation of the industry, and alienating and harmful to women."
"A New Degree of Homophobia in Fire Emblem Fates"
People are moaning that it's censorship but I think its less a case of Nintendo being against revealing outfits on characters in M-rated games and more against something that is tacky and frankly embarrassing. Anyone who objects to this needs to post a youtube video of them exploring a haunted house at night while wearing only their underwear and then I will take their whining seriously. Until then, you're a joke
Anyone who might think that Nintendo's actually dodged a bullet from the blowback this would have caused has, frankly, completely lost their grasp on reality. AAA game-of-the-years have been showing legitimate, well-rendered, fully-topless scenes of implied or explicit sex at least since the first God of War on the PS2, at the same age rating this game is getting (the PS3 rerelease of said game even gave it a trophy, heck yeah!). This is just a couple of bikinis; absolutely nobody of any consequence would have cared.
I do agree, though, that shoehorning revealing costumes into games is a worrying trend in video games, that this game highlights in a bit of a tacky way (well-designed though the actual swimsuits may be). It's worrying not because of morality, of course, or because it threatens to stunt our young, virile population's social development (LOL), but because sexualized content tends to push whatever nuance and depth a game has to the back, turning it into a quest for skin. It blanches the game as an emotional and artistic medium.
However, censorship never the right call, even if the censored content is tacky. Censorship is not the answer. Full stop. Two wrongs don't make a right. Taking blanched vegetables out of a dish is still removing from a dish, not adding to it, and it does nothing to teach the cook good taste.
This should've been handled better.
The amount of white knighting and using the "censorshop" card is getting rather old. This happens to almost EVERY video game people. Whether it be minor details in wording to removing a costume that is rather revealing, this stuff happens for a large majority of games. And you know what? I'm glad they do this. Society is going down the tubes with the acceptance of more sexuality and more violence. And frankly, it's beyond disturbing. Nintendo is one of the very few who actually create games for everyone now and do their best to remain tasteful in regards to what is censored and what isn't. Even when they only publish games, I'm glad they have the ability to remove crap that doesn't need to belong there or seems inappropraitate, not only for the game but the tone of the game. Nintendo is essentially the last bastion of good and decency in the video game industry, at least in my eyes. The more we can push away from violence and sex, the better.
@Syrek "White Knighting" is the practice of coming to the aid of damsels in distress, needlessly protecting the perceived honor and decency of the weak and fairer sex. In the context of this thread, it's actually the pro-censorship side who's being the white knights.
Your exasperation that the cliched arguments of this thread are wearing thin is undermined by the hypocrisy of you yourself blindly slinging around perjorative labels without even stopping to apply them properly.
Well this hasn't changed my mind about buying the game as I want to play it and have a weakness for steelbooks!
However I do think its dumb to take this out in a game who's graphic story and depiction of ghosts, horror and serial suicide is far far worse than a couple of bikini tops.
Honestly are they rally trying to shield 18year old eyes from a bikini but let them watch suicide and throat cuttings instead?! Ethical approach is backwards there!
Its so unnecessary and quite annoying that they took it out. What's worse for me is the story cut scene they also censored too...add ons are one thing to remove but story?! ts ridiculous when you put it next to that boss lady from devils third for example
So again, in terms of buying and playing the game itself i couldn't give a monkeys, but I just hate the PRINCIPLE that they did it. I'm not theirs to protect from the evil of bikinis!
On top of a year delay and a non physical release in america the big n do seem to do everything they can to niggle at their audience and limit their demographic
It also begs the question, what would Nintendo do if the devs of the witcher or something like that turned around and wanted it ported to Wii u...what would they do then? Remove certain scenes or make them put clothes on?
"That's right - we've been cruelly denied the chance to gaze at a fictional lady in her underpinnings. Gnash those teeth and grab those pitchforks."
I mean, say what you want, but It's just kind of pathetic really that Western boards think they have to censor this kind of stuff in M-rated games.
@SanderEvers Says who? They're referring to both the North American and European versions.
That was just evil for the localisation team to take out those sexy lingerie outfits. A more acceptable course of action would have been to have both the lingerie and the zelda and zero suit outfits in the western release.
@PlywoodStick Their population is significantly less than that of the US, but you are correct about the cali part. And its def a recent phenomenon- i blame the vidya games and the animus!
Is there a mandate that Zelda characters/costumes have to be included in all Nintendo published games nowadays?
I really don't like the censorship at all. Of course I wouldn't buy a game for its erotic nuances when that is not the point of the game. I just hate content related to anything sexual being so under represented in an otherwise so fluent art form.
I heard that the main character is 17 which is below the age of consent in America so it makes sense for them to remove a skimpy outfit which hyper-sexualises what is considered a minor in the US.
In Japan however the age of consent is 13 and in Europe its 16 so naturally it's considered okay to keep them in these versions.
@Peterjr1 Actually, Canada it is 16 and the US.... it is technically 12 however, there are no restrictions once you hit 18. If you are below, you can possibly be prosecuted is things end up going badly for you in certain circumstances.
Funny fact, my father in law was living in England years ago and was giving an invitation at church for those in attendance to come to a service project. Well he told the women they could wear pants. Apparently in England "pants" means women's lingerie whereas "trousers" would have been the word of choice.
I don't see why any content should be cut out considering it's rated and adult game?
@PlywoodStick Xenoblade wasn't localized by Treehouse, that's where changes like removing costumes are made. I'm betting they'll make changes to X.
@Chaoz I agree with this.
All of them hurt the immersion, so.. what ever.
Also: Zero Suit is ten thousand times sexier than lingerie, or is this just me?
Do I personally care or think it'll affect anybody's enjoyment of the game in anyway way? No. I'd have still left them in though, on the grounds that it's an 18/Mature rated game anyways.....they shouldn't censor stuff intended for adults, it just looks dumb.
@Peterjr1 Bruh. In America it doesn't matter if they're a minor as long as they're not real girls.(In other words it's legal because it's a video game) In the UK it's illegal if the girls are minor but I'm not sure what age they have to be. I think I'll Yahoo search it...Also I thought one of them was 15 but I don't know that for sure.
Edit: I researched it more and found that the UK and US have basically the same law. Child porn is anything under the age of 18, however virtual child porn is legal so long as it isn't "obscene". It's completely illegal in Australia(not just for under 18, but small chests even), and I still have to look it up for Canada, but I know Australia gets the UK version if they get anything...which they might not. Australia is a prude nation, at least as far as laws go.
EDIT: This would also be legal in Canada since it doesn't show anything explicit. In other words there is zero legal reason for the North American version to be censored, but there is light cause to censor the Euro/Australian one.
@MarinoKadame Senran Kagura Burst is rated T for Teen.
@Fee Still they are able to show bikini in a Teen rated game, while here we got an M rated game that censor bikini.
@Geonjaha
Its not the ratings boards that made them do this, they simply rate it, and discuss what can be done if you want to change the rating. Beyond that its the developer's choice wether or not to change or censor things.
That little bit of insight came straight from XSEED, who are decidedly anti-censorship if you haven't heard yet.
As much as I REALLY wanted this game, I sadly can't buy it anymore. I can not and WILL not support censorship. So this is pretty sad news for me.
@Syrek Then play games that don't have sex and violence if you don't want that. Don't temper with other products
Your shoving down what YOU think is ethical down everyone's throats and saying its okay to force people to think the way you do. Which is not okay.
You don't like sex and violence? Cool. But the rest of us don't need to follow your stupid moral code on fiction.
@Al_Godoy Whether or not you find a swimsuit important is not relevant, censorship is never okay and takes away creative freedom.
Objectification of women is not an "issue", its a made of coined term to control people to stop what they don't like. Everything is okay in fiction. Because ITS NOT REAL. Sexualization of a fictional woman does not hurt real women in any way and does not represent women. Stop thinking every woman in fiction represents the entirety of women. Its ridiculous.
>I ask you. What do you obtain as a player within the context of this game and its story, when you play in a tiny bikini? Absolutely nothing.
That is not relevant, the point is it was in the original game. So we too should be allowed to have it. "You don't NEED that" that the biggest destruction argument to western civilization. It only puts us under control.
Yeah this is censorship. Probably not helping Nintendo in Western Markets, stuff like this only reinforces the idea that Nintendo is only for kids. The Wii U has parental controls and Fatal Frame V is M in any case so stuff like this is annoying and stupid.
Protect the children's innocent eyes from the human form while handing them a game about horror, fear and the supernatural occult! Makes perfect sense!
I think the T&A trumps the Nintendo nostalgia on this one. The Zelda and Samus outfits look totally, completely out of place in this universe. The lingerie less so, given how many hollywood horror movies have people running around in stupid skimpy ripped clothes.
As a gay gamer, I find the idea of censorship in gaming to be totally wrong. I am not sure why Nintendo Life is celebrating this move. We all know who we have to thank for this kind of rubbish happening in games, and her name is Anita Sarkeesian. Considering this game is rated M, there's no reason for it to be censored, AT ALL.
Censorship is censorship. People should have the option to choose what they want to see and not without "big brother" deciding what's appropriate for them or their family. It's not about wanting to see digital titties, it's about the integrity of a work of art being kept intact and not tarnished by the ideals of someone other than its original author(s).
Imagine if we started censoring famous paintings or statues to cover up nudity or suggestive poses. People would be up in arms and it would never be allowed to stand. Why shouldn't it be the same with video games?
@pandoradelphy I'm not a woman, nor a conservatist but I believe in equality between sexes and genders. Any decision that is to reduce the objectifying of women is a good decision in my opinion. You don't see male characters getting the same treatment in video games afterall.
Plus what value would the lingerie outfits had brought to the game? Would they have served the plot of the game? Had they not been in the Japanese version, would they have changed the gameplay crucially? I don't think they would have. The only reason they were added was to please a certain portion of the fan base and to attract certain people to the game. They are still things that the game can do without.
To me it's not a question about morals or decency. It's about the equal treatment of women, men, and those representing the other genders in video games and media as a whole. It's about the fact that nobody should be treated differently based on qualities they were given in birth and could not choose themself.
@pandoradelphy I don't have a problem with people who see the human body as a thing of beauty or a work of art. Please don't try to intentionally get me wrong.
The skimpy lingerie outfits in Fatal Frame's Japanese version are objectifying for women because they are unlockable rewards for the player for achieving a thing. You don't get to see Daniel Craig as James Bond in only trunks because you did something - apart from buying a movie ticket, dvd, blu-ray disc, etc of course. It's not a reward, it's a natural part of the movie. It's the reward aspect that is the biggest problem.
Had the lingerie thing been essential to the plot, or just depicted as a natural thing in the game without coming off as a way to get certain people play the game, it would have been more alright. It would have not been a reward.
What I was getting at is that you don't see male characters in video games getting the same kind of treatment. You don't get to play as Link in briefs for beating Twilight Princess in a certain amount of time. You don't unlock a nearly-naked outfit for Nathan Drake in any of the Uncharted games when you beat the game. There's way more games out there where you are rewarded with a skimpy outfit for a female character for doing something than there are games where you are rewarded with the same thing for a male character. Thus women in little clothing are being seen as rewards whereas men are not. That's objectifying and a case of inequality between sexes.
Some games do it right though. Take Xenoblade Chronicles for an example: the game features outfits/armor for characters of both sexes that reveal a lot. Dark Souls also has the option of you stripping all your armor and play with little to no clothing if you wish to do so. What applies to both of these titles is the fact that the clothing - or lack of - is not a reward, it's a natural part of the game: you can buy the armor in Xenoblade - and gain it in enemy drops occationally - and you can just take off all your armor in Dark Souls right at the beginning of the game for extra challenge. And like I said, the options are there for characters of both sexes too, not just for female characters.
And before you judge me without even knowing me, I may inform you that I have used skimpy underwear on Shulk (and other characters of both sexes) in Xenoblade Chronicles because it has given be the best stats at the time. I do it when it affects the gameplay and is a natural part of it, not when it's just there to attract people to the game and doesn't affect the gameplay in any way.
when sony does it: omg sony bad nintendo NEVER censors.
when Nintendo does it: SASUGA NINTENDO it's fine no problem at all
y'all nintendrones never learn do you?
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