Raunchy Rhythm Title 'Massage Freaks' Delayed Indefinitely After Online Backlash

As long as the game is not deliberately depicting assault of any kind, I don't see what the problem is. It was only PEGI 12 as well, so presumably it wasn't very naughty at all.

People can be very sensitive. I'm pretty sure there are games out there that feature a lot worse, but people just blindly love those games.

If even the Japanese version isn’t coming out then you know it’s bad. Had no idea about them giving the characters names based on real life idols, that’s just creepy.

Lowkey connecting the delay with the "backlash" is one heck of a clickbait (with eShop boasting titles like Senran Kagura Reflexions for years, said backlash seems even more toothless than it should rightfully be).😆 On the other hand, using a real idol group's names may have triggered more impactful concerns as far as licensing and copyright stuff goes, so perhaps they're still ironing it out even after the change? Then again, it's all equally idle speculation - this decade has been known for most prosaic delay causes in the commercial fiction industries anyway.

@Rika_Yoshitake a completely empty message, making it to NL comments past the text length quota? What sorcery is this?😄

This is an interesting development regarding not just the game’s development, but also the changing landscape of Japanese culture. The backlash seems to be an indication that things are finally moving forward for women in Japan. All these small steps will lead to greater social freedoms.

@ModdedInkling There was a recent tragedy in Japan involving an underaged woman being forced to use alcohol and please her clients. She was a meiko, basically training to be a geisha, a form of entertainer in Japan. Her story and many others has been changing the landscape regarding women’s rights in that country, where they are still very heavily repressed, socially. I would imagine that the backlash against this game could have to do with those recent events, and not necessarily just the usual internet sensitivity.

This is the dual edged sword of having a popular system with ecchi games. In the past, systems with truly adult games (Saturn, 3DO, etc) were not the leading systems. Leading systems were more mainstream. That's why they were market leaders.

On an oddly related note, I never understood why Xbox didn't embrace adult content for Japan. Boatloads of adult PC content on a console that's easy to port PC games to PLUS a built in user base you could attract = win. Nintendo doesn't have this issue at this point.

Regardless of what happened/happens, the whole project reeked of poor taste anyway.

I personally didn’t have a problem with this game and wanted to give it a shot. And yes, I agree, using real names is just creepy. Personally, I do see where the complaint are coming from, and are vary valid, and they can actually be easily addressed I think, Using real names can be fixed by changing them, and you can fix the consent problem by, idk, and this is Just a guess, making visibly known that it’s consented?
though I think that is all up for debate.

Not surprised

I don't mind such games even while I don't play them if someone likes it then play it, I don't judge.

In my case however give me a good (anime) JRPG of a Visual Novel and I am more happy.

But this "game" was only made to look for that invisible border of how far it could go on a Nintendo system, and it did end the way I expected it.

I am actually a littlebit angry at this, not because they decided to postpone it but mostly because it gives a bad name for normal anime based games.

I still remember the backlash of some games in the past, which caused other games to get negative attention for no reason, this is the only reason why I wished this "release" would never be announced, keep this stuff on PC where nobody cares as much (this from a PC gamer mind you)

Because on PC there are multiple way to get to Rome, on consoles there is always just one. (hacking aside)

@BloodNinja from what I understand based on what some japanese people I know said to me.

The backlash is bigger in the west than it is in Japan, but that is due to the culture over there.

Same culture, according to them being the reason these things happen over there.

@icomma It depends

People complain about stuff in games they don't like, that is freedom of speech and not censorship.

BUT

It can lead to censorship in some cases, because the thing people had critique about could end up censored because of people not liking it.

Freedom of speech is always a double edged sword, it's just that the other side of it doesn't always have the same outcome.

Not this again. The switch is region free for a reason. The people chose what games to purchase. Games are art, expression, the age rating was provided. I hope they release their game.

I was wondering can they be sued? The whole using real names thing without consent thing. Serious question!

@icomma Did I say something that made it sound like people should say something else, or not have a different opinion in some way? Cause I really didn’t want it to come off that way.

Hrmm I think there's a healthy debate to be had here.

I'm glad the developer has had to think again about the game, but I don't agree with it being cancelled. Seems clear to me the names needed to change, and I stand by my earlier comment on an earlier article that the timing of the announcement and release date were catastrophic from a PR perspective (as evidenced by this update!).

I don't agree with the literature/movie/art/games comparisons. They are all moderated differently. The majority of art and books don't even have ratings for a start... so arguing that art/books and movies/games should be treated the same is already at logger heads with reality. Unless the suggestion is that nothing should be rated or that art and books should also be rated?! That's before we even go into the scale of immersion - which itself is going to split opinions!

As far as I can tell this has nothing to do with "cancel culture" either. They messed up the announcement, made a terrible decision on the names and are now paying the price - most likely under pressure from the publisher/ digital stores. Go correct your mistakes and then release it.

@icomma I thought so, I really didn’t want it to come off like that, because I’m making it sound like, well you said it, like I’m criticizing this comment sections voice on the game, and making it sound like if they don’t like it they should comment.

I changed it because I didn’t want it to come off that way, I think the whole game’s premise, all of it, is completely up for debate, and opinions vary.

Edit: I changed it again,Mai hope now it doesn’t sound like I’m limiting opinions on this topic.

Sad for all those out there hoping to relieve the stress of these poor, large-chested ladies through the power of erotic massage.

@Grail_Quest I don't think that's true at all, it's all about the context.

The fact is it's a game about taking advantage of women with non-consensual physical and intimate contact, with the perspective of it being erotic and fun. A book written about that with the same perspective and tone would have the same controversy and backlash. But if this was a game about fully consensual intimate contact there would be no fuss, as evidenced by the multitude of games out there that are about that.

I usually take the approach of "I'm not a fan of this but as long as there's nothing actively encouraging harmful behavior, live and let live" with games like this but will admit that the fact they initially were going to use names of actual idols is more than just a bit creepy and the timing of them announcing it couldn't have been any worse with more frequent reports of massage parlors popping up for...less than good reasons.

Don't like it, don't buy it. Simple. It's called being a mature adult. Don't force personal, puritanical beliefs onto others. That's authoritarianism. Of course, many in general love to do just that, and companies often cave into it. 😒

All I will say on the matter after seeing what's gotten onto the Switch eShop since its launch is that it must take a LOT to actually get a game refused. I'm talking in terms of both quality and theme here. The Nintendo consoles of old may have had some stinkers, but even the Wii had nothing on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch that is the Switch eShop.

Good can't believe this was going to be released in the first place this a Nintendo handheld Nintendo so it's a family system some of the adult games slipping through the cracks uncensored is unlike Nintendo. If Nintendo wanted to compete in the Adult arena they would have released a dedicated home console.

@EVIL-C Personal beliefs that it's wrong to molest women? No I'll keep pushing that one thank you.

Yeah we can all cherry pick out of context examples till the cows come home but this is a game with the sole focus of making erotic situations of non-consensual intimate contact with women. A real crime that many women suffer daily.

By all means have a game about consensual touching. Keep adult content in games where it's appropriate and tasteful or satirical (as GTA is). But having a game where the point and the fun is taken from sexual assault? Nah. That's not cool.

I mean really are people here even thinking about what they are defending? If this was a game about committing racial hate crimes for fun would you be saying the same things about "it's fictional" and "let people have their fun you don't have to buy it"?

If you are that desperate to get your jollies to anime women there are hundreds of games all about that. Find one about consensual touching and have fun with it. Seriously, no judgement at all. But this one goes in the bin.

@Ogbert Calm down. I don't even play this type of stuff.

@EVIL-C And? You're defending it and belittling those who spoke out against it. Whether or not you actually play it is pretty much irrelevant you've sat yourself in the same camp as those who want the game about molesting women.

Shame the devs gave in to the complainers

@nessisonett No, the fact that the Japanese release isn't coming out either just means we won't know how good the game would have been if it were to come out.

The thing is, people that often complain about stuff, don't even buy the thing they're complaining about.

@Grail_Quest That’s what I’m trying to figure, out, they don’t look like it isn’t consented, it’s kinda whyI think some people think about it to much, they probably didn’t think that far head when they made it, its just a sexy game, and nothing more.

If it ever releases I will buy it I guess.

@Tobiaku The game isn't cancel and the devs are suing the people who were slandering them on twitter, so things do not look completely downhill, but we shall see what comes out of this in due time

@Jordium_Z Sounds good. Hopefully it comes out, I was looking forward to this game

@icomma while true, that logic should also apply to violence in media, but it doesn’t. Doesn’t forcefully taking a life, or depicting severely beating a person warrant the same response?

Okay for real though, maybe Japan should seriously reconsider all these weird almost lewd games for being released on home consoles and instead opt to release them on PC because of how niche and very specific they are.

For one, who is this for?
It doesn't look too be raunchy enough to have nudity nor does it look that appealing to the average person.

The only people who are going to buy this are most likely Otaku/Hikkomori types who regularly consume this type of stuff.

I'm surprised Japan itself isn't somewhat embarrassed that they still release these types of games publicly that teeter the line between being cartoonish and perverted because no other country feels more detached from universal societal norms than they do. It's truly some cringe inducing stuff.

@icomma I’m a little confused, you mention that it’s something that the game encourages as good thing to do, but couldn’t this go for literally every video game ever? GTA is letting me run over people, does not mean it’s telling me it’s a good thing to do.

@BloodNinja
Ah, I see. That definitely brings some proper context to this case.

@Jordium_Z Are you for real, they are suing journalists for libel?
That is funny, imagine going that far to try to sell your pervy game to international audiences.

I still don't get why this game should be made when there are dozens of similar games on Steam or elsewhere that can be sold without this type of mainstream backlash.

Heck, why not just read hentai books instead of this. It honestly, shouldn't exist because of how cringey it is. And everybody is fully aware that only that only social outcasts as well as guys who have never been with a woman buy this type of stuff.

@Fizza . I agree about the description, I know it’s a fanservice game and all but I would love it if they’d actually used that description to give you some more insight on the character, personality wise and so on, not just “She has a big chest, and such and such she has a big chest, did we forget to mention she has a big chest?” No really? I didn’t know since the last 20 time you told me.

@Jordium_Z I guess free speach is not that valid when people critize you?

Oh no, a Japanese game about creeping on girls isn't coming to Switch? Whatever shall I do? It's not like there's an endless sea of games like that on the eShop already...

Like... I get some people react with anger when a news article about a game being cEnSoReD appears but... Maybe in this case it's for the best?
I'm usually a very "let people buy what they want" kind of person but there are some limits and I think this game got there. I don't think the game shouldn't come out, don't get me wrong. It doesn't have illegal content or anything like that. But putting those names in the game was in poor taste and with awful timing.
Stopping the release, waiting a bit and releasing the game afterwards with the names changed is definetly for the best.

Also, by the way, the fact that you weren't the target demographic for the game doesn't mean you suddently lose your free speach rights and you are forbidden to talk about it.
I just don't get it... people against game censhorship LOVE to talk about "free speach" while forgetting everyone that thinks differently than them. Proven by the fact that the first argument they ALWAYS use is how the people critising the game don't even deserve to be heard instead of actually discussing their points.
The people complaining about the game had all the right to do so. Besides, probably the majority of critism was from people of Japan itself (since the incident in particular happened there) so this isn't even a "western localizers being evil trying to remove the original intent" situation.

@Ogbert
I think what they may be going for is erotic embarrassment, which yes in real life if explored absolutely requires that it be safe, sane, and consensual. No question. However, a lot of people engaging in this would also enjoy roleplaying scenarios around it. I think for some fictional content it allows you to just jump to the scenario. I suppose they could have a game where the people are negotiating the roleplay up front, I wouldn't have a problem with that, but I can see how it feels unnecessary in fictional media too. You already know it's make believe/play, from the beginning.

People learning any bad behaviors from content is bad, of course, but the goal is for it to only end up being played by those mature enough to have a good time and keep respecting their fellow humans.

I am a submissive in the BDSM community myself with experience in social spaces for it. I've seen people consensually beaten up, tied up, degraded, locked in cages by others and have consensually been there/participated in scenes myself.
I do understand where you're coming from, I just want to add the perspective that there can exist people that are into this dynamic that aren't human garbage. I wouldn't have a problem with them changing it to make it explicitly consensual, either. That's fine by me!

Let me put it this way.. Do I expect safety from assault when I go anywhere in society? Yes! Duh. Absolutely!
Do I find the power dynamic of a fictional situation where someone has power over me with sexual connotations appealing? Also yes.
Do I like rhythm games? Yes!
Is assault bad? Yes!
Is consent important? Very.
Was it stupid of them to use the names of real people? Yep!

It's possible for all of these feelings to exist simultaneously.

That being said, people are allowed to feel uncomfortable about it too. And Nintendo is completely within their right to accommodate those people and not allow the game on their platform. It is their platform. The same is true if they decide to release it one day, it's their platform and their call. I hope it releases somewhere eventually. I doubt it'll be my favorite game ever, but I'd like to give it a try and I had a pre-order for it.

All I have to say is lmao, because I have nothing else to say this is just weird.

@Arzewn Honestly if they made it 100% explicitly clear that this was an upfront consensual thing that these women were roleplaying in it'd be fine. I'm not going to kinkshame people who are into any of that, it's all good and natural and people should be free to explore it safely. It should also make it clear it is a roleplaying scenario and not something to just do to people who are not expecting it as well.

And I know very few people actually copy negative video game things they have learned. I don't subscribe to the "video games are ruining our kids" media scapegoat, actually I think the opposite largely. But it's a very real problem for most women, so it's not something to be taken lightly, it needs to be crystal clear.

The key word is consent and it's always about consent. Even if it's fictional characters. That seems to be the key thing many are missing.

Everyone has things they like that they can’t discuss in public, nor would ever do because, y’know, somethings ya just don’t do, especially if it involves other people. Any jokes and reasoning aside, I’m pretty sure most of us could agree that you don’t involve other people in your fantasies non consensually, that’s just common sense and nearly everyone in society agrees and understands that… But that doesn’t mean the fantasy goes away. Sometimes you can’t help feel how you do, and make believe scenarios can help relieve those built up feelings.

“No violence in public, regardless of stress.” “Alright, I’ll get a punching bag then.”

“You have to be yey age to get a gun license, fulfill these criteria to be able to fire at live targets, and must do so only in certain circumstances or risk your life on the battlefield for your country.”
“Ok, I don’t really wanna die or kill a real person, so I’ll play laser tag or COD.”

Things like that. That extends to many genres of various intensities and mediums too. Too socially awkward (or are in an area where there’s no other humans around for miles) but still want a romantic partner? Well there’s books, movies, and games to fulfil that desire. Wanna feel like a monster chasing down victims that can do nothing but fear you? Check out horror games where you play as the monster, or put yourselves in the shoes of villains in movies and books that do the same. Now, in the event that all of these alternatives would deter someone from ACTUALLY DOING THIS STUFF IN REAL LIFE, then that’s kinda amazing. If it inspires them, on the other hand, then they probably had a flawed sense of morals to begin with; no normal person becomes a hardened criminal after having only held joycons prior. Thusly, I think games like this are in that same vein. Not everyone likes it, almost nobody would do it in real life, but there are still some people who would fantasize about it and not get others involved.

Using names of real people is a bit of a different story though, that feels stalker-ish and reaaaaaaally pushing the “not to a real person” part. Definitely coming off as a bit too personal there…

It's a bit funny how they "changed the names" but the description on the example still uses the same name as before.

Does the Twitter mob even buy products? Are they actual humans? Sometimes it seems like they are just an entity that moves from one controversy to the next being perpetually angry and upset about things.

@Ogbert I have a very minor disagreement only that I don't think it's necessary in the context of a game since it's already "play/fiction/fantasy" it's in the same territory as 'roleplay' by default, but that's just a personal opinion. It is kind of an "in a vacuum" type of argument though, and no media exists in one I will concede. I don't have a problem with making it clear it's consensual upfront either though, I'm just nitpicking for conversation. So by all means- I support it. It's what we do in real life, communicate, consent, start the scene so why not do it here too. Heck, racing games sometimes have reminders to follow the rules of the road and keep the dangerous driving to the game. Reminders and contextualization can go a long way without detracting.

It would be interesting to even have a game use it for plot/character development. Have safe words, different characters have different boundaries to discuss beforehand. Suddenly you have a game with all the same visuals and gameplay, but reinforcing healthy positive behaviors. Again I wouldn't quite say I think a fictional piece of content must do it, and it would certainly tonally be a little different that "moaning anime girls rhythm game, go" but it's interesting how it's not hard to turn the same game with all the same sexual content and power dynamics into a positive scenario instead.

I think I chose to respond to you because you actually have some texture and thought in your response. I am generalizing some but most of the others are just outrage (or outrage at outrage) and attacks. I saw one that said only social outcasts would play this, well, unwarranted personal attacks aside they might not be wrong about me on that one! Haha. ^^;

I appreciate you having a clear line to your view of the problems that is tolerant of (subjectively) atypical things like kinks too, rather than the usual polarized "perverted anime games bad" vs "perverted anime games good".

You can be a tolerant, loving, respectful human and still enjoy trashy, perverted anime games. (You didn't suggest otherwise, I'm just trying to remind people in general!)

@Arzewn exactly being angry at this game just means you're the same as the people who say "videogame cause violence" I find it backwards that people find sexiness more disturbing than zombies in resident evil ripping people apart or being able to run over citizen in GTA, reality and fictions are two different things and these games are for mature audience so people should just let us enjoy are violent or sexual games in peace imo

A huge amount of attention has been brought to this game and it will no doubt sell much better than expected when it does come out. This game has struck a cord about deplatforming and censorship which will drive people to buy out of support.

@MetalKingShield : That reminds me of the controversy surrounding We Dare on Wii, which received a family-friendly PG rating despite the "sexy" cover and advertising (which I doubt aired in Australia).

The Board argued that they could only classify the content depicted in the game itself, and not base on their decision on presumptions regarding how audiences may engage with the material.

The decision was reviewed and the Review Board (comprised of a separate members) upheld the PG rating.

@BloodNinja a big problem in Japan is that it turned into a jerkoff nation with so much isolation which leads to those crimes you speak of.

"The number of registered marriages in Japan fell 12.3% last year to 525,490, a post-war record, the ministry said. The country's fertility rate, the expected number of births per woman, declined to 1.34, among the lowest in the world."

@ChakraStomps No kidding! Wow.

@Jordium_Z If you spoke to people outside of a gaming circle, you'll find people that are disturbed by violence, sex, and/or both.

@Arzewn Honestly the game you propose sounds like a really good idea and would probably be a great way for many to explore things in a safe digital environment and learn social etiquettes around such scenarios as well. Someone should make it!

Hopefully it won't take much to turn this game into something more healthy, respectful and fun for those into it. There shouldn't be shame in playing an erotic game I totally agree! But it also should be mindful and respectful of people's real life trauma and I think that is what most people's concerns here boil down too. It can be hard to express it sometimes though, especially with such an emotional topic as sexual assault.

I appreciate you taking the time for a constructive, respectful and open conversation though! It been good chatting to you : )

@icomma Ok that’s a really fair argument to be made, and your right, these things are pretty different and don’t really operate under the same rules. I heard the game has a story mode, Where you can interact with everybody post massage , so maybe they do show visible consent, no way to back up my claim tho.

I’m just not sure how you would make it consented anymore, as you said that they pretty much don’t have free will and the writers are making them Enjoy assault (Or I’m just misunderstanding what you said) I just really don’t think the writers didn’t think that far ahead, as I feel like it’s meant to be a jump in and play sort of thing, maybe this is addressed in story mode, but again, I have no proof to back it up.

@icomma I’m sorry, but I have to disagree with you. I do recall a scene in GTA which actively encourages the player to torture another man. There are many examples where the game rewards players for assault, or killing. “Kill Frenzy” comes to mind from the older titles. There are also examples of manipulation throughout the game. I know it’s satire, but these types of games do make fun of, and actively encourage the player to physically assault, steal & murder. It’s the entire point around the game. The idea that the receiving end response is positive in this game is what makes it bad doesn’t really hold either. Would you prefer that they act in a negative manner?

All forms of media have their effects on society. It’s up to the individual to determine their own behaviour, and bear the responsibility for it.

Should this game be available on the eshop? Probably not. Does it deserve the backlash? Hardly.

The point I’m making is, unless you are willing to apply the same logic to the countless amount of violent games that are mass available, it’s hypocrisy.

Also I mean no disrespect to you my friend. Your opinions are valid, I just wanted to share mine. All in good faith.

@exit “All forms of media have their effects on society. It’s up to the individual to determine their own behaviour, and bear the responsibility for it“

This, idk how it’s the games fault, I thinks it’s pretty common knowledge that you shouldn’t ever do these things in real life.

@Ogbert "Even if it's fictional characters."

I see this akin to burning books. If you remove the dissent, the kink no longer exists. It's like making a GTA game where you are forced to obey the traffic rules, and talk people out of bad situations instead of assaulting them. That's what any reasonable adult would do in reality.

I totally see your point. All forms of assault are wrong. Whether that be physical, verbal or sexual. However, this is fiction. That's the key.

@exit In GTA, you face repercussions though. The police chase you and then either kill you or arrest you, both of which come with a penalty. If this game made your character be arrested, registered on the sex offenders list and face social excommunication while being fired from your job as a masseuse, then sure.

@nessisonett Once again, I have to disagree. I'm sure there are examples in adult content where a penalty will incur in relation to a negative action.

I'm sorry to bang on about GTA, I just see this as a prime example given it's status. Sure, there are repercussions, but they hardly stop you from continuing those actions again. In fact, to play through the campaign requires you to commit negative acts. You may even earn an achievement. It doesn't send you to trial, and lock you up for life because you murdered an escort.

Once again, it's fiction. There is a time and place for everything. Adult content probably shouldn't be on the eshop, but I cannot agree with the sentiment that certain fictional content shouldn't be allowed.

Don’t you still ultimately never get caught story wise, making all said negative Actions along the way never have penalty?

The backlash is not valid in my opinion. Lots more can be said about your regular titles depicting gruesome acts. This is no less innocent than watching your favorite “incognito” material on the hub or whatever. If the roles were reversed, there’d likely be no backlash,, more likely to be praised as being progressive. No need for individuals to ruin something for other fans due to fan service. Easier for one to turn parental lock on if one must not see things they are triggered by. None should stand over the shoulder of the artist, painting with his brush, and yell at him for something they don’t like. Go paint your own painting and let that artist do their magic. Also, no kink shaming! For your education, there are individuals who enjoy the whole humiliation thing. I do respect those who have went in depth on that issue as well. It’s only a game, fiction, and if you’re not interested in buying this, look for another thing to spend your focus on. We the fans are looking forward to buying this game/supporting the developers and how dare anyone shame anyone involved!

This is not directed at anyone in particular, but a serious question to ask yourself privately. I want to keep this as respectful as I possibly can. Have you, or someone close to you ever been a victim of assault? The impact of a serious assault is no more or less important than that of sexual assault. Both acts permanently alter not only the victim’s life, but those around them. It’s something you cannot truly understand until it happens. I cannot explain the feeling when a life is taken away. The fact that we treat physical violence so lightly, even joking about it, but backlash to sexual violence boggles my mind. It honestly is nothing more than hypocrisy, unless you are willing to apply the same criticism to all forms of fictional violence.

Ratings & content controls have a purpose, and there is a very real line between fiction and non-fiction. I feel in the modern era, one of the many real issues are that we have moved the goalpost to maturity, responsibility and acceptance of consequence. We seem to have a tendency to sweep things we like under the rug, while pointing the blame at things we don’t like. This is a very real issue.

Once again, not directed at anyone in particular, and thanks to the people voicing their opinion in a civilised manner.

I'll say again, there are many, many, many games where you commit violent, criminal acts. Acts that do occur in the real-world. And yet, when it comes to violence, (educated) people know there is no connection between media exposure and real-life behavior.

It is a shame that some people can't recognize that the realities are the same whether the anti-social behavior in question is violent or sexual in nature.

This is no worse than Moero Chronicles games or the games where you shoot anime girls to reveal themselves. People need to stop with this destructive behavior and move on.

Supposedly the developers are suing those who started the backlash. Now Japanese defamation laws are different than those from the rest of the world in that you can sue for defamation even if the claims are true. That said it will be an interfering case to watch, "social" justice meeting regular justice.

@russell-marlow You're measuring a foreign culture by your own cultural standards.
I'm not the target audience for this game and I consider Bayonetta undressing herself embarrassing and yet NL is excited about the latter. I don't particularly like Mario games either but I'm not going to call people who like them childish Peter Pans who should grow up and get a job or demand that they aren't released.

So you can blow people’s brains out with guns & light them on fire and that’s cool… but this is a no no? Strange world.

@Slowdive so very vile

@SmaggTheSmug Weird... I thought "free speach, anti-censorship advocates" were against that law? I guess it's not the case when it benefits them.
Also, are they going to sue oversees people that complain too. Could I get sued because I dared to say something they did was in poor taste? So much for free speach I guess.

Edit: Also, I want to remind they used real names from real people on their games. Maybe other people were thinking on suing here... Just saying.

@Doomcrow Have you read the article or are you deliveratly ignoring details to "win" the argument? Here:
"(...) folks were quick to take note of the game's depiction of women and the apparent similarity to reported sex crimes in massage parlours in Japan. Specifically, it was noticed that the in-game characters shared the same forenames as members of the Japanese idol group 'Hinatazaka46'."

There are plenty of lewd games on the eShop. This game used names of actual people after the recent reported sex crimes in massage parlours in Japan. The context here matters.

@jowe_gw You're strawmanning what free speech advocates are arguing about. But it doesn't matter, because this is what SJWs are arguing for: speech having consequences. They just never imagined that they would be the ones facing them.

@SmaggTheSmug Did you use "SJW" unironically? Amazing... Totally unbiased there. People complaining about the devs using real people names (without concent) in a lewd game released arround recent reported sex crimes in massage parlours in Japan coming to light are apperantly being unreasonable here.

Also, I'm going to repeat your point again: "but the evil SJW like this law so it's fine if someone, who rejected it before due to concerns about free speach, use it now".
I'm sorry but, seeing this arguments, I end up doubting their defense of free speach is actually genuine. It seems it was just due to pointless online battles against strawmanned versions of people that disagree with them.

@jowe_gw This whole thing isn't a speech issue, it's a defamation issue. No one argues against defamation laws, they argue about censoring of "hate speech", where "hate" is ill-defined and could be easily misused by governments to shut down dissent. Kind of like "political correctness" used to mean "don't speak ill of the communist government" or "gay relationships aren't to be defended".

The only thing that isn't genuine is your framing of the free speech argument.

However this is something different entirely: it's bad actors on the internet, in their misguided sense of cultural superiority, attempting to destroy the reputation of a video game company. And this time the company is pushing back using legal tools. So now they will have to back up their claims in court. This is what makes it interesting, because so far Japanese studios either simply ignored the "crazy foreigners" or just withdrawn from overseas markets, depriving a wider audience from experiencing the games. Which is, you know, bad. Especially when these people usually use "wider audience" as their core argument.

It's not about free speech, it's about moral busybodies getting more pushback than their expected.

@SmaggTheSmug First of all, I'm going to repeat what I said in my previous comment (with more detail, of course).
That law is a defamation law that explicitly said that defimation can happen even when the ones doing it are saying the truth. And a bunch of people (including ones that usually are all against "censhorship in anime") voiced their reservations. Now, the same people are applauding using that law because it goes against the people they hate. I just found this hypocritical.

Btw I'm not strawmanning here. You yourself implied that "speach having consequences" was a "SJW" thing but when "the other side" does it it's suddently ok? Why? Because "they deserve it"? THAT'S what I find hypocritical.
What if people actually use the same law to sue the videogame developers because they argue that using their names caused damage to their image? Because they actually can do that too.

Also, that law is a Japan law, meaning it's exclusive to Japan. Good luck trying to sue random oversea users that apperantly are the culprits of this (becasue obviously noone in Japan got angry because of this, despite the incident mentioned here taking place in Japan, since everyone in Japan thinks just like you imagine they do).

Oh and it seems you are bringing all the typical boogieman buzzwords. "SJW", "political correctness"... Why stop there? At least include "woke", that one is a classic.

I also want to remind you about the reason why this game got critism. Because it used REAL NAMES without consent for woman put in implied sexual positions. THE ISSUE HERE IS NOT THE SEXUAL CONTENT. Noone here is stopping the constant flow of lewd games on Switch.
Edit: (maybe putting this would also allow people from Nintendo Life not removing my comment due to being "off topic")

@Frdmman Do you know the issue in particular is not that the game is lewd, right? I say this because the issue is right on the article and is not that.

@jowe_gw There is no hypocrisy here. Defamation and censorship are completely unrelated things. There are almost zero free speech absolutists who would argue against defamation laws. You're creating a strawman here by even bringing such terms into the argument. Stay on topic.

I don't even care about the real names used in the game. I don't think the suit is based on this (the developers seem to have changed the names, so it can't be), it's likely more about the "this sounds like rape" part. I just find it interesting that people who usually advocate for "consequences culture" are now facing those consequences. As in, the shoe is on the other foot. It's not that they "deserve" it, it's that they asked for it, without ever thinking it could be used against them.

Maybe more Japanese companies will follow suit and sue twitter loudmouths. This is the interesting part, regardless of which side of the issue you stand on. You seem to be under impression that one cannot sue someone from overseas, but there was this case of an American suing a British YouTuber over a video, by American law. They lost and the British guy counter-sued for expenses and won. International court cases are very much a thing.

@SmaggTheSmug Defamation and censorship are different things but censhorship can happen due to defamaiton lawsuits.
Again, this was the argument people like you used right until someone use it against people you don't seem to like much.

Btw, yes, the company changed the names... after the backlash that you don't seem to like much happened.
Also, again, you call out "EsJeDovelwus" for defending "consequences for speach" while now applauding those consecuences being a thing? Are you in favour of that or not? or your only opinion is whatever goes against a strawmanned version of people that think differently than you?

Also, yes, a Japan company can sue an american user. But, as you said, it'd use Amercan law, meaning the new Japan law is not in effect here.

@jowe_gw You're assuming a lot things about me. Like I said, I don't even care about the names thing and the subsequent backlash. Yeah, it was stupid on the dev's part to use those names and the backlash is understandable. It seems they changed those anyway. So it's not part of the argument and you should stop it. They're not suing people who brought that up, they're suing people who say this game will "promote rape culture" and "is similar to assault in massage parlors". So yea, the lewd part.

Defamation laws were never part of pro-free speech argument. You should also stop pretending like that's relevant. No, defamation was never framed as "censorship" be free speech activists. Hate speech laws are, and those are an entirely different beast. So please stop being dishonest and putting words in my mouth.

What am I in favor of? People getting a taste of their own medicine. I don't even like that particular law (IMO defamation should only be applicable when there's a "false statement of fact that damages one's reputation"), but that's how Japan rolls and those people who like to feel powerful by throwing various accusations around are now receiving the kind of pushback they didn't expect.
And how do you know they would use American law? In the example I gave the claimant was American. Here the claimant is Japanese, so by that logic Japanese law would apply. Which means "your game promotes rape culture" could be used as base for a defamation suit.

I heard the yakuza actually own the idols that they got the names from. I didn’t know you could own people in 2022. But anyway they would have to pay the yakuza for the rights to use the names or something. Now I’m wondering how much of Japan is controlled by the yakuza.

@jowe_gw BTW, here's the tweet.
https://twitter.com/qureate/status/1550427832610062338?s=20&t=qP9LmKIq2wTN9BQd3AA6Jg

"We are also taking legal action against the spreading of false rumors, malicious social networking posts, and other activities that may interfere with our business."

So yes, this is regular defamation as westerners understand it. They're suing people over spreading lies about the game. Which everyone is in favor of. Free speech advocates too.

@icomma who cares, there are millions of games where you can murder people and commit crimes for no reason. Why is a cartoon game exempt from this and considered taboo? Nobody in real life is hurt by a video game. Anyone who thinks otherwise has mental illness and belongs in an asylum for not differentiating between reality and fantasy.

@SmaggTheSmug Why did they said stuff like "promote rape culture" or "is similar to assault in massage parlors" in particular? Maybe because it used real names at one point? Like it or not, that's why the controversy started. If that wasn't the case, it'd just be another lewd japaniese game on the Switch's eShop. And sure, it should have stopped when they removed the names but you should know that (unfortunately) that's not how the internet works.

Also, I'm sorry to say plenty of pro-free speech arguments are against defamation laws. There are plenty of people who believe free speach should be absolute (and others that agree with them until they see the effects against them...). I don't know what your exact opinion is about free speech since I don't personally know you but your entire point of "these people wanted consequences for speach and I'm happy if THEY get them" gave me bad vives.

And, again, if you aren't in favour of a particular law, why are you celebrating that law being used? Becase it is being used on "the people who deserve it"? In my opinion, that's hypocritical. If you truly are against a law then any application of it should be bad, right?

Also, if a Japaniese company is trying to sue a US citizen, they would have to do it on US courts using US law (being federal and/or state specific). It doesn't matter that the company *suing them are from Japan.

i dont have a problem with these games existing, per se.

however, id like the ability to filter out games that im categorically disinterested in, and these qualify. on top of being distasteful (sexualized women that look like children, and so on,) they clog up an already slow, sluggish, crowded eshop with garbage i just have to scroll past to get to anything good.

@BloodNinja Those people need to piss off then

The thing is games like these have been around for years and years. This is nothing new and shouldn't surprise any one. Why all of sudden is it being attacked? I think creators should be free to develop these games as long as its not too crazy and its clear that its an adult only game

These ''reported sexual crimes in massage parlours'' are completely made-up, and the actual person never complained about her name on the game.
It's all a smear campaign against the game by the usual noisy minority, and all they achieved was to have Qureate delay the game to redo the voicework due to the name change.

@icomma There's no backlash.
Just a noisy extremist minority trying to force censorship.
All they achieved was to force the developer to change the name, and since the game is fully voiced, they're forced to delay it to redo the voicework.
These extremists are also getting sued for defamation.

@jowe_gw You're misinformed.
There's no backlash or criticism from the japanese public, the enormous majority supports the developer and the release of the game, this is just a noisy extremist minority trying to get the game canceled at all costs, and made up the name thing for this reason.

@BloodNinja Sorry to disappoint you, but there's no backlash at all in Japan.
It's just an extremist noisy minority on twitter that achieved absolutely nothing at first, so they made up the name thing to damage the developer.
These twitter accounts are all part of the same extremist group, and could easily be foreign users with multiple accounts, they're not regular Japanese people on their personal accounts or anything like that.
There's absolutely zero support for censorship in Japanese society.

@Paradigm you can reply to multiple people at the same time, please avoid posting the same thing multiple times in a row

@Jordium_Z Indeed!!

@Paradigm Repeating the same thing twice doesn't make it true.
And do you know personally every single person of Japan or something? Seriously, What is with this mentality some people have of Japan? Sorry to burst your bubble, but there are a bunch of people there and not everyone thinks like you.

Assuming every single dissident is from the "puritan west" or from "extremist groups" also seems kinda stupid. I think what they did by putting real names on a game like this without concent was in very poor taste, does that make me an "extrimist" too?

Edit: Also, just realized... You created an account JUST NOW. Huh...

@drewber2635 Because the devs used real people names without concent on the game at one point. The article itself points that out.

@MetalMan Think it is more that they own the character of the Idols like in Wrestling.
The Rock is property of WWE, Dwayne Johnson is not.
But then again Yakuza is a criminal organization so them owning people is not that much of stretch.

@BloodNinja Odly enough I am disturbed by violence irl and sometimes in games too but somehow, and idk how I do it, I can understand that games.movies etc. are not real and thus I can partake in the enjoyment of said media.
I cannot understand, however, how people are disturbed by sex, they are far fewer than those who are by violence I assume.
unless it goes into the hardcore territory then I can get it.

@jowe_gw You're just making stuff up and assigning people things they didn't say. If the issue was the names then the devs wouldn't sue over "spreading false rumours". First you said the backlash had nothing to do with lewdness and now you're desperately trying to tie the lewdness to the names. Just stop being disingenuous to make your point, because if you have to, then you have no point at all.

There are two separate stories: the backlash with the names and the attack on lewdness. The developers are suing over the latter while they caved in to the former (and smartly so, because it could be a suit on them; see how JoJo changes names for western markets). And neither has anything to do with free speech issues.

@SmaggTheSmug I'm going to repeat myself again it seems since you seem to only read what you want from my comments. Yes, the main problem with this game is NOT THE LEWD. If that were the case, how is it that dozens of lewd japaniese games release on the eShop weekly with almost zero controversy? What the lewd is here is the context that makes the situation worse.
Why are you trying so desperatly to separate the two things when those two are obviously related? People are complaining that a game that is about giving "massages" to woman used real names without concent. That's why the lewd comes up in the critism, because it gives more context about why this situation was in poor taste.
Because, yes, using real names in a game does not always give the same impression. If real names were used in a fechquest of a JRPG then the context would be different. There also are other cases were that could be problematic like using real names of living people in a shooter. Context matters. And I don't think I have "no point at all" for saying that.

@jowe_gw Repeating falsehoods does not make them true. Didn't someone tell you that already?
But you seem incapable of arguing without resorting to strawmen and false correlations, with a dash of goalpost moving. You can repeat your comments as many times as you like, but they will still be wrong.

@SmaggTheSmug You didn't even bother to answer anything I said in my last comment. You just said that I was wrong because yes.

What falsehoods I said?
That the context of being a lewd game that used real life people name makes it worse and that trying to separate those two things is just wrong since you are ignoring important context?
That people are not complaining the lewdness itself since there are hundreds of those games on the eShop that got 0 controversy?

You seem to be incapable to consider that it's the context of this lewd game having the "great" desition to use real life names that created all of this BUT that doesn't mean people are complaining the lewdness itself since, again, plenty of lewd games exist with 0 controversy.
The last point is why I mentioned that the lewd was not the thing people were complaining about but you seem to be using that phrase in order to accuse me of "moving goalpoasts" despite not doing that at all. Again, the lewd was not the main issue here. I don't even know how many times I have to say it.

To me, tt seems those two things HAVE to be separate according to you in order to accuse people of being "too puritan" instead of them probably just being weirded out that a lewd game went to that extreme (or at the very least, it is how I still feel about all of this).

What's right is right and what's done is done. This game was damn creepy and really just cannon fodder for creeps. No wonder why all guys think a natural progression from massage is ... "that"

@jowe_gw Simple: you're basing your arguments off of assumptions. You assume that the backlash against the sexy part is caused by the real names part, you assumed plenty of times what my position is (and you were wrong every time) and you assume that the ones sued by the Japanese company are Americans. You also wrongly assumed that this is a free speech issue and you assume that even if it was, it would be hypocritical (where it would be more of a case of "we warned you that would happen" not "we wanted it to happen").
Nothing you speak is based in fact, it's all based on "consider if...". Well, consider you're wrong. Because you are.

@MetalKingShield

I’m pretty sure sexual assault is the entirety of the game.

Holy moly, a lot of people on here defending Japan’s super prevalent culture of diddle fingered pedo dudes .

@robr The game is a rythm game about massaging girls while listening to music they like to help them relaxe and later listen to their worries

@SmaggTheSmug Ugh...
I assumed the backlash was not only because of the lewd part due to the high quantity of lewd games released with no controversy, I then looked the differences between those games and this one. How do you explain this situation? You still haven't done that.

Also, sure, they can sue Japanese people that critize their desition. But the thing here is, I thought all the Japanese people are a monolith that are all against these desition. That's what some people in this very comment section insist after all.
Although, to be fair, it was wrong to assume you also meant that. I'm used to all the people using the buzzwords you used to think the "evil west" are all "puritan SJW" and Japan is all "anti censhorship".

And, yes, this could very well be a free speach issue. Is a company going after people that complain about their product online a good thing? Could that get repercutions in the future? When is complaining free speach and when is "defamation"? I don't get why are you insinuating this has nothing to do with free speach.

And apperantly all my opinions are invalid because I used "consider if...". And you apperantly didn't?
Ok... Who are all those "SJW"? Do you have proof of that backlash? Do you have proof that backlash was exclusivly due to the lewd part and not related at all to the fact they used real names at one point? Do you know the actual position of all of the people that complained about this? Do you have proof of the nationality of the people that the company is targeting? Do you have proof that backlash was enough to be defamation therefore not being protected by free speach rights? If you don't, then you are also using "consider if...".

And finally, I assumed your position because of what you said here. But if I'm wrong I'd be more than happy to know what is your actual position on the issue.

@jowe_gw Again you just used incorrect premises to come to the wrong conclusions.
Free speech is about protecting the right to speak truth and express opinions freely. Not tell lies to destroy someone's reputation. Hence defamation is not a free speech issue.
The part about real names used is true, but the suit is about "spreading false rumours". The developers changed the names so it would be weird if they sued over this. Ergo, the names aren't the issue.
Lastly, even if the complaints about sexual content were a result of those names used, they aren't justified if they are "false rumours".
Lastly you assigned opinions I do not hold to me multiple times.
Cease this pointless sophistry.

@SmaggTheSmug And how do you distinct "right to express opinions freely" and "destroy someone's reputation"? Is me saying that the fact they even considered using real names in a game like this kinda creepy one thing or the other? How do you tell one or the other? How do you know the opinions and intentions of everyone that critized this game?

Also "The developers changed the names so it would be weird if they sued over this. Ergo, the names aren't the issue."?... Like, sure, legally they are fine now with the names (even though you could actually make the argument that using their names at one had "damage those people's reputations"... but whatever).
But that wasn't the point. We are talking here about the reasons why people felt the need to critize this. That reason being because a lewd game went to the lengths to include real names at one point and people thought that was too far for a game like this.
The fact that they changed the name (after the backlash started) and the fact that there are different things legally doesn't change this.
Again, why hundreds of lewd games on the eShop didn't get any controversy but this one does. What is the difference?

Also, I literally answer to your comments. I implied your opinions on this matter from here. If you have any concrete opinion about this whole thing say it clearly instead of using a fancy word to try to invalidate my comments.

@jowe_gw >And how do you distinct "right to express opinions freely" and "destroy someone's reputation"?
Most legal systems (especially American legal system) have no problems with that. As do most people. The clue is "false statement of fact".

If you don't see the difference between the issue with the names and the "false rumours" then you're either being deliberately obtuse or just slow.

Ironic that this minority demographic discourages developers from providing for their target market by shaming them into capitulation, when these same Twitter folk (who don't represent everyone), no doubt influenced by and products of woke western culture, seem to be completely unfazed by all the other types of graphic violent content currently on the market. I don't see much campaigning against that.. but for some reason it's their mission to quash these already niche indie titles.

Hypocrisy aside, to me, it's the same as forcing your beliefs onto someone else. Why can't we have games for people of all persuasions and just live and let live? There's no reason to shut down expression of art just because you personally have a problem with it. But for the sake of argument, if we were going to re-evaluate our morals in entertainment, we might want to start looking at depictions of graphic violence first. You know, like dismembering people with garden tools in 4K. Seems more precedential somehow.

That said, I think we all deserve to game the way we want to game. Delaying/cancelling the title just gives these people more clout, while alienating and disappointing those who are actually looking forward to it. The illustration above perfectly shows the problem.

@SmaggTheSmug At least Bayonetta looks real compared to these overly cartoony looking girls that barely resemble real women while also looking like an adult flick designed for children.

@Slowdive Its not being cancelled tho its delayed definitely understand why this type of game would ruff some people up.

@russell-marlow I don't know, I always found her weirdly off-putting. The overly long legs make her look like some kind of a weird insect. But that's personal preferences.

@SmaggTheSmug You yourself said that is not the case anymore in Japan tho, since the new law doesn't require the statement being false.

And, AGAIN, I'm just saying that the name thing is what started this whole thing. People saw a lewd game that "went this far" and that's what seem to put people off. Again, hundreds of lewd games on the eShop with no controversy.

@PunkRx_Lockly "why can't people make lewd games and include names of people without concent? How far is the wOkE culture going to fall!?"

I want to mention the CONTEXT of the names because... you know, IT'S THE REASON WHY THIS CONTROVERSY STARTED IN THE FIRST PLACE and you didn't even bother mentioning it in your comment.

Comments like this are the worse for me in my opinion. They put all the critism in the same side. If you are a person that makes their opinion heard and say that you find what they did with this game wrong, you are just a "woke moralist". Because apperantly critism and free speach is a sin now. Because, yes, people that critize this game have free speach too.

@exit I mean... I personally find this type of games creepy as ***. But I usually don't care to critize anything since there is some niche market that buys them and they don't seem to bother anyone.
But the fact that this game ended up having real names without concent at some point made me quite annoyed. Because the context is not the same in that regard.

@jowe_gw Yeah, names I can understand. Although after a bit of reading it appears as though they didn't use the full names of the members of Hinatazaka46, just their first names. The likelihood of the names being coincidence is low however. I'm not actually familiar with Hinatazaka46, so I can't say whether they use their real names or pseudonym, whether they bear resemblance to any real life members of the group or whether they are protected under some sort of copyright in this context.

Totally get what you are saying though.

@exit Yeah, I know they didn't use the full names but, like you said, it's not that farfeched to assume who were they refeering too.

A lot of people here seem to imply that people are angry at the LEWD only but I honestly don't think that's the case and it's ignoring important context.

My opinion is that a bunch of people thought that a lewd game decided to do that was a "step too far". That and the bad timing with that incident of reported sex crimes in massage parlours in Japan arround this time makes this game look even more toxic (probably more than it actually is to be fair).

@jowe_gw Agreed, and a very good observation. I think emotions run a bit wild with these sorts of topics, and it can be easy for things to get heated. Thanks for taking the time to respond with that, as I think you were spot on. It's good to see the argument from all angles.

Good riddance. One less piece of media out there dehumanizing people and specifically objectifying women.

Tbh people can play whatever they want, it's not really my business, but this game in particular is kinda questionable imo for a couple reasons:

-The whole massage thing that the main character is drawing some kind of sexual undertone from is..kinda weird? This clearly isn't meant to be an inherently sexual massage and having someone think dirty thoughts about you while touching your body is just...ew.

-The name thing is sus and then changing it without saying anything implies they knew or realized it was wrong and tries to fix it covertly

-This is very likely just a me thing but the character still kinda look like teenagers? I don't know if it's just the facial features but it's kind of off putting to me.

And no I didn't plan on buying this but that doesn't mean I don't have the right to state my opinion. Free speech and all that, right guys?

This is actually still showing in the pre-order area of the EU e-shop.

For obvious reasons, I'm not going to call it the Coming Soon section.

I wasnt interested in this game at all but I would be upset if it got postponed/cancelled due to backlash,I do mot approve of censorship and Im all for ppl exploring their kinks in games/content etc as long as there is no victim nor any law is broken

Heh, reading this thread was pretty humorous.

@SmaggTheSmug Maybe Hideki Kamiya is just into tall spindly-looking women.

@russell-marlow IIRC she was designed by a woman.