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NEWS: Idea Factory Discusses Censoring in Western Monster Monpiece


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Spotlesseden



Joined: 09 Sep 2004
Posts: 3514
Location: earth
PostPosted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 12:05 am Reply with quote
might as well just not bring to us. Sex sales. Not many people are going to buy it now.

I'm not getting it either way.
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RyanSaotome



Joined: 29 Mar 2011
Posts: 4210
Location: Towson, Maryland
PostPosted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 12:22 am Reply with quote
I hope they learn from the boycotts that its just not worth censoring these kinds of super niche games over here. Either release the whole thing or don't bother.
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partysmores



Joined: 23 Oct 2011
Posts: 284
PostPosted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 12:25 am Reply with quote
Quote:
The censored content is the same across the North American and European versions. Idea Factory explained that Europe's Pan European Game Information (PEGI) system rated the game for ages 12+ due to lack of violence while North America's Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) rated it Mature for sexual content.


Fuckin Murrica and their ESRB telling people under 17 what they can and cannot play, we should use PEGI.
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revolutionotaku



Joined: 19 May 2011
Posts: 881
PostPosted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 12:26 am Reply with quote
Censorship is the ultimate evil.
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dan9999



Joined: 25 Oct 2011
Posts: 648
PostPosted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 12:32 am Reply with quote
revolutionotaku wrote:
Censorship is the ultimate evil.


I can think of worst things (like mass surveillance), but yea, censorship is evil on any level.

Agreed with all above posters, if something will be mutilated for the sake of some old fart (or granny)´s twisted morals, dont bother.


Last edited by dan9999 on Thu Jan 23, 2014 12:33 am; edited 1 time in total
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luisedgarf



Joined: 02 Oct 2004
Posts: 656
Location: Guadalajara, Mexico
PostPosted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 12:32 am Reply with quote
partysmores wrote:
Quote:
The censored content is the same across the North American and European versions. Idea Factory explained that Europe's Pan European Game Information (PEGI) system rated the game for ages 12+ due to lack of violence while North America's Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) rated it Mature for sexual content.


Fuckin Murrica and their ESRB telling people under 17 what they can and cannot play, we should use PEGI.


Blame Japan and their senpai/kohai mentality towards the U.S.
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configspace



Joined: 16 Aug 2008
Posts: 3717
PostPosted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 12:36 am Reply with quote
Let me repost a portion of my reply in the X-Button thread:

Its purpose are those sexy cards, and it makes no qualms about being an otaku game at all, AND it's digital distribution only, AND there was absolutely NO nudity whatsoever (forbidden in Japan for any console game), AND it's still rated-M and age gated.

Here's what folks are missing out:
http://www.sankakucomplex.com/2014/01/22/strongly-sexual-monpiece-cards-banned/
http://chan.sankakucomplex.com/?tags=genkai_tokki_monster_monpiece

If Senran Kagura can make it over completely in tact (and rated T to boot), I don't see what they were thinking here with something just as tame.

WRT to the what was censored, if it's just age, they why were the many other non-loli, big boobed characters, leveled-up characters also removed? Again refer to what's possible with Senran Kagura

Furthermore, it cannot just be about trying to appeal to what's "acceptable", because again, this is a niche target and one only has to look at anime to realize this general statement:
Quote:
However, Western society is not as lenient as that of Japan when sexual images are involved

while true for mainstream sensibilities, is completely bunk and untrue for what is possible in the marketplace of ideas. Just look at anime and manga. Tons of anime pay no heed whatsoever to this sentiment.
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acetatsujin



Joined: 09 Jan 2008
Posts: 208
PostPosted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 12:57 am Reply with quote
Aww ... guess I'm not getting this game, then. Thanks for the news and heads up.

Censoring is a bad freaking idea. DO NOT EVER CENSOR! Or just don't license stuff.
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VanGosroth



Joined: 24 Mar 2006
Posts: 299
PostPosted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 1:05 am Reply with quote
Censorship is a cancer and I will never support it. The ESRB can go to hell. Want to release a game in stores that has 'highly objectionable' (But still legal) content? Enjoy your A/O rating based on an arbitrary rating scale and losing all hopes of any major retailers stocking your product. Don't feel like getting it rated by the ESRB? Whelp, looks like major retailers won't stock your product anyway. May as well make it as lewd as possible.

Idea Factory needs to ask 4Kids how one piece turned out for them.
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enurtsol



Joined: 01 May 2007
Posts: 14746
PostPosted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 1:14 am Reply with quote
So, I was correct.

  • I think they're hedging their bet that they could get away with less. They most likely don't expect to sell a lot of these, and they'd rather take their profits from a few hundred less and go home while they're ahead, than take their chances and possibly be in a fight just for an extra bit more profit. They're just a skeleton crew after all, so they can't be too greedy.



RyanSaotome wrote:

I hope they learn from the boycotts that its just not worth censoring these kinds of super niche games over here. Either release the whole thing or don't bother.


A little bit of profit is better than no profit (if they don't release it at all), is what they're thinking. And a little bit of profit is better than getting into a legal and/or PR fight, which may result in negative profit. They're not in this for ideological reasons - they're business; they have to be pragmatic (same reasons how AoA could charge ya guys an arm and leg).


Last edited by enurtsol on Thu Jan 23, 2014 1:24 am; edited 1 time in total
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Kougeru



Joined: 13 May 2008
Posts: 5521
PostPosted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 1:19 am Reply with quote
Boycott would be bad....and good idea. Bad because it will send a message that we dont want these kinds of games. They know we do but they'll view it that way. "We cant take the risk of having such characters blahblahblah".

Seocnd, TWO of the cards the censored are STUPID to censor. One of them is a standard bikini no worse than what I've seen underage girls wearing at beaches across America. Scorpion I think? Another one is a girl in "Grannie panties" from behind. How is that even bad? Half of these cards really didn't need to be censored even if it was a mainstream game. But as someone said earlier, it's a MAJOR niche game that only hardcore otaku will even buy, or know about. Hell, it seems mostly only otaku own Vitas but I'm not ignorant enough to state that as a fact. Pointless censorship is pointless. Not even real people...
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Aquaregia99



Joined: 19 Jan 2014
Posts: 33
PostPosted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 1:24 am Reply with quote
To me this just seems like a bad idea for a company's first shot at localization... I can't imagine this being good PR or a sign of good things to come. I wouldn't be surprised if this company started localizing all of the Idea Factory/Compile Heart games such as future Hyperdimension Neptunia, Mugen Souls, or Fairy Fencer F. If that's the case we might end up with worse situations than with Mugen Souls censorship (I think that one might have been mandated, but I am not sure).

After seeing some of the items that have been censored, I can see why parts of it might be found objectionable but most of the images portrayed aren't all that bad or something you wouldn't possibly see in a magazine isle at a gas station or grocery store.

Personally I find this type of censorship to be on the bad end of the spectrum as it's preemptive self-censorship with regards to a piece of media that has for the most part already been completed aside from slapping on a localization for the text.
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GiriOni



Joined: 10 Aug 2012
Posts: 218
PostPosted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 1:25 am Reply with quote
configspace wrote:


You believe everything sankaku posts? That's crazy, just look at the wording of the article: "Some examples of the sort of thing western Monpiece fans may be missing out on" That clearly means almost nothing at all. On the other hand a list that's more trustworthy (simply by including pictures specifically named as being taken out) can be found here: http://i1160.photobucket.com/albums/q496/cecilthedarkknight_234/1390407615277_zps93e2ce19.png (link courtesy of cecilthedarkknight_234) (NSFW)

In those pictures the depicted monsters are mostly "younger than a socially acceptable age". So what Idea Factory claims as reason for censorship stands. As with such pictures, I don't think it would make it onto the PSN.

My opinion? Clearly the Western world is much too sensitive about underage looking drawings. But, in the end, did Idea Factory make the right decision? I would believe so. If this went through uncensored the media would pick it up and twist it to make gamers and anime lovers all look like pedophiles. And the world could do without more terribly dumb finger-pointing. So until society loosens up, nothing can be done no matter how stupid it is.
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Stall_19



Joined: 07 Mar 2013
Posts: 78
PostPosted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 1:31 am Reply with quote
God dammit Japan, stop sexualizing children. That shit is extremely creepy.
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onyonz



Joined: 03 Oct 2011
Posts: 26
PostPosted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 1:32 am Reply with quote
If the game was made to cater to the basement dwelling otaku and you know full well that only they will buy your game, then why censor the "best" parts? Oh well, it's not like I'll buy this game anyway since I don't have a La Vita Loca.
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