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NEWS: Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore Switch Game's Japanese Version Is Based on Wii U Game's Weste


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Nyren



Joined: 07 Oct 2014
Posts: 703
PostPosted: Thu Oct 17, 2019 10:53 pm Reply with quote
encrypted12345 wrote:
There is some interesting speculation that part of the reason for the censorship coming even to the Japanese version is so that they can have a single global version that is able to conform to Chinese standards. If that is the case, it may be possible that content will be restricted in future first party Nintendo games to conform to Chinese standards, and that likely includes both fan service and LGBT content. This doesn't affect Mario or most Nintendo franchises, but it would affect Fire Emblem. I wouldn't mind if Nintendo simply made a version that conformed to Chinese standards and one that was fine with the rest of the world, but it's cheaper to make one version and simply be done with it.
I suppose that's one thing to consider, though I don't know much about either Nintendo or Sega's involvement in that market. Sega would probably definitely go for the global standard version, they don't really have the pockets or drive to at least spend the extra money to create two distinct versions for different markets. Nintendo on the other hand would likely without a doubt create a unique Chinese version if push came to shove. It still isn't ideal for Nintendo or Sega in this case because the game was originally released with two different versions. Fans weren't happy about the censorship the first time and were quite vocal about it to the point an uncensor patch for emulators and modded Wii U's was created, and then they now double down on that censorship despite the very vocal opposition to return of that version, but then go on to extend it to the originally uncensored Japanese version? Catering to China really isn't worth the damage in my opinion, but that's why I'm not a businessman.
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strawberry-kun



Joined: 23 Feb 2008
Posts: 301
PostPosted: Thu Oct 17, 2019 10:59 pm Reply with quote
I don’t think it’s problematic, but Nintendo does. That’s more what I meant. Personally, I agree that it’s tame.

@AiddonValentine: Eh, understandable, I guess. For me, I just don’t buy a game if there’s something that really bothers me about it. I’ve skipped games because of edits. I’ve skipped games because devs said something transphobic. And so on and so on.
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encrypted12345



Joined: 25 Jan 2012
Posts: 718
PostPosted: Thu Oct 17, 2019 11:10 pm Reply with quote
Nyren wrote:
encrypted12345 wrote:
There is some interesting speculation that part of the reason for the censorship coming even to the Japanese version is so that they can have a single global version that is able to conform to Chinese standards. If that is the case, it may be possible that content will be restricted in future first party Nintendo games to conform to Chinese standards, and that likely includes both fan service and LGBT content. This doesn't affect Mario or most Nintendo franchises, but it would affect Fire Emblem. I wouldn't mind if Nintendo simply made a version that conformed to Chinese standards and one that was fine with the rest of the world, but it's cheaper to make one version and simply be done with it.
I suppose that's one thing to consider, though I don't know much about either Nintendo or Sega's involvement in that market. Sega would probably definitely go for the global standard version, they don't really have the pockets or drive to at least spend the extra money to create two distinct versions for different markets. Nintendo on the other hand would likely without a doubt create a unique Chinese version if push came to shove. It still isn't ideal for Nintendo or Sega in this case because the game was originally released with two different versions. Fans weren't happy about the censorship the first time and were quite vocal about it to the point an uncensor patch for emulators and modded Wii U's was created, and then they now double down on that censorship despite the very vocal opposition to return of that version, but then go on to extend it to the originally uncensored Japanese version? Catering to China really isn't worth the damage in my opinion, but that's why I'm not a businessman.

Nintendo is working with Tencent to bring over the Switch to China, which is why the speculation exists. Causing parts of the Japanese and Western audience to boycott the game may be worth the money saved by not spending the money to provide an uncensored version, though that type of thing is hard to calculate. Like all speculation, it should be taken with a grain of salt, but it still seems plausible enough based on the circumstances.

Arguably, the best way to prevent future games from undergoing the same type of treatment is to boycott. It's the best way to show that pandering to China is a bad business move, unless such a thing is impossible in the first place due to the sheer size of the Chinese market. Though, I won't claim I'm boycotting a title I was very hesitant on buying in the first place for reasons unrelated to the censorship.
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pikabot



Joined: 19 Nov 2014
Posts: 168
PostPosted: Thu Oct 17, 2019 11:26 pm Reply with quote
BadNewsBlues wrote:

I don't remember hearing anything being removed from the remasters of Yakuza 3 or 4. Outside of them replacing the actor who played Tanimura for petty reasons.


They did remove a really bad and transphobic side quest from Yakuza 3 where Kiryuu has to run away from a bodybuilding okama stereotype. They also added back in content that was censored from the original version's western release, including a sidequest featuring a much more sensitive depiction of a trans woman.

These are changes that improve the game. I very much doubt they were motivated by any kind of outside pressure; rather, it seems a lot more likely that with the benefit of distance from the original development, recognizing that that sidequest really sucked (which it did; it was bad in concept, but it also just sucked to play) and quietly removed it.

And the same is true for these changes to TMS. The original 'uncensored' outfits are cringy garbage. Good riddance.
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Florete



Joined: 21 Jan 2018
Posts: 364
PostPosted: Thu Oct 17, 2019 11:31 pm Reply with quote
Ya know, people, not everyone who is against censorship is so just because they want to see underage girls in bikinis.

Frankly, I wasn't going to buy this game regardless; I have bigger problems than the censorship made to it. But it really does rub me the wrong way that they made such heavy edits only for it to end up with the same age rating it would have had either way. Also, they passed on dubbing the game for authenticity to the setting, but a lot of the changes they made took out other more Japanese aspects of the plot. All this on top of the fact that this is a very niche game in the first place, so while the whiners might technically be a vocal minority, they are likely a bigger chunk of the potential buyers than many other games would have.
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Crispy45



Joined: 23 Sep 2012
Posts: 363
PostPosted: Fri Oct 18, 2019 12:30 am Reply with quote
encrypted12345 wrote:
There is some interesting speculation that part of the reason for the censorship coming even to the Japanese version is so that they can have a single global version that is able to conform to Chinese standards.


I have to imagine it's only speculation because people right now are literally obsessed with China and are trying to scapegoat everything bad in the world on them. There is literally zero evidence this has anything at all to do with China other than they're the modern boogleymen for people at the moment.

A lot of the most popular anime on China's bilibili service is fanservice anime. This season's fanservice heavy Azur Lane is funded by and based on a Chinese mobile game to help promote it which is doing quite well last I checked. China is no prude when it comes to fanservice. Anyone trying to sell this as China meddling is either jumping on the bandwagon or just misinformed.

Nyren wrote:
And they still expect to sell the same or more in Japan?


Japan is quite upset with this decision if the comments on all the Japanese news articles and message boards about this are anything to go off of. I wouldn't expect it to do very well there
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BadNewsBlues



Joined: 21 Sep 2014
Posts: 5997
PostPosted: Fri Oct 18, 2019 1:10 am Reply with quote
Nyren wrote:
I can be counted among the number that won't be getting it. I didn't get the Wii U version either. I was interested in the game, still am, but I just can't agree with the changes made to the US version originally, that have been kept the second time around despite the fact they'd probably sell more if they reversed them,


In what market?

The (uncensored version) of the game bombed originally when it was released in Japan and while the edited version did fairly better in places like the U.S. people were still nursing hurt feelings more over the fact that it wasn't what they wanted in a SMTxFE crossover.

DavetheUsher wrote:
Yakuza remaster removed some trans joke quests and dialog too.


Oh......so nothing of value was lost?
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AiddonValentine



Joined: 07 Aug 2006
Posts: 2229
PostPosted: Fri Oct 18, 2019 3:38 am Reply with quote
pikabot wrote:

They did remove a really bad and transphobic side quest from Yakuza 3 where Kiryuu has to run away from a bodybuilding okama stereotype. They also added back in content that was censored from the original version's western release, including a sidequest featuring a much more sensitive depiction of a trans woman.

These are changes that improve the game. I very much doubt they were motivated by any kind of outside pressure; rather, it seems a lot more likely that with the benefit of distance from the original development, recognizing that that sidequest really sucked (which it did; it was bad in concept, but it also just sucked to play) and quietly removed it.

And the same is true for these changes to TMS. The original 'uncensored' outfits are cringy garbage. Good riddance.


Pretty much; the stuff they removed from the Yakuza 3 remaster was reductive garbage. Heck, the devs themselves said they did it because those parts of the game no longer reflect their opinions now.

It's not quite the same with TMS, but ultimately it's Nintendo trying to get rid of problematic elements. I've heard what the "original" version of Chapter 3 is, but I'm just gonna say it: the Japanese storyline was DUMB. It's not actually saying anything, it's using a BS excuse for titillation. It was done to get Tsubasa in a bikini first and making commentary second. Removing the fanservice changed the subtext and made it more interesting.
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Crispy45



Joined: 23 Sep 2012
Posts: 363
PostPosted: Fri Oct 18, 2019 4:47 am Reply with quote
AiddonValentine wrote:
It's not quite the same with TMS, but ultimately it's Nintendo trying to get rid of problematic elements..


Considering Three Houses has Ingrid making fun of Sylvain for flirting with a crossdresser because he was too dumb to notice "she was a he", I'm not too sure about that.

I disagree about the game "not saying anything". A game doesn't need to say anything. If they want to just put their characters in swimsuits for fanservice then they can. And judging by how they handle their other properties, Nintendo has no issues doing that like the summer banners for Fire Emblem Heroes and the upcoming sauna and maid outfits for Three Houses.

Basically, the way IS/Nintendo is treating Heroes and Three Houses compared to Tokyo Mirage Sessions seems incredibly obvious to me that it's not them behind this, so the only logical conclusion is it has to be Sega, since they're the ones who actually developed TMS and have actual control over it's development. Given their recent interviews which talks about them wanting to focus on the western market more, they probably saw the original censorship localization as what western audiences wanted so they used that as the basis for the Switch version, much to the chagrin of Japanese players.
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BadNewsBlues



Joined: 21 Sep 2014
Posts: 5997
PostPosted: Fri Oct 18, 2019 5:15 am Reply with quote
Crispy45 wrote:

I disagree about the game "not saying anything". A game doesn't need to say anything. If they want to just put their characters in swimsuits for fanservice then they can. And judging by how they handle their other properties, Nintendo has no issues doing that like the summer banners for Fire Emblem Heroes and the upcoming sauna and maid outfits for Three Houses.


Fates had a class that was centered around Maid & Butlers while also removing swimsuits from the north american version of the game.
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faboo95



Joined: 28 Dec 2014
Posts: 92
PostPosted: Fri Oct 18, 2019 8:38 am Reply with quote
harminia wrote:
and queue the angry nerds saying they now will not buy the game

That's rich, considering how upset I've seen this community gets over controversial content in anime . Laughing
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Shar Aznabull



Joined: 12 Jan 2015
Posts: 236
PostPosted: Fri Oct 18, 2019 8:48 am Reply with quote
While I don't like censorship as a rule of thumb I'm not going to throw a fit over minor changes. But wasn't #FE pretty much the poster child of Nintendo's egregious Wii U-era practices? Like getting rid of a breast slider or sexy bonus costumes is one thing, but outright altering the plot to the point of having seiyuu rerecord their lines to match is some SNES level nonsense.
Game doesn't really seem like my cup of tea anyways (not big on idol culture and still sore that it isn't a proper SMTxFE) but I can't blame anyone if they were hoping that it'd be unedited this time. If I recall correctly, wasn't the original Japanese release somewhat censored already by request from Avex? Maybe they're going a step further and just using the most censored version to begin with now.
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Nyren



Joined: 07 Oct 2014
Posts: 703
PostPosted: Fri Oct 18, 2019 8:59 am Reply with quote


Looks like Nintendo has been very swift to issue an apology to Japanese customers. I saw it last night before I crashed, but a LOT of Japanese players are not happy about getting a censored version of the game, just as I suspected. And they brought up the very valid point that initially, when pre-orders were made available, on both the eShop and the website the game used the uncensored photographs. Now, as this information came out, the artwork was updated to the censored versions, which is effectively false advertisement.
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Juno016



Joined: 09 Jan 2012
Posts: 2396
PostPosted: Fri Oct 18, 2019 10:21 am Reply with quote
Fluwm wrote:
harminia wrote:
and queue the angry nerds saying they now will not buy the game


It's 2019. They've been called the alt-right for a while now.


...I'm about as left-leaning as you can be and I don't like censorship either, not even for the sexualization of characters (after changing the ages to 18+, no less). I already own the original Japanese Wii U release, so I don't really have any big personal stakes here, but I do think it is pretty dumb to censor the game to the extent they did here. More so to use that for the Japanese release as well (the Switch already has region-specific releases, like Splatoon 2, Xenoblade 2, and the Musou games).
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Dark Absol



Joined: 09 Dec 2009
Posts: 813
PostPosted: Fri Oct 18, 2019 11:26 am Reply with quote
If it was censored, then what's the point of the age ratings?

In the end, censorships are just dumb, dumb, and dumb.
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