If you’re like me—which for your sake I’m hoping you’re not—you may take notice to the minute differences between games produced by foreign business as compared to the content you receive in your localized, or nation-specific version of the game.
Yes, I am talking about something as small as the changes to a character’s visible undergarments. Certainly, if you’ve made it this far you might be aware but it does not take much for someone to get his or her literal panties in a bunch in this type of scenario.
Am I deeply emotionally affected by any of this? No, certainly not; however, these changes to foreign content for an American audience is at times so incredibly lazy that it is without defense entirely. This is of particular upset when much success has been found in foreign markets for Japanese gaming companies.
The issue is larger than just the entirely gross decision to censor content from an audience, but perhaps more disappointing is that the American audience has expressed no desire for any of these changes to content. It’s not an option as an import to select what version you’re getting anymore. It’s as silly as importing “Pokemon Red” and Blue, but then by the sole nature as an English speaking gamer you are now subject to unnecessary and at times, blatantly confusing changes to characters.
One of the largest localization changes that made the rounds last year was that of “Fire Emblem: Fates” and “Fire Emblem: Conquest,” two titles from the longstanding line of the Japanese “Fire Emblem franchise.”
“Fire Emblem” has humble roots in early American gaming as far back as the Game Boy Advance. Slowly but surely, exposure through cult classics like “Super Smash Bros.” exposed a broader and broader audience to “Fire Emblem” titles.
Do you see what I’m getting at? If Fire Emblem’s producers had made localization changes to their characters for American release, when they resulted in a massive launch from their appearances in other media, customers would potentially be turned off. Every instance you impress upon your consumer base, you are selling your game to them. I don’t want to pay for one thing and get another.
The localization changes seem to have no intention of slowing down anytime soon. In one of my personal favorite titles, “Xenoblade: Chronicles,” Japan’s version features a shall we say, more in depth character customization option. In Japan’s version, there is a “slider” for which the player may move the bar to increase the prevalence of specific features to their character model. The slider for breast size was removed.
So Japan is telling me I bought their game and do not get to experience it in full Double ‘D’ realness. I personally could not care less about mammary melodrama, but the notion still holds true—I don’t want any of my features removed or changed.
As a game company, it looks pretty less-than-impressive to decide what choices your player has arbitrarily. The sheer notion of removing something as silly as a breast slider bar makes me frustrated because although I may not play for that team, I am still a player and I want to feel in control of my own character. It’s hard to feel like you’re in an open-world game when your customization has been specifically targeted.
Playing the random moral agents is not the business of a gaming company. I guess all the blood from, you know, literally murdering likely thousands of creatures and opponents is less offensive than should my character have the chest size I personally feels she should have. Would you rather your game receive an F or your players get their Double ‘D’s?
I’ll offer some support here besides my breast argument. Despite language differences, translation has come a long way. There’s no excuse that a character should suddenly assume a different personality because they’re speaking English. Often times, such as in the Fates titles, these renditions take away from the depth of their characters; opting for comical effect over character development.
I remember the mild complaints from fringe groups over Tracer, a character in “Overwatch” earlier this year. Tracer had a pose that some felt was too suggestive and sexual for the game—a first person shooter. Both men and women in the title contain potentially sexual elements—seeing as they are mostly human. Even the robot is sexualized, I assure you. So what did Blizzard Entertainment do? They removed the pose.
Right as all these journalists like myself got all up in arms over how they essentially caved to nonsense, Blizzard updated Tracer with an even further sexualized pose. Blizzard connected further with players meanwhile assuring us that there would be no politics; neither interrupting our experience nor sacrificing it.
It’s hard to trust publishers I’d otherwise want to champion when we’ll never know as an American audience if we’ll get to experience the same set of characters and plot as our Japanese counterparts. If I can’t trust a publisher, I can’t connect to their game nevertheless their brand. If their brand is misrepresented, it just translates to fewer sales. The word gets out quickly whether the localization scraps that unique experience particularly Japanese MMROPG game’s have made a niche market for.
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, please petition Monolith Soft to reinstate the breast-slider.
Barton Kleen
Executive Editor