Fire Emblem Fates' localization doesn't have the petting minigame

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TBH, I wouldn't call it "effective", grinding spotpass/skirmishes would be faster.
If true then I don't really mind cutting it out. I mean it's optional and won't interrupt "normal" players, but It's clearly a controversial addition in the series and not including it in the localization is a business move, and a right one at that, considering the reactions in this thread.
 
It's definitely that is it? There's absolutely no other reason this could have happened, other than fear of a non-existent controversy? I'm sure you have a source for this incontrovertible fact?

It certainly couldn't be that this was looked at by a bunch of people with fresh eyes, who then collectively decided "yep, this is fucked up, this makes the game worse, let's cut it." There's absolutely no way that happened.
Neither you nor I are mind-readers, so you're right, no one should say "definitely." I'll instead say I strongly suspect this is done out of fear of controversy.
 
Okay first off I want to start by bringing up something I couldn't really find in this topic, what exactly this feature did (if anything) from http://serenesforest.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=54895

- With "Skinship", you can touch your comrades' faces (regardless of gender) and improve the bond between you and them. These improved bonds affect units stats when engaged in battle within "Attack Stance" and "Guard Stance". This can also allow your bonded unit to receive a "Surge" in stats, which is a temporary stat boost for the next battle. Be warned, that skinship isn't as easy as it may seem, since certain characters prefer to be touched in certain ways or places. Just as you can be successful, you can also fail in building a bond with skinship.

So lets take away the actual act of the skinship mini game for a moment and what we have is Nintendo removing a feature that provided a support and battle bonus to characters that is optional but useful, take that as you will (either positive or negative or just indifferent).

Now lets talk about the actual skinship events, I watched a few before I posted this and while I thought it was weird (I can certainly see some people saying creepy, I guess) its not as if you are touching these peoples private parts or really even in a sexual way (although it sounds like the S ranked conversations during this can be much more lewd) and sounds like it was completely harmless... weird, but harmless.

The actual problem I have with this however is that after Awakening was such a big hit in the west Nintendo knew they would be bringing Fates to the west (correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't the first announcement of the game also a confirmation it would be coming to the west?) and most people would tell you with one look at the skinship system from the original announcement that there was no way it would come over to the west as it was...

So why was it still in the game as it is? Why instead of just a simple face touching mini game wasn't it changed to be more of an interactive support mechanic where instead of touching peoples faces you converse with and 'touch' (not the same thing, keep reading!) the other character. Say one of the characters is feeling down about their performance in battle, you could raise their spirits by patting them on the back and telling them they were fine/can do better/you believe in them, ect or if they did really well you can high-five or fist bump or something, if you are romancing someone can hold hands, or hug, you get the idea. Touching itself is a powerful thing with people you care about and I think it could actually be a good mechanic. Keep the idea of 'skinship' but making it less creepy for general audiences and perhaps actually have more character development in such segments, because as it stands we now don't have this feature and any voiced lines along with it that could have provided more character interaction which is the reason I like the FE series so much is the character interaction, even if the feature was weird.

So that's my question or rather suggestion to Nintendo going forward, if you actually going to have to remove features from a game in one region or another why aren't you talking to the developers to design features to be appropriate for all? I think the alternative I listed in the last paragraph is better all around then face touching and you would generally see less backlash then every time you remove something from a game because of localization. I don't want things removed from my game so either give people the option or stop designing things that you end up having to to remove in western releases.

To some, this is a non-issue and I get that, its a small thing but I like my games to be complete and the idea that I'm paying a high premium for the game already (its 80$ for this game, don't say its not because we all know it is!) and it has less content (even if that content I freely admit is weird and I would mostly laugh at) just doesn't sit well with me.
 
I seriously don't get why they took it out tho

The conversation sure but as that Kotaku writer noted it's incredibly rare to depict physical intimacy in games even if it is in a little... strange way but I'm sure most would argue that if you can do it to characters of any gender it's not that big of a deal.
 
It's definitely that is it? There's absolutely no other reason this could have happened, other than fear of a non-existent controversy? I'm sure you have a source for this incontrovertible fact?

It certainly couldn't be that this was looked at by a bunch of people with fresh eyes, who then collectively decided "yep, this is fucked up, this makes the game worse, let's cut it." There's absolutely no way that happened.

Those localizers up in the Treehouse should have applied that acute game design acumen to those garbage Paper Toad missions in Paper Jam. Would have made the game roughly eight times better.
 
*Reads thread*
This thread absolutely disgusts me.

Creative freedom shaming, censorship based on region perception and cost cutting measures, shaming attempts at "intimate concepts" in games, and somehow shaming "muh fire emblem too animu" when it has been animu since day one. That last one is weird. Are ye ashamed of liking anime? What are ye lot, 12?

A lot of you peeps need to mature up yesterday. Lost dialogues erk me the most out of this latest censorship. Looks like my decision to not import backfired. Cannot and will not support this move by the NoA.

Which is unfortunate considering that "date rape" scene I thought NoA made the right step forward but the cutting of minigame which is conpletely optional is taking two steps backwards. I personally do not care for the petting but I would like to have tried it at least once. The dialogues being lost due to the removal though erks me. One of the things I enjoy most of FE is its script. Any removal of dialogues unless controversial can only be a bad thing.

Also, in a sakurai interview where he had his say on this, just ignore the optional shit like he says. Its optional. Why so erked over something completely optional? Its like some of ye are just looking for an excuse to be offended, creeped out, etc. Any excuse to not buy the game. The date rape scene is messed up and the changes justified. Someone at IS screwed up bad there.
The removal/changes make sense.

But removing optional not even sexual petting with dialogues being lost by association? Just because of an immature few who get uncomfortable with JUST PETTING? That there is some sad business. Are y'all lot just as uncomfortable watching people hold hands? Is holding hands too 'intense" for ye? There is no defense for this. At all. How can one get uncomfortable? And because of this, dialogues are lost. Very Disappointed. Gonna import my game now. Good grief.

The saddest part is that Supposedly FE fans were not gonna buy this game because of petting, too animu, or w/e bs reason one can come up with. Some FE fan there. Disgusting.
 
Machoke's bulge is much more my speed anyway.
I'm pleased with this removal. Might actually end up buying the game.
More than that, I'm amused. Won't be bothering to follow the shitstorm, but the news alone got a cuckle out of me.
 
The removal of "content" that flies flagrantly against the tone of the game and more or less amounts to pandering for pandering's sake is only a benefit. It's strange to me that so many people have this idea that more content inherently equals better.

If there was a remake of Star Wars: Episode I that removed or reduced Jar Jar Binks' role to try and make the overall message of the film better would you be crying out how that was censorship? Is that really different?

This is some misguided parallelism you're making here. A movie has a completely different type of fruition compared to a game where pace isn't as paramount of a factor where everything has to wrap up neatly in around two hours.
There's no heavy obligation to having internal coherence in a world where games have those nice things called menus that let you select what mode you want to play, all the while not subtracting from any main or story mode. Hence, removing such game modes basically boils down to self censorship.
 
Aw, I'm a bit disappointed because I just wanted to try it for the giggles, even if it's stupid and awkward as fuck lol

But eh, it's okay, I can live with that. I'm still hyped for the game!
 
While we're at it why not make every female have the same chest size too? Also make sure to cut out any fanservice scenes.

Let's just go all the way and make sure the game will be totally clean and serious. All characters will be covered completely from the neck down. Hair will also be covered. They will also be gender neutral. Hugs, attacks with physical content and touching of any sort between characters will be cut.

There. Respectable RPG.

Anything less than this is equivalent to eating shit apparently and totally compromises the game's and player's dignity. 😞
 
I seriously don't get why they took it out tho

The conversation sure but as that Kotaku writer noted it's incredibly rare to depict physical intimacy in games even if it is in a little... strange way but I'm sure most would argue that if you can do it to characters of any gender it's not that big of a deal.
Because people like the ones in this thread don't actually know or care about that stuff and would continue saying "creepy" and express joy at its exclusion.
 
I don't care about the change. Was never gonna use it, but I wasn't bother by its inclusion.
I was more concern about the gameplay, but Intelligent systems got me covered on that.
 
You're stretch of an analogy contaminates the entire meal with inedible content. The censored, optional feature here had no impact on the rest of the game.
I think it does have an impact on the overall tone of the game. There's an intent on the side of the developers here to provide something to a certain part of the fanbase, and that absolutely affects how the game as a designed piece and as a whole is perceived, even if someone would not engage with that particular content.
 
Removing it entirely seems excessive, but I can't say I'll miss it.

It is nice they are telling us about these changes before release.
 
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