Star Ocean 5 character gets less-sexy underwear 'in Fear of Western Criticism'

Haven't played JRPGs in years (sad in its own right), but definitely don't support any type of censorship (no matter how insignificant) for artistic creations.
 
I kinda want to see how well the asian edition of DOA3X sold now just to see if this is a valid tactic from companies. Not caring since its panties... SO is all about combat. (Story is going to be Okay or shit)
 
What we see as misoginystic and sexist here, is different there. I won't say it's right or wrong as I never like to choose sides on these discussions as every culture has different values, but I always try to "get in their shoes" in every culture. Be it eastern, western, etc.

And Japanese men certainly love and care about their women, perhaps too much. This probably doesn't happen that much in the more urbanized areas anymore:

They won't let women do certain things not because of misogyny, but because they don't want to see them get hurt.

It's the men that after getting paid at work, get home and the first thing they do is give their money to the women so they can control the family expenses.

jesus christ
 
Wait that's all they changed? The fuck is anyone pissy about?
The only pissy ones seem to be the ones who really liked the fuzzy gradient panties. This situation is an attack on them and they will spend $60 to rectify the situation. I think. That's how it usually goes down.
 
So stupid. Just change the western version for all the complainers... Let people who don't get their panties in a bunch over fake people being sexualized enjoy some sexy anime girls

Oh well, I was gonna play in English anyways so I don't care too much. Not going to avoid a game over a panty shot change
 
The only pissy ones seem to be the ones who really liked the fuzzy gradient panties. This situation is an attack on them and they will spend $60 to rectify the situation. I think. That's how it usually goes down.

Why would they spend $60 on the edited panties version?
 
I don't think this is a sales tactic, at least not this time.

Dragon's Crown, DOAX3 and Senran Kagura got their boost from western gaming outlets because they were touted as TOO HOT FOR THE WEST!

Here they're putting granny panties on the potato goblin.
 
Go write angry emails to them about how Senran Kagura can sell without controversy, rather than posting about an imaginary enemy.
By all mean it didn't explode into a huge controversy ( at least I don't think so ), but I still remember that a blog post from a former nintendo magazine writer sparked some talk around Burst release.
 
I honestly don't know. This thread confuses me; a bunch of people dying on a hill about almost literally nothing.
I watched a documentary on Japan called the last Samurai and it had their bravest warriors die on a hill (gunned down with the help of the puritanical, anti panty, pro violent machine gun west) while the last Samurai (Tom cruise) watched. So I think in japan it's considered an honorable death to die for panty
 
I watched a documentary on Japan called the last Samurai and it had their bravest warriors die on a hill while the last Samurai (Tom cruise) watched. So I think in japan it's considered an honorable death to die for panty

Go rewatch the movie, he was not the last samurai, whom was ken watanabe's character.
 
I watched a documentary on Japan called the last Samurai and it had their bravest warriors die on a hill (gunned down with the help of the puritanical, anti panty, pro violent machine gun west) while the last Samurai (Tom cruise) watched. So I think in japan it's considered an honorable death to die for panty

Way to prostrate yourself to you white masters, samurai
 
I think you missed the point of my post.

You might argue that there is gratuitous sexuality in SO5 by a panty shot. Maybe you're right (at least by some contemporary American standards). What I'm saying is, so what? Is that fact so egregious (in your mind) as to categorically dismiss every other redeeming quality of the game? The cool thing about art is that you don't have to like it. If every artist walked on eggshells so as not to offend, we'd have some pretty milquetoast art floating around.

I'm not dismissing the rest of the game, quite honestly i'm glad they took the time to address this because i'm still very much interested in playing this and i perceive this recent attitude of theirs as a positive. Especially after having read and heard so many concerns from japanese creators who regret that this adolescent and uninviting kind of sexual content is a necessary evil to remain economically viable, and who may now have a way to circumvent those limitations.

Otherwise, it's pretty funny to see you comment on the possibility of milquetoast art, not just because milquetoast art is already everywhere and there's really nothing wrong with it, but also that this pantie shot is exactly the kind of milquetoast you are referring to. The sexual release it proposes is of a voyeuristic kind, without repercussions, affecting no one, promising all the expectations of invading someone's private space without their knowledge or consent yet simultaneously offering it in a safe, nonjudgemental experience void of any real conflict, or risk. If anything, it's designed specifically for the player who is the milkiest of toasts, who wishes all the profit without any of the risk.

Moreover, please don't tell me that i don't have the right to criticize. That's not a good ground to stand on, and like you it's in my interest that art values itself, which is definitely not the case with the inclusion of these sexual fanservicy things that plague games.

Welp thanks mods for making my post useless. Now i'm replying to a dead man, what's the point in that? Thanks a lot. I lost twenty minutes on this post!
 
Entertainment is oversexed and changes need to be made, but I hope this doesn't divorce sexualization completely. It's natural human nature. Hopefully one day we can all be on an equal plane so when we titillate each other in fiction it isn't at anyone's detriment.

I like women who own their sexuality to an almost intimidating degree. Same with the reverse of this trope like Griffith from Berserk.
 
So stupid. Just change the western version for all the complainers... Let people who don't get their panties in a bunch over fake people being sexualized enjoy some sexy anime girls

Oh well, I was gonna play in English anyways so I don't care too much. Not going to avoid a game over a panty shot change

I think the idea was that if they changed it for all versions they'd avoid the usual shitstorm that would happen if they changed it just for the western version.

Which would probably have worked just fine if that guy had kept his fuckin' mouth shut about it.
 
Lol just saw the Japanese reaction image. DO NOT CONSORT WITH FOREIGNERS lol
It is weird that the dev would change it for all versions of the game and the change does look funny (it's all poofed up now).
Pretty much all I have to say about this.
 
It's ironic that the gaming industry wants people to take them seriously, but its temperament is so anemic that it censors itself at the same time. Panty shot, woo hoo. Reminds me of the release of Nabokov's Lolita. Initial reception was as such that it didn't look beyond the surface of what the book was about. Puritanical sensibilities crushed its reception and took some time before cooler heads prevailed.

Not saying that SO5 will be the bastion of high-art (no such thing, but you know what I mean), but stinging every effort by those to simply create is not a good way to have your industry thrive and freely express itself.

Or, you know, just don't play it if you don't like it. There are far, far worse things in cinema and literature if you are itching to get incensed about something.

This has virtually no meaningful similarities to Lolita's publication history. The latter involved actual legally enforced censorship in Europe, as well as its very real possibility in the States (though it never actually came to pass in America) not the "we are too scared of snarky tweets from mean video game critics" stuff that passes for censorship on video game forums.
 
Was the change necessary? No
Should it matter? No

Outrage to "outrage culture" has gotten ridiculous. Every little thing is another travesty when it doesn't even effect a small part of your life.
 
I'm not dismissing the rest of the game, quite honestly i'm glad they took the time to address this because i'm still very much interested in playing this and i perceive this recent attitude of theirs as a positive.

Yeah, people can criticize and dislike problematic stuff in a game while still liking other aspects, and even liking the game overall! That should be obvious, I hope, but I've seen a lot of people accuse others of treating it like an all-or-nothing proposition either out of misunderstanding or deliberate misrepresentation.
 
Such a small thing. But it's disconcerting to see people reacting to pressure. Design the characters in your game the way you want to. Who cares what people say. They don't have to buy it.
 
& here I was thinking that the Overwatch thing was too minor to complain about. Meanwhile Star Ocean has changed panties to... panties & people (again) flip their shit.

I saw japanese women being interviewed about this on Youtube.

I don't think I've ever laughed as much at a gaf post as this one. This entire exchange was great. A+
 
But they conceded. If it's just PR to generate sales then it would make more sense to publicize that the dev refused to bow to complainers.
No but they're "victims" and evidently deserve a charitable game purchase to the degree of US$60. lmao
 
So...why mention this at all two days before the game's release and raising a shitstorm when they could have kept quiet and assumed that hardly anyone would notice? The number of people comparing the length of the character's clothes in pre release footage and post release should be that high, right?
 
So...why mention this at all two days before the game's release and raising a shitstorm when they could have kept quiet and assumed that hardly anyone would notice? The number of people comparing the length of the character's clothes in pre release footage and post release should be that high, right?

Maybe by doing this, they are shooting to bring back Japan's integrity and faithfulness to the western audience, one game, and one diaper at a time.
 
"All foreigners play are games where you slaughter people indifferently. So they got a lot of nerve to speak up about small things like this in other countries' games"

Well can't argue with that.

Eh, most of the dudebros that play indifferent slaughtering games are not the ones up in arms about the representation of women in gaming. Let's not pretend that they are mostly one and the same.
 
Elaborate.

Yeah, there are people who enjoy virtual sexualized teenagers. So what? People are capable of differentiating between real life and fiction.

Quite hypocritical that so many people look down on this stuff but don't say a single thing about people enjoying shooters, though that's tangential.

You got me on the shooter part tbh.

However, I still believe that it's indicative of liking that stuff in real life. If someone enjoys watching hentai of children having sex, I simply cant see how they can detach that from liking CP in real life.
 
You got me on the shooter part tbh.

However, I still believe that it's indicative of liking that stuff in real life. If someone enjoys watching hentai of children having sex, I simply cant see how they can detach that from liking CP in real life.

by that logic Bronies want to fuck actual horses
 
Haven't played JRPGs in years (sad in its own right), but definitely don't support any type of censorship (no matter how insignificant) for artistic creations.

they themselves edited out pandering in their japanese role playing video game to increase the size of the market. this isn't censorship.

let's not pretend that decisions made to appeal to men who enjoy looking at shiny anime women come from an "artistic" place either - it comes from a making money place. they decided that editing the game would make them more money.
 
Why do they care what westerners think? It's not like there have been any boycotts happening to these games. Oh no someone is going to complain on youtube about panties, the horror the horror! !!!
Just release the game as they intended it to be.
 
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