A visual novel up on Xbox LIVE Indie Games for 240 msp out of Japan has been removed by Microsoft after a complaint from... Microsoft Europe? What? Yeah, the story gets even weirder too. Given a warning that he should remove the game voluntarily, the creator asked Microsoft if there was any way he could remove the content just from Europe.
No dice said MS, take it down or we'll remove it ourselves and ban you from the service. Reluctantly I would imagine, the game has since been taken down.
The offending content? One screen which containted too many reminders of "sexual assault" for Europe's poor little brains to handle. In the scene, a girls hand is restrained, she is lying on the floor, and her panties are visible. There is no sex in the game whatsoever, nor any explicit sexual material. Just this one shot of a girls panties.
So, now that Indie Games are open to all (most) regions, it means that they must all adhere to every regions restrictions? Ok, that might be fine I guess, but what about when those restrictions are ambiguous "reminders of sexual assault" wtf, non-existant (these are not published anywhere at all, officially there are no restrictions, that's what the vetting process is for, to work out whether or not the game is appropriate) and inflexible (the guy asked very politely if it could just be removed from Europe. A logical and perfectly reasonable request, no?)
Honestly, the whole service has taken a knock from this in my eyes, having to adhere to invisible restrictions that can be invoked with just a few complaints from someone half way around the world? No fucking thank you.
I seen this a few days ago somewhere else. I think it's kinda dumb. He have people chainsawing monsters but, can't have someone get pushed over. I don't get it.
"I seen this a few days ago somewhere else. I think it's kinda dumb. He have people chainsawing monsters but, can't have someone get pushed over. I don't get it. "
Don't be hyperbolic.You can push people over as much as you like, you just can't push over people who are wearing panties. That's why, in Europe, it's illegal to push over Ryan Davis.
"I seen this a few days ago somewhere else. I think it's kinda dumb. He have people chainsawing monsters but, can't have someone get pushed over. I don't get it. "
Don't be hyperbolic.You can push people over as much as you like, you just can't push over people who are wearing panties. That's why it's illegal to push over Ryan Davis in most states. "
I hate this crap, in a fictional piece of media why cant I see something reminds you of sexual assault? You can see someone get completely eviscerated yet apparently a pair of panties a hand on a hand is offensive? Its one thing that you might want to "protect the kids" because your (in my opinion) overprotective but why cant I, as an adult, see that? In fictional media (for example books, film and games) I/you can murder people, whole nations or universe's, have sex with hookers and rape people but a pair of panties and a hand that looks like it might be putting some pressure on to a single arm is too much?
I dont particularely want to play games that feature the rape of someone, though in all honesly the idea of a visual novel entitled "And Yet, I Love You" seems kind of appealing, but I at least want that choice as a consumer to have a story with a rape in it and as a creator, or for the creators, I want the choice of including rape into a story because I can be powerful.
Though as a side note, the image that is included for the scene is essentially the same image used when a crime drame has a rape scene (it usually gets that far then cuts to afterwords or the next day).
The other odd thing about it is that the text is entirely in Japanese. So the image is being taken out of whatever context it takes place in during the storyline, they are basing this whole thing on that one image alone. Pretty bullshit if you ask me, forget over-protective, it's just complete bullshit.
" @Pazy: The other odd thing about it is that the text is entirely in Japanese. So the image is being taken out of whatever context it takes place in during the storyline, they are basing this whole thing on that one image alone. Pretty bullshit if you ask me, forget over-protective, it's just complete bullshit. "
I was thinking that too, I wont have a chance to play it (since it was built in XNA for 360 (though could be recompiled for PC I think) and its entierely in japanese) but has anyone reported on what the story is like? From the name it sounds like a love story, for all I/we know that could actually be a very tender scene where say they both are in a park and fall over and then the guy declares his love (hence are shocked face).
Honestly I have no idea, having played a few of that type of game I suspect he pins her down and considers... you know, then realises what a twat he is. But yeah, what happens in the scene imo isn't the point, even if it's in that light, i've seen worse in eastenders you know.
I've not read anything about the story but I hear it's a pretty popular game for XBL Indie Games in Japan. The only thing I have read is that it is indeed a love story.
" @Pazy: Honestly I have no idea, having played a few of that type of game I suspect he pins her down and considers... you know, then realises what a twat he is. But yeah, what happens in the scene imo isn't the point, even if it's in that light, i've seen worse in eastenders you know. I've not read anything about the story but I hear it's a pretty popular game for XBL Indie Games in Japan. The only thing I have read is that it is indeed a love story. "
If its a love story then even it he realises his love during a potential rape then it dosent seem terrible (versus him being bored, raping a girl then goes back to a seperate story) then this is even more of an over reaction. Screw this crap, soemone needs to learn japanese and get his email then get him to make a PC version and an english translation.
'porting' these games over to PC is a literal one click job (although from PC to Xbox is a little more complicated, but not much, you just have to change a few things and setup the controller) you can distribute the EXE yourself if you like it doesnt have to be through indie games either.
A lot of these games can be gotton in Games for Windows Live as well.
" 'porting' these games over to PC is a literal one click job (although from PC to Xbox is a little more complicated, but not much, you just have to change a few things and setup the controller) you can distribute the EXE yourself if you like it doesnt have to be through indie games either. A lot of these games can be gotton in Games for Windows Live as well. "
Im hoping he does it, if its that simple then at least getting a japanese version out should take no more than an hour (including the compiling into an exe) but I wonder if he would be interested in an english version, theres will probably be enough buzz about it to get some downloads from it and if its good this could get him some fans for PC based Visual Novels if he makes more.
Oh hmm, apparently you can't get indie games on GFWL. At least I can't find them in the menu, odd because the marketplace website didn't state they were Xbox only. Oh well.
"Boo I guess. Honestly its hard to care about it when its shit game no one in their right mind would... correct myself should want to play. "
First and foremost that's not relevant, someone could say exactly the same thing about Gears of War, Tomb Raider, Persona 4, or in fact any game they dislike. Considering the genre is popular in the area it originated from, i'd say you're actually pretty ignorant for making that statement, by all rights it's as stupid a statement as the same statement for any of the above games. And actually, as these sorts of games go, it looked like one of reasonable quality. So hardly 'shit'.
The genre or quality of the game in question is only barely relevent to the discussion anyway, it's the moral implications that are under fire here.
Wow. Not to be insulting, but normally you'd expect someone from America to complain about a panty shot sooner than you would someone from Europe. Guess there are preuds everywhere you go.
...Makes me wonder if the person (or people) that complained reacts the same way when seeing panties in rl. "ZOMG PANTIES! BANZ IT!!! BANZ IT!!!"
" Europeans fuckin' shit up for the rest of us again. THANKS GUYS "
We're just trying to make up for you guys ruining the planet....by preventing you from playing a xbox live indie game..."Well done Hans, Jean-Michel the Americans will have to stop polluting once we take an xbox live indie game from them" Calm the fuck down and it was the european divison of Microsoft not all Europeans. And the decision to ban it didnt come from a european...
" A visual novel up on Xbox LIVE Indie Games for 240 msp out of Japan has been removed by Microsoft after a complaint from... Microsoft Europe? What? Yeah, the story gets even weirder too. Given a warning that he should remove the game voluntarily, the creator asked Microsoft if there was any way he could remove the content just from Europe.
No dice said MS, take it down or we'll remove it ourselves and ban you from the service. Reluctantly I would imagine, the game has since been taken down.
The offending content? One screen which containted too many reminders of "sexual assault" for Europe's poor little brains to handle. In the scene, a girls hand is restrained, she is lying on the floor, and her panties are visible. There is no sex in the game whatsoever, nor any explicit sexual material. Just this one shot of a girls panties.
So, now that Indie Games are open to all (most) regions, it means that they must all adhere to every regions restrictions? Ok, that might be fine I guess, but what about when those restrictions are ambiguous "reminders of sexual assault" wtf, non-existant (these are not published anywhere at all, officially there are no restrictions, that's what the vetting process is for, to work out whether or not the game is appropriate) and inflexible (the guy asked very politely if it could just be removed from Europe. A logical and perfectly reasonable request, no?)
Honestly, the whole service has taken a knock from this in my eyes, having to adhere to invisible restrictions that can be invoked with just a few complaints from someone half way around the world? No fucking thank you.
I don't know if this is a totally a Microsoft issue. They are just trying to not stir the pot. As much as I think region locks can be counterintuitive this story shows the importance of them, especially in the all digital age. If only the Indie Dev was able to lock certain regions out of the game we wouldn't be talking about this right now.
sigh...Yet more censorship from people who think they know better than you.
" americans are fagets they cannot take a bit of sexuality but shooting somebody in the head is fine. "
You're the "faget" (whatever that is) because you didn't actually read the story. This is about some European asshole getting their "panties" in a bunch over this...douche
i've noticed alot of people in this thread don't get the whole issue correctly.
This was a decision made by Microsoft Europe for god knows what reason, people in europe didn't just randomly get up to get a japanese game banned off the service...so it has nothing to do with people of a certain continent.
What it does mean though is that censoring or outright banning something off XBL is that simple...which is a scary thought.
" i've noticed alot of people in this thread don't get the whole issue correctly. This was a decision made by Microsoft Europe for god knows what reason, people in europe didn't just randomly get up to get a japanese game banned off the service...so it has nothing to do with people of a certain continent. What it does mean though is that censoring or outright banning something off XBL is that simple...which is a scary thought. "
A company doesn't decide anything. People do. It was either someone inside the European branch at Microsoft who was offended or they received complaints. So it actually does have to do with people of a certain continent getting all rankled up.
"Europeans fuckin' shit up for the rest of us again. THANKS GUYS "
Erm yes every single person in Europe gets the blame for something just one or two people complain about? That wasn't the fariest of comments. :/
Do we blame America for Iraq? No, just the texas idiot, Bush. Do we blame Germany for the holocaust? No, Just Hitler. (Extreme examples, but extreme examples get the message across).
@L33tfella_H: Yeah i suppose he was Austrian, but it was Germany i personally think off when he's mentioned.. and I'm sure the same goes for a few others
This reactionary censorship bullshit really pisses me off. The fact that it only took a panty shot to get an indie game removed from the marketplace has got to be pretty discouraging to some indie devs out there. Reminds me of how Apple has been cracking the whip recently on the App store. Damn
Well admittedly it's more understandable than banning scenes of involving consensual sex. Europe is big on not wanting to depict violent acts in their media; as opposed to the US which is big on not wanting to depict sexual acts in their media. This is kinda dumb yeah but a lot less dumb than the censorship you see from the US.
One reason behind this decision : MS wanting to protect their corporate image. They won't want little Billy to get ahold of a game like this and mommy and daddy to sue MS or raise a media shitstorm.
" Erm yes every single person in Europe gets the blame for something just one or two people complain about? That wasn't the fariest of comments. :/ Do we blame America for Iraq? No, just the texas idiot, Bush. Do we blame Germany for the holocaust? No, Just Hitler. (Extreme examples, but extreme examples get the message across). "
But by calling him "the texas idiot, Bush", aren't you making a statement about Texans? Seems like you think being from Texas has something to do with his actions. If not, why qualify him that way? Aren't you attempting to discourage that in your post?
" One reason behind this decision : MS wanting to protect their corporate image. They won't want little Billy to get ahold of a game like this and mommy and daddy to sue MS or raise a media shitstorm. "
Speaking of that, are there any controls that prevent you from buying indie games with 3/3 mature content or 3/3 sexual content ratings if your gamertag's age is below 18?
@Bigandtasty: I don't know if there are controls, but there are content ratings for Xbox Live Indie Games. If those are insufficient, then Microsoft should really be fixing that instead of just banning stuff.
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