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[kingbean]

https://www.wsj.com/articles/sony-cracks-down-on-sexually-explicit-content-in-games-11555427944

A Sony spokeswoman confirmed the company has established its own guidelines "so that creators can offer well- balanced content on the platform" and gaming "does not inhibit the sound growth and development" of young people. She declined to say when these guidelines were introduced or to discuss them in detail.

“You don’t know what they will say until you complete the work and submit it for review,” said the chief executive of a small game developer in Japan. “And if they are not happy, even if they allowed the same degree of sexuality a few days before, we need to take it back and ask our staff to make adjustments. That’s very costly.”

Yeah, because Senran Kagura is ruining development of young people.

I just don't understand how a company can police what I'm allowed to enjoy. When my Dad died I chose to escape by playing a lot of video games for about a month and one of the primary games I played during that terrible time was Senran Kagura Estival Versus. And under current management I'd have that simple, harmless joy taken away.

Bunch of self righteous puritans.

 

[Mobile Suit Gooch]

There it is.gif

 

[DeepEnigma]

Keep the heat on them and they’ll be forced to adjust, or at least have a more consistent policy, and not what emotional imbalance the team is having that day.

 

[PrCat88]

I've lost interest in Sony fast cause of this. I'm sure they will always have their fans, but I just can't support this. It's already made me shift my third party game puchases to xbox and pc.

 

[Nikana]

Seems like such an odd time to start enforcing this.

 

[hunthunt]

I dont undestatand this controversy. I wonder if its because im too old to care about nude polygonal characters.

All I care about its good games and apparently almost everyone thinks like me.

 

[Aranea]

At the very least we can support the uncensored editions. If a game is censored on the PS4, we can always buy that game on PC/Switch assuming is not a Sony exclusive.

 

[Verdanth]

Sony SJW. Cut the crap, Sony.

Let games, players and developers have, receive and deliver, respectively, what they are supposed too.

 

[Shin]

Ah fuck that shit, they were offering "well balanced" content all the years until it became a problem for someone internally.
They can shove those "guidelines" up their ass and move the fuck back to Japan or move the HQ to Europe where it's not an issue.
We have a rating board for all this, don't need to re-invent the wheel where it's not needed.

 

[The Cartographer]

I dont undestatand this controversy. I wonder if its because im too old to care about nude polygonal characters.

All I care about its good games and apparently almost everyone thinks like me.

Not this shit again.
Do people like you really fail to understand what the problem here is or are you just fucking around with us?

 

[MrRogers]

Well the truth is out. Buy accordingly, fellow freedom lovers....

I actually think i'm going all Nintendo and PC next gen. Sony has let the puritan censoring progs stateside takeover, and I guarantee that TLOU2 will set the trend of their western made exclusives proselytizing neoliberal goup to pesky "gamers", with all their franchises to follow inserting similar agitprop material. Microsoft on the other hand just doesn't offer any exclusives i'm interested in.

 

[kingbean]

I dont undestatand this controversy. I wonder if its because im too old to care about nude polygonal characters.

All I care about its good games and apparently almost everyone thinks like me.

Are you old enough to remember when sexual content was forbidden in movies? Notice how no one gives a shit about that anymore?

I guess games are held to a higher moral standard because...

Plenty of people love sexual content its human nature. I don't play games for it, but I don't like having it taken away or censored by some stuck up holier-than-thou prick.

 

[hunthunt]

Not this shit again.
Do people like you really fail to understand what the problem here is or are you just fucking around with us?

Yeah I understand the problem, you guys want to see naked polygonal characters and Sony changed their internal policies. They don't want to be asociated with creepy shit.

 

[kingbean]

Yeah I understand the problem, you guys want to see naked polygonal characters and Sony changed their internal policies. They don't want to be asociated with creepy shit.

"You aren't like me so fuck you"

Good conversation material bucko.

 

[Virex]

For God's sake. Won't you think of the children /s

 

[LazyParrot]

I've been planning to ditch consoles after this generation, and I gotta admit stuff like this makes it a lot easier.

 

[EverydayBeast]

The majority of their fanbase isn't playing hentai.

 

[888]

They should also censor violence, smoking, language while they are at it. Wouldn't want anyone to be harmed.

Also if a game is M, isn't it up to the parents to watch out for the development of their kids?

I would love to see what they would remove out of a Yakuza game now a days.

 

[hunthunt]

Are you old enough to remember when sexual content was forbidden in movies? Notice how no one gives a shit about that anymore?

because it never happened? there have been sexual scenes in movies since forever, its in Hollywood where it was always forbidden for whatever reason.

But yes, Sony changed their policies, just dont buy their products.

 

[Spukc]

well microsoft the ball is in your hands XD

 

[Javthusiast]

ArrogantSoyni operation in full effect again.

Seems like such an odd time to start enforcing this.

Not really. They are the market leader by a ton so they feel like they can do no wrong.

 

[Paracelsus]

Two factors last year combined to turn that unease into action, these Sony officials say. One was the rise of the #MeToo movement in the U.S., which pointed to the dangers of being associated with content that some might see as demeaning to women. The second was the emergence of channels on sites like YouTube and Amazon Inc.’s Twitch where gamers play in front of a camera and are watched by fans online. That means games meeting Japan’s laxer standards can get world-wide exposure.

It's not for the children, this time has jacks*** to do with the children.
Feminists at Sony should have at least the intellectual honesty to admit it. And don't use the "I'm too old to care" excuse. That doesn't make you mature, that makes you a b****.

 

[The Cartographer]

Yeah I understand the problem, you guys want to see naked polygonal characters and Sony changed their internal policies. They don't want to be asociated with creepy shit.

Oh, is that so?
Hopefully they will also crack down on violence because that kind of stuff is creepy too!

Jesus Christ, man.

 

[Mobile Suit Gooch]

Kids don't care about senran kagura and such. They're gonna play fortnight or some shit

 

[sublimit]

"She declined to say when these guidelines were introduced "

That's ok. We all know when and most importantly where.

 

[LegendOfKage]

Yeah I understand the problem, you guys want to see naked polygonal characters and Sony changed their internal policies. They don't want to be asociated with creepy shit.

Said the bible-thumping conservative republican in 1997.

 

[JunkerWoland]

From the article: “We don’t have criteria in written guidelines or that sort of thing because the policy was introduced kind of suddenly in the wake of the #MeToo movement,” the official said.

Whether the corporation is legitimately afraid of lawsuits or it's the US-based leadership taking advantage of the situation, I have no interest in owning further game hardware from Sony, if they're determined to act as a moral governing body, above the existing ratings boards. Hopefully going into the next generation of hardware, developers--Japanese and otherwise--will show Sony where they can shove this BS.

 

[alabtrosMyster]

It's so underhanded in the way they do it.

 

[Shakka43]

Thanks for protecting us Sony! We would be lost without your Puritan guideness.

 

[hunthunt]

Said the bible-thumping conservative republican in 1997.

Weird, someone called me a feminist left-wing swj bastard in another thread. lol

 

[Spukc]

where can i order my Sony Playstation Purity Rings® ?

I need to show people i am still pure so they won't corrupt me.

 

[DeepEnigma]

Weird, someone called me a feminist left-wing swj bastard in another thread. lol

Point went right over your head.

 

[demigod]

Fire this lady please.

 

[LegendOfKage]

Weird, someone called me a feminist left-wing swj bastard in another thread. lol

Yeah, I've been accused of that as well. You're not alone. But it doesn't change the fact that we're going from moral crusaders fighting for censorship on the right, to the same thing on the left.

"That female character shouldn't show that much skin! It's offensive to God and decent Americans everywhere women, and reduces them to objects!"

 

[Gormless Noodle]

And so, we once again move back. We can never be left alone by these pieces of shit that want to force us what to watch, do, say, enjoy etc.

 

[Afro Republican]

ANTI-CONSUMER SONY STRIKES AGAIN WITH THE UTMOST ARROGANCE, THAT'S WHY WE NEED COMPANIES LIKE GOOGLE* TO COME IN AND SAVE US!!!

IF SONY CONTINUES THESE ANTI-CONSUMER PRACTICES WILL YOU BY A PS5?

A. NO

B. NOPE

C. YES, BUT CLEARLY I AM AN IMMORAL PERSON AND SUPPORT CENSORSHIP.

oh wait, the OP is different....

*LOL no, no we don't.

 

[Afro Republican]

Said the bible-thumping conservative republican in 1997.

I like how people keep forgetting that both parties (though the democrats were leading the charge) went after gamers in the 90s and how many committees were set up.

 

[Radical Dreamer]

Ehh really fuck sony when it comes to this "holier than thou" stance. Why can't you fucking snobs treat consumers like responsible adults who can make decisions for themselves?

 

[Clear]

I just don't understand how a company can police what I'm allowed to enjoy.

You can enjoy it all you want. they are just drawing a line in the sand to say they aren't going to be associated with it by allowing it to be published on their platform. Essentially its just curation, like Netflix not offering outright porno along with their usual fare.

Its basically managing perception, so the things getting hit are mainly those that trade on titillation up-front. I'm pretty confidant that something like cyberpunk is going to skate by with much more graphic content, because it isn't explicitly selling itself as a "sexy" game.

 

[PrCat88]

I dont undestatand this controversy. I wonder if its because im too old to care about nude polygonal characters.

All I care about its good games and apparently almost everyone thinks like me.

The controversy is a game's artistic merit. We already have a video game ratings board that determines the game's age appropriation. Why do we need another layer on that which further seeks to remove or censor content they deem unacceptable?

Are videogames only to be judged as a service, or can videogames be art? If they can be then nudity is a part of that whether you personally care or not. I can't fathom a second ratings board being used to censor nudity on an R-rated bluray I puchased like Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut" for example. So, why would I expect that from videogames?

 

[LegendOfKage]

You can enjoy it all you want. they are just drawing a line in the sand to say they aren't going to be associated with it by allowing it to be published on their platform. Essentially its just curation, like Netflix not offering outright porno along with their usual fare.

You're comparing Netflix not allowing porn with Sony not allowing content that could be shown in a PG-13 movie. That's not a very good argument.

 

[PrCat88]

The majority of their fanbase isn't playing hentai.

Devil May Cry 5 wasn't hentai though and that had its nudity censored for a scene that was acceptable on every other platform. It was so embarrassing that Sony had to go back and remove the censorship after people complained. Is that going to be the standard going forward with every game that has the mildest of nudity?

 

[Sqorin Hammerfarf]

I wonder if its because im too old to care about nude polygonal characters.

Impotence is much more common as you get older. Not sure why you felt it necessary to admit it though.

 

[mckmas8808]

I've lost interest in Sony fast cause of this. I'm sure they will always have their fans, but I just can't support this. It's already made me shift my third party game puchases to xbox and pc.

I couldn't care less, but I understand why others do.

 

[octiny]

This is a pretty big deal.

Confirmation for "we're going to sensor the shit out of you" to appease the SJW crowd.

 

[Airola]

Sony: "No tiddy anymore."
Game journalists: "Steam has only shit games and porn."
Researchers: "Suddenly in the 16th of April we saw massive drop in Sony userbase and massive spike in Steam userbase."

Oh, is that so?
Hopefully they will also crack down on violence because that kind of stuff is creepy too!

Jesus Christ, man.

Yeah, while there is an argument to be made for porn and nudity and over-sexualization being harmful to people, I would say playing a character whose main action is slitting people's throats and blowing up heads with a shotgun is quite a bit more harmful than having someones reproductive organs become all fired up when seeing things that should make said organs get fired up to keep human beings in existence. I mean, the other one fantasies about destroying people and the other one is directly connected to what keeps us alive.

 

[Fbh]

It's really weird to see a company like Sony that not only makes consoles but also M rated videogames come out and pretty much say they agree with the idea that videogames have a negative impact on children.

You'd think a gaming company would be the first to call out that argument as BS and point out that there haven't been any big studies to prove it.
But apparently that isn't the case, the same company that wants to sell you realistic looking and gore heavy games like TLOU 2 seems to think that that sort of content is totally fine but anime tits will fuck up your kids. To me that's borderline as hypocritical as some alcohol company being like "We need to do more to keep drugs away from kids. Alcohol though? That's fine, we should set the drinking age to 12"

If I was a politician that's looking to restrict or ban violent games, having a big company like Sony admitting that some games affect kids would be exactly the sort of ammo I'd be looking for

 

[Paracelsus]

The controversy is a game's artistic merit. We already have a video game ratings board that determines the game's age appropriation. Why do we need another layer on that which further seeks to remove or censor content they deem unacceptable?

Are videogames only to be judged as a service, or can videogames be art? If they can be then nudity is a part of that whether you personally care or not. I can't fathom a second ratings board being used to censor nudity on an R-rated bluray I puchased like Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut" for example. So, why would I expect that from videogames?

You know the answer. Look at their faces, the sheer butthurt. That is the reason why.

 

[Gormless Noodle]

This is a pretty big deal.

Confirmation for "we're going to sensor the shit out of you" to appease the SJW crowd.

It's where all the money is it seems, since so many mega corporations are catering to them. I mean we're talking about companies who's management would sell their own mother for a nickle of profit so it has to be very profitable, right?

 

[GermanZepp]

Im sorry a big +18 or M is not enough? Let the developers put wherever they want and the consumers decide. And i'm not talking about the store not being curated from trash games.