Sony Cracks Down on Sexually Explicit Content in Games (Article States That It Refers to Underage Characters: Check Threadmarks)

[ckareset]

It’s angering the gamer gate people so it must be a great idea. Half naked anime girls is hard to explain to my girlfriend and I’d rather not have to deal with that in games I like.

Why is the logic here for you to just not play those games?

 

[Castile]

Care to share examples?

I don't care for the game but even the adult characters in DoAX are missing features that the switch and PS3 version has.

 

[Battlechili]

It’s angering the gamer gate people so it must be a great idea. Half naked anime girls is hard to explain to my girlfriend and I’d rather not have to deal with that in games I like.

why is your girlfriend dictating what kinds of games you play

 

[Famassu]

except that part that that PS4 censorship WAS ADDED after release. so not likely a "Oops"

Why are you linking some pathetic "waah waah censorship is ruining gaming, I can't get muh anime tiddies" channel's videos?

Again, similar "censorship" was used on other platforms in other scenes. What makes you think the scene wasn't supposed to be censored to begin with? Sony has made games of their own with naked adult women. It's silly to think that Sony would object to a naked adult woman in a game that isn't aimed at children.

 

[fiendcode]

How is it terrible? It’s their platform and they can decide what content they want on it. Cracking down on sexualized underage content isn’t exactly discussion worthy, is it?

Furthermore the ESRB is just a tool of the industry. They’ll do the bare minimum to not be regulated by the US government, so no issue will be solved that way. It’s an extension of the games industry and will act as such by doing nothing.

The entire purpose of the ESRB is regulating content. If the industry can't make that work then the industry should lose the right to self-regulate in America.

 

[Weltall Zero]

Sure!
Nora to Oujo to Noraneko Heart put white lens ray over a very clearly adult character's navel,breasts, and lower areas for a CG where she was sunbathing

"clearly adult character"
(cover image of the series as per MyAnimeList)

Devil May Cry 5 originally had some of those same lens rays over a scene involving Trish; this one was later patched, but nonetheless it was originally there.

Not an example, as discussed above.

Any more of these "numerous examples"? You sure are building up an ironclad, airtight case here!

 

[DjDeathCool]

My two cents are that I would be more comfortable with this if it was the ESRB making changes to push back against this kind of content... Sony has the right, but I'm not a fan of platform holders making these kinds of calls.

Maybe this will start a positive conversation and get ESRB to start taking these concerns more seriously. It'd be nice if Sony was never in the position where they felt like they had to start doing this in the first place.

 

[Taker34]

let me guide you on that.

Dev A is making a game, game has V W X Y Z parts in it. he wants to release his game on S N and M consoles... all normal and dandy.

now we get into the fun parts. (hypothetically) now S N and M not only require ERSB rating, but they gotta conduct their own extra check on the near final product. Dev A gets ERSB approval but:

S dont like W on the game
M dont like Y Z but things W is great
N dont like X, luke warms about W, loves Z

each reaches back to Dev A and tell em that their game cant release on their respective platform, they (A) need to remove what they dont like.

so now Dev A, has a game near completetion that needs to either
1) make a different version for each platform
2) single out which platforms wont get hte game cause they dont want to remove the parts
3) take all parts S M N didnt like, remove all so they can ship 1 same copy to all

to further explain why this is bad for the developers
1) more dev time and money spent.
2) lower the potential buyers pool
3) out of V W X Y Z parts, they have to remover W X Y Z leaving a bare bones games with only V.


one of the reason ERSB was created on 1st place was to avoid this type of kerfuffle. 1 body with defined guidelines working as an standard to follow. if everyone nows decided to go back to be their judges. well, I just explained why that will be bad.



we dont know by the letter what sony policies are, it could also be they and capcom saw the backslash and decided to step back, cause DMC V is not some niche VN that even if censored will fly under the radar or almost everyone

Firstly this is what devs have to do when it comes to game/patch certification on different platforms, cross-play etc. That poor dev narrative doesn’t convince me.

Secondly the main reason the ESRB was created was due to massive public and political pressure, since the violent and sexual content was deemed too controversial. If publishers and developers could’ve had it their way, there would be no rating board at all. It wasn’t created to benefit anyone in the industry, it was forced by the US government.

Steam took several titles down because of extremely questionable themes and once again it’s their right to set the rules as a platform holder. Sony draws the line at sexualized depictions of underage characters - there are other things to be more concerned about. (As in Sony is doing the right thing imo).

The entire purpose of the ESRB is regulating content. If the industry can't make that work then the industry should lose the right to self-regulate in America.

I absolutely agree.

 

[Gnorman]

That makes no sense. It means you should have air tight guidelines not vague ones.

Nope, keep it vague then they can stop all this shit. If it costs the devs money tough.

 

[Crossing Eden]

"clearly adult character"
(cover image of the series as per MyAnimeList)

Not an example, as discussed above.

Any more of these "numerous examples"?

Fucking yikes

 

[Trojita]

Yep, with the visual novel games all sex scenes were already removed with the console versions, but even with the characters being of legal age (18-21), they are still getting hit by the god rays.

BLINDED BY THE LIGHT

Can anyone explain why this was censored?

 

[ckareset]

Nope, keep it vague then they can stop all this shit. If it costs the devs money tough.

No, keeping it vague just means they will allow some shit and not others.


And what they allow and don't allow will probably be based on dollars and public pressure as opposed to anything consistent.

 

[bricewgilbert]

Not happening, mainly on the publisher side. They are gonna do the most they can to not get said rating. Remember that games labeled as AO can't be sold on retail and most digital stores, while nothing stops them, would think twice about it. You can sell the game on your own, sure, but is not gonna have the same reach, and you wanna make a big buck on those games.

The ESRB is a self regulatory organization. It’s run by the publishers. Either way it’s self regulation.

I'm aware of the history of the AO and the nature of self regulation. I'm asking why Sony has to be the self regulators. I mean I know the answer is likely that it's just probably too early (going by Nintendo and Microsoft's responses) in the stages of soecieties response to this and changes will only come when everyone comes together (publishers, platform holders) to yell at the ESRB (not to mention making sure every ratings board in every country figures this out), but at some point it makes much more sense for this to just be a ratings thing, and if Sony doesn't allow the AO rating or "sexualization of minors" tag or whatever then there ya go.

 

[Trojita]

"clearly adult character"
(cover image of the series as per MyAnimeList)

Not an example, as discussed above.

Any more of these "numerous examples"? You sure are building up an ironclad, airtight case here!

That's a picture for the 3 minute short anime with featuring chibi art. Way to COMPLETELY misrepresent things. I bet you think a bobble head of Obama is an accurate representation of the 57 year old president.

 

[chrisypoo]

RIP Creepy Anime Bullshit

Thank God too, good on Sony for taking steps towards improved curation of the platform. Now if we can just start automatically perma banning all users who espouse sexist or racist nonsense online, we'll really be making progress.

 

[Richter1887]

The worst part of this thread is how some people keep saying "clearly adult" characters when they are not. There are tons of women in anime that look like adults and if your only argument is "different art style" then you have already lost. "different art style" doesn't excuse supposed "adults" looking like kids.

 

[Castile]

"clearly adult character"

That's art from the anime, with the visual novel being more proportional to the point where I would label most of them as young adults.

 

[HockeyBird]

Sure!
Nora to Oujo to Noraneko Heart put white lens ray over a very clearly adult character's navel,breasts, and lower areas for a CG where she was sunbathing
Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 had some items affecting the girls' bikinis removed. (such as them breaking or having "malfunctions")
Devil May Cry 5 originally had some of those same lens rays over a scene involving Trish; this one was later patched, but nonetheless it was originally there. (though perhaps this was moreso just Capcom playing it safe due to not knowing the policies?)

EDIT: Give me a moment and I'll try and give more examples.

The DMC V discussion is being talked about to death here but I did a quick youtube search of Nora to Oujo to Noraneko Heart and the designs look very child like to me. Maybe the cutscene you are referring to has a more mature looking character but the trailer does feature a lot a child designs.

 

[Battlechili]

"clearly adult character"
(cover image of the series as per MyAnimeList)

Please see the quoted image of Castile's post on this page rather than using chibi artwork from an anime short adaptation

Yep, with the visual novel games all sex scenes were already removed with the console versions, but even with the characters being of legal age (18-21), they are still getting hit by the god rays.

The DMC V discussion is being talked about to death here but I did a quick youtube search of Nora to Oujo to Noraneko Heart and the designs look very child like to me. Maybe the cutscene you are referring to has a more mature looking character but the trailer does feature a lot a child designs.

Its Castille's post

Any more of these "numerous examples"? You sure are building up an ironclad, airtight case here!

I did say I was working on building a list. You dont' exactly expect me to have a huge list of titles on hand do you?
Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 Scarlet was brought up a moment ago which had some items that cause "bikini malfunctions" and bikini breakage to be removed.

 

[PepsimanVsJoe]

That's art from the anime, with the revised version being more proportional to the point where I would label most of them as young adults.

LOL
They're just kids with basketballs stapled to them.

 

[AztecComplex]

That's art from the anime, with the revised version being more proportional to the point where I would label most of them as young adults.

I’d pick my battles better there, my friend. There are some other examples of egregious and inconsistent use of censorship from Sony but this one ain’t helping your case too much. Those (or at least not all) are not “clearly adult characters”.

 

[Trojita]

Please see the quoted image of Castile's post on this page rather than using chibi artwork from an anime short adaptationIts

You think he's trying to argue in good faith by purposely looking for the image that most misrepresents the content?

 

[Castile]

I’d pick my battles better there, my friend. There are some other examples of egregious and inconsistent use of censorship from Sony but this one ain’t helping your case too much. Those (or at least not all) are not “clearly adult characters”.

That's why I said young adults, as except for the token small girl, I would classify them between the 17-21 age range. Though, not like it matters, ingame they are mention to be 18 years olds.

 

[Famassu]

Despite the claim, theres already numerous evidence this I'd affecting more than just games with underage characters

The idea is to censor characters who can appear underage. Just because in-game lore says your pedo bait character is actually a 5000 year old dragon in human form doesn't mean they don't look underage. And changing the ages of your sexualized characters from 15 to 18 in a localization does not make them adults.

An easy way out of this is to not fetishize questionably young characteristics and not to tread the line with sexualized characters being barely legal. Make them 20-something-year old characters who are going to university and clearly portray adult characteristics instead of "oh she's clearly an 18 year old high school student, she just happens to have a baby face and speak & act like a shy 12 year old". It's really not that hard.

The fact that some of you people think some of these characters are "clearly adult" just says that you've been around this creepy animu pedo bait shit so much that it has become normalized to you that "adult" characters are portrayed more like early to mid teenagers, except with big boobs. No amount of "you just don't UNDERSTAND the art style, all animu characters have big eyes" is going to handwave that away.

 

[Taker34]

That's art from the anime, with the visual novel being more proportional to the point where I would label most of them as young adults.

Fucking hell. What?

 

[HardRojo]

BLINDED BY THE LIGHT

Can anyone explain why this was censored?

You.... you really want to play this type of shit? Damn! People really complain about censorship in something like this? Why? My brain cannot process it.

 

[AztecComplex]

That's why I said young adults, as except for the token small girl, I would classify them between the 17-21 age range.

Lol, 17 ain’t adult! (And why does it ALWAYS have to be girls in school uniforms, goddammit??? And 99/100 times it’s highschool, it’s never college).

Like I said, pick your battles better and don’t die on this hill. There is some bullshit thrown by Sony but this ain’t a good example for a rallying cry.

 

[Trojita]

Looks like an anime character in University working part time

Meanwhile people are like

You.... you really want to play this type of shit? Damn! People really complain about censorship in something like this? Why? My brain cannot process it.

I take it that you don't want to carry on with the belief that this only affects one type of content then.

 

[PepsimanVsJoe]

This is what I don't get about all of this "they're clearly adults" shit.
If they're adults, why are they in High School acting like kids and talking about typical High School nonsense?
Put them in College already. Give them a damn job. Have them engage in somewhat adult behavior.

Instead all I see is a bunch of "We want to have our cake and eat it too" bullshit.

 

[BernardoOne]

Why are you linking some pathetic "waah waah censorship is ruining gaming, I can't get muh anime tiddies" channel's videos?

Again, similar "censorship" was used on other platforms in other scenes. What makes you think the scene wasn't supposed to be censored to begin with? Sony has made games of their own with naked adult women. It's silly to think that Sony would object to a naked adult woman in a game that isn't aimed at children.

It wasn't supposed to be censored, because that very scene is uncensored in every other single version of the game. Do you think they randomly stumbled into the magical censoring button? That's some weird crazy ass assumption.

 

[Battlechili]

Any more of these "numerous examples"? You sure are building up an ironclad, airtight case here!

Yuuna and the Haunted Springs
https://twitter.com/EvilFiek/status/1056527404968173569
Some of the characters in Haruoto Alice Gram: Snow Drop (I'm not embedding this one because it seems a bit TOO iffy and one of the characters is understandable methinks)

You.... you really want to play this type of shit? Damn! People really complain about censorship in something like this? Why? My brain cannot process it.

Visual novels can be fun.

 

[HardRojo]

Seriously, some disgusting shit in here, just like the creepy shit that people kept posting during the whole stuff with Bowsette in that thread. Some of you guys, for fuck's sake... at least be honest and admit you find those young girl designs arousing, for some weird reason.

 

[spad3]

walking into this thread and seeing all the creeps that support the creation of games that center on anime underage girls...

 

[AztecComplex]

This is what I don't get about all of this "they're clearly adults" shit.
If they're adults, why are they in High School acting like kids and talking about typical High School nonsense?
Put them in College already. Give them a damn job. Have them engage in somewhat adult behavior.

Instead all I see is a bunch of "We want to have our cake and eat it too" bullshit.

This.

The thing that I find the most tiring is not the fucking school uniforms (seriously, they’re everywhere in anime) it’s the girls behaving like little girls (12 year olds at best) despite having bodies that you could otherwise think is that of a young adult in some cases. That part is the worst.

 

[kpaadet]

It wasn't supposed to be censored, because that very scene is uncensored in every other single version of the game. Do you think they randomly stumbled into the magical censoring button? That's some weird crazy ass assumption.

Well someone must have accidentally hit the censoring button in that Lady scene huh? Why else would a sudden lens flare pop up in the Steam and Xbox version?

 

[Calvarok]

That's art from the anime, with the revised version being more proportional to the point where I would label most of them as young adults.

This really isnt actually helping the argument, you know? Especially the one on the far right. Also: legal age doesn't make it automatically not creepy. These characters are clearly designed to live on the borderline and evoke immaturity. Pigtails, skirts and white blouses. There is literally nothing wrong with that kind of fetish, but ask yourself why the default depiction for a group of young 20 something girls in this genre is a fetish in the first place. Because these types of stories and games sure don't act like they're trying to get into a very adult kind of fetish, they love to dress it up as being a happy fun casual experience, completely at odds with how incredibly horny it is for the idea of youth and naivete.

There is no point where one of these girls is intentionally performing that fetish and then does her hair like an adult and puts on normal clothes and goes out to get some cigarettes. They are literally embodying the "ideal state" at all times. To the point where the fact that its even bothered to suggest they're not just literal children is such a paper-thin deflection. Its supposed to FEEL like they're literal children.

---

Why is the logic here for you to just not play those games?

Because they said they like those specific games despite content he finds creepy.

why is your girlfriend dictating what kinds of games you play

Because consuming content with creepy vibes necessarily gives the impression you endorse said vibes, and its awkward to talk about + a burden on the relationship if you have to hide it.

 

[AztecComplex]

Looks like an anime character in University working part time

Ok not even going to engage in a debate but I’ll limit myself to just point out that “LMAO that’s not how clothes work!”

 

[nynt9]

Looks like an anime character in University working part time

Meanwhile people are like

I take it that you don't want to carry on with the belief that this only affects one type of content then.

Googling Nora to Oujo to Noraneko Heart brought me to:

NSFW

Mod Edit: Removed NSFW image


This appears to be from the actual show, not fan art or anything

and this is the series art on crunchyroll

maybe you should quit while you're ahead, friend

 

[BernardoOne]

Well someone must have accidentally hit the censoring button in that Lady scene huh? Why else would a sudden lens flare pop in the Steam and Xbox version?

That's what the base game is supposed to be like. PS4 version got censored beyond that. It's a Sony thing, there's really no question about it, and the fact that they continously to actually clarify their policy once and for all is pretty telling.

 

[HardRojo]

Visual novels can be fun.

I love Zero Escape, Ace Attorney and will soon play Steins Gate. I watched Clannad and plan to play the game, unless it's an oversexualized version full of this crap, in which case I'd rather stick to the anime.
This shit is creepy, no two ways about it and you all defending it can miss me with that shit about "being concerned that it could affect other types of games".

 

[Famassu]

It wasn't supposed to be censored, because that very scene is uncensored in every other single version of the game. Do you think they randomly stumbled into the magical censoring button? That's some weird crazy ass assumption.

They "censor" other similar scenes in the game in all versions. Maybe the scene was supposed to be censored as well but for whatever reason/human error, the initial release lacked the effect, then they made it like they initially intended with the PS4 patch & added the lighgs but then the immediate backlash made them go back on that and never release a similar "censorship" patch for other platforms. This is about as likely an explanation as "omg evil Sony wants to take your digital tiddies away!"

 

[UsoEwin]

I went to PC for my anime titty games anyways. Eroge and the like were always butchered on console.

 

[Valentus]

That's art from the anime, with the visual novel being more proportional to the point where I would label most of them as young adults.

Can you really tell me with a straight face, that those are "ADULTS"???

 

[Trojita]

nynt9 I have no problem with removing that stuff. Plus from what was said in articles that content wasn't in the game, so you are misrepresenting the content in the actual game.

I have a problem with say someone making a game with full bodied anime 20 somethings and people still calling for censorship. It's obvious that Sony's policy isn't even handed.

 

[BernardoOne]

They "censor" other similar scenes in the game in all versions. Maybe the scene was supposed to be censored as well but for whatever reason/human error, the initial release lacked the effect, then they made it like they initially intended with the PS4 patch & added the lighgs but then the immediate backlash made them go back on that and never release a similar "censorship" patch for other platforms. This is about as likely an explanation as "omg evil Sony wants to take your digital tiddies away!"

Then why do Sony refuse to finally put their policy out there in clear words for anyone to see? Shitloads of people here continue to assume they mean something they've never even hinted at all.

 

[Gentlemen]

Looks like an anime character in University working part time

University students don't wear school uniforms though.

Why are we doing this 'young adult with agency' stuff when the women in question are clearly dressed like typical Japanese teenagers and the objective of the game appears to be seduction.

 

[Battlechili]

Having presented some of the examples of games with adult characters being censored, I'm kind of curious what people mean by "acting underage".
Cause I'm going to graduate college in 17 days and I still sit in my dorm watching childrens cartoons, cry every time I get a bad grade on a test, and panic at the thought of people of the opposite sex talking to me.

 

[Castile]

Lol, 17 ain’t adult! (And why does it ALWAYS have to be girls in school uniforms, goddammit??? And 99/100 times it’s highschool, it’s never college).

Like I said, pick your battles better and don’t die on this hill. There is some bullshit thrown by Sony but this ain’t a good example for a rallying cry.

It is in Mexican culture, but point taken that it isn't widely consider in this board. Still, I would defend that the ones getting *censor don't look like kids, even if I keep being label a creep.

*Little girl doesn't have any fanservice shot in the console version, so no changes for her

 

[Richter1887]

This is what I don't get about all of this "they're clearly adults" shit.
If they're adults, why are they in High School acting like kids and talking about typical High School nonsense?
Put them in College already. Give them a damn job. Have them engage in somewhat adult behavior.

Instead all I see is a bunch of "We want to have our cake and eat it too" bullshit.

You know I could list a lot of anime women that are in their 20's yet look like adults. If you put the ones I mean and compare with the "adults" in this thread then it will only show how stupid their arguments is. Especially the arguments about different art styles.
If your artstyle makes the characters look like god damn kids then it is garbage and it shouldn't suprise you that it gets called out or censored.

But just like you said, they know exactly what they are doing with these characters.

 

[giancarlo123x]

Googling Nora to Oujo to Noraneko Heart brought me to:

NSFW


Mod Edit: Removed NSFW Image


This appears to be from the actual show, not fan art or anything

and this is the series art on crunchyroll

maybe you should quit while you're ahead, friend

I feel like this fucking thread has put me on a list.