I feel censorship is a word that gets thrown around a lot, but often gets misapplied. Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those idiots who thinks "It's only censorship when the Government does it" or "Government censorship is the only kind that matters."
A lot of people (not everyone) would classify mass book burning as censorship, however we live in an age that has moved beyond even the printing press, burning a book can't do much to hinder its spread. We can always print more, Christ's sake we figured out how to farm trees for paper. And in the modern world all you can do by burning a book is start a fire, you can't burn every copy and you'll never be able to touch the ideas within it.
However, I can certainly see where people are coming from if they would jump to classify a book burning as censorship. What are you doing by burning a book if not saying you believe the ideas within it are unacceptable?
Now, censorship in games is a much murkier topic. There is not black and white here, there isn't even that much grey. You're waist deep in fucking rainbows when you wanna talk about censorship in games.
What is censorship? Well, the most common definition is "the suppression of speech, public communication or other information which may be considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, politically incorrect or inconvenient as determined by governments, media outlets, authorities or other groups or institutions."
Now, authorities. That's the one we need to look at here. Let's say some silver tongued bastard got the attention of a big executive at [YOUR FAVORITE DEVELOPMENT STUDIO] this executive has final decision on all creative elements in the game because as much as you trust these developers not to capitulate, they know who signs their payslip. Now, let's say the game discussed [POLITICAL TOPIC YOU HAVE INTEREST IN] and this silver tongued charmer that has the attention the executive doesn't have a view on that political topic you would then find agreeable.
We've established that this executive is an authority over the studio, is it then censorship when this executive is convinced or manipulated into exerting his creative control to make this political topic you have interest in seem villainous when that is not the original vision of these developers?
Now I don't think that is too many steps from the thought process of people who doesn't like companies removing content at the behest of an outraged vocal minority, and are willing to call that removal censorship. To say that they have no point and no legitimate grievance is... ignorant and naive at best, spiteful and childish at worst.
I think these people see this as censorship on a matter of principle, anything less than complete creative freedom to them is unacceptable.I have never *ever* seen anything to suggest that these people only want to creative freedom THEY agree with. The only thing I can think of that would even remotely lead to that conclusion is when Steven Universe had a lesbian kiss censored for a euro release many people who mock people who don't like content being removed from games were understandably disappointed. The anti-censorship advocates then threw the same arguments that were thrown at them toward the people who mocked them ie "You're just a pervert who wants tits on screen, It's not censorship it's localization, the government had nothing to do with this decision so it isn't censorship." Watching the tone with which these arguments were thrown at the people who once sued them, this seemed more an act of Schadenfreude or feeding your polar opposite their own medicine, more than an actual statement from them.
Maybe I'm just fucking stupid, but that lead me to the opposite conclusion, I think. That lead me to the conclusion that a lot of people who DON'T defend things like Tracer's ass, but will defend the thing they agree with only care about artistic freedom they agree with. Not the people who defend everything, no matter how trivial.
I just think it's ridiculous that Tracer pose got removed. It's not even sexual. It was the most confusing move I'd ever seen a dev make, it was crazy.