Fire Emblem Fates Cuts Petting From English Version

[Steven Bogos]

Fire Emblem Fates Cuts Petting From English Version

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Fire Emblem Fates' English localization will lack the ability to "pet" your teammates using the 3DS's touchscreen.

Recently, Nintendo announced that a Fire Emblem Fates [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/166015-Controversial-Scene-to-be-Dropped-from-Western-Release-of-Fire-Emblem-Fates] featuring what some perceived as "gay conversion therapy", was being removed from the western release of the game. Some applauded Nintendo for its decision, while others lamented it, as they wanted to play the game in its original, un-altered form. Well for those of you in the latter camp, I'm afraid I have some bad news, as Nintendo has just announced another feature being cut from the English release: character petting.

In the Japanese version of the game, players can "stroke" characters using the 3DS's touch screen, causing some of them to react with rather suggestive dialogue. It was used as a way to improve your relationship with various characters, in order to mimic the physical contact involved in real-world relationship building.

However, in what is no doubt an effort to avoid any kind of controversy, Nintendo has firmly told Kotaku [http://kotaku.com/the-english-version-of-fire-emblem-fates-wont-have-the-1755121353] "Yes, that is the case [that petting isn't in the English version]. You might have heard somewhat misinterpreted or exaggerated information about the Japanese original game, but even in the Japanese original version, we have not included any features which are considered inappropriate in Japan."

When asked about any further localization changes, the Nintendo representative declined to answer, saying it didn't want to spoil specifics, but stating that changes in localization are very common among all of Nintendo's games.

Fire Emblem Fates's English version releases for 3DS on February 19, in the form of two separate versions: Birthright and Conquest, with a third, Revelation, coming March 10

Source: Kotaku [http://kotaku.com/the-english-version-of-fire-emblem-fates-wont-have-the-1755121353]

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[Erttheking]

Oh no...that was holding the game together. Really, is anyone seriously going to miss this?

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

Oh no...that was holding the game together. Really, is anyone seriously going to miss this?

to be fair no, but how many more things are they going to cut?

 

[Erttheking]

Oh no...that was holding the game together. Really, is anyone seriously going to miss this?

to be fair no, but how many more things are they going to cut?

I dunno, how many more stupid things are there in this game that just don't work outside of Japan?

 

[Revnak_v1legacy]

I get where they're coming from (the skinship thing isn't something the majority of their audience is gonna get), but this part was a bit funnier. They could have gotten some great dialogue out of this!

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

SNIP

Probably enough to warrant the game not being released. Some games are irreparably Japanese.

 

[Erttheking]

SNIP

Probably enough to warrant the game not being released. Some games are irreparably Japanese.

Man, you're really selling the game short. I have a low opinion of Japanese only tropes and even I think these two were the only tropes that wouldn't really work. As in people just plain wouldn't get.

 

[StormShaun]

"Source: Kotaku"

Don't get me wrong, I somewhat expected this feature being cut. It isn't anything too important (for me, at least, I can see why others would miss it), and I couldn't imagine myself doing it without feeling awkward. But on the other side... Kotaku. I'm not exactly the kind who trusts them any more.

So, yeah, I'm sure I'll see if this is right when I get my hands on the actual game, or if it's officially confirmed (unless it already has, and I'm just blind). Either way, I'm sure I'll enjoy the game... unless they decide to cut out even more content.

EDIT: From another comment that said this, why can't we have a age barrier or a "mature themes" option?
It would be better to give player control to remove it themselves.

 

[Lightspeaker]

Oh no...that was holding the game together. Really, is anyone seriously going to miss this?

Thing is...you could say that about literally any side feature in a game, no matter how major or minor.

Do you REALLY need to be able to craft your own potions in Skyrim? Or how about the ability to mod your weapons in Far Cry? Would anyone miss that? Its hardly a major thing "holding the game together" as you put it. Or what about the ability to build SHIVs in XCOM? Its not like you can't easily do without them; its not really a core, necessary feature.


Ultimately taking stuff out is still taking stuff out at the end of the day. And as a Japanese game primarily developed for a Japanese audience its frankly weird to expect it to not have things that don't work too well outside Japan (and as such people have the option to just...not buy it if they don't like it). For exactly the same reason I wouldn't really expect most Americans to really appreciate real Haggis or something; its simply not something they're used to.

(I appreciate that example might have seem to have come out of nowhere but...I had Haggis for dinner and I'm still thinking about how nice it was since I'd not had it in ages. >_>)


Personally I'm starting to wonder as to what else they might strip out in the name of 'localisation'. Its a small thing to start with but the question is will it actually end there.

 

[Revnak_v1legacy]

Before people start going on about how this game is just too super Japanese, I'd like to point out Awakening sold well everywhere, not just in Japan, and that it had the best sales of any Fire Emblem in virtually all regions. Fates, spiritual successor that it is, is unlikely to be the kind of game that only appeals to the Japanese audience and I think its fair to argue that the Japanese audience was not the only audience IS had in mind when it was made.

 

[xaszatm]

Oh no...that was holding the game together. Really, is anyone seriously going to miss this?

to be fair no, but how many more things are they going to cut?

I dunno, how many more stupid things are there in this game that just don't work outside of Japan?

I'd say the marrying your sister/brother but Game of Thrones is a thing, so...

 

[Something Amyss]

Probably enough to warrant the game not being released. Some games are irreparably Japanese.

I somehow doubt this game is even close to that. Especially since this sort of alteration is not even remotely close to new. It's only become a big thing of late because of this fixation on outrage culture in gaming, where if we lose half a second of teen panty shots, then the terrorists have won.

Odds are pretty good you'd have to have been told about the differences to have noticed. Which until a year or two ago was actually the status quo--only obsessives and trivia buffs really knew or cared.

 

[Erttheking]

Oh no...that was holding the game together. Really, is anyone seriously going to miss this?

to be fair no, but how many more things are they going to cut?

I dunno, how many more stupid things are there in this game that just don't work outside of Japan?

I'd say the marrying your sister/brother but Game of Thrones is a thing, so...

Wait what? *Googles* Oh...WHAT!?

Just...just tell me something. Is this going to be like Game of Thrones where they treat it as fairly messed up? Or is it going to make it uber cutesy the way Fire Emblem has a tendency to do? Because if it's the later I think I have a date with a Jacuzzi filled with brain bleach.

 

[Erttheking]

Oh no...that was holding the game together. Really, is anyone seriously going to miss this?

Thing is...you could say that about literally any side feature in a game, no matter how major or minor.

Do you REALLY need to be able to craft your own potions in Skyrim? Or how about the ability to mod your weapons in Far Cry? Would anyone miss that? Its hardly a major thing "holding the game together" as you put it. Or what about the ability to build SHIVs in XCOM? Its not like you can't easily do without them; its not really a core, necessary feature.


Ultimately taking stuff out is still taking stuff out at the end of the day. And as a Japanese game primarily developed for a Japanese audience its frankly weird to expect it to not have things that don't work too well outside Japan (and as such people have the option to just...not buy it if they don't like it). For exactly the same reason I wouldn't really expect most Americans to really appreciate real Haggis or something; its simply not something they're used to.

(I appreciate that example might have seem to have come out of nowhere but...I had Haggis for dinner and I'm still thinking about how nice it was since I'd not had it in ages. >_>)


Personally I'm starting to wonder as to what else they might strip out in the name of 'localisation'. Its a small thing to start with but the question is will it actually end there.

But those actually added something to the game that people looked forward to. Is there anyone on this website that was actually looking forward to this? At all? A single person? Also weapon customization isn't really comparable to skinshipping because weapon customization is inherently rooted in any country's culture to the point of being nonexistant outside of it.

I don't see how its weird, I've got plenty of games from Japan and I never had a single one that involved skinshipping. Some things just don't work in other cultures. I mean there's having the cultural gap to create an interesting setting, and then there's the cultural gap where things just don't make any sense and the audience is confused.

"Where will it end?" This is the second time someone has been saying they're concerned more features will be cut. What are you actually concerned about being cut out? Because the only things cut out are things that just plain wouldn't work in America. Hell, these things probably would've been cut out anyway and we're just getting the blow by blow thanks to sensationalist media.

 

[Bix96]

Oh no...that was holding the game together. Really, is anyone seriously going to miss this?

I can't believe people are seriously justifying the removal of an entire part of the game, when has that EVER been ok?

 

[-Dragmire-]

In the Japanese version of the game, players can "stroke" characters using the 3DS's touch screen, causing some of them to react with rather suggestive dialogue. It was used as a way to improve your relationship with various characters, in order to mimic the physical contact involved in real-world relationship building.

So, will the game be tweaked to adjust for the lack of this feature or will the building relationships mechanic be more difficult in other regions as a result?


Edit: If building relationships was made more grindy than previous games as a result of having a separate way to increase it then that would be rather unfortunate if not adjusted for it's loss.

 

[sneakypenguin]

Oh no...that was holding the game together. Really, is anyone seriously going to miss this?

I can't believe people are seriously justifying the removal of an entire part of the game, when has that EVER been ok?

Always.
Even moreso when its stupid stuff that ads pretty much nothing.

 

[Erttheking]

Oh no...that was holding the game together. Really, is anyone seriously going to miss this?

I can't believe people are seriously justifying the removal of an entire part of the game, when has that EVER been ok?

I guess you could call a tiny little mini-game an "Entire part of a game" but just barely. As for it being ok, well, seriously what are we losing because of this? I mean XCOM 2 is taking out the air battles that the last one has and no one is upset over that.

 

[Bix96]

Oh no...that was holding the game together. Really, is anyone seriously going to miss this?

I can't believe people are seriously justifying the removal of an entire part of the game, when has that EVER been ok?

I guess you could call a tiny little mini-game an "Entire part of a game" but just barely. As for it being ok, well, seriously what are we losing because of this? I mean XCOM 2 is taking out the air battles that the last one has and no one is upset over that.

If XCOM 2 came out in Europe with air battles but America's version was cut people most definitely be upset.

 

[Dragonlayer]

"Nintendo has also announced plans for future editing to ensure a successful Western release: the use of bladed weapons such as swords and daggers will be removed, as it is feared that the blatantly phallic imagery that arises from stabbing male and female characters could be interpreted as promoting sexualized violence against homosexuals and women. Additionally, all customization options in the home base building mechanics will be replaced with civil rights seminars, to ensure players understand that providing potions to characters without consent is never ok. Nintendo is confident these changes will provide both lucrative sales and an important message for Western markets."