Topic: Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water Review

[Mop it up]

It's probably more a marketing thing. I'd guess the skimpy outfits appeal more to the Japanese audience, and the Nintendo outfits will fit better in other territories.

[Luigi Dude]

It's probably more a marketing thing. I'd guess the skimpy outfits appeal more to the Japanese audience, and the Nintendo outfits will fit better in other territories.

That's true as well.  In the West these last several years there's been a major push to improve depictions of women in gaming.  A lot of these demands are usually how they're shown in the AAA blockbuster titles which are mostly M rated in the West as well. 

Yes, Fatal Frame is an M rated title but considering the push for more positive portrayals of female characters in Western markets includes Mature games as well, it's not hard to see why Nintendo thought replacing what was basically sleazy looking porn outfits into more friendly looking Nintendo cosplay customs would go over better in the West.  So even though Fatal Frame is very niche, in Nintendo's mind changing the outfits might make the game more appeal to women in the West now. 

[Oedo]

I honestly can't see the exclusion of those optional costumes being the difference between a purchase for anyone. Maybe there are a handful of people out there who wouldn't buy the game on principle over something like that, but they're exactly that; a handful in an already small audience. Mostly I think this is just them avoiding any potential headaches over something pretty much no one is going to miss anyway.

That being said, I'm also in the camp that believes you should have a good reason to censor something and find some of NOA's other choices baffling. Tharja's butt still has me scratching my head. The drew way more attention to a scene like that being in the game by censoring it than they would have if they just left it alone.

[Shaymin]

I suspect it may not be a NoA decision entirely. Some of the European countries (hello, Germany) have zero tolerance for under-18 characters being placed in sexual situations.

(Don't bring up the UK - NoE is based in Germany.)

[TOPHATANT123]

In Fire Emblem Awakening you can literally impregnate a bikini wearing loli dragon and that cruised by with a USK 12. If that's zero tolerance I don't know what is, but what I do know is that it's clear there's a double standard at play.

[ejamer]

It's probably more a marketing thing. I'd guess the skimpy outfits appeal more to the Japanese audience, and the Nintendo outfits will fit better in other territories.

That's true as well.  In the West these last several years there's been a major push to improve depictions of women in gaming.  A lot of these demands are usually how they're shown in the AAA blockbuster titles which are mostly M rated in the West as well. 

Yes, Fatal Frame is an M rated title but considering the push for more positive portrayals of female characters in Western markets includes Mature games as well, it's not hard to see why Nintendo thought replacing what was basically sleazy looking porn outfits into more friendly looking Nintendo cosplay customs would go over better in the West.  So even though Fatal Frame is very niche, in Nintendo's mind changing the outfits might make the game more appeal to women in the West now.

This is likely true, although when some regions get the costumes and others don't it feels like over-protective pandering instead of a stance that the (overall) company actually cares about.
Of course, that's how localization works. The choices NoA or NoE make won't be the same as the ones made in Japan.


I will give credit to the localization team for fighting to improve how women are viewed/treated in games. While I think the removal was probably unnecessary, and that the replacement costumes are an absurdly bad fit for the game, the intent is clearly good. Despite my complaints, I can get on board with that.

[Soren]

That sounds noble, but I'm not giving them that credit. I think this is just the result of Europe's strict laws and NoA not caring at about the game and just releasing whatever Europe put out.

[tyto_alba]

whoever made the call to censor this game should be fired.
i'm not touching any censored game. stuff like this only reinforces Nintendo's kiddy-image they earned themselves with the MK-debacle back in the 90's and is still hurting them in console sales badly.

[Enner]

The game already has virgin suicides. It didn't necessarily need girls in nighties to ward off the kiddy image.