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[Foxbat]

I get that and as I said, I don't agree with how they have applied their policy in some cases, but it illustrates that they have always had a say over what content you get to play, and that most have no issue with that in principle on any console. All three companies 'could' allow the publication of AO rated games, but blanket ban them instead, making the choice for you.

The problem for me is not the removal of specific content, but rather not clearly defining what is and is not allowed. Aside from the harm to developers, you cannot well argue against, or reasonably agree with something that is so undefined. Sony should set out what has changed, what is allowed and what is not.

That is deliberately done though. By being vague about the policy, it makes it far easier to deflect criticism.
By not drawing a line in the sand, people won't know which games are censored vs which ones aren't. Therefore, people who might otherwise choose to buy a game on a competing platform will unknowingly buy the censored PS4 version instead. If the recent DMC censoring hadn't been brought to light so soon, it would've gone exactly as Sony wanted.

By being vague, it also allows for Sony to play favorites if you will. They can force devs to censor anything even remotely sexual, while allowing first party devs to release whatever they want, such as what we'll likely see in TLOU2.

Sony claiming some kind of moral high ground here is absurd.

 

[Pejo]

Embrace weebs -> Business succeeds -> Appeal to bigger audience -> Business booms -> Disown weebs -> ???

I'm actually interested in how this will play out in the future. I don't think it's a good strategy at all personally, and I'm completely against censoring creative platforms such as gaming.

If game ratings weren't such a joke or actually enforced on any level, would we still need this? Is it a perception thing built on a shaky scaffolding formed by people that don't actually buy or play games? Is the sale of games like Senran Kagura hurting their business elsewhere? I don't know any of these answers but I certainly have a few guesses.

 

[sublimit]

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?

What's even worse is their hypocritical double standards against Japanese developers. They never dare to censor big western games (they were totally fine with the strippers in Metro Exodus to have their full breasts out in suggestive poses) yet all hell breaked loose when a Japanese developer like Capcom dared to show a naked butt in a scene that had nothing to do with sex.

I wish one day Sony Japan wakes up and takes the reigns of the company back and fire those Californian racists and pseudo-puritans but until then i'm afraid the situation will get even worse than it is now.

 

[ResurrectedContrarian]

"...spokeswoman..."


So will they be banning violent games like Mk11? In theory I wouldn't mind one platform making itself PG across the board in order to capture a family market. But permitting violence while screening out every harmless hint of heteronormative sexual allure is just a SJW trash heap and shouldn't be put up with by anyone.

 

[Dunki]

What's even worse is their hypocritical double standards against Japanese developers. They never dare to censor big western games (they were totally fine with the strippers in Metro Exodus to have their full breasts out in suggestive poses) yet all hell breaked loose when a Japanese developer like Capcom dared to show a naked butt in a scene that had nothing to do with sex.

I wish one day Sony Japan takes the reigns of the company back and fire those Californian racists and pseudo-puritans but until then i'm afraid the situation will get even worse than it is now.

Going by this I bet they will do the same here as well soon. I just can not support this anymore.

 

[TheSadRanger]

It's so odd considering God Of War (PS2) was one of the first (if not the first) AAA major console game from a first party developer to feature a womans nude breasts in a game. Oh and Kratos banging some some "ahem" ladies of pleasure on a ship had literally nothing to do with the story.

 

[Dunki]

Also interesting when even Era has a lot of people disagreeing with it then you know you fucked up Sony^^

 

[Clear]

Also interesting when even Era has a lot of people disagreeing with it then you know you fucked up Sony^^

Nah, it just shows how arbitrary and inconsistent Era's "opinions" are.

 

[#Phonepunk#]

I would live to live in a world where I see one of these stories and it says “cracking down on violence in games”

Cos IMO games need way more sex and way less violence

But that’s how I feel about most media

 

[Roitorb]

Games are games but the ratings system is all over the place. How can a Nickelodeon Ninja turtles game be rated 12 when a Deadpool movie is only a 15!

 

[Starlight Lotice]

Someone found the 1985 Nintendo Gaming Guidelines Book and decided to take every rule and notch it up.

Sony forgets that when they launched in the UK, they displayed the Playstation in Nightclubs where people were doing drugs in the open and was targeted at Adults who wanted mature content.

I guess they are chasing that crowd who play casually and will moan at anything that is very slightly unsettling.

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

Booo censorship.

We don't need companies to keep us safe from ourselves.

 

[Ian Henry]

What's even worse is their hypocritical double standards against Japanese developers. They never dare to censor big western games (they were totally fine with the strippers in Metro Exodus to have their full breasts out in suggestive poses) yet all hell breaked loose when a Japanese developer like Capcom dared to show a naked butt in a scene that had nothing to do with sex.

I wish one day Sony Japan wakes up and takes the reigns of the company back and fire those Californian racists and pseudo-puritans but until then i'm afraid the situation will get even worse than it is now.

Well...I wouldn't go too far with that one but they are being very hypocritical. This could stab them in the back.

 

[brap]

Switch Pro needs to come out soon. Don't wanna miss out on shit.

 

[VAL0R]

I think this is a responsible move for Sony and I respect them for it. Children shouldn't be exposed to sexuality in videogames. I wish Xbox would follow this path (I'm an Xbox owner and dad).

 

[Dargor]

This is such a stupid thing to do. I blame it on them moving their HQ to California, they did that and this kind of completely baffling moves started happening.

 

[Abriael_GN]

I think this is a responsible move for Sony and I respect them for it. Children shouldn't be exposed to sexuality in videogames. I wish Xbox would follow this path (I'm an Xbox owner and dad).

That's why rating boards and parental controls exist, Mr. "Dad." if you delegate your parenting duties to Sony or Microsoft and need them to affect everyone in order to prevent your children from being exposed to sexuality in video games, then you're simply a bad parent. May want to let this sink.

 

[VAL0R]

That's why rating boards and parental controls exist, Mr. "Dad." if you delegate your parenting duties to Sony or Microsoft and need them to prevent your children from being exposed to sexuality in video games, then you're simply a bad parent. May want to let that sink.

I don't delegate my parenting duties. I don't let my children play games with sex in them. I'm thinking more of the greater good of society. Not all children are as lucky as mine, to have parents that carefully monitor their entertainment. You probably shouldn't accuse people of faults for which you are in complete ignorance. May want to let that sink in.

 

[CatCouch]

I think this is a responsible move for Sony and I respect them for it. Children shouldn't be exposed to sexuality in videogames. I wish Xbox would follow this path (I'm an Xbox owner and dad).

What about everyone who plays games that are not children? Why should adults be prevented form buying and enjoying the entertainment they want?

 

[Sqorin Hammerfarf]

I think this is a responsible move for Sony and I respect them for it. Children shouldn't be exposed to sexuality in videogames. I wish Xbox would follow this path (I'm an Xbox owner and dad).

Why am I being held to the standards of your children?

 

[Hudo]

Why just sexual content, though? Either you go full in and censor violence as well or you don't censor at all.

 

[Claus Grimhildyr]

I think this is a responsible move for Sony and I respect them for it. Children shouldn't be exposed to sexuality in videogames. I wish Xbox would follow this path (I'm an Xbox owner and dad).

Sexuality doesn't corrupt or endanger children. Just because you can't be arsed to watch your children and what content they consume doesn't mean that corporations should do the job for you.

 

[VAL0R]

Sexuality doesn't corrupt or endanger children. Just because you can't be arsed to watch your children and what content they consume doesn't mean that corporations should do the job for you.

I already answered this ignorant assumption above.

 

[Abriael_GN]

I don't delegate my parenting duties. I don't let my children play games with sex in them. I'm thinking more of the greater good of society. Not all children are as lucky as mine, to have parents that carefully monitor their entertainment. You probably shouldn't accuse people of faults for which you are in complete ignorance. May want to let that sink in.

Lol, the "greater good of society."

If not all children are as lucky as yours (gotta love that self-praise), you shouldn't encourage and enable bad parenting by demanding that console manufacturers take over parenting duties, affecting the content of games that aren't made for children to begin with.

 

[NickFire]

It's weird to me that so many of the people who approve of this kind of censorship also approve of sex education that goes far beyond how babies are born.

 

[Claus Grimhildyr]

I already answered this ignorant assumption above.

Missed that - but my point still stands. Your values are not inherently stronger or better. You are not thinking of the "good of society" - you are just pushing your own personal selfish desires on everyone else.

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

I don't delegate my parenting duties. I don't let my children play games with sex in them. I'm thinking more of the greater good of society. Not all children are as lucky as mine, to have parents that carefully monitor their entertainment. You probably shouldn't accuse people of faults for which you are in complete ignorance. May want to let that sink in.

As someone who also monitors their children's entertainment, I don't see how that is relevant.

I believe a more important lesson for a child to learn is discernment. It doesn't mean I willfully expose them to stuff that I think is inappropriate for their age, but I also don't want to shelter them needlessly through the censorship of a corporation.

They will need to learn how to decide for themselves -- apart from my parenting and apart from corporate censorship -- what is or isn't noble and true and right. They don't need a profit-driven (or worse, an ideology-driven) corporation trying to artificially protect them from content.

While you might agree with this particular moral stance, what happens when corporations decide that religious expression is inappropriate for children?

 

[MiyazakiHatesKojima]

I, for one, welcome Sony's censorship of tits, ass. and vaginas. I have a 12 year old son who I care about very much. His development will be disrupted if he sees any visuals of tits, ass, and vaginas. I love him very much and I want him to grow up and respect woman. Thank you, Sony.

 

[spawn]

I'm wondering how this will go with cyperpunk 2077 because we know that cd project red does not shy away from having nudity. If it's censored in anyway by Sony it would not go well with the fans

 

[VAL0R]

Why just sexual content, though? Either you go full in and censor violence as well or you don't censor at all.

I'm a devout Bible-believing Roman Catholic with eight children, so my moral views are going to be wildly different from many of yours'. If I was king of the world I wouldn't permit blasphemy, extreme gore, sexual acts, nudity, and a slew of other things in any game or film. I think those things are immoral, bad for society and bad for the moral development of children.

Wowzer, I really kicked the hornets' nest with that little comment in appreciation of Sony's efforts!

 

[VAL0R]

Missed that - but my point still stands. Your values are not inherently stronger or better. You are not thinking of the "good of society" - you are just pushing your own personal selfish desires on everyone else.

How can you possibly know what I'm thinking of? What a ridiculous statement.

 

[Dunki]

I hate it to live in a world where this here is ok but sexualized characters? HELL NO

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

I'm a devout Bible-believing Roman Catholic with eight children, so my moral views are going to be wildly different from many of yours'. If I was king of the world I wouldn't permit blasphemy, extreme gore, sexual acts, nudity, and a slew of other things in any game or film. I think those things are immoral, bad for society and bad for the moral development of children.

Wowzer, I really kicked the hornets' nest with that little comment in appreciation of Sony's efforts!

Ah, no disrespect intended then. I don't believe in top-down authoritarian moral structures enforced by secular power, whether that power is a government or a corporation. If that's your belief, so be it, but it's not something I'm in favor of.

 

[Abriael_GN]

I'm a devout Bible-believing Roman Catholic with eight children, so my moral views are going to be wildly different from many of yours'. If I was king of the world I wouldn't permit blasphemy, extreme gore, sexual acts, nudity, and a slew of other things in any game or film. I think those things are immoral, bad for society and bad for the moral development of children.

Wowzer, I really kicked the hornets' nest with that little comment in appreciation of Sony's efforts!

"Praise be Sony for making an effort to impose my values on everyone else!"

You, sir, are the problem.

 

[VAL0R]

I hate it to live in a world where this here is ok but sexualized characters? HELL NO

No, I think that's ridiculous and far, far too gruesome. I'm against that as well.

 

[Sqorin Hammerfarf]

How can you possibly know what I'm thinking of?

Animal, vegetable, or mineral?

 

[Dunki]

No, I think that's ridiculous and far, far too gruesome. I'm against that as well.

This goes to Sony. What people might or might not find suitable is their own responsibility. But censoring sexualized games and not this is hypocrisy

 

[Mista]

Unnecessary at all. Mature ratings exists for a reason. But yeah, if I get to choose, I’ll pick this over censorship.

 

[CatCouch]

I'm a devout Bible-believing Roman Catholic with eight children, so my moral views are going to be wildly different from many of yours'. If I was king of the world I wouldn't permit blasphemy, extreme gore, sexual acts, nudity, and a slew of other things in any game or film. I think those things are immoral, bad for society and bad for the moral development of children.

Wowzer, I really kicked the hornets' nest with that little comment in appreciation of Sony's efforts!

I can understand your views, we all have different beliefs, after all. The world would be a boring place if everyone agreed on everything. I honestly believe the healthiest way for society to get along is to have ratings so people can be informed on what content the want to be exposed to. I think that is the most reasonable compromise.

 

[The Mad Draklor]

Wowzer, I really kicked the hornets' nest with that little comment in appreciation of Sony's efforts!

Because it's authoritarian apologia.

 

[VAL0R]

Because it's authoritarian apologia.

Calling a videogame console manufacturer's decision to limit sexuality in games on their machine "authoritarian" seems a little dramatic to me. It's a free market, isn't it? Buy Nintendo or Xbox or game on PC if you don't want to support what you see as tyranny. Sony has every right to have a moral mission statement as a company and to take actions in such a way that support that agenda. If it's a more "family friendly" library of games, that's 100% their prerogative.

 

[MiyazakiHatesKojima]

I hate it to live in a world where this here is ok but sexualized characters? HELL NO

This is why i dislike Mortal Kombat. Its literally made for edgelords.

 

[Sqorin Hammerfarf]

Calling a videogame console manufacturer's decision to limit sexuality in games on their machine "authoritarian" seems a little dramatic to me. It's a free market, isn't it? Buy Nintendo or Xbox or game on PC if you don't want to support what you see as tyranny. Sony has every right to have a moral mission statement as a company and to take actions in such a way that support that agenda. If it's a more "family friendly" library of games, that's 100% their prerogative.

I don’t think Sony has a more family friendly library than Nintendo, even with the differences in censorship.

And I don’t think it is the platform owner’s choice what content should be allowed on it. That’s like the inventor of the printing press deciding which books can be published. They aren’t creating the games, they should have no creative control over them.

 

[The Mad Draklor]

Calling a videogame console manufacturer's decision to limit sexuality in games on their machine "authoritarian" seems a little dramatic to me. It's a free market, isn't it? Buy Nintendo or Xbox or game on PC if you don't want to support what you see as tyranny.

It's not dramatic when the parent can easily control what their children play. After all, it's usually down to the parent if a game is purchased or not. Plus the fact that the PS4 already has parental control options, so Sony's overbearing policy is rather moot.

Sony has every right to have a moral mission statement as a company and to take actions in such a way that support that agenda. If it's a more "family friendly" library of games, that's 100% their prerogative.

I don't see how that's "family friendly" when the solution that has been working prior to the policy is already family friendly. And to shape their policy as a "moral mission statement" is laughable. There's nothing moral about it other than that it's sheer corporatist authoritarianism.

 

[Dunki]

Calling a videogame console manufacturer's decision to limit sexuality in games on their machine "authoritarian" seems a little dramatic to me. It's a free market, isn't it? Buy Nintendo or Xbox or game on PC if you don't want to support what you see as tyranny. Sony has every right to have a moral mission statement as a company and to take actions in such a way that support that agenda. If it's a more "family friendly" library of games, that's 100% their prerogative.

Yeah family friendly. Do i need to poast more snuff video clips from Sony Studios like the last of us 2?

No they are not more family friendly some stupid modern feminist got a new job and is now dictating this shit. #Metoo my ass.

I do not even play most of these games but they have a fucking right to exist just like ANY other game. And not even given people in Japan clear guidelines, having them send Sony translated scripts for Japan only games etc. Is authoritarian as fuck. Yes I am upset about this because I thought Sony would be better than this.

Even Nintendo went to a more open state with the Switch. When Games on PS4 have to be censored while they are totally fine on the Switch then there is something terrible wrong here.
I will from now on BOYCOTT EVERY PLAYSTATION GAME AND CONSOLE until they go back to a sane level. And yes I am Serious.

Since I love Japanese games Japanese developer will also now abandon Sony. question if they go to Nintendo which I would hate since I also love technology or will they go to MS who desperately wants them? Or even go the best possible route the PC.

 

[michaelius]

They need to at least provide clean guidelines for 3rd parties current situation is insane where developers have to send their games and hope for best.

 

[Allnamestakenlol]

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.

You don't care about nude polygonal characters, but do you care about killing and/or seeing the blood of polygonal characters? Honest question -- maybe you don't, but many people would fail to realize the similarities. Different strokes for different folks, and all that.

 

[Barakov]

Well, well, they finally addressed it. At least they're being honest about it now.

They need to at least provide clean guidelines for 3rd parties current situation is insane where developers have to send their games and hope for best.

This was the thing that irked me the most. The fact that there was no guidelines was what was causing the biggest problem. If they came and said to their partners "Alright, this is the line, don't cross it". A lot of time and money could've been saved for some of these smaller developers.

Still I think it sucks this is happening and it's even worse they're trying to appeal to some people who complain about games and don't play them but it is what is. This is Sony's bed now and now they have to lay in it. We'll see if it affects them in next gen.

 

[Sqorin Hammerfarf]

BOYCOTT EVERY PLAYSTATION GAME

Even the good one?!

 

[The Mad Draklor]

Even the good one?!

Good thing physical media still exists!