On May 9th, Nintendo posted in its official news feed an official apology over the exclusion of same-sex relationships in their game Tomodachi Life for the Nintendo 3DS.  The short post, titled, “We are committed to fun and entertainment for everyone,” is only one paragraph long, and does little to excuse their choice to not include same-sex relationships.  Instead, Nintendo offers reasons for why it cannot be included by a patch, and a rather vague promise to include same-sex relationships in the next sequel (if it’s ever made).

“We apologize for disappointing many people by failing to include same-sex relationships in Tomodachi Life. Unfortunately, it is not possible for us to change this game’s design, and such a significant development change can’t be accomplished with a post-ship patch. At Nintendo, dedication has always meant going beyond the games to promote a sense of community, and to share a spirit of fun and joy. We are committed to advancing our longtime company values of fun and entertainment for everyone. We pledge that if we create a next installment in the Tomodachi series, we will strive to design a game-play experience from the ground up that is more inclusive, and better represents all players.”

– Nintendo
Via “What’s New” post

I doubt I’m the only one to question the true sincerity of this “apology.”  Especially when Nintendo practically buried the post in the midst of several other posts on a Friday, in what I, personally, can only assume is a hope that few journalists would find the post.  I’m also a bit annoyed at the verbiage of the apology as well; specifically the, “We apologize for disappointing many people,” part.  It’s arguable that this is an apology for pissing people off, and not for their unpopular choice of the exclusion of same-sex relationships.  I’ll leave it to you to decide if this was deliberate or not.

With so many other games including content beyond the typical heterosexual themed gameplay, it’s surprising that Nintendo would miss something like this.  However, there might be some reasons behind it as well.  Tomodachi Life is not even released in North American markets yet – currently it’s slated for a June 6th release – but the game has been out in Japan since April of last year.  So why has it taken so long for this apology to come out?  This might need some explanation.

There is a rather offensive sounding theory coined from the Dennis Altman 1997 essay “Global Gaze,” which is known as “Global Queering through Capitalism.”  The basis of this theory is the global culture of a homosexual community and the connections made between countries.  There is a fairly active and lively debate going on about this theory, but one outstanding point is the lack of Eastern cultures and the effect of this trend.  Another essay by Mark J. McLelland, titled, “Male homosexuality and popular culture in modern Japan,” offers the somewhat existentialistic understanding that the gay and lesbian culture of Japan often views through the eyes of the Western culture.  McLelland goes on to explain that the idea of “coming out,” is often not a desirable decision for many gay and lesbian people as “it necessarily involves adopting a confrontational stance against mainstream lifestyles and values.”

I bring this up because it calls into question the timing of Nintendo’s apology as it is possible that there was not the same outcry of Tomodachi Life’s exclusion of same-sex relationships as there have been from the Western audience, where it’s often considered a negative to be “in-the-closet.”

So is it possible that Nintendo honestly did not see this coming?  Is it even possible that they still do not understand the outcry?

One thing is for certain:  Nintendo is now aware of it, regardless of their understanding of the Western LBGT culture/community.  Hopefully, they are truly sincere in their words and are, “committed to advancing [their] longtime company values of fun and entertainment for everyone.”

Do you believe Nintendo has learned from their mistake?  Do you feel they were justified in their decision?  Let us know in the comments below, but keep it civil and don’t be an ignorant bigot.

Written by Variand

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