The omission of a controversial plotline from 3DS title Fire Emblem: Fates was purely driven to standard localisation practices, Nintendo has said.
Nintendo then stated how depending on which version is played, players can have certain characters, female or male marry others of the same sex.
If a bond with a male protagonist is developed, he spikes her drink with a magic powder that reverses the gender of all character in her eyes.
The protagonist therefore uses magic to switch everyone's gender without her knowing, which, when it eventually wears off, sees her become more comfortable around other women.
"In the version of the game that ships in the United States and Europe, there is no expression which might be considered as gay conversion or drugging that occurs between characters[1]", a company representative clarified to Nintendo World Report. Once she's taken the pill, the player can initiate a conversation where Soleil proposes to the protagonist and confesses that she fell in love with him under the influence of the drug, but still loves him without it. The scene is wrong on so many levels it would require an escalator to bearably explore them all; it's not okay to circumvent consent with drugs, and it's not okay to pressure someone into a relationship. Aside from the morally incorrect manner of drugging the character without their knowing, the adjustment was also interpreted as a means of "gay conversion therapy".
While there's no details just yet on how exactly the scenario had been altered, Siliconera[2] reached out for clarification, and got this: "Making changes is not unusual when we localize games, and we have indeed made changes in these games". This is a method used by some religious organizations to change ones sexual orientation.
One of the highlights of the Fire Emblem games is that you're able to get involved with pretty much any character you like in storylines that ultimately lead to romance or marriage, but the way they've gone about this storyline is incredibly wrong.
Simultaneously, Nintendo added that additional post-content DLC will arrive in the form of new map packs, the first of which will launch on February 19 - the same day Fire Emblem Fates is released.
The Fire Emblem Fates 3DS XL will run $200, the standard price for the system.
References
- ^ as gay conversion or drugging that occurs between characters (www.nintendoworldreport.com)
- ^ Siliconera (www.siliconera.com)
