Earlier this week Nintendo confirmed that the upcoming 3DS life sim game Tomodachi Life would not include the option of same-sex marriages, saying that they did not want to make any social commentary with the game. The backlash was almost immediate, with some fans even calling for a boycott of the game. Many took to social media to express their dissatisfaction, with some fans announcing they were donating the $40 they would have spent on the game to various gay rights charities. Yesterday Nintendo released another statement, this time an apology. They apologized for their insensitive statement, but said that this late in development they could not add the same-sex option to the game. They promised that if another Tomodachi Life game gets made they will be sure it is "more inclusive". Click read more to see the full statement.
I'm still planning on buying Tomodachi Life, but I can understand why people would be upset over Nintendo's original statement. I think their second statement was a very sincere apology, and hopefully we get another Tomodachi game here in the states so Nintendo can make good on that promise.
Source: kotaku.com
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.
