Pre-release thread: THE iDOLM@STER: Platinum Stars

[mariokirby]

And about the touch scenes: actually touching their breasts is always considered the wrong answer and will be reprimanded by the girls. The few instances where it is the right answer, it isn't so much as touching their breasts, but pointing at their heart.

Right.  That's why I said a "few times" it's the right answer.  Yes, I know the intention is not groping them (sorry for not clarifying that), but the fact is that you have to touch the breast area to gain a perfect communication.  And, touching that part will never be seen in a rated T game.

Here's an example.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpzWbELKWFQ&index=2&list=PLj8_OUG7OFPlNUmOGiYtqloOVrh4vSFnq

I know the intention is not groping, but still doing this will not be allowed in a rated T game.

Edit:

Breast aside, even normal touching can be a problem as the Producer is sort of portrayed as a grown man and touching underage girls can be an issue just by itself if this was a rated T game.

[ChocoCats]

The thing with FE is that the touching thing was pretty creepy in the first place. Plus many of the people you can rub are semi-related to you... I know the touching even being included was chided by hardcore FE fans as being something way too creepy and fanservicey to put in a traditionally serious SRPG. The rubbing generated a ton of controversy in the US before it was even released stateside because Fire Emblem is a popular, influential title. Idolmaster isn't.

Which really said something when even Nintendo and some of the developers found it creepy and I found that minigame more awkward than creepy. Honestly, I don't care for the skinshipping minigame being removed or not (because the source for that is unreliable) because there are worse things in Fates than that. *coughs coughs* on-disc DLC, how children are obtained, most S-supports in general.

Unless it's really drastic, I'm indifferent about censorship. And let's face it, the chance for THE IDOLM@STER coming here in the west is super low. I simply don't think people will be pleased with its concept and its DLC. :V

[Okayu]

Edit:

Breast aside, even normal touching can be a problem as the Producer is sort of portrayed as a grown man and touching underage girls can be an issue just by itself if this was a rated T game.

That makes me curious what would happen if instead of the idols being aged up, Producer was aged down? His appearance is never shown physically in the games after all, and there's only a line or two giving a vague idea of how old he is. Now I'm reminded Break exists.

[MetalPredat0r]

Here's my stance on this.

I'm personally not gonna argue for or against an English localization because at the end of the day, it's Namco's decision.

They can do whatever they want. If they feel the game is gonna be localized, go ahead. If not, oh well gotta import.

I remember when Hyperdimension Neptunia PP: Producing Perfection was announced and I knew for a fact that that game is not gonna get a Western release due to how similar to iDOLM@STER it is. Then Idea Factory released it here anyway.

It all depends on if the company thinks the game should be localized, not any recent patterns in the gaming industry, controversies, niche audiences and what not.

Now I'm reminded Break exists.

Welcome to how I felt when the plot was announced.

[mariokirby]

That makes me curious what would happen if instead of the idols being aged up, Producer was aged down?

Well, it'll be less bad for sure.  But, then there's still the breast area touching or groping (if you really want to be a mean producer).


Going off topic, a young Producer goes in line with my ideal im@s universe (just for personal preferences).  Of course, not anyway similar to Break manga.

Here's my stance on this.
I'm personally not gonna argue for or against an English localization because at the end of the day, it's Namco's decision.

Right.  I know censorship is a very sensitive topic to discuss, and I tried to avoid it whenever possible since at the end the day it goes no where and nobody is happy.

So, sorry if I sounded rude or anything in my posts.  I just felt like commenting that's all.  I'm not trying to persuade anyone or anything like that since I know everyone has their own view point.

[MetalPredat0r]

So, sorry if I sounded rude or anything in my posts.  I just felt like commenting that's all.  I'm not trying to persuade anyone or anything like that since I know everyone has their own view point.

Dude, you're fine. We're just here to discuss our thoughts and stuff. I just personally think that this recent fear of censorship is a bit silly due to how many games came out without it. (BlazBlue, anyone?)

[mariokirby]

Dude, you're fine. We're just here to discuss our thoughts and stuff. I just personally think that this recent fear of censorship is a bit silly due to how many games came out without it. (BlazBlue, anyone?)

Oh, thanks.  Just trying keep the forum friendly and all.


I think there was a couple of really minor stuff with Blazblue.  (Not a huge deal)

For example, the JP cover art in Continuum Shift Extend was edited for the US cover art to cover up Mu-12 breasts.  The same thing was done for Continuum Shift II but instead edited Makoto's breasts.

Also, if I remember correctly, I believe there was an issue on the Xbox 360 version of Continuum Shift Extend with Relius Astral where you see shadows of hanging bodies.  The Xbox 360 omitted those shadows while the PS3 version kept them.  Weird.

[MetalPredat0r]

Yeah the covers were changed, but Mu-12 and Makoto themselves were kept exactly the same between regions.

Relius' hanging bodies is justified censorship so as to avoid bumping the game to an M rating.

Anyway, getting back on topic, maybe they'll develop the actual game around this by removing some of the more risque elements? Like remove pai-touching even in the original Japanese? Just a food for thought.

[mariokirby]

Anyway, getting back on topic, maybe they'll develop the actual game around this by removing some of the more risque elements? Like remove pai-touching even in the original Japanese? Just a food for thought.

Hmm...I don't see that happening.  I mean, didn't you tell me that Sakagami was called hentai by the fans (just to tease him) whenever he enters on stage.  And, I think he likes the idols wearing kindergarten and baby clothes.  Anyways, I would prefer they kept risque elements since that appeared throughout the main titles since the 1st game.

[MetalPredat0r]

Hmm...I don't see that happening.  I mean, didn't you tell me that Sakagami was called hentai by the fans whenever he enters on stage.  And, I think he likes the idols wearing kindergarten and baby clothes.  Anyways, I would prefer that kept risque elements since that appeared throughout the main titles since the 1st game.

It can and has happened with other games. I know that Fate/Stay Night, Wrestle Angels, and Variable Geo started off as hentai or games containing hentai elements but future releases toned it down or outright removed all h-game elements to appeal to a wider audience.

Not saying iM@S is gonna do it, just that it is a possibility.

[Naryoril]

Breast aside, even normal touching can be a problem as the Producer is sort of portrayed as a grown man and touching underage girls can be an issue just by itself if this was a rated T game.

No offence, but i think the biggest problem in this regard is north america, they imo have really strange priorities. Killing people is no problem at all, but god forbid you can see a little bit of skin, or patting a girl on the head...

Edit: typo fix

[MetalPredat0r]

i
O offence, but i think the biggest problem in this regard is north america, they imo have really strange priorities. Killing people is no problem at all, but god forbid you can see a little bit of skin, or patting a girl on the head...

I'm on different fences about that. On one hand, we have done some weird censorship things in games, yet other countries have been just as guilty in the past. MK2 on SNES made the blood green and the whole game went grayscale during fatalities in the Japanese version. On the other hand, censorship methods depend on the company. I go to the patting heads example because that's not a custom of all of North America, it's just Nintendo of America's odd censorship methods. It shouldn't represent how the whole country censors content and I find it silly that it is becoming that way recently.

[Naryoril]

Ofc other countries have done stupid censorship as well. Germany is a prime example, they even replaced all the human like enemies in Turok with robots in Germany...

And actually i wasn't talking about some specific censorship case, or even just games, it's a general observation which i then exaggerated to make the point more clear.

The patting on the head is a reference to the im@s touching scenes. mariokirby wrote that the touching scenes can be an issue by itself, but most of the time it actually is patting the idols' head, bumping fists and stuff like that. That something like that even is considered to be a potential problem shows that people imo are oversensitive towards such things (even though they often are completely harmless with no ill intent at all) in north america, especially compared to the relatively free depiction of violence (which never is completely harmless).

[mariokirby]

The patting on the head is a reference to the im@s touching scenes. mariokirby wrote that the touching scenes can be an issue by itself, but most of the time it actually is patting the idols' head, bumping fists and stuff like that.

Giving something like a high-five is no problem.  What I was referring to is touching other places that become an issue (especially with an underage girl) besides chest touching such as face touching, chin stroking, hair stroking, leg/thigh touching, etc if we're giving this a T rating.  Even if the intention is different. 

I don't know how bad head patting is, but if hypothetically it's not bad, but then the problem is that you could touch another body part and still get another response.

Remember, the Producer represents you. You are the one doing the touching/stroking not someone else.  With all the hot topics going on in the gaming industry, things have become a little stricter.  What's more tolerant in Japan is not that tolerant in the US. 

Of course, the reverse is true.  Violence is more tolerable in the US than in Japan.  An example would be Metal Gear Rising.  In the JP version, the game was censored to have white blood while the US version kept the blood red.

So, different countries have varying degrees of tolerances, and it's something you can't really change.

Tolerance for Violence: Europe has the least tolerance, then Japan, then Australia, then the US
Tolerance for sexual themes:  the US is the least tolerant, then Australia, then Europe, then Japan
Tolerance for drug use: Australia is the most restrictive, then Japan, Europe and then the US.

[MetalPredat0r]

It's all really based on the country's standards.

Like what mariokirby said, the Japanese have very low tolerance with violence whereas North America has lower tolerance with intimacy. It's just how we all are.

Me personally, I don't like talking about censorship anymore. I used to discuss it as a form of trivia but given that now people tend to complain and become sensitive and offended over a lot of things, it just took out my interest. This is coming from a pretty sensitive guy.

Also, I feel like we're getting slightly off-topic what with the discussion becoming purely about censorship.