Hello. Every week, interesting events take place, so it’s time to discuss the less important (yet interesting) news of the week.
“Video games,” the old scapegoat.
We have all witnessed the unrest in France, which has mobilized an entire community and pushed the country to the brink of a civil war. Among the most surprising reactions, it is worth mentioning the statements of Prime Minister Macron blaming video games as one of the main causes of this situation.
In response to these words, as revealed by the Niche Gamer website, Katsuhiro Harada has expressed his opinion, pointing out the lack of accountability on the part of the French.
Blaming video games for various social problems is not a new or unique occurrence, but the audacity of this instance has surprised both insiders and outsiders.
More “drama” for the SkullGirls controversy.
The fury of the fans has escalated to notable levels, placing SkullGirls as one of the worst-rated games on the platform. I already discussed this news in the previous weekly news post and shared my opinion on the arguments for and against in this article, so I don’t see the need to address the topic again.
However, it’s important to note the consequences and evolution of this issue. Especially the treatment by the “specialized press” incapable of biting the hand that feeds them, attacking the toxic fan base with questionable morals and their “review bombing” tantrum.
They forget the deep feeling of being deceived for those who paid for the product and have seen unwanted permanent modifications. This might be the only mechanism players have to show their discontent. That and not acquiring any product from those in charge of all these decisions.
Skullgirls reverses the trend.
As if things weren’t complicated enough, it has been confirmed that the Steam platform attempted damage control by classifying reviews as “off topic” / “unrelated.” This has restored positive scores to the title, further angering users who believe that if developers have the right to modify the game, they have the right to modify their opinion and criticism of it.
As the YouTuber SidAlpha pointed out, the problem lies in the fact that buying a game on Steam doesn’t mean acquiring the game but obtaining a license to use it, leaving a backdoor to any decision affecting its content, regardless of whether it’s been one year, ten, or a hundred.
Orc Massage presents a new client
After some time announcing progress in the story mode of the new female character, the moment we all were waiting for has arrived. The new face is Emma, a celebrity friend of Thalia who decides to try the treatment from our most attentive Orc.
It is worth mentioning that this is the game’s female character with the most thickness and pronounced curves, providing the title with a broader range of body types while expanding its charismatic bestiary. You can find more information about the new features included in the patch introducing this character in the following link.
Let’s remember that Orc Massage is a Steam game created by the Taiwanese studio Torch and its premise is simple yet sexy: making our clients happy by relieving their tensions. The game has received an excellent reception, despite being banned in Korea.
Sex with Bears
One of the most talked-about news on the internet has been the presentation of Baldur’s Gate 3, which allows certain freedoms to the player, as seen in the gameplay reveal. Guided by the decisions of the audience, the protagonist was able to have a romantic scene (with consensual sex) with a druid transformed into a bear.
At Honey Traps, I must make it clear that I approve and encourage any display of eroticism integrated into the gaming experience, whether normative or alternative, even with practices that might make the baby Jesus cry. I don’t believe it’s appropriate to put barriers in the field, and creative freedom should always align with the freedom of the audience to choose what they want to see or prefer to avoid.
That being said, the news would have remained a spicy anecdote if it weren’t for the fierce criticism from a ¿conservative? sector of the Twitter community. Harsh comments, ranging from mockery to rejection, have echoed as if a religious or ultra-conservative front was trying to impose itself against crossing red lines.
However, if we pay attention to the profiles and context in which these protests are made, we also see a demand for fairness: while criticism targets games where the female body plays a significant role in attraction (you know, our “Honey”), and feminists and Social Justice Warriors attack these titles, arguing that they “objectify women” and induce undesirable and even criminal behaviors, the opposite happens when non-normative characters with alternative sexualities display similar behaviors. Of course, I applaud any erotic, fanservice, and adult-oriented content in a video game, but I will never support the double standard of the dominant discourse.
The truth is that all should be treated equally because they are fictional characters in fictional worlds. But we live in times heavily colored by ideology, and everything must withstand a narrative, censoring what is considered contrary to it. Be it watering down a game to appease dominant industry values or praising diversity even when it comes to fetishes with pro-minority labels.
Illusion closes its doors.
The erotic video game company (Eroge) Illusion has announced the cessation of its activities, which will take effect on Friday, August 18, as stated in the official statement on their Twitter account.
This closure marks the end of a 30-year history and over 50 commercial titles, some of which were pioneers in using 3D as the main game engine, making this clear three-dimensional focus a trademark, and improving polygonal quality with each released game.
The decision has taken the community by surprise, as they expected a longer run for the Japanese company due to its expansion into the world of Virtual Reality and the popularity of some of its games on various digital platforms like Steam.
We can only remember them fondly and acknowledge them as one of the most important companies in their field. Illusion (1993-2023)
Dungeon Travelers 2 and 2-2 won’t be released on Steam.
Shiravune has finally confirmed that Dungeon Travelers 2 and its sequel won’t be available on the Steam platform. It seems that Valve’s strict content policies would leave the titles with no possibility to offer their appealing fanservice to the audience, considering the impact of censorship on games that rely on fanservice.
Niche Gamer covered the news as soon as the tweet was made public, confirming the challenges in classifying a game and making it available to a broader audience.
The game can be digitally acquired on Johren at a reasonable price (links for 2 and 2-2). If you’re in an allowed area (unfortunately not my case) and haven’t had the chance to enjoy this classic on PSP/PS Vita, it’s a highly recommended purchase for those who love Dungeon Crawlers with a spicy touch.
As expected, the community has reacted to the news.
Flash News:
Ken Akamatsu in Japan Expo (France)
The author of Love Hina had the opportunity to spend a few days in Paris as a guest at Japan Expo. He expressed his views on the manga and anime industry, advocating for no-censorship and presenting data in favor of artistic freedom of expression and understanding the differences between reality and fiction.
Remember that some groups were organizing to boycott his visit. Fortunately, there were no significant incidents.
Taito LD Game Collection for Nintendo Switch
A new Taito compilation for Nintendo Switch has been announced, this time featuring Laser Disc games. So far, the list includes titles such as:
- Time Gal HD Remaster
- Space Battleship Yamato HD Remaster
- Ninja Hayate HD Remaster
These are excellent news; it’s always a pleasure to play titles that feel like an anime OVA, although knowing some “ecchi” moments in these games (especially in Time Gal), the question remains if they will be released as they were originally or if something will be removed or altered. I’ll keep an eye out.
NISA against fan translations.
Fans of many NIS franchises have been pointing out how the localization of these games often presents different texts from the original ones, sometimes distorting dialogues and reactions of different characters.
The community, on the other hand, has worked to provide faithful translations of the original Japanese texts. It seems that NIS America has taken notice and proceeded to make relevant claims to download platforms like MEGA and remove the distribution of these patches.
Personally, I believe localization helps contextualize many titles, and it’s something fans have learned to accept. However, we live in a world that allows us to compare things with the original material, and sometimes the comparison reflects poorly on the localizers, who take advantage of their position to alter the content.
If you’re interested in the topic, I recommend following Twitter user Monblut, who specializes in this area.
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