Yes, Fatal Frame’s Lingerie Outfits Have Been Removed From The Western Version

“These costumes replace the more revealing lingerie bonus outfits that were included in the Japanese version. That’s right – we’ve been cruelly denied the chance to gaze at a fictional lady in her underpinnings. Gnash those teeth and grab those pitchforks.”

Entirely beside the point. They’re probably not something I would have even given more than a cursory glance at (this IS a horror game, after all), but I am troubled by Nintendo’s insistence on patronizing its audience by censoring content from a clearly M-rated game. Nintendo is treating its adult customers like children (you could say… like Nintenyearolds!), and this is a troubling precedent to set. And to be honest, I’m disappointed in the cavalier attitude the article writer and many of the commentators are displaying toward clear instances of unnecessary censorship.

It’s not really a big deal here (I actually prefer Nintendo outfits, to be honest, and the zero suit is probably more revealing than people give it credit for), but it’s setting a disturbing precedent for other Nintendo games. In particular, I’m wondering to what degree Fire Emblem: Fates is going to be censored.

It’s sad, though: Fatal Frame’s audience is a bit of a niche crowd, and between the digital-only format, the lack of advertising, and the censorship, it’s going to bomb in NA, which Nintendo will probably use as an excuse to not localize any future games in the series.

Xseed’s vice president just expressed opposition toward the concept of unnecessary censorship. Many of the folks in that company feel the same way: all censorship is bad, and it must be engaged in only to the extent that it is necessary to legally release a game as M-rated or under in the West. I have to wonder which company I should begin supporting more, since one clearly respects me as an adult consumer more than the other.