Nintendo Apologizes For 'Disappointing People' By Not Including Same-Sex Couples In Its Life Simulator Game
But it will still launch the game in June without any changes, according to GamesBeat:
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 postship 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 gameplay experience from the ground up that is more inclusive and better represents all players.
Nintendo's statement comes a day after GLAAD, an advocacy group for people who are in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community, said Nintendo is "behind the times," GamesBeat says.
The game was first released in Japan last year, and uses Miis (Nintendo's personalized avatars of players). After personalizing the Miis, players can make them go shopping, fall in love, break up, play games, and even meet celebrities, such as Christina Aguilera and Shaquille O'Neal.
Earlier this week, Nintendo issued a statement saying that it "never intended to make any form of social commentary with the launch of 'Tomodachi Life.'"
The original Japanese version of the game does not include same-sex couples, but same-sex marriage is illegal in Japan. Same-sex marriage is allowed in different regions in North America and Europe, and it's not uncommon for game makers to tailor game releases to make them more localized.