MangaGamer Refuses to Censor Loli Content
- Categories: Games, News
- Date: Dec 13, 2009 19:51 JST
- Tags: Censorship, Eroge, Higurashi, Law, Loli, Politics, Translation, Visual Novels
English language visual novel publisher MangaGamer has gone back on a recent decision to censor some of its recent titles over concerns about loli content; their upcoming releases of Soul Link and Higurashi will now go on sale completely uncensored.
They describe their decision in a recent statement:
After a lengthy and heated discussion, we have decided to release Soul Link and Higurashi uncensored with all CGs intact.
As you all may know, the issues in Japan following the outcries of this past year have left many companies wary and overcautious when it comes to deciding what constitutes child pornography.
With the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada cracking down and restricting content even more, we were no exception. As a company who hopes to offer our products to the entire English speaking world, we originally felt it necessary to take extra precaution to ensure that neither our company nor our customers would face prosecution or other action as a result of our products.
This is why we originally felt it was necessary to remove Nanami’s CGs and replace Satoko’s naked sprite with the sprite where she covers herself with a towel. We wanted to ensure the safety of our staff, our consumers, and our ability to continue producing these games.
However, as many fans have made it clear, we have to choose where we draw the line carefully. The images we have released in our games so far and the images in these games being released soon are acceptable under Freedom of Speech.
Furthermore, our products are being sold to a mature audience who is capable of making responsible decisions about what material they buy.
Also, as many have already said, if we wish to continue in this business, we must push for our own standards as well. Although it is impossible to say there will not come a time when we are forced to censor content in a game, we do intend to proceed selling our products uncensored.
Just whether these noble sentiments are enough to deflect charges of being “virtual child pornographers” remains to be seen, but it is at least a relief from the spineless response of the Japanese industry, and are also preferable to the stealthy censorship employed in certain other English language titles.
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It's nice to see a publisher doing what is right for once.
amen to that. (there is still hope for the ero world)
A new hope.
i hope my Comic LO to come back
It's nice to see drawn child pornography for once.
Is it really a good idea to talk about this on Sankaku when we know the Femnazis are watching?
Now if only they'd sell physical media instead of just downloads. Call me old fashioned, but I refuse to pay for bits, and I'm disappointed every time they release a game I've hoped to see in English, because it means that it's stuck in download-only hell.
Ero wars episode 4: a new hope
knowing that many people would prefer to just download the uncensored original for free, they were left with little choice but to risk and release as it is, knowing that this would appeal mostly the hardcore fanbase.
This is standing up for your industry and what you believe in. Take note, Japan. Kick Agnes Chan and EN to the curb on these matters.
Thank god, I hate it when they censor things for the sake of censoring
There is no sake of censoring, its for the sake of mankind.
...which is bullshit. These people have made the right choice.
The Ero God is looking after you.
Finally a company shows backbone!
Take that, femnazis!
This feels like a victory! I feel like raising my fist and yelling my happiness out to the world!
i just opened up my window and shouted "it's my money, and i need it now!"
lol. XD
MangaGamer, Legendary Heroes of Justice.
Mangagamer banzai!
Pimping for your sponsors. Class!
Freedom and loli for all.
Let's hope other publishers stand up for freedom of speech like mangagamer is doing.
Alright!!!
Time for a company to make the stand:
"Thought Crime is NOT crime!"
'Cause playing GTA, Doom, any FPS game would have been next.
Not really
Violence has always been more accepted than sex when it comes to these sorts of things.
Never were outside the US, were you?
In a lot of European countries, it's the other way around.
that's almost like saying that hate is more accepted than love in the world.
now I have no doubts about how the world has become what it is now.
this is one of the few rare gaming companies that I am absolutely proud to support by purchasing their games :)
FOR THE LOLI!!!
To Anon, it more or less is:
Did you follow the news story of GTA: San Andreas and their "Hot Chocolate" scandal?
They'd originally included a "Dating" thing in the game, but hid a feature that allowed sex to be had with the girls being dated. Nothing too complex, after all the graphics weren't up to that level of detail, but I've heard it was like the nude but fake sex of the 70s movies...
When it was released there was a panic, 18 only status, etc. Games recalled, replaced...
However, let's put it in perspective.
GTA-There's a mission to "Kill Cops" and the "Easiest way" to do it is just walk into the police station, shoot them point blank. Then keep killing cops. That makes your "Felony Level" max out and the millitary comes to get you. You use "Bolt Cutters" and jump into an armored vehicle, then escape.
---In RL, not that anyone would survive that long, but they'd be hiding in a pit under a snake charmer's basket in India for the rest of their life if they somehow escaped, right?
Well, in GTA you just pay a bribe for ANY crime and your records are expunged and you can be in plain view of the cops and they won't mess with you...
You can also 'recharge' your health by going to a hooker for a $25 blowjob that happens off camera, then shoot her and get your $25 back and strangely there's no "Pimp" to kill you for doing that...
BUT-the "Dating" thing while silly and a crude attempt to emulate Japanese games, you had to get to know the ladies, gradually earn their trust and then after some coaxing they'd let you fuck them.
In short, the game is banned when the character behaves other than murderous human vermin... Don't want "The Children" exposed to that in their "Wholesome Family Entertainment"!
Fucking True
I done that in both GTA.
Heck in postal I once killed every cop I could find in the game.
What I did with a scythe and a shot gun in the Lucky Ganesh in Postal 2 would have been a hate crime in real life.
FOR THE LOLIS! Yes...now those lucky five getting a copy of Higurashi get loli service. Of course for me I'll get blood...with the Satoko and Rika
rika-chama banzai!
Removing loli ero CGs? Fuck NO!!
That's like taking away the fried chicken from your KFC meal or replacing Horo with a beaver tooth fugly transvestite.
Or just replacing the cover.
"a beaver tooth fugly transvestite."
named Holo
This is Higurashi we're talking about, not some fancy eroge. If you're expecting delicious cake ero, get out.
This is Higurashi AND SOUL LINK we're talking about..
fixed
This site's reputation is rising quickly. Back in June, people were saying, "MANGAgamer? What idiots, that's not manga!" Now many people are pushing others to actually buy the games from them instead of just torrenting them.
The more Mangagamer sells, the more others will think about what they are doinng.
*cough* Yast *cough*
The original Higurashi has like one CG, and I think there's like one sprite of Satoko with a nipple showing or something. I cannot believe there had to even be debate on that, our censorship laws are pretty ridiculous.
It shows her full body, I think.
I was one of the people who e-mailed them. Great to hear that they're not censoring the games. More loli for everyone ^_^
good for you *hi-five*
There's still justice in this world, I knew it.
+1 for them
Wow. A company with common sense. And here I was thinking the world was taken over by over-sensetive pussies. Thank you MangaGamer!
The art in Higurashi is horrible anyway, it's like censoring stick figures.
While that's somewhat true. The moralfags would pick on ANYTHING that they can gripe on.
Finally somebody sticking up for the important things in life, I wonder how long it will be before he gets jailed for it?i
A matyr indeed. Allah Lolibar!