[SPOILERS] Devil May Cry 5 for PS4 is (Slightly) more censored than on Xbox One and PC, but only in the West

[Morfid_Plays]

As of recent times Sony stoked a fair bit of controversey by applying "light rays" to select Japanese visual novel titles.

It soon became apparent that this was a forward policy and would reflect upon future titles.
Smaller Devs expressed dismay at working with the new guidlines and a Twitter "backlash" against Sony was formed.

I believe devil may cry 5 containing censorship, enclosed within a patch is the first example of this policy applying itself to the aaa console space.

The game remain uncensored on pc and Xbox and it seems at current the patch is only designed at the western ps4 release.

Below is nsfw and spoilers

https://imgur.com/a/s6RNDmD

Whilst I remain impartial to the topic I'm curious how it will affect future titles such as cyberpunk.

How do we all feel ?

Are you fully in support of Sony's stringent new policy's, or are you against them.

This thread was rebooted due to a number of issues, so we're setting some ground rules.

First of all, do not dismiss concerns about female objectification and sexualisation in this thread. This includes bad faith misrepresentations or exaggerations of other users' concerns as being puritan in nature. Similarly, do not attempt to derail the discussion with irrelevant tangents about violence in video games: one does not excuse the other.

If you feel a post is actionable in some way, please report the post instead of engaging with hostility. This is counterproductive and will only lead to thread derailment. Posts ignoring the guidance laid out in this staff post will be actioned appropriately.

 

[Deleted member 5086]

Thread rebooted.

 

[Kingpin Rogers]

When it's just small stuff like this I don't really care but I do think it's silly. The worry is if they try and push it further, I really don't feel like playing censored games and I personally could see myself choosing to get a game on a different platform rather than the "censored" PlayStation version.

I just wonder who this censorship is for exactly? The other platform holders were fine with it and we've seen much worse in other PlayStation games as well. And why Nudity but not the violence? It just seems odd and pretty silly to me. Not a good look for Sony if this extends to other games and goes even further imo.

 

[Eolz]

Can we keep the topics of DMCV's poor treatment/writing of women and Sony's weird censorship separated too?
The former deserves a separate thread, but the latter is a legit concern that just gets weirder, more selective, and with less info about it than before...

 

[Eggman]

Something does seem odd about this to me which makes me think there is something else happening rather than Sony requesting Capcom censor the game only in the west. For one I believe all the other games Sony requested to be censored were censored in all regions including Japan (which this isn't).

And I also read the recently released Metro Exodus contains nudity and isn't censored on PS4.

There's also the fact that there is another scene that is censored on all platforms while this other scene is not.
Does this seem odd to anyone else?

 

[Martylepiaf]

As I said in the last thread :
"The fact that the PC and Xbox versions are not "censored" might be a mistake from Capcom. I don't see Sony coming to Capcom to tell them "hey can you hide that butt on our version we don't like that one" "

If it really comes from Sony it's super weird, they're not gonna ask from every shitty fan service to be censored.

 

[Mike Rambo]

I feel like this specific instance is a little silly. It reminds me of when the Hannibal tv show wasn't allowed to show a corpse's butt, but they were allowed to cover it with additional gore as that was deemed to be less damaging. Whether or not you agree with the censorship policies in general, I think doing this for nudity in a non-sexual context is just a little weird.

 

[Sheentak]

None of the charecters are underage at all and censorship in a mature game is well strange it is a 18+.

My theory is that Sony censorship policy's are not very clear so devolopers are not taking chances

 

[Daniel Westlake]

As I said in the last thread :
"The fact that the PC and Xbox versions are not "censored" might be a mistake from Capcom. I don't see Sony coming to Capcom to tell them "hey can you hide that butt on our version we don't like that one" "

If it really comes from Sony it's super weird, they're not gonna ask from every shitty fan service to be censored.

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Yeah that was my question from the last thread is this Capcom just doing some light self-censorship to avoid what they see as a potential issue or is this actually a request from Sony proper? Because I feel like it's far more likely that it's the former and in that case who gives a fuck.

In any case though it sounds like Sony does need to clarify some of their new policies.

 

[Richardi]

As I said in the last thread :
"The fact that the PC and Xbox versions are not "censored" might be a mistake from Capcom. I don't see Sony coming to Capcom to tell them "hey can you hide that butt on our version we don't like that one" "

If it really comes from Sony it's super weird, they're not gonna ask from every shitty fan service to be censored.

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Dunno about Xbox but PC version is censored, except for that one scene, Lady has a beam shine covering her ass in one scene.

 

[Tohsaka]

Something does seem odd about this to me which makes me think there is something else happening rather than Sony requesting Capcom censor the game only in the west. For one I believe all the other games Sony requested to be censored were censored in all regions including Japan (which this isn't).

And I also read the recently released Metro Exodus contains nudity and isn't censored on PS4.

There's also the fact that there is another scene that is censored on all platforms while this other scene is not.
Does this seem odd to anyone else?

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Yeah, this is a weird case. A lot of Japan-only games have been censored on PS4 in the past couple months, so it's obviously not only the west that Sony's new policy applies to.

 

[Wanderer5]

Isn't there a scene with Lady that is len flare galore in all versions? Maybe because that was more played as a joke????

Sucks how Trish and Lady are apparently treated in this game, though this "censoring" here is a bit weird.

 

[Wulfram]

I don't think the "censored" scene is less sexualised

 

[Durante]

Like someone said in the last thread, I don't really follow the line of argument that this is a meaningful step towards combating sexualization.

Putting lens flares over butts to censor them doesn't really achieve that goal, it just seems silly. And an overreach if it actually is a platform requirement.

 

[tyfon]

I think the premise of the thread is incorrect.
We don't know if this is mandated by Sony or if it's Capcom doing it.
The game is also not "uncensored" on PC and xbox as the OP states, it's just one scene that is not censored on PC/xbox, there are other scenes that are censored.

And for the record, putting butts in your game and then censoring them seems ridiculous in any case. If you don't want people to see said butts don't put them in the game in the first place. Personally I don't think they add anything to the game.

 

[Crossing Eden]

"The fact that the PC and Xbox versions are not "censored" might be a mistake from Capcom. I don't see Sony coming to Capcom to tell them "hey can you hide that butt on our version we don't like that one" "

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It's actually highly likely considering that the same scene featuring the same character is the same way on all versions unless i'm mistaken:

 

[Rowsdower]

Dunno about Xbox but PC version is censored, except for that one scene, Lady has a beam shine covering her ass in one scene.

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I think the beam light is in all versions, on all platforms though. I remember seeing a pre-release pic of it from the Xbox version.

I don't agree with censorship, and this is a silly case. Why this one specific scene on screen for 5 seconds? Baffling.

 

[Martylepiaf]

It's actually highly likely considering that the same scene featuring the same character is the same way on all versions unless i'm mistaken:

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I'm starting to believe her butt is just a light bulb

 

[Arion]

I guess you could say Dante finally filled Trish's dark soul with light.

 

[Sasliquid]

I feel like this is a weird situation, DMC and Capcom should have enough say to put there foot down and say they wouldn't change anything and what would Sony do?

 

[TyrantGuardian]

Like someone said in the last thread, I don't really follow the line of argument that this is a meaningful step towards combating sexualization.

Putting lens flares over butts to censor them doesn't really achieve that goal, it just seems silly. And an overreach if it actually is a platform requirement.

Click to shrink...

I mean, I agree that the real issue is that these scenes are unnecessary sexist garbage in the first place rather than the censorship of them, but something tells me the prior wouldn't get much discussion around here because most men don't give a single shit about sexism in video games. So here we are.

I feel like this is a weird situation, DMC and Capcom should have enough say to put there foot down and say they wouldn't change anything and what would Sony do?

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Or maybe human beings should put their foot down and be done with this tired old shit already.

 

[Bansai]

It's actually highly likely considering that the same scene featuring the same character is the same way on all versions unless i'm mistaken:

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It was definitely the case on XOX, I even made a mental note of how dumb it looks.

I guess you could say Dante finally filled Trish's dark soul with light.

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aayyyyyy dios mio.

Either way, I hope this won't be the trend going forward.

 

[Pancracio17]

This is kinda silly but I wonder how a game like Cyberpunk would be affected. In that game sex and nudity will probably be pretty common compared to the average game. Or even the next GTA with its strip clubs.

 

[Richardi]

Chances are the Trish un beamed version is an error, given Lady's version, so much for that Sony censorship if so...

 

[MegaXZero]

Like I said in the spoiler thread, I'm surprised a company like Capcom got censored, especially with a realistic, non anime looking game.

It's also halfassed so i doubt they wanted this in originally. All signs point to Sony putting the usual light hammer down. I just wonder if Capcom will put it on other systems now for parity.

 

[Sign My Guestbook!]

I heard there was a mod that removed the censoring?

 

[Oregano]

To echo what I said in the last thread. The fact that scene is unnecessary and just there to titillate doesn't change the fact that censoring it is stupid.

It would be good if people could drop the us vs them stuff in general.

 

[Rosebud]

This is kinda silly but I wonder how a game like Cyberpunk would be affected. In that game sex and nudity will probably be pretty common compared to the average game. Or even the next GTA with its strip clubs.

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That's what I'm thinking, CDPR wants to have full nudity but seems like it won't be accepted by any platform, maybe PC

 

[Captain_Raoul]

I think Michael Bay has something to do with this.

 

[SolidSnakex]

This is kinda silly but I wonder how a game like Cyberpunk would be affected. In that game sex and nudity will probably be pretty common compared to the average game. Or even the next GTA with its strip clubs.

Click to shrink...

This is what's weird about it. RDR2 has the exact same type of nudity (back of a woman's buttcrack), except it's shown in a sex scene and you also see breasts. And that's all uncensored. So it's not like Sony has an issue with nudity even under their current guidelines. That's why it doesn't make any sense for this to have anything covering Trish given that she's obviously an adult.

 

[Error 52]

I heard there was a mod that removed the censoring?

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It's uncensored on PC and PS4 homebrew barely exists, so...no.

 

[BakedTanooki]

If I read and understood right, it's getting censored with one of the current patches? (There are two at the moment).
And the version on disc is identical to the uncensored japanese version?

 

[Deleted member 31092]

I think Michael Bay has something to do with this.

Click to shrink...

JJ Abrams you mean

 

[Sheentak]

This is what's weird about it. RDR2 has the exact same type of nudity (back of a woman's buttcrack), except it's shown in a sex scene and you also see breasts. And that's all uncensored. So it's not like Sony has an issue with nudity even under their current guidelines. That's why it doesn't make any sense for this to have anything covering Trish given that she's obviously an adult.

Click to shrink...

Red dead came out before all this came to light

 

[Captain_Raoul]

JJ Abrams you mean

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Both of them:

 

[SolidSnakex]

Red dead came out before all this came to light

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RDR2 was released in October, the first word of Sony's policy changes came way earlier that year when Omega Labyrinth was canned entirely for the western PS4's. Then later we learned about the Intimacy Mode in Senran Kagura being removed as well. This was again before RDR2 launched.

 

[MegaXZero]

Red dead came out before all this came to light

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No this all started this past summer with the weird game Pqube were localizing. It seems to only be affecting Japanese games though.

 

[iksenpets]

Obviously, if Capcom feels that the ass shots in the game are in poor taste (which seems like it would be a pretty justified conclusion, watching that Lady scene above) and wants to cover them with lens flair, more power to them. I'm not really comfortable if Sony's American branch were pressuring devs to cover up nudity in adult characters, since that would pretty assuredly end up hitting things that are less obviously for titlation as some of this DMC stuff is. But also, it's not clear that's actually what happened, if it's just that the English PS4 version got the patch first.

 

[daniel77733]

Already passed that part and while it's not a big deal, really wish Sony would stop censoring games in general. Male or Female, doesn't matter. Knowing this, now im concerned about Cyberpunk 2077. If Sony censors the NA version, I'll have to buy it for Xbox One X instead.

 

[Eolz]

No this all started this past summer with the weird game Pqube were localizing. It seems to only be affecting Japanese games though.

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If you're talking about Omega Labyrinth, that was a different issue, the game was legit banned by rating boards in multiple countries.
The Sony stuff started with VNs in Japan, continued with localizations of some games in the west (like Senran Kagura) and now this.
The bad and weird thing is that devs have both no guidelines from Sony, it applies only to JP games, and they don't care about what rating boards already approved (leading to more work for devs when it was already approved for multiple platforms).

But yeah, this started before Red Dead released.

 

[Armoredgoomba]

I don't like that only the PS4 version has the patch. I can handle seeing a butt in my M-rated game thanks.

If that cutscene was the same in all versions for NA then whatever that's up to the developers but this just looks like sony over stepping for no good reason.

 

[7thFloor]

My theory is that Sony censorship policy's are not very clear so devolopers are not taking chances

Click to shrink...

Why exclusively in the western release then?

 

[MegaXZero]

If you're talking about Omega Labyrinth, that was a different issue, the game was legit banned by rating boards in multiple countries.
The Sony stuff started with VNs in Japan, continued with localizations of some games in the west (like Senran Kagura) and now this.
The bad and weird thing is that devs have both no guidelines from Sony, it applies only to JP games, and they don't care about what rating boards already approved (leading to more work for devs when it was already approved for multiple platforms).

But yeah, this started before Red Dead released.

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No it wasn't. "PQube must respectfully comply with the wishes of the platform holder" (Bold mine). ESRB gave it a rating so the NA version wouldn't have been cancelled if it was a rating boards issue.

 

[Deleted member 35077]

If you're talking about Omega Labyrinth, that was a different issue, the game was legit banned by rating boards in multiple countries.

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Correct, it was banned in the UK, but not in the US and it even got a rating from the USRB. It was literally in the printing progress, before Sony did the call and ban it in from being released.

 

[Linde]

As a woman, this feels patronizing and backwards as fuck

 

[RedStep]

If it's a developer choice and hidden in all versions, that's fine. No different than the "strategically-covered nudity" trope in movies.

I'm very concerned about a platform holder stepping in to change content, though. We had that with Blockbuster and Wal-Mart in the 00's and it was a nightmare, especially when content owners started just censoring all versions to save the work of producing multiple versions.

 

[enkaisu]

What does Sony Cali have against Japanese games? I sure hope Cyberpunk is censored as well. Wouldn't want to be playing favorites would we?

 

[aerozombie]

Come on Sony, you are better than this. Stop trying to decide how games should be portrayed, either decide to omit the game from the platform or let it stand. I wish they would let us know who at Sony is making these decisions.

 

[Soj]

It's weird, but I actually really want to know the reasoning behind this. Either from Sony or Capcom. I just don't see anyone making a statement about it.

 

[Deleted member 35077]

Come on Sony, you are better than this. Stop trying to decide how games should be portrayed, either decide to omit the game from the platform or let it stand. I wish they would let us know who at Sony is making these decisions.

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It is Sony of American, from what we hear from the Japanese side, all developers in Japan need to send their game to Sony's California office so it can be reviewed once more. An age rating isn't enough, but the worst part about this whole ordeal is that SoA is forcing developers to file all the paperwork in English, even for games that weren't planned to be localized.