In a shockingly poor, not to mention homophobic and just generally nonsensical, moment of PR, Nintendo admitted today that they will not include same sex relationships in their upcoming social game Tomodatchi Life. Tomodatchi Life seems to be00 a mixture of the Sims, Animal Crossing, and their Mii avatar creation systems and games where players can control their own Mii and interact with their friends in a variety of digitized social situations and games. This includes, apparently, the ability to enter into romantic relationships in the game with other players. Obviously the next logical step in this progression would be to include the option to marry another player’s Mii. That is, at least according to Nintendo, because apparently same sex relationships are too salacious, too close to real life and, at the same time, not realistic enough.
When the American release for Tomodatchi Life was announced, fans began a campaign petitioning Nintendo to add in the ability for players to have same sex marriages, and to let same sex couples then get all the rewards that come in-game from getting married. However Nintendo of America stood by this decision, releasing the following statement in response:
Nintendo never intended to make any form of social commentary with the launch of’ Tomodachi Life. The relationship options in the game represent a playful alternate world rather than a real-life simulation. We hope that all of our fans will see that Tomodachi Life was intended to be a whimsical and quirky game, and that we were absolutely not trying to provide social commentary.
As we discussed last night on our podcast, there’s a lot that’s wrong with this statement, and I’d like to dissect it piece by piece, particularly because it makes little sense even on a conceptual level. Unfortunately it’s not unusual for companies to avoid addressing issues like heteronormativity in a game or including potentially “controversial” aspects like same sex relationships in order to avoid any sort of negative press. However what this comment seems to fail to understand is that the act of not including the option for same sex couples to have the same abilities in the game that straight couples do is in and of itself a form of social commentary. It reflects that even despite evolving legislation and increased awareness for LGBTQ+ rights, there is more concern for any negative backlash the company may receive from homophobic people than for the fact that LGBTQ+ people are being actively denied equal rights within the game. They may have not intended to make a “social commentary” with this decision but the intent is really not a determining factor of how its message can be interpreted.
The following sentences are very reminiscent to the idea that things like racial and sexual diversity in fiction is often considered to be more inconceivable than the work’s actual fantastical elements, leading to an influx of straight, white, often male characters. These lines can be essentially interpreted to mean that Nintendo doesn’t see LGBTQ+ relationships as something that belongs in a fantasy world (even one clearly designed to mimic real life).
Finally, this seems to be yet another instance in which LGBTQ+ relationships are seen as political statements or inappropriate for child audiences despite the fact that heterosexual relationships may be depicted in the same way without raising any similar concern. Considering its presence in the game, it’s safe to say that Nintendo was not concerned about the inclusion of heterosexual marriage in Tomodatchi Life. But by creating the game to allow same sex couples to have the same opportunity as their straight counterparts, the game suddenly is making a social commentary. This ultimately invalidates the validity of same sex couples and disguises what is genuinely a human rights issue under a political label.
Seeing this kind of official commentary from Nintendo is disappointing and I sincerely hope they will reconsider this decision before the game’s release in June.
