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In 2018 Sony introduced stricter content policies for games released on its systems.
This has meant that when games are submitted for QA prior to release, there have been numerous
cases of games being rejected due to content deemed objectionable. This has then either led
to changes having to be made to game content or even releases on Sony systems being completely
canceled. And this is a worldwide policy—meaning it has affected all regions around the world,
including Japanese versions of games. The new direction has mainly targeted
risqué content and games developed by Japanese developers. However, we have also at times seen
other content, such as violence, as well as some Western-developed games, also being affected.
And so, in this video, we'll be compiling a list of 26 games censored on Sony's systems.
Although, just to point out, that we can't be sure in every instance that the censorship was the
result of forced changes by the platform holder. Although, in many instances, we have statements
that this was the case from those involved. And so, first up is one of the most recent games
affected, which is Doki Doki Literature Club Plus. The developers published a blog post in June
that explained that a scene had to be changed due to platform regulations on PlayStation while it
remains uncensored on Xbox, Switch, and PC. And this scene is one of the examples of
violence being affected—with it involving the blood color being changed from red to black.
Next is Omega Labyrinth Z, the 2nd game in the Omega Labyrinth series.
In June 2018, PQube announced that the Western release had to be canceled due to Sony
rejecting the game. And this is despite the game already being fully localized and ready to go.
But that wouldn't be the last time for the franchise.
The next game in the series, 2019's Omega Labyrinth Life, had to have many changes
to risqué content on PlayStation 4, but not on Switch or PC. And this time, the Japanese
release was also affected due to it being a new release following Sony's content policy changes.
To avoid any potential confusion, the publishers also decided to change the name on PlayStation,
with it being called simply Labyrinth Life instead.
And this also removed the innuendo that the Omega symbol has in its name.
Another game affected is Senran Kagura Burst Re:Newal, with XSEED announcing
in October 2018 that the game had to be delayed due to needing to remove the risqué "Intimacy
Mode" from the PlayStation 4 version of the game. The Steam release, however,
kept the Intimacy Mode in the game, with it launching simultaneously with the PS4 release.
Another Senran Kagura game that has run into issues is the next mainline entry in the series
Senran Kagura 7EVEN. While initially announced in 2017, not much was heard
from the title following the announcement. The series creator, Kenichiro Takaki,
would later in 2019 explain that creating the game is currently impossible due to Sony's content
restrictions. Takaki would then go on to leave his position and join Cygames, and nothing has
been heard about the game ever since. Next is Terminator: Resistance,
which is reportedly an example of not just Sony objecting to game content but also Microsoft.
Over on the Steam forums, players discovered that there was an alternate version of the
game's romance scenes left in the game's files. The alternate versions are more raunchy in nature,
with wider camera angles that allow you to see topless nudity.
But, in a now-deleted Tweet, the developers have said that they were forced to tone
down these scenes by Sony and Microsoft, and this is despite the game's M rating.
The next game is a kind of an outliner, but it was felt as worth mentioning anyway,
and that is Devil May Cry 5. When the game was released in 2019,
players discovered a strange change that had been made to only the PlayStation version of the game,
and only in North America and Europe, meaning Japan was curiously not affected.
The change involves a cutscene with Trish at the end of mission 11, where,
instead of being nude, her body will be covered up with a lens flare effect.
Neither Capcom nor Sony would comment on this but then even more strange is that
patch 1.07 would then remove the lens flare in the North American version, while European
copies have kept the lens flare ever since. The lens flare is absent in all versions for Xbox
and PC. And then, when it came time for the Special Edition release in 2020, the European
PlayStation 5 copies have Trish covered up with lens flare yet again, while it remains without
the lens flare in North America and Japan and for all regions on Xbox Series and PC.
Next is Super Neptunia RPG, where in 2019, Idea Factory International made a statement
that the PS4 release will have to have 2 slightly modified CGs. On Switch and PC,
however, the CGs remain uncut. Hentai vs. Evil is another example of the
differences between modern Nintendo and Sony. The game isn't named Hentai vs. Evil for no reason.
But when the game was released on PlayStation and Switch earlier in 2021, despite both
versions being rated Mature, only the Switch release contains an uncensored mode where the
characters will be fully topless during gameplay. Some other games from 2021 are multiple games from
the publisher Gamuzumi, who has been releasing a variety of visual novel titles on consoles.
For Sable's Grimoire, the publishers have displayed a note on the PlayStation
Store page reading: "2 images have been removed, and others have been censored".
Meanwhile, the Xbox and Switch versions are uncut. Another game from them, however, Beach Bounce
Remastered, was completely blocked from releasing on PlayStation. Nintendo, though,
once again allowed the game to be released. Dragon Star Varnir's Nintendo Switch release
also came earlier in August of this year, and, unlike 2019's PlayStation 4 release, the Switch
version is 100% uncut. Meanwhile, on PS4, 2 scenes had to be modified due to suggestive imagery.
The Dead or Alive Xtreme series has also run into issues on PlayStation.
While Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 originally came before Sony's policy changes, the updated release
Dead or Alive Xtreme 3: Scarlet came following the tougher restrictions being introduced.
This means that there's a variety of missing risqué features for the PlayStation version,
but not on Nintendo Switch. The entire Nekopara series is
also censored on PlayStation compared to the Switch versions—with the most recent release
being Nekopara Vol. 4 in December 2020. In the games is a chest bounce setting
in the menus that is absent on PlayStation. For Vol 1, the developers sneakily kept it in
the PlayStation version with it being hidden on the menu, but you could still select it if you
scrolled down. However, this would then be removed with patch 1.02 and never included at all in any
of the later volumes on PlayStation, while it has been included with every Switch version. Vol. 1
of the game also modified scenes on PlayStation compared to Switch to reduce suggestive imagery.
Aokana: Four Rhythm Across the Blue was supposed to release on PlayStation 4, alongside
its Nintendo Switch release. However, following PQube announcing in June 2020 that changes had to
be made to images and text for the PS4 version, the PS4 version has so far never been released.
And, with the Switch version releasing in August 2020, it appears that the
PS4 version may no longer be released. 2020's Death end re;Quest 2 made numerous changes
to outfits compared to the previous game in the series, with this being thought to be due to Sony.
The game would later be released on PC. And, for the PC release of the game,
a poll was opened about the changed designs, which asked fans whether the PC version should feature
the skimpier designs from the first game or the covered-up versions from the PlayStation version
of the sequel. And, the poll concluded with the majority of fans asking for the original designs.
On July 4th, 2019, Spike Chunsoft revealed that changes would be made to the PlayStation
versions of CRYSTAR and Conception Plus. On the same day, 2 separate blog posts were
made—with the one for CRYSTAR saying that half a second of footage from the pre-title
cinematic which depicted a character's buttocks has been removed and that no other content
but this half a second was altered. And that the Steam release will not have this change.
The changes to Conception PLUS were more extensive, however. For Conception Plus,
it was announced that during the Classmating rituals, the Star Maidens' 3D models would
appear as blue and purple (rather than flesh-colored). Again, however,
it was clarified that this would only be for the PlayStation version, and it will be uncut on PC.
Another Idea Factory game that has run into trouble was 2019's DATE A LIVE: Rio Reincarnation.
Here not only was the game affected, but also the in-game digital art books.
Idea Factory explained on their website that four pages from the art books would not be
included in the PlayStation 4 version, and one page will feature one of two modified CGs.
While the PS4 version has 2 modified CGs and changes to the art books,
Idea Factory clarified that the Steam version would instead feature all of the original art.
But now, for some Japan-exclusive games that have run into issues,
first up is 2020's LoveR Kiss, which is a dating sim that had to have a range of
modifications to be able to release on PlayStation, unlike the Switch version.
And these modifications include decreased chest physics and altering character designs.
Then there's the 2019 visual novel Haruoto Alice Gram: Snow Drop, which had to be delayed
due to what was described as "production circumstances"—but it's widely speculated
that the delay was due to needing to alter the game's artwork. And, compared to the PC version,
a variety of scenes were modified for the PS4 release to tone down suggestive art.
The 2019 visual novel Raspberry Cube also had modified artwork on PlayStation 4,
and this led to the game being given a lower rating on PS4 compared to Switch, with it being
rated CERO C on PS4, which is 15 years and over, and CERO D on Switch, which is 17 years and over.
But then lastly is Nora, Princess, and Stray Cat Heart, which was one of the first games
to be affected by the change in policy and also started a bit of a meme amongst gamers
due to the way the censorship was handled. The 2018 visual novel features huge
light beams over suggestive artwork for the PlayStation 4 release. Meanwhile, the Switch
and PC versions are uncut, as is the Vita version, which came out in 2017 before the policy changes.
As always, let us know your thoughts in the comments below, and a big thanks once again
to NordVPN for sponsoring today's video. Until next time, thank you for watching.