People were suspecting that Sony was forcing game creators to play by some new rules as of late, due to games suddenly having different or removed content when released on the PlayStation 4. Now, Sony has confirmed it. A representative talked to The Wall Street Journal to confirm that new sexual content guidelines are in effect, which is resulting in some PS4 game censorship.
When the Sony representative made a statement, they said, “Sony is concerned the company could become a target of legal and social action.” To keep that from happening, the company instituted new rules. This is to also possibly help in an increasingly global world, where people can see sexually explicit content on sites like Twitch an YouTube, and also take into consideration assault and exploitation issues brought up by the #MeToo movement. According to the article, the goal is to have more “well-balanced” content on the PS4, while also preserving Sony’s reputation.
Two notable series have been hit hard by the rounds of Sony censorship coming through. One is Marvelous and Xseed Games’ Senran Kagura. The most recent PlayStation 4 game, Senran Kagura Burst Re:Newal had touching elements removed from it. This even led to a delay. The Nekopara visual novel series has also been censored, with a jiggle slider removed and scenes edited.
Other games have also recently been adjusted as part of this movement. For a while, the PlayStation 4 version of Devil May Cry 5 had more light shining on Trish in one scene, while the Xbox One and PC versions didn’t. (A patch removed this censorship in some region.) Niche games like Zanki Zero: Last Beginning and Date a Live: Rio Reincarnation also had images altered or elements removed.
Source: Wall Street Journal