Current Events > Skullgirls devs alter old artwork they felt was in 'poor taste'

(+) Yeah! (+)

s0nicfan posted...

IIRC the release notes said something about the changes being in anticipation of an international version of the game being released. So most of these changes probably have nothing to do with the developers relative level of prudishness and everything to do with restrictions that exist in other markets. For example, you can't sell games in Germany with Nazi imagery, so it would make sense to strip those elements out if you're planning an EU release of the game.

1. They said pretty plainly that the changes were made because of "values".
2. The game HAS been released in Europe, Australia, and Japan according to the GameFAQs listings. All 3 major revisions of it.
3. Even if that were the reason for the censorship, they could easily restrict the changes to the regions where it's a problem. That's what South Park: The Stick of Truth did.

pauIie posted...

i agree capital g gamers need to grow up, but i wouldn't revoke video game's membership from the art club because of panty shots

Yes, I'm sure Skullgirls made the entire starting roster composed of scantily clad women with hand-drawn boob jiggle for very artistic reasons.

IceCreamOnStero posted...

Its not about "pointless sexual stuff" its about respecting designers' crestive freedom. If a director didn't like some parts of a movie they made and released a re-cut, people would have no problems with it. Worst that's happen are some heated online arguments about which version is better. If a game dev does that it'd throw up a storm of dudes crying about censorship and/or crying about how the devs are pandering to "the wokes".

It shows the difference in how the mediums are perceived. Movies are seen as an artform, where you enjoy the creator's vision. Games are seen as a product, they're framed around "accessibility" and trying to get the most amount of sales, and its all about making sure the game appeals to me me me.

Releasing a re-cut of a movie doesn't erase the original cut that people bought and paid for. Patching a game does.

Mad-Dogg posted...

but then what if this kind of thing started happening to ultra violent games that is most popular in north america.

Just go watch gore videos /s

The issue here is that the original creator didn't have a say in it.

IMNOTRAGED posted...

Just go watch gore videos /s

I would absolutely love to see this and just how well people in north america would take this kind of thing, lol.

Ain't no fucking way in hell something like this would go over well, lol.

Sir_Specter posted...

Yes, I'm sure Skullgirls made the entire starting roster composed of scantily clad women with hand-drawn boob jiggle for very artistic reasons.

what's your point because i would agree skullgirls was hornily designed

DKBananaSlamma posted...

Then just change it only for that version and let people be smart and use NordVPN to look at the better version with the titties. Sign up today and use offercode FREETHENIPPLE to get 2 months free and 67% off a 2-year plan!

This game is probably running with a skeleton crew who probably can't afford to maintain multiple branches of a game. It's definitely cheaper for them to just patch the updates into one global edition than it is to split the code and maintain and manage both.

But my point is this is most likely a bunch of changes made to make the game available in more regions and not some sort of self-censorship or moral thing where an artist is going back to their old work and reevaluating it based on modern sensibilities. That's just a whole bunch of people inserting a whole bunch of their personal politics into what is almost assuredly a simple business decision.

pokedude900 posted...

Releasing a re-cut of a movie doesn't erase the original cut that people bought and paid for. Patching a game does.

Why are you pretending like that's the hang-up? Let's not play dumb, we both know how these sorts of discussions always go. You don't find rational conversations about the value of game preservation, you find rambles about how the industry is being taken over and censored en-masse just because some dude finds a redesign less wankable.

We can see this because we go down this rodeo even when the original "cut" is preserved. You can still play FF7, and the PS1 original is completely unchanged available to buy on the PSN store right this very second, and yet that didn't stop nerds ranting about Tifa in FF7R. Same with the MK redesigns. Same with a bunch of other situations I don't remember off the top of my head.

pauIie posted...

what's your point because i would agree skullgirls was hornily designed

You were the one saying panty shots can be artistic and calling me a "frothing nerd" for making fun of this less-than-half-assed attempt at making Skullgirls tasteful. I'm not sure what YOUR point is.

pauIie posted...

i agree capital g gamers need to grow up, but i wouldn't revoke video game's membership from the art club because of panty shots

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/6/2/6/AAAlLfAAEnEy.jpg

um is that from Prometheus?

couldnt you at least pick the panti shot of sigourney in the original alien? Thats a good movie unlike Prometheus.

sexual content can't be artistic

Mad-Dogg posted...

I would absolutely love to see this and just how well people in north america would take this kind of thing, lol.

Ain't no fucking way in hell something like this would go over well, lol.

I already play Total Wars games without ever buying their dumb "Hurr hurr here is your blood and gore" microtransactions. I'll be ok with less blood or gore

If you get off on that stuff well you probably have more problems than "censorship" in video games

Beveren_Rabbit posted...

sexual content can't be artistic

yes it can. People are just picketing terrible examples.

Beveren_Rabbit posted...

sexual content can't be artistic

I beg to differ good sir.
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/6/4/2/AARkkPAAEnFC.jpg

Velvet is art. Very beautiful high quality art.

Mad-Dogg posted...

I beg to differ good sir.
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/6/4/2/AARkkPAAEnFC.jpg

Velvet is art. Very beautiful high quality art.

It's not the outfit that makes that art good though.

A more revealing body doesn't necessarily make it sexual.

how would you feel if your kid started playing Dragon Quest ?

IceCreamOnStero posted...

Why are you pretending like that's the hang-up? Let's not play dumb, we both know how these sorts of discussions always go. You don't find rational conversations about the value of game preservation, you find rambles about how the industry is being taken over and censored en-masse just because some dude finds a redesign less wankable.

We can see this because we go down this rodeo even when the original "cut" is preserved. You can still play FF7, and the PS1 original is completely unchanged available to buy on the PSN store right this very second, and yet that didn't stop nerds ranting about Tifa in FF7R. Same with the MK redesigns. Same with a bunch of other situations I don't remember off the top of my head.

That's a separate issue and not what we're talking about. Just because some people have a problem with another game that is less of an issue doesn't invalidate the issues with this game.

ArtiRock posted...

It's not the outfit that makes that art good though.

A more revealing body doesn't necessarily make it sexual.

I definitely agree. Assassination classroom said it best after all.

What is everyone's thoughts on this tree?
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/6/4/5/AARkkPAAEnFF.jpg

For me personally it is a very sexy tree and is a beautiful display of our mother earth. Art captures the imagination and whatnot.

Beveren_Rabbit posted...

sexual content can't be artistic

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/9/7/8/AAfWomAAD2VS.jpg

I balk at trends all the time. This is one.

Mad-Dogg posted...

I definitely agree. Assassination classroom said it best after all.

What is everyone's thoughts on this tree?
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/6/4/5/AARkkPAAEnFF.jpg

For me personally it is a very sexy tree and is a beautiful display of our mother earth. Art captures the imagination and whatnot.

That is a nice photo of a tree! How do you like this photo of eggs?

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/5/1/7/AAUsi-AADiM1.jpg

I've never played the game. Never seemed interesting to me. But I read they removed the special commentator voice, which was a Kickstarter stretch goal. If I was an early investor, I'd be livid. Another reason why Kickstarter games suck.

DKBananaSlamma posted...

That is a nice photo of a tree! How do you like this photo of eggs?

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/5/1/7/AAUsi-AADiM1.jpg

Magnificent. My imagination dances at what those eggs represent. ASS, and the buttocks is the source of life.

I feel video games do not need to change for more of the masses to see it as art. Those of us with a open mind already know that inspiration can be found in the most random video game spots. Hey check out my elden ring picture.

EDIT: Shit its still on my PS5, lol. I'll get it later.

Mad-Dogg posted...

What is everyone's thoughts on this tree?
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/6/4/5/AARkkPAAEnFF.jpg

Absolute Wood

pokedude900 posted...

That's a separate issue and not what we're talking about. Just because some people have a problem with another game that is less of an issue doesn't invalidate the issues with this game.

But it shows my point very well. It shows this whole discussion isn't about people being worried about game preservation, its a discussion of people who see games as a product and get angry when game creators make a decision that doesn't appeal to them exactly.

There are more reasons to remove sexual content from a videogame than they are to keep sexual content in a videogame.

Beveren_Rabbit posted...

There are more reasons to remove sexual content from a videogame than they are to keep sexual content in a videogame.

In general or just this game in particular?

Beveren_Rabbit posted...

There are more reasons to remove sexual content from a videogame than they are to keep sexual content in a videogame.

Let's hear it

IceCreamOnStero posted...

But it shows my point very well.

If your point is to completely disregard my point, sure.

Sir_Specter posted...

You were the one saying panty shots can be artistic and calling me a "frothing nerd" for making fun of this less-than-half-assed attempt at making Skullgirls tasteful. I'm not sure what YOUR point is.

them cleaning up an image and then you demanding they change the designs and animations of the roster is ridiculous. is that what it would take for the whole perception of the game to change? probably. did they specifically state they wanted to change the perception of the whole game when this was done? i couldn't image they did, but feel free to point me in that direction if they did say that. they saw some art they wanted to edit, they did, and that's that.

i didn't say panty shots are artistic. i'm saying i wouldn't revoke a whole mediums art cred because a thing in that medium has a panty shot.

VRX3000 posted...

um is that from Prometheus?

couldnt you at least pick the panti shot of sigourney in the original alien? Thats a good movie unlike Prometheus.

star trek into darkness. your point stands, though. i can pick a better movie lol. first one that came to mind about completely unnecessary panty scene. nobody calls STID high art, but people aren't docking art points from film because of movies like this.

pokedude900 posted...

If your point is to completely disregard my point, sure.

Odd statement given you're the one who tried to derail my point with a thin deflection

It's a zombie franchise; any creative who actually made the game is no longer at the company. It only makes money off it's asset flip Chinese phone game. The people defending it saying it's ok because it's the current owners are stupid though. Alright, what if Disney edits in extra baggy pants and removes all the violence from Alien? What? They're the rights holders!

These edits are absolute garbage though and shouldn't be happening. It's really stupid that even DIY stuff is having to bow to this insanity and purity culture.

IceCreamOnStero posted...

Odd statement given you're the one who tried to derail my point with a thin deflection

Your point was a false equivalency from the start. Movies don't typically need to worry about preservation. Games do. That doesn't mean games aren't seen as a legitimate art form.

blackrider76 posted...

I dont give a shit, but its a fact that the people who own a digital copy of the art book got screwed over vs physical.

They should give anybody who paid for that version a refund if they ask.

ArtiRock posted...

It's still their assets. It's not censorship.

Self censorship. The definition of censorship does not say who it has to be done by.

s0nicfan posted...

IIRC the release notes said something about the changes being in anticipation of an international version of the game being released. So most of these changes probably have nothing to do with the developers relative level of prudishness and everything to do with restrictions that exist in other markets. For example, you can't sell games in Germany with Nazi imagery, so it would make sense to strip those elements out if you're planning an EU release of the game.

Just don't sell it in Germany?

Beveren_Rabbit posted...

sexual content can't be artistic

Tell that to the Japanese.

the classic costumes shouldn't be in the new Street Fighter game because they are too revealing.

As a person who does not care for or even like fanservice in video games (doesn't mean I won't play the game though, because I played the hell out of Skullgirls when I was in college...but because it was a fighting game, not because of the fanservice), I don't support blocking or removing what was already there. Especially the way Sony was censoring games a while back while Nintendo of all companies would leave the game as is.

It's weird how CE is so small and insular and yet they struggle to remember which posters literally just take opposition stances to troll people.

pokedude900 posted...

Your point was a false equivalency from the start. Movies don't typically need to worry about preservation. Games do. That doesn't mean games aren't seen as a legitimate art form.

And I proceeded to trounce your claims of it being a false equivalency by providing examples of games where this same outrage has occurred despite no preservation concerns.

IceCreamOnStero posted...

And I proceeded to trounce your claims of it being a false equivalency by providing examples of games where this same outrage has occurred despite no preservation concerns.

And I said that people complaining about lesser issues doesn't invalidate a greater issue. There two separate things that merely have similar roots. It's like saying people aren't allowed to complain about a major release being an unfinished buggy mess because some small group of people are upset about the framerate in another game not going above 30fps.

Revelation34 posted...

Tell that to the Japanese.

or watch the handmaiden. incredible film.

People really are overlooking a number of issues. Like people bought something smut or not. And it just got changed .

cjsdowg posted...

People really are overlooking a number of issues. Like people bought something smut or not. And it just got changed .

Yeah thats what I was implying with my original post when I brought up red dead redemption 2.

Its completely fine if the creators or in skullgirl's case the new owners vision/whatever else changed over the years and decide their old work isn't something that represents their values no more, but its not cool to alter someone's game that they paid for like that regardless.

It also got me thinking of star wars and the whole "han shot first" thing. George lucas over the years decided that isn't how he wanted han solo to be and that is cool thus all future star wars was changed to show whats his name shot at him first (I admit I am not a huge star war fan like most so I don't remember that dude name. Greedo I think? lol). Still though, for the people who bought those old star wars VHS tapes with han shooting first that is the version that they own and the one they will always have, lol.

Well I guess those with physical copies of skull girls will always have that version, but dudes with a digital version and want to play online is shit out of luck.

pokedude900 posted...

And I said that people complaining about lesser issues doesn't invalidate a greater issue. There two separate things that merely have similar roots. It's like saying people aren't allowed to complain about a major release being an unfinished buggy mess because some small group of people are upset about the framerate in another game not going above 30fps.

But again, that's not the point being made. Just look at this thread. Its not about game preservation, its people rambling about sexy stuff in a video game

IceCreamOnStero posted...

But again, that's not the point being made. Just look at this thread. Its not about game preservation, its people rambling about sexy stuff in a video game

Look at the first responses in this topic. Defenders immediately jumped to insulting anyone who's upset about this and dismissing them as incels or the like. Meanwhile the people who are against it are pointing out that it's simply not cool to erase an existing work.

No one who supports this change was arguing in good faith to begin with.

IceCreamOnStero posted...

But again, that's not the point being made. Just look at this thread. Its not about game preservation, its people rambling about sexy stuff in a video game

People can be right for the wrong reasons

Edit: And those are your wrong reasons. Personally, I am against altering something someone paid for for no reason

Revelation34 posted...

Self censorship. The definition of censorship does not say who it has to be done by.

It implies it. If you change something because you think it'll have broader appeal, that is not censorship.

pokedude900 posted...

Look at the first responses in this topic. Defenders immediately jumped to insulting anyone who's upset about this and dismissing them as incels or the like. Meanwhile the people who are against it are pointing out that it's simply not cool to erase an existing work.

No one who supports this change was arguing in good faith to begin with.

Except for the fact that a ton of people said changing the artwork in the art book IS Bs. The game is whatever. Especially when we're seeing people getting upset about panties changing color.

There are changes that are generally just aesthetic in nature.

ProfessorKukui posted...

Is this a case where they did way more than remove panties but the internet hyperfocused on the panties because lolanime?

The people defended this focused on the panties. Most everyone else are talking about the implications of this. And i am talking about Big Band since they watered down police brutality.

Meh, personal growth isnt a bad thing. Dont care too much either way, would be more annoyed if it wasnt the creators will, but since it IS, its kinda nice to see, especially since it shows their rethinking of past beliefs. More people should be willing to do such things, and given how little anything actually changed in the images, cant really see getting too upset over it to be honest.