This is a rant from my blog that I thought I'd share with you all.
The Big N has always been known and will certainly go down in history as the company that tries (and succeeds) to branch out to wider and wider audiences with big names like Mario and Zelda that are enjoyable for any age group. However, Nintendo has had a history of making decisions that irritate and sometimes infuriate the hardcore gamer crowd, in attempt to create a family-friendly environment. More recently, Edmund McMillen's roguelike indie dungeon-crawler The Binding of Isaac was rejected by Nintendo from their 3DS digital eShop, allegedly due to "questionable religious content" (according to Edmund's Tweet). How come, you ask? Well, to start, I understand where Nintendo is coming from, especially with their aforementioned 'family-friendly' philosophy.
In The Binding of Isaac, you take the role of a small child named Isaac, who is living a peaceful life with his mother. All is well until his mother hears a godly voice from God, commanding her to sacrifice Isaac in order to prove her Christian faith. As Isaac, you must escape her, fighting disturbing enemies in a Zelda-esque labyrinth, and finally, kill your mother in a final boss fight. As much as I understand Nintendo's side of the story from Binding's depiction of God, allow me to express some frustration, if you'll excuse me.
Firstly, I strongly disagree with their decision of rejecting the game from the eShop. It would have been a fantastic addition along with other great titles, such as Mutant Mudds and Mighty Switch Force. Of all the things Nintendo could have done, this was the coward's way out. What Nintendo did has put a roadblock across an artist's freedom of expression. The company certainly has the power to place an extra warning screen onto the eShop in any worse case scenario of religious controversy. Heck, Germany's rating system did so with no problem, labeling it 16+ for "potentially blasphemous content", because that's exactly what it is. It could *potentially* (and understandably) offend someone who strongly practices religion. However, for them to completely reject it, simply disgusts me. I understand that it's just one game, but it makes me worry about future eShop releases sharing the same fate.
Lastly, as much as I took the time to write this rant, this whole ordeal has not stopped me from continuing to enjoy this wonderful gem on Steam, and neither should it stop you. You can pick up the game, soundtrack, or both as a bundle for PC and Mac for 5-6 dollars by purchasing it now.
So what do you all think? What are all of your opinions on this ordeal? What do you agree and/or disagree with in my article and/or Nintendo's decision? Sound off below! This is a rant from my blog that I thought I'd share with you all.
The Big N has always been known and will certainly go down in history as the company that tries (and succeeds) to branch out to wider and wider audiences with big names like Mario and Zelda that are enjoyable for any age group. However, Nintendo has had a history of making decisions that irritate and sometimes infuriate the hardcore gamer crowd, in attempt to create a family-friendly environment. More recently, Edmund McMillen's roguelike indie dungeon-crawler The Binding of Isaac was rejected by Nintendo from their 3DS digital eShop, allegedly due to "questionable religious content" (according to Edmund's Tweet). How come, you ask? Well, to start, I understand where Nintendo is coming from, especially with their aforementioned 'family-friendly' philosophy.
In The Binding of Isaac, you take the role of a small child named Isaac, who is living a peaceful life with his mother. All is well until his mother hears a godly voice from God, commanding her to sacrifice Isaac in order to prove her Christian faith. As Isaac, you must escape her, fighting disturbing enemies in a Zelda-esque labyrinth, and finally, kill your mother in a final boss fight. As much as I understand Nintendo's side of the story from Binding's depiction of God, allow me to express some frustration, if you'll excuse me.
Firstly, I strongly disagree with their decision of rejecting the game from the eShop. It would have been a fantastic addition along with other great titles, such as Mutant Mudds and Mighty Switch Force. Of all the things Nintendo could have done, this was the coward's way out. What Nintendo did has put a roadblock across an artist's freedom of expression. The company certainly has the power to place an extra warning screen onto the eShop in any worse case scenario of religious controversy. Heck, Germany's rating system did so with no problem, labeling it 16+ for "potentially blasphemous content", because that's exactly what it is. It could *potentially* (and understandably) offend someone who strongly practices religion. However, for them to completely reject it, simply disgusts me. I understand that it's just one game, but it makes me worry about future eShop releases sharing the same fate.
Lastly, as much as I took the time to write this rant, this whole ordeal has not stopped me from continuing to enjoy this wonderful gem on Steam, and neither should it stop you. You can pick up the game, soundtrack, or both as a bundle for PC and Mac for 5-6 dollars by purchasing it now.
So what do you all think? What are all of your opinions on this ordeal? What do you agree and/or disagree with in my article and/or Nintendo's decision? Sound off below! |
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