On why I'm still planning to buy Tomodachi Life

Given all the bitching I've done on Twitter in regard to the lack of gay relationships in Nintendo's upcoming Tomodachi Life, I can't blame anyone for assuming I've decided to "boycott" the game when it hits North American store shelves (as well as the 3DS' eShop) on June 6.

I haven't.

Have I considered it? You bet--especially after reading Nintendo of America's awkward-at-best-insulting-at-worst PR response to the situation that was published in this recent article. (Thankfully, the company later apologized, at least somewhat, for those rather tone-deaf comments.)

The fact is, though, that I really want to play this game. I've wanted to play it ever since I heard someone describe its Japan-only predecessor, Tomodachi Collection, as "Animal Crossing with Miis." (Which isn't the most accurate summation of the game, I have to say, but let's save that discussion for another post, shall we?)

And then there's the fact that, surprising as it may sound, I kind of see where Nintendo of America is coming from with Tomodachi Life's unfortunately gay-free localization.

After all, the game was made in Japan, where "gay rights" and the LGBT community are far less visible and are far less a part of the cultural conversation, if you will, than they are in, say, North America or Europe at the moment and, as such, likely were far less of a consideration for the folks who developed Tomodachi Collection than they would've been had the game been made by a Western team.

Speaking of which, I have to imagine Nintendo's American and European arms probably were stuck between a rock and a hard place once they were tasked with localizing this game. Specifically, I have a feeling the brass at Nintendo of America may have pressed their cohorts at Nintendo of Japan to rejigger the game so it would allow for same-sex relationships, only to be rebuffed. That's just a guess on my part, of course, but it wouldn't surprise me at all if that's in line with what actually happened given the latter's rather odd way of handling "gay content" in past games.

All that said, I'm still disappointed that Tomodachi Life won't allow for same-sex relationships and I'm still a bit irked by how Nintendo of America's press team handled the controversy surrounding this situation (early on, especially), bit I'm also still picking up a copy of the game once one finally is available.

Now, should the "workaround" that supposedly tricks the game into allowing same-sex relationships (make a female Mii that looks like a guy, give it a guy's name and, bam, you have a gay guy--and I'm assuming doing the opposite will make a lesbian) not actually work or should its insistence on attempting to hook up my male Mii with female Miis piss me off or depress me or anything of the sort, I can guarantee you I'll be selling my copy faster than you can say "Tomodachi!"

How about all of you? What are your current thoughts on and opinions of this game, or the (rapidly cooling) controversy that surrounds it? Also, are you planning to buy it or ignore it upon its release?

See also: Gamasutra Blog Director Christian Nutt's well-worth-reading thoughts on this issue

An open letter to Nintendo of America about Tomodachi Life's presumed lack of gay, lesbian or bisexual relationships

Dear Nintendo of America,

Before I say anything else, I'd like to mention that I've been looking forward to playing this game (some version of it, at least) since the original Tomodachi Collection was announced for the Japanese DS back in 2009.

Given that, it shouldn't be too surprising for you to read that I was more than a bit excited when I heard you'll be releasing that game's 3DS sequel as Tomodachi Life in North America on June 6.

That excitement lost some of its luster a few days after that announcement was made, though, when it finally sank in that the game will very likely force me to "play straight" (you know, as opposed to "playing gay" as I'd obviously prefer to do).

Although I was pretty sure that would be the case the second I heard about Tomodachi Life's impending North American release, it didn't really bother me until I watched the Nintendo Direct broadcast devoted to the game and it struck me that I'd more than likely have to watch my male Mii woo (and possibly marry and maybe even have kids with) female Miis over and over and over again should I decide to pick up a copy of the game.

I'm sure that sounds like a silly complaint, especially since what we're talking about here is a rather silly video game, but to me it's anything but silly.

In fact, the whole thing makes me feel sad--sad that despite the fact that you're marketing this 3DS game as being all about "your life," that's not going to be true in my case or in the case of any of my LGBT brothers or sisters who similarly decide to buy and play Tomodachi Life.

All I want is for my Mii to be able to date, marry and, yes, maybe even have kids with any of the male Miis (those who aren't designated as family-members, of course) who populate my game--much like how my straight friends' female Miis will be able to date, marry and have kids with their games' male Miis. Is that too much to ask?

I know this game is going to hit store shelves in this country in a matter of weeks and, as such, it's probably too late for you to make the above-suggested changes. I hope, though, you'll consider producing and releasing a patch that makes gay, lesbian and bisexual relationships possible within Tomodachi Life as soon as possible.

I also hope you--and your cohorts at Nintendo of Japan, too--will consider making these relationships possible from the get-go when work begins on this game's sequel.

I say that because this is the kind of thing that could not only make an "old" gamer like myself feel welcomed and appreciated and accepted, but more importantly it could make younger gamers--boys and girls who may be struggling with their budding LGBT realities in all sorts of ways and for all sorts of reasons--feel like they're loved and supported and just as worthy of a big game company's consideration and attention as anyone else.

Thank you for listening,

Bryan Ochalla (aka "The Gay Gamer")

See also: 'The day we've all (or at least three or four of us have) waited for has arrived: Tomodachi Collection is coming to Europe and North America this June'

Here's a pink-and-red equal sign I can get behind

I don't know about you, but my Facebook wall has been awash in pink-and-red equal signs like the one below since early yesterday.

For those of you who haven't experienced the same, here's the gist: in an effort to show that they support marriage equality (aka same-sex marriage), swarms of people have been changing their Facebook profile photos to that of a pink-and-red equal sign that apes the Human Rights Campaign's omnipresent--in my 'hood, at least--blue-and-yellow logo.

Although I haven't joined that crowd for a number of reasons (I'm not a fan of HRC, for starters), I'd be lying if I said I wasn't tempted to do so after coming across this altered version:

By the way, as far as I can tell, a chap named Derek Eclavea is responsible for this awesome creation (while one of my Facebook friends, Eric Starker, is responsible for turning me onto it).

Should you want to read a bit more about these pink-and-red equal signs, may I suggest checking out the following blog posts: 'Don't Let That Red Equal Sign Become a Hollow Gesture' and 'HRC’s Branding Attempts'

'I don't know, but the important thing is that they should be able to get married'

A follower recently asked Zac Gorman, the extremely talented artist behind the Magical Game Time tumblog, if he preferred Crash Bandicoot or Rayman? Gorman answered with this comic:

Anyway, be sure to check out Magical Game Time when you have a chance, especially if you're a fan of Chrono Trigger, EarthBound, Final Fantasy VI and/or The Legend of Zelda--each of which have been featured in recent Gorman illustrations.

RE: Prop 8

If you've been visiting this blog for any amount of time, you should be well aware it isn't all that serious--let alone political.

Although that's also usually the case for another Seattle-based gaming blog, drinkingcoffee
cola.blogspot.com, that blog's proprietor Bard Gallaway put all silliness aside yesterday to chat about Wednesday's overturning (courtesy of U.S. District Chief Judge Vaughn R. Walker) of Proposition 8, the voter-approved ballot measure that banned same-sex unions in California.

"What's it to me? I'm not gay. I'm happily married with two kids. Prop. 8 and its implications don't affect me even a bit, but I care about it because equality for all is important to me, and all means ALL," Gallaway wrote. (Go here to read his post in its entirety.)

"There would be a firestorm if someone tried to pass a law saying that people in wheelchairs couldn't marry, or if people of different races couldn't either," he added. "Half the anime fans in America would march on the capital and burn down the White House if it was illegal to wed Asian girls."

If I were at all religious, I'd respond to Gallaway's comments with, "Amen, brother!" Oh, hell, I'll say it anyway.