Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 Localization Controversy

About

The Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 Localization Controversy refers to the online backlash that arose over the decision of the Japanese video game publisher Koei Tecmo to not release "Dead or Alive Xtreme 3":":/memes/subcultures/dead-or-alive outside of the Asian market due to fear of repercussions over the sexually suggestive portrayal of female characters in the game.

Background

Dead or Alive Xtreme 3^[1] is the third installment in the Dead or Alive Xtreme series,^[2] a spin-off of the Dead or Alive fighting game franchise which features an all-female cast playing beach volleyball on a beach resort setting. Since the launch of the original title in 2003, the Dead or Alive Xtreme series has gained international notoriety for its gratuitous depiction of busty female characters and the animation of their breasts, an industry practice otherwise known as "fan service" (ファンサービス), an aspect which has often drawn criticisms of female objectification and sexualization from video game journalists and feminist bloggers in the English-speaking world.^{[17][18][19][20][21][22]}

Facebook Announcement

On August 1st, 2015, during the annual Dead or Alive Festival^[25] in Japan, Koei Tecmo's in-house development studio Team Ninja confirmed that Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 is under development. Shortly after this announcement, Team Ninja revealed on its official Facebook page that the upcoming title would be made available "exclusively for Japan and Asian market." The Facebook post was eventually deleted, but its contents (shown below) can still be read on articles reporting on the event.^[26][27]

A few weeks later, during an interview with Yosuke Hayashi in the Japanese video game magazine Famitsu,^[28] Hayashi again stated that the game would only be sold in Japan and the Asia region, but that they also might create a version for the North American market if the demand was deemed to be high enough. While the full-length interview was scheduled to be published on August 20th, the highlights from the interview were compiled into an article by Japanese blogger Hachima Kikou and shared online two days early on August 18th, which was subsequently picked up by various video gaming news sites.^[29][30]

"Thanks for attending and for watching DOA Festival today. MC Kwiggle (USA-Christie) won the exhibition match and Teru Rock (輝Rock Japan-Leifang) fought intensely with him. We announced DOAX3 (Working Title) today, but it will be made exclusively for Japan and Asian market. We announced many things today about new stage, patch update, Halloween costumes etc… We will keep you posted"

On November 24th, Koei Tecmo announced via Facebook that the game would not be coming to North America and that there were no plans for its localization outside of the Asian market, citing concerns of potential backlash against its sexually suggestive content.^[3] The comment in question has since been deleted (shown below).

Notable Developments

Soon after Koei Tecmo's Facebook announcement that Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 wouldn't be released outside of the Asian market due to the sensitive nature of the topic in the Western market, the news quickly spread to various video gaming blogs and news outlets, several of which commented that Koei Tecmo's decision was likely influenced by the growing presence of social justice activism in the gaming world.^[4][5] The bkaclash over the decision was also joined by supporters of the GamerGate movement, many of whom similarly criticized the episode as a classic example of social justice warriors interfering with the gaming community.

Petition

Meanwhile, a Change.org petition to release the game in the west reached over 2,000 signatures in less than 24 hours;^[15] while the r/KotakuInAction sub-reddit attempted to start an e-mail campaign towards Koei Tecmo.^[16]

Play-Asia Endorsement

On October 30th, the game import website Play-Asia announced in their news section that it would carry the English Asia version of the game;^[10] restating this on their official Twitter on November 24th following Koei Tecmo's announcement.^[6] Although the announcement was met with mixed reception, the site reported a large spike in Twitter followers because of it. The Twitter account reported that in the course of 24 hours they had nearly doubled their Twitter followers; going from 9,000 to passing the 10,000 on November 24th,^[8] to over 17,000 by November 25th.^[8]

Play-Asia's announcement was met with mixed replies. Fans of the series and critics of the social justice movement mainly praised the site for its decision. Play-Asia's offer was also shared by Koei Tecmo Europe on their Twitter account.^[23] Play-Asia itself as well replied towards the controversy and reactions to their decision, using Smug Anime Faces to mock the controversy due to the resulting increase in their sales.

HuniePot's Offer

On November 25th, the developer of the fanservice-centered game HuniePop, HuniePot, offered $1 million dollars for the United States rights to the Xtreme series to Koei Tecmo.^[7] The offer was subsequently reported by various gaming sites,^[11] blogs,^[12][13] and forums.^[14]

Official Response

On December 1st, 2015, Koei Tecmo released an official response towards the posts on their Facebook page (shown below), claiming the posts reflected only the individual's opinion and not that of Koei Tecmo or its business strategy.^[32][33] Alongside, Koei Tecmo also restated that the game was still planned solely for Japan and Asia. That same day, various gaming sites reported on the news.^{[34][35][36][37]}

Search Interest

External References