Fire Emblem Fates to offer same-sex marriage

• Maenad wrote on 2015-06-25 02:44

  Nintendo's new Fire Emblem will introduce same-sex marriage to the strategy role-playing game series, Nintendo confirmed to Polygon today.
  
  "We can confirm that Fire Emblem Fates for Nintendo 3DS, which launches in Japan on June 25, 2015, and is coming to the U.S. and Europe in 2016, includes the possibility for a same-sex marriage to take place between the main character created by the gamer and another character in the game," Nintendo said in a statement.
  
  In previous Fire Emblem titles, like 2012's Fire Emblem Awakening, players could marry characters of the opposite sex if they bonded closely through conversations. If relationships reached S-rank status in Fire Emblem Awakening, characters could have children, creating new playable characters. Fire Emblem Fates will feature an A+ ranking for characters of the same sex who form a strong bond.
  
  In a statement, Nintendo explained how same-sex relationships will work in the two editions of Fire Emblem Fates.
  
  "Fire Emblem Fates comes in two different versions, called the Conquest and Birthright editions," Nintendo said. "In the U.S., Conquest and Birthright will both be sold separately, as is already the case in Japan. For those who have purchased either the Conquest or Birthright edition, a third edition will be made available as downloadable content at a later stage. Details on how the three storylines will be made available in other regions will be announced at a later date.
  
  "WE BELIEVE THAT OUR GAMEPLAY EXPERIENCES SHOULD REFLECT THE DIVERSITY OF THE COMMUNITIES IN WHICH WE OPERATE..."
  
  "In the Conquest edition of the game, there is a male character that the game's player may have his/her male main character marry after they bond in battle. Similarly, the Birthright edition features a female character that a female main character may marry after bonding in battle. Both of the aforementioned characters can be encountered in the third edition of the game."
  
  In other words, if players want to have a relationship between two male characters, they'll need to either purchase the Conquest edition or download the third storyline. If players want to pursue a relationship between two female characters, they'll need the Birthright version (or, again, download the third storyline).
  
  Nintendo has been criticized in the past for restricting same-sex relationship options in its games, notably in Nintendo 3DS life simulation game Tomodachi Life. That game did not include the option for same-sex relationships because it was not part of the game's design, the developer said. At the time, Nintendo said it "never intended to make any form of social commentary" regarding gay and lesbian relationships in Tomodachi Life, and fans responded with campaigns voicing their support for same-sex gameplay considerations.
  
  In the company's statement today, Nintendo explained why it's including same-sex relationship options for the new Fire Emblem.
  
  "We believe that our gameplay experiences should reflect the diversity of the communities in which we operate and, at the same time, we will always design the game specifications of each title by considering a variety of factors, such as the game's scenario and the nature of the game play," Nintendo said. "In the end of course, the game should be fun to play. We feel that Fire Emblem Fates is indeed enjoyable to play and we hope fans like the game."

  
  
  http://www.polygon.com/2015/6/23/8836513/fire-emblem-fates-same-sex-relationships-nintendo
• Kaeporo wrote on 2015-06-25 03:52
  ...but will it offer maps and objectives that don't suck?
• Maenad wrote on 2015-06-25 04:06

  Quote from Kaeporo;1279909:

  ...but will it offer maps and objectives that don't suck?

  
  
  Conquest will have better objectives and a higher level of difficulty overall than Birthright.
  
  I like that it's not every character in the game that can be magically turned gay, cause that's not how it works. The question is, will these characters that you can same-sex marry be marriageable by opposite sex too? I hope they're actual gays/lesbians and not just bi.
• Space Pirate Nithiel wrote on 2015-06-25 06:03
  What's wrong with being bi?
• Maenad wrote on 2015-06-25 08:38

  Quote from Space Pirate Nithiel;1279923:

  What's wrong with being bi?

  
  
  Nothing, inherently. Ideally there'd be, per route, one bi character and one gay character. Things like this tend to make characters 'anysexual' rather than bi/straight/gay, which just ends up being insulting.
• Space Pirate Nithiel wrote on 2015-06-25 08:43

  Quote from Maenad;1279932:

  'anysexual'

  
  
  But thats a thing too. They call it "pansexual". At least that's what I heard from tumblr.
• Maenad wrote on 2015-06-25 09:22
  I thought pansexual was being attracted to a specific type of personality.
• Kingofrunes wrote on 2015-06-25 10:29
  I think pansexual is about being able to have a relationship with anybody regardless of what their actual gender is.
  
  Gender is such a loose term you know.
  
  Anyways, Nintendo isn't going to be able to please everyone you know. This is a pretty big step forward for them. I'm liking that more and more game companies are taking a stance towards progress and equality.
  
  This will not go well with the bible humping parents that think gay marriage is wrong though. I have a feeling that they may get a lot of backlash from such backwards thinking parents.
• Maenad wrote on 2015-06-25 10:39

  Quote from Kingofrunes;1279937:

  I think pansexual is about being able to have a relationship with anybody regardless of what their actual gender is.
  
  Gender is such a loose term you know.
  
  Anyways, Nintendo isn't going to be able to please everyone you know. This is a pretty big step forward for them. I'm liking that more and more game companies are taking a stance towards progress and equality.
  
  This will not go well with the bible humping parents that think gay marriage is wrong though. I have a feeling that they may get a lot of backlash from such backwards thinking parents.

  
  
  I hear the game also has a shitload of incest.
  
  Anyways, gay option:
  

  [Image: http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/fireemblem/images/2/26/Zero_portrait.png/revision/latest?cb=20150617055958]

  
  
  Lesbian option:
  

  [Image: http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/fireemblem/images/c/c1/Shara_portrait.png/revision/latest?cb=20150624094941]

  
  
  (Couldn't find a bigger version of Shara's portrait)
• Yoorah wrote on 2015-06-25 12:10
  I like how they both look mentally deranged. Lol
  
  Separating the game into two versions sounds annoying, though. :( I guess it's a way for them to milk more money out of the [S]kids[/S] parents.
• Maenad wrote on 2015-06-25 12:11

  Quote from Yoorah;1279944:

  I like how they both look mentally deranged. Lol
  
  Separating the game into two versions sounds annoying, though. :( I guess it's a way for them to milk more money out of the [S]kids[/S] parents.

  
  
  Better than Pokemon, at least. You're getting a totally different story from each version.
• Kouki wrote on 2015-06-25 14:21
  I'm getting the Conquest one.
  
  I still wish they just made every character bi, though. Well, I guess I can just make both a male and female character.
  Also, the female looks like a white-haired Tharja... xD
• Maenad wrote on 2015-06-25 15:03

  Quote from Fran;1279952:

  I'm getting the Conquest one.
  
  I still wish they just made every character bi, though. Well, I guess I can just make both a male and female character.
  Also, the female looks like a white-haired Tharja... xD

  
  
  [spoiler="spoiler"]Shara is literally Tharja reincarnated, this is canon, though I don't have any further details. This applies for a fair amount of characters.[/spoiler]
• Space Pirate Nithiel wrote on 2015-06-25 18:02
  While I support progress and equality and all that, I don't see why EVERY game needs a marriage system. Like, it seems like they're putting marriage systems in games that have absolutely 0 need for one, just so they can say "SEE WE'RE OPEN TO GAY MARRIAGE". What's next, marrying your rival in Pokemon?
• Shanghai wrote on 2015-06-25 18:37

  Quote from Space Pirate Nithiel;1279965:

  While I support progress and equality and all that, I don't see why EVERY game needs a marriage system. Like, it seems like they're putting marriage systems in games that have absolutely 0 need for one, just so they can say "SEE WE'RE OPEN TO GAY MARRIAGE". What's next, marrying your rival in Pokemon?

  
  
  Fire Emblem relationships were always a thing since the 2nd-3rd game(?); they just didn't do all this timey-wobbly stuff in Awakening to make it so that their offspring could actually join the party. So now relationships hold a larger significance gameplay-wise and mechanically, since you can pass traits/skills from parents over to the child, making them incredibly powerful if you Darwin right.