Rating-banned game Omega Vampire coming to Switch

[Cal Jeffrey]

WTF?! Since the launch of the Switch, it seems we have seen a lot of M-rated games coming to the hybrid console. Doom, Wolfenstein 2, and LA Noire are just a few of the mature titles to have come out. Nintendo has never out-right banned mature content on its platforms, but it used to be reasonably low-key about it.

Now it appears that the Switch will see its first ever adult title coming sometime next year. Japanese game publisher Prototype discreetly teased its intention to release Omega Vampire on the Switch platform. You may not have heard of it and for good reason.

For one, it's only available in Japan. In addition, the game is rated adults-only effectively banning it from typical outlets.

Now before you start getting all excited, there are a few of things that you should know.

First, like the PC version, the title is only slated for release in Japan. VNDB lists the launch date as 2019, but Gematsu reports that it is coming in the spring of next year. The PC version came out in December of 2016.

Furthermore, it probably is not your cup of tea anyway. Omega Vampire falls into the Yaoi-genre of Japanese fiction. Also known as “boys’ love,” Yaoi deals with homoerotic themes. So as you can imagine the game/interactive novel falls into a pretty small niche.

The PC version of Omega Vampire is pretty graphic and has many sexually explicit scenes. It is hard to imagine Nintendo greenlighting a port, even taking into account the many M-titles hitting the handheld. It is probable that the title will not be ported completely uncut. In fact, the Switch teaser page for the game states that it is not yet rated. So it’s highly likely the game will be significantly edited.

Still, it’s pretty incredible that Nintendo is seriously considering going with such content — even if it is a highly edited version. What could be the motivation to publish such a niche title? Let us know what you think.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/76892-rating-banned-game-omega-vampire-coming-switch.html

 

[Plutoisaplanet]

You didn't need to explain yaoi to me, I know alllll about it. There are definitions posted on Urban Dictionary ofc.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

A visual novel?

They can keep it. Being yaoi is irrelevant.

 

[Evernessince]

Probably not a bad idea given that an overwhelming majority of women do their gaming on mobile devices compared to men who mostly use consoles and PCs. The switch is pretty much a mobile device.

 

[erickmendes]

Probably not a bad idea given that an overwhelming majority of women do their gaming on mobile devices compared to men who mostly use consoles and PCs. The switch is pretty much a mobile device.

The article states that yaoi is men homoerotic style... seems not for women...

 

[Evernessince]

The article states that yaoi is men homoerotic style... seems not for women...

I was well aware of that far before this article. My two adult sisters love the stuff and have their phones are packed with boy love games. You are sorely mistaken if you think women don't like that.

Yaoi is marketed to women in the first place.

 

[captaincranky]

I was well aware of that far before this article. My two adult sisters love the stuff and have their phones are packed with boy love games. You are sorely mistaken if you think women don't like that....[ ]....

Is that in the same context as the way most all men are enamored of watching 20 something, "lipstick lesbians", doing their thing?

 

[captaincranky]

@Cal Jeffrey said:

"Furthermore, it probably is not your cup of tea anyway. Omega Vampire falls into the Yaoi-genre of Japanese fiction. Also known as “boys’ love,” Yaoi deals with homoerotic themes. So as you can imagine the game/interactive novel falls into a pretty small niche".

Well Mr. Jeffrey it is so far removed from being politically correct to mention it, but the gay community has substantial presence in all facets of the entertainment industry This explains the ever increasing numbers of homosexual characters now present in even OTA television programming.The usual narrative is just how avant garde and fabulous a long list of stereotyped LGBT characters are, and how much they are to be admired for their bravery and fabulousness by the ever dwindling numbers of, hum drum, run of the mill, straight characters in the newer shows.

My point being that while you suggest that homoerotic themes have limited appeal, they are constantly being rammed down our throats, (pun intended), nonetheless.

In fact, the sexual role reversal plot was incorporated into an ancient episode of the Brit sct-fi serial, "Red Dwarf", when the crew visited a planet controlled by women who fervently enjoyed watching boy on boy action.

I tried to find that clip to no avail, as the series began in 1988, and was still tunning as of 2017!

If you're not familiar with the show, (basically a sci-fi comedy): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Dwarf

 

[erickmendes]

I was well aware of that far before this article. My two adult sisters love the stuff and have their phones are packed with boy love games. You are sorely mistaken if you think women don't like that.

Yaoi is marketed to women in the first place.

Didn't know about that... lol

 

[Evernessince]

Is that in the same context as the way most all men are enamored of watching 20 something, "lipstick lesbians", doing their thing?

Exactly like that.

 

[Cal Jeffrey]

@Cal Jeffrey said:

"Furthermore, it probably is not your cup of tea anyway. Omega Vampire falls into the Yaoi-genre of Japanese fiction. Also known as “boys’ love,” Yaoi deals with homoerotic themes. So as you can imagine the game/interactive novel falls into a pretty small niche".

Well Mr. Jeffrey it is so far removed from being politically correct to mention it, but the gay community has substantial presence in all facets of the entertainment industry This explains the ever increasing numbers of homosexual characters now present in even OTA television programming.The usual narrative is just how avant garde and fabulous a long list of stereotyped LGBT characters are, and how much they are to be admired for their bravery and fabulousness by the ever dwindling numbers of, hum drum, run of the mill, straight characters in the newer shows.

My point being that while you suggest that homoerotic themes have limited appeal, they are constantly being rammed down our throats, (pun intended), nonetheless.

In fact, the sexual role reversal plot was incorporated into an ancient episode of the Brit sct-fi serial, "Red Dwarf", when the crew visited a planet controlled by women who fervently enjoyed watching boy on boy action.

I tried to find that clip to no avail, as the series began in 1988, and was still tunning as of 2017!

If you're not familiar with the show, (basically a sci-fi comedy): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Dwarf

You make a good point. It surely has its niche. But I honestly have a hard time believing it has appeal on par with a triple-AAA title. Maybe in Japan, I don't know. Obviously it is popular enough there that Nintendo is pursuing it, so there is certainly enough of a market to turn a profit. Then Again I could totally be wrong. Maybe it would blast off in the states and out sell GTAV. But it's not being released here so we'll never know.

 

[Stassi O]

You say that the yaoi community is small, and you are extremely wrong on that point. There is a huge BL community out there. Just looking it up will lead you to make things relating to the community. The yaoi community is larger then you think, trust me. It isn't just a small niche. I, for one, am excited for this game, and for Nintendo allowing games like this on the switch. Since I have no other console, I need the switch to get the ability to play the games I like, visual novel, yaoi, or not.

Just because it is a yaoi shouldn't really change anyone's opinions on whether the game should be on the switch or not. Maybe the M-rating part, sure, but the yaoi part, no. Playing on the fact that it's a BL in this blog sort of makes it seem like you don't want it on the switch, or are surprised it's coming on the switch, because it's yaoi. I mean no offense, but that's what it seems to me. And for this I say it may not be your cup of tea, but for many others it is.

I'm sure kids won't be going and buying the game anyway, so it also shouldn't really matter if it's M-rated. If kids are, then it's sort of the parents fault for getting them an M-rated game without checking what it is, don't you think? There are plenty of M-rated games coming to the switch, which I'm proud of Nintendo for getting the guts to do that, since so many consoles these days are unnecessarily censoring games to appeal to the public who want everything censored and to be "safe" because it threatens them somehow. And I'm hoping that they do not change this game in any way and keep it the same, since they probably will keep other M-rated/adult games the same on the switch. It's be surprising if they changed games like Doom or something like that. I seriously hope they don't target this game to change just because of the niche.

 

[Cal Jeffrey]

You say that the yaoi community is small, and you are extremely wrong on that point. There is a huge BL community out there. Just looking it up will lead you to make things relating to the community. The yaoi community is larger then you think, trust me. It isn't just a small niche. I, for one, am excited for this game, and for Nintendo allowing games like this on the switch. Since I have no other console, I need the switch to get the ability to play the games I like, visual novel, yaoi, or not.

Just because it is a yaoi shouldn't really change anyone's opinions on whether the game should be on the switch or not. Maybe the M-rating part, sure, but the yaoi part, no. Playing on the fact that it's a BL in this blog sort of makes it seem like you don't want it on the switch, or are surprised it's coming on the switch, because it's yaoi. I mean no offense, but that's what it seems to me. And for this I say it may not be your cup of tea, but for many others it is.

I'm sure kids won't be going and buying the game anyway, so it also shouldn't really matter if it's M-rated. If kids are, then it's sort of the parents fault for getting them an M-rated game without checking what it is, don't you think? There are plenty of M-rated games coming to the switch, which I'm proud of Nintendo for getting the guts to do that, since so many consoles these days are unnecessarily censoring games to appeal to the public who want everything censored and to be "safe" because it threatens them somehow. And I'm hoping that they do not change this game in any way and keep it the same, since they probably will keep other M-rated/adult games the same on the switch. It's be surprising if they changed games like Doom or something like that. I seriously hope they don't target this game to change just because of the niche.

Just to be clear. The game in question (the original not the port) was rated A-o not M. I am just surprised that they did. There is a huge difference between an M-rated title and an A-o rating. Nintendo has been open to M-titles, but they have never produced or ported an A-o rated game before, not even in Japan. So this is a first, and a surprising one at that. While I do find it surprising, I never said the game should or should not be ported to the Switch. I don't believe in censorship of any type. Banning games, books, movie, etc is appalling to me regardless of content. You may be confusing my surprise with Nintendo's decision with me being surprised at the content itself. The content I dod not find surprising at all because there is a huge demand for it in Japan.

As for it being niche, is a matter of perspective. In Japan, it's probably not so niche. I'm sure there is a flourishing yaoi community there, and in some other regions -- some probably more than others. In the US gaming market it is most certainly niche. I don't need to look up figures to safely say that the yaoi community makes up a very small sliver of the US gaming community. If that were not the case, we would see much more non-imported content in the US. One could argue that we don't see this content in PC gaming because rating boards have stick up their behinds, and there is some validity to that. However, game developers have always found ways to keep their content toned down enough to get it an M rating. If there was the demand for yaoi in the US, game makers would find a way to produce it.

That said, since it is not being (was not since this article is way old) released in the US perhaps it being niche here is inconsequential. Perhaps I didn't lead the subject very well in that regard. It was more of an after thought really. Something along the lines of, "Well, Nintendo is considering it in Japan -- what if or why not here? And as I have stated, why not here is because developers do not see a broad enough market for it. This of course could change. That's the thing with the free market, content will always follow demand.

Thanks for the comment and discussion. I always like hearing about how others see things.