Less than a week after wind broke of Ubisoft having added a woke disclaimer to Beyond Good & Evil 20th Anniversary Edition, Capcom has provided even more reasons for consumers to write them off completely.
Fans excited for the retro re-release of 2003’s SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos on modern platforms, including PC, are likely to opt for emulating the original if they want an authentic experience, or at the very least resort to piracy. This is due to Capcom’s apparent pressure on SNK to make advertorial adjustments surrounding the game.
One notable change is the censorship of the game’s official artwork across regions, with differences clearly visible when comparing the game’s release trailer in English to the Japanese version.
There are subtle yet noticeable differences between the official artwork of SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos in the English and Japanese versions. The English version is zoomed in and features black vignetting at the bottom of the screen, which obscures Athena and her bikini armor.
This isn’t the only noticeable difference between regions. In the middle of the frame, you’ll also see that Mai Shiranui’s attire has been altered in the English version to cover her cleavage more.
English: Right
Amusingly, if you look at the very top of the artwork, you’ll notice that Tabasa the Witch, also known as Tessa, has a rather prominent cleavage that remains unchanged across regions.
Given her smaller size and scaling compared to the rest of the artwork, it’s likely that her appearance not being altered for the English release was an oversight by Capcom. You really have to zoom in to notice her presence, making it funny to see her robust form consistently displayed across regions, arguably by mistake.
I have little doubt that Capcom is entirely responsible for this form of censorship. We’ve previously reported that SNK’s new Saudi Prince wishes for his company to remain Japanese rather than expand globally.
SNK recently announced the inclusion of Janet Behrn in Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, maintaining her attractive and well-endowed figure consistent with prior entries in the franchise.
Capcom, on the other hand, is one of many Japanese corporations that have fallen under the influence of Western ESG hedge fund capital.
Adhering to ESG policies for investment often includes self-censorship and a focus on inclusive and diverse character designs, with their release of Street Fighter 6 being a prime example of inclusivity and censorship.
Capcom has also faced criticism for race-swapping an antagonist in the remaster of Dead Rising, replacing a stereotypical Chinese villain with a generic White man to avoid offending sensitive gamers.
Despite Capcom’s recent “Super Election” survey revealing that over 80% of gamers are male and prioritize attractive character designs above gameplay, Capcom remains committed to pushing progressive and unattractive content.
This trend is evident in their recent releases of Dragon’s Dogma 2 and the poor “remakes” of Resident Evil 4 which is awash with censored dialogue, designs and cut content.
Definitive proof that Capcom is responsible for these changes lies in their decision to include a progressive disclaimer in the Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection, an HD revision of the GBA spin-offs of the Mega Man franchise. This collection features a sensitivity warning indicating that it may contain “insensitive cultural depictions.”
These disclaimers essentially tell consumers that Capcom is immensely sorry for re-releasing these old games, either because they contain attractive female characters, which disrupts ESG scoring, or because they lack significant diversity when it comes to character designs.
By apologetically proclaiming that they condemn their previous games, companies can claim they don’t support their older products while still reselling them for profit. They imply that as long as consumers know the material is inherently offensive and racist, it’s acceptable to sell it.
The re-release of SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos also features one of these disclaimers upon bootup, stating that the product is recreated as authentically as possible from the 2003 original but that its contents “don’t represent the ideals of our company.”
Capcom is the only company between themselves and SNK that is undoubtedly offended by femininity and attractive women, particularly when used as promotional material for a game bearing their name, despite it being developed by SNK.
It must be said that these sorts of disclaimers are undoubtedly better than players receiving a censored product. However, since SNK is publishing this particular title, they will inadvertently bear the blame for this progressive message and any additional forms of censorship.
The phrase “faithfully recreate the content as much as possible” suggests that the game might contain some in-game censorship. We won’t know the specifics until avid gamers discover these changes on their own.
There is a strong reason why Capcom would enforce these additions. The game would never be re-released without explicit permission and collaboration between SNK and Capcom.
Compromises must be made for Capcom to adhere to Larry Fink’s forced behavioral ideology and cater to Western audiences, who are often squeamish about cleavage, breasts and exposed skin.
Modern Westerners struggle to differentiate between fiction and reality in Japanese animation, deeming attractive women showcasing any amount of skin as sexist and misogynistic whereas fictional characters that are small, fat and or petite are demonized as being inherently pedophilic.
These woke disclaimers signal to consumers that companies like Capcom, who retroactively insert encrypted DRM into old games to prevent PC modifications, are invertedly proclaiming that they will never make such products featuring attractive and busty women ever again.
There is no comprehensive reason to financially support buying material that “does not represent their ideals.”
SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos is arguably one of the greatest crossovers in the gaming industry. Originally released in 2003 for arcades and later ported to PlayStation 2 and Xbox, it’s unclear if the base game itself has been modified with this re-release.
However, that’s not the main issue. Capcom’s demands to alter the promotional artwork and include a disclaimer condemning the game’s content are sufficient reasons to avoid purchasing it.
It’s striking to consider that just twenty years ago, it was socially acceptable to depict iconic characters like Chun-Li and Mai Shiranui in revealing ways on the back cover of PS2 games for Western markets. Times have certainly changed, as it’s only socially acceptable to be homosexual while normal people are demonized and disenfranchised from their hobbies.
The game offers little more than mundane console emulation upscaled to a higher resolution. The most disappointing aspect is seeing Capcom hinder SNK’s resurgence with progressive nonsense.
