If you thought the scenario of South Korean outfit SHIFT UP swiftly releasing a patch to remove an “offensive” in-game graffiti that only Americans found objectionable was troubling, then brace yourself for what comes next.
Since SHIFT UP announced their partnership with Sony for what was initially known as “Project Eve,” later renamed Stellar Blade, I’ve had reservations about the game potentially facing censorship.
Stellar Blade has drawn criticism and ridicule from both homosexual individuals and game journalists for what they perceive as “objectifying” and “sexualizing unrealistic depictions of” women.
However, regardless of Stellar Blades years in cryostasis, it was originally supposed to release on all major platforms including the PC, however upon taking Sony’s dirty money the game is now a third-party title for PlayStation.
Sony’s reputation, especially since the PlayStation 4 era, has suffered due to their imposition of strict censorship rules on Japanese developers regarding fanservice content. Meanwhile, vivid mo-capped sex scenes, as depicted in first-party games like The Last of Us Part 2, are considered morally acceptable by their standards.
Nevertheless, trailers and demos for Stellar Blade were released, revealing no alterations or adjustments made to the game’s protagonist, Eve, in terms of jiggle physics and or costume designs compared to prior announcements and footage.
This gave consumers a glimmer of hope that the game would represent a rejuvenation for Sony, embracing fan service and providing consumers with what they’ve been excluded from having for years.
SHIFT UP had pledged to release Stellar Blade uncensored worldwide. However, this promise unfortunately turned out to be a deception, resembling a bait-and-switch tactic reminiscent of Koei Techmo, GUST and their day-one censorship patch for Fairy Tail.
Upon the lifting of review embargoes for Stellar Blade, reactions from mainstream media outlets and professional victims on social media were swift.
Coincidentally, it was discovered that the game reused a graffiti texture depicting the word “HARD” near a sign referencing the “R shop,” prompting Americans to launch their own outrage campaign against Stellar Blade, accusing it of racism.
The “racist” graffiti was promptly replaced, to one that was actually racist, regardless one aspect that went unnoticed however is that the illusive day one patch also adjusted various costume designs to be less revealing.
The first indications of censorship in Stellar Blade emerged online when users who received physical editions of the game noticed alterations to the Holiday Rabbit outfit following a patch. Initially, some believed it could be a hoax, especially after footage before the day-one patch revealed the outfit in its uncensored form.
If SHIFT UP and Sony were indeed planning to execute such a scheme, doing so after the review embargoes were lifted is the most effective and cunning strategy. After all, since all review footage for the game has essentially been recorded in its “uncensored state,” any sudden alterations would undoubtedly take a while longer to draw attention and scrutiny, only after pre-orders were fulfilled and the money had been made.
It seems that reviewers who received a digital copy of the game were actually playing version 1.01, a transitional patch between the original release and the subsequent “day one” 1.02 patch, which appeared to have censored the outfits. The details about the uncensored outfits were provided by individuals who received their physical editions early and played the game unpatched.
At that time, verifying this information proved to be quite the challenge, which is why I’ve held off until more concrete evidence had surfaced.
The alterations have affected several of the game’s outfits, including the “Holiday Rabbit” costume. The censored version, depicted on the right-hand side of the image, now features Eve wearing a lacy undershirt that covers her chest. Additionally, the undershirt extends further towards her bottom, covering a significantly greater amount of skin around her thighs.
Another outfit affected by the release patch is the “Cybernetic Bondage” costume, which remains largely unchanged except for the fact that the nanosuit now extends between Eve’s breasts. This adjustment aims to prevent the visibility of Eve’s underboob.
The censorship introduced is not only unwelcome but also unacceptable to sincere consumers who have been deliberately misled and deceived by SHIFT UP and Sony under the pretext of “no censorship” for months. We’re forced to endure the hypocrisy of mainstream media outlets, which praise sexualized characters catering to the queer demographic while simultaneously vilifying Stellar Blade as pedophilic or problematic.
This is most certainly a threat to our immersion.
The primary selling point of Stellar Blade has always been its emphasis on the female form, specifically focusing on the portrayal of tits and ass. This aspect was heavily featured and essentially advertised, as a result it garnered significant attention both positive and negative.
While the game is rated M for Mature in Western demographics primarily due to its depiction of blood and gore, it notably features revealing outfits comprised of skin-tight nano suits with intricate jiggle physics.
The explicit advertisement of Stellar Blade as uncensored creates a stronger case for potential legal liability if the developers fail to deliver on that promise. However, individuals must actively pursue this matter rather than remaining passive, as many tend to do.
Bait-and-switch marketing tactics are deceptive and are illegal. If the controversy surrounding this game escalates in the coming weeks, there may be a more organized effort to document the extent of censorship within the game.
At that point, it would be advantageous for someone with group support to take action and advocate for legal recourse. In the meantime, individuals can still seek refunds on their own. While success is uncertain, taking action is preferable to doing nothing.
Organizing a group to rally behind this effort is essential. However, it’s doubtful that individuals like Krabutus and his Sweet Baby Inc Detected group will spearhead this initiative.
Sony’s last-minute censorship patch for one of the most anticipated games of 2024 could have been a shrewd move, but their track record suggests otherwise. Given their history with titles like Senran Kagura, Omega Labyrinth, Neptunia, and numerous others, it’s clear that one should never trust Sony with anything.
I don’t own a PlayStation 5, and I refuse to support consoles that restrict consumers with proprietary monthly subscriptions and enforce progressive ideologies, threatening bans for dissenting views.
I held out hope that Stellar Blade would be a departure from the current trend of heterophobic scrutiny, but I was mistaken. I was genuinely eager to support SHIFT UP by purchasing the game upon its inevitable PC release, however I now feel compelled to pirate it instead and rely on mods to un-fuck their retardation.
During an April 26th launch event for the highly-anticipated action title, Kim responded to an attendee’s question about reverting to the pre-censored version. The director acknowledged the concern but affirmed that the final costume intended for the game is indeed the one featured in version 1.0.0.2.
“I want to clarify that this is our final product,” he added. “However, I understand that this answer may not fully satisfy our users. We are currently having internal discussions about this, so I believe we’ll have an opportunity to provide a more comprehensive response soon.”
As previously mentioned, while the patched version of the game censors the Honey Rabbit and Cybernetic Bondage outfits, players can still access the original costumes by playing the physical release and opting not to update the game. However, this hardly constitutes a victory over progressive scrutiny.
It was evident from the outset that Stellar Blade would undergo modifications upon receiving funding from Sony. The footage suggests that Hyung-Tae Kim may have been influenced by Sony’s push for inclusivity and globalization.
If these in-game outfits were truly intended to be their “final version,” one might question why they were designed as such in the first place, only to be altered to appease critics on the exact day of release. The real answer is that he’s talking out of his ass.
This change satisfies nobody except journalists who’ve done nothing but bitch about Stellar Blade and how the game is sexist, harping on about the so-called “male gaze.”
Coincidentally aligning with the core demographic for Sony’s PlayStation console, woke retards and the mentally deranged.
If you’re willing to overlook moral principles and simply seek a game that provides “adequate” fanservice, feel free to support Sony and SHIFT UP by purchasing Stellar Blade, it’s a game that’s far more deserving of your money than the abundance of woke ESG/DEI garbage on the market.
Vote with your wallet, do whatever the hell YOU want. In my opinion? Censoring or removing content from a game after it’s been bought should be against the law. It’s essentially theft.
However, if you’re someone who values integrity and opposes the idea of having the game’s primary marketing aspect altered after release, you have every right to request a refund and or legal action. Alternatively, you’re entitled to pirate the game and enjoy it on your own terms, just like me.
SHIFT UP doesn’t necessarily rely on your financial support. They’ve already received Sony’s payment, which is the root cause of this situation. SHIFT UP earns significant revenue from Goddess of Victory: NIKKE, which freely features bouncing booties.
Sony embraces and promotes games on its platforms that feature depictions of jiggle physics for male genitalia, vivid depictions of sex in general, especially of a homoerotic variety and even bear sex. The media often applauds these games as empowering.
Yet, Stellar Blade has been endlessly criticized as sexist, derogatory, and morally wrong, all because of the concept of the “male gaze.” And even then the game itself ends up being censored.
When Stellar Blade eventually makes its way to PC, as most Sony titles do, there’s no harm in pirating the game to protest against their bait-and-switch censorship tactics, just be sure not to get fooled again and to abstain from ever pre-ordering anything akin to this with a Sony label on the box.
