Matsuno had nothing at all to do with the decision to genderlock Viera

[Serenno]

The issue is that if it is a higher up, then the only option we have is the one we're taking. We can't possibly know, so we have to pressure the person we know has the most authority so they can redirect that pressure to the one who has ultimate authority over them.

That's what I was thinking. If the dev team really tried to make it happen but couldn't due to the higher-ups, they probably expected this backlash and could use it to sort of force their hand. But that's in the best case scenario if they really want to bother undoing the genderlock.

[J-Reyno]

I still got mad respect for Matsuno so never thought he had any blame in this decision, nice to see it confirmed, too. This was all hanging on that "I think Male Viera would be weird" from years ago, which is problematic in and off itself.

People are ignoring and handwaving this, but it's true.

It reminds of how men on the dev team (of majority men) wouldn't work on the bunny outfit for male characters because it made them... "uncomfortable".

Very problematic.

[Lilseph]

Yup, it's good to see that Matsuno himself is aware of the issue. Hopefully that gets the right people moving.

He only said he had nothing to do it. I read it more as in "not my problem, lol". I don't think this will create any kind of chain reaction. He only wanted to clarify that and imagine, it's the most reasonable thing to do. With how ballistic this community gets over a trivial subject, I wouldn't want my twitter getting nuked by that angry mob.

Or wherever place they find to attack him.

[Racen]

well, I guess we will just have to drown the forums until Yoshi changes his mind

This isn't going to happen.

[Lacan]

This isn't going to happen.

Pretty sure people said that about roegadyn and miqote too. Seriously, check the threads from 1.0. No reason to believe this isn't reversible.

[MrKimper]

The issue is that if it is a higher up, then the only option we have is the one we're taking. We can't possibly know, so we have to pressure the person we know has the most authority so they can redirect that pressure to the one who has ultimate authority over them.

This issue is that this has been a problem with square recently, I think around since Yosuke Matsuda took over as CEO. I know he made several statements about wanting to produce games that rank highly in western markets and a lot of the trends recent games have been taking, feeling of being rushed but fixed with DLC(KH 3 is a BIG boy here) might be due to a change in his business strategy. I wouldn't put it past them to delay male and female viera's until 6.0 just to drum up hype about it.

[Barraind]

I've found a lot of the arguments to be kinda strange from a few standpoints.

If you take the lore argument, it has a lot of challenges, given that you can argue the lore has to be smashed to smithereens to allow Viera PC's of either sex. Oh, you left the forest? Cool, you're exiled. Also you lost a huge part of your identity since you cant communicate with the woods. Also you're probably going to go batshit crazy when around magic users because of that mist-sensitivity ("mist" in that world being how magic worked). And if you ever come back, you're at best shunned and at worst murdered on sight.

Meanwhile, if you go "We didnt want to have guy bunnygirls", then it comes down to an actual, defendable position of "I make the game and I didnt want this". Congrats, thats a good stance to take.

(Its also odd that people really excited about male bunnies thought they would be soft or feminine given how theyre described and how physiology works)

Its one of those things where being coy earns you nothing, because people who would defend "I decided on X" think you're taking the piss, and people who would shout RACISTHOMOPHOBICTRANSPHOBICRUINEROFMYCHOSENCURRENTIDENTITY will shout that regardless.

[Astril]

This issue is that this has been a problem with square recently, I think around since Yosuke Matsuda took over as CEO. I know he made several statements about wanting to produce games that rank highly in western markets and a lot of the trends recent games have been taking, feeling of being rushed but fixed with DLC(KH 3 is a BIG boy here) might be due to a change in his business strategy. I wouldn't put it past them to delay male and female viera's until 6.0 just to drum up hype about it.

The game is already kinda popular over here. That isn't drumming up hype its just annoying as hell and a shady practice.

[Endeleon]

People are ignoring and handwaving this, but it's true.

It reminds of how men on the dev team (of majority men) wouldn't work on the bunny outfit for male characters because it made them... "uncomfortable".

Very problematic.

It's such a bad look. Like.... wow. Unbelievably bad look.

[KikoriL]

Dear Yoshi



That is all.