When the Nintendo 3DS game Tomodachi Life came out last year, many players noted critically that the life simulation title only allowed opposite-sex relationships, but not same-sex ones. The response from Nintendo was simply that it “never intended to make any form of social commentary”—ignoring, of course, that the exclusion of same-sex relationships is hardly a neutral act.
But the times, they are a-changing. Nintendo recently announced that when the 3DS game Fire Emblem Fates is released in 2016, your character will finally be able to join others in both same-sex and opposite-sex matrimony. The company offered more details at Polygon, adding:
“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. 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.
While it remains to be seen how or whether this sort of inclusiveness will extend to other Nintendo games, much like the recent decision to allow varied skin tones in an upcoming Animal Crossing title, it’s still a laudable step forward.
When the landmark Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage arrived today, hot on the heels of the Nintendo announcement, the jokes almost seemed to make themselves:
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