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Nintendo Won't Add Same-Sex Relationships to Tomodachi Life

Nintendo's upcoming English release of the Tomodachi Life (Tomodachi Collection: New Life) game will not allow for romantic relationships between same-sex avatars, despite pressure from fans online.

Said a representative from Nintendo of America, "Nintendo never intended to make any form of social commentary with the launch of Tomodachi Life. The relationship options in the game represent a playful alternate world rather than a real-life simulation."

The game, which will be released in North America and Europe on June 6, allows players to engage in various activities with their Miis, including eating, changing outfits, interacting with other Miis, playing video games, meeting real-life celebrities like Christina Aguilera and Shaquille O'neal, and confessing their love. However, while Miis can flirt, go on dates, and even marry, those activities are only allowed between characters of the opposite sex. This restriction is in both the original Japanese version and in the planned English version.

Fans brought their concerns online last month with the #Miiquality social media campaign, spearheaded by Nintendo fan Tye Marini. In a video, Marini says, "Being a gay male myself, this is disappointing to me. It wouldn't be such a big deal if it weren't for the fact that relationships and marriage are a huge part of the game... I want to be able to marry my real-life fiance's Mii, but I can't do that... Not being able to date and marry the gender that I'm attracted to in real life really takes all of the immersion and fun out of the game for me."

Marini hopes that supporters will continue to post on Twitter, Facebook, and other social media sites with #Miiquality, and write to Nintendo to include same-sex relationships in an update to the game, or in future iterations.

At the end of 2013, sales of Tomodachi Life in Japan had already surpassed 1.8 million units.

Source: Huffington Post