SEGA Embraces Localizer Censorship, Accuses Fans Of Harassment

SEGA JP has openly embraced censorship and woke localizations and is accusing their fans of Harassment in response to criticism. How did this happen?

The release of ‘Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth’ last year was a massive red flag for gamers in the west as it seemed there was heavy tampering with the actual script, an excessively lackluster English voice actor, and many claims the game was pushing a feminist agenda. It seemed to be just another victim in the long trend of western localizers forcing their own ideology into beloved franchises as it was part of the long-standing Yakuza series.

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It wasn’t until recently that we received an official stance on localization from SEGA JP as they sat down for an interview with The Japan Times (a notorious outlet that would take far too long to explain in this article). In it, they openly stated they were changing their games to be more ‘culturally appropriate’ to international markets. They also included hashtags for the game Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth seeming to confirm to their fans they let localizers massacre their game.

Sega & Yakuza series fans were livid! Both Japanese and English users responded stating they hated the idea that games were being released censored including Mark Kern the former team lead for World Of Warcraft who was around during the glory days of Blizzard Entertainment.

From a Western Game Dev to Sega: Please don't do this. The reason why Japanese manga did so well here is because it offered a unique Japanese perspective at a time where American comics stopped listening to their customers.

Do not follow the advice of this niche industry of…

— Grummz (@Grummz) January 29, 2024

Mark respectfully pleaded with them not to go down this route and rightfully pointed out that the massive boom in Manga industry sales was all due to the US Comics market absolutely collapsing and ignoring their former fans.  But despite these heartfelt messages, SEGA JP would take a day before blasting out their “Anti-Harassment” policy.

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For many, this turned into a joke as SEGA JP was equating valid criticism with harassment. How are gamers supposed to address their concerns with publishers if that very thing is now considered harassment? Was Mark Kern actually harassing SEGA when he begged them to reconsider?

The only thing we wanted is to keep Western politics out of Japanese games. We want to play the games as they were originally created, with 1 to 1 accurate translations, and no censorship. The Localizers are the ones who want to change the game for their own sensibilities without…

— KhaosDrive50 (@KDrive50) January 31, 2024

Obviously not! Criticism being equated to harassment is not an unfamiliar accusation and is a tried-and-true tactic of progressive ideologues when they are challenged. And it seems SEGA is officially adopting these tactics after working hand in hand with woke western localizers.

Still… there may be one last hope for gamers as another Asian country seems to be attempting to fill Japan’s shoes. Stay tuned for more on that! But first, what do you think of SEGA embracing censorship and accusing their fans of harassment? Be sure to leave a comment!

NEXT: Western Localizers Are Wrecking More Than Anime And Manga: They’ve Come For Video Games