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DOA: Dimensions Pulled From Sweden Over Child Pornography Allegations
Team Ninja's Dead Or Alive series has always been known for its jiggly female fighters, a sophomoric aspect the developer has thoroughly embraced. Dead Or Alive: Dimensions' European distributor Bergsala is probably less enthusiastic about the developer's shenanigans now, after having to pull the game from Sweden over concerns that it could break the country's child pornography laws.
Eurogamer is reporting that Bergsala and Nintendo of Europe jointly decided not to release the game in Sweden due to a law that classifies the depiction of underage girls in pornographic situations as child pornography, apparently even if the girls are made out of polygons. Since Ayane, Kasumi, and Kokoro are all supposed to be under 18, they would qualify if placed in a pornographic situation. Although the game doesn't contain anything explicitly pornographic, there was some concern that the game's Showcase mode -- which allows players to pose the girls in scantily-clad costumes and then take pictures of them -- could qualify. In any case, Bergsala isn't willing to take the chance, and is also choosing not to release the game in Norway and Denmark as well.
It's worth noting that according to a NeoGAF post, the person who reported the game to Swedish authorities didn't do so to get the game banned, but instead wanted to point out the problem with law.
While it does seem like a bit of an over reaction, I guess the lesson to be learned here is that you shouldn't put over-sexualized 16-year-olds in a game that includes a mode where you can take pictures of them in skimpy costumes. Besides, isn't that what DOA Paradise is for?
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