This is the first time Nintendo has included an option for same-sex marriage within one of their video games.
Today we applaud Nintendo for their decision to allow characters within their role playing game series Fire Emblem to marry characters of the same gender.
The option has been included in the newest installment, Fire Emblem Fates, which was released yesterday in Japan. The game will hit U.S. and European markets in 2016.
In a statement, the video game behemoth confirmed that this was done in order to reflect the diverse nature of the gaming community.
“We believe that our gameplay experiences should reflect the diversity of the communities in which we operate,” the statement reads.
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“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.”
Completely coincidentally, Nintendo happened to make this development official on the day same-sex marriage was legalized across the U.S. Funny how these things work out sometimes!
Making good on a promise
Last year, Nintendo took a lot of heat for failing to include a same-sex marriage option in their The Sims-esque RPG Tomodachi Life.
Following significant fan outcry, Nintendo released a statement in which they promised that, while the existing game could not be altered, they would add the option in future Tomodachi Life games.
“We apologize for disappointing many people by failing to include same-sex relationships in Tomodachi Life. […] At Nintendo, dedication has always meant going beyond the games to promote a sense of community, and to share a spirit of fun and joy,” the statement read.
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Clearly, the company realized that they had other games that might benefit from this important addition.
This is also a smart move for Nintendo, which has previously been the subject of some prodding by the always astute late night host John Oliver.
In a Last Week Tonight clip from 2014, Oliver used its most popular video game characters to illustrate a point about same-sex marriage:
It’s about time for Nintendo to embrace its community and find ways to make sure everyone feels included and represented. We can only hope this becomes the norm, not the exception.