The upcoming "Sims 4" has been giving an 18+ rating from the Russian Federation prohibiting the sale for children, claiming the game promotes homosexuality in accordance to a controversial law.
Law number 436-FZ passed in 2012 "seemingly criminalizes" leading a homosexual lifestyle and promotes violence towards homosexuals, ArsTechinca reports. The official "Sims" Russia Twitter account explained the rating to their followers.
"18+ [rating] has been assigned in accordance with the law number 436-FZ 'On the protection of children from information harmful to their health and development,'" "Sims" Russia tweeted, according Ars Technica.
The "Sims 4" controversy isn't the only one affecting the LGBT community. Nintendo's "Tomodachi Life" recently made headlines after it was revealed there are no same-sex relationship options within the game. LGBT advocacy group GLAAD responded to "Tomodachi Life" in a statement to GamesBeat.
@TheSimsInRussia 18 был присвоен в соответствии с законом № 436-ФЗ "О защите детей от информации, причиняющей вред их здоровью и развитию".
— The Sims Russia (@thesimsrussia) May 5, 2014
"In purposefully limiting players' relationship options, Nintendo is not only sending a hurtful message to many of its fans and consumers by excluding them, but also setting itself way behind the times," GLAAD national spokesperson Wilson Cruz told GamesBeat. "It's been over a decade since The Sims - the original 'whimsical and quirky' life simulator - allowed its users to marry any character they wanted, and many other mainstream and massively popular video games have followed their lead since. Nintendo should do the same."
Nintendo claims they never intended to create a game that caused any social commentary, but they could not change the relationship options.
"We apologize for disappointing many people by failing to include same-sex relationships in Tomodachi Life," Nintendo said in a statement. "Unfortunately, it is not possible for us to change this game's design, and such a significant development change can't be accomplished with a post-ship patch.
"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," Nintendo continued. "We are committed to advancing our longtime company values of fun and entertainment for everyone. We pledge that if we create a next installment in the Tomodachi series, we will strive to design a game-play experience from the ground up that is more inclusive, and better represents all players."
