Nintendo has apologised for not allowing gay characters to marry in its life simulator 'Tomodachi Life'.
Earlier this week the Japanese gaming giant was criticised for prohibiting gay players of its intentionally zany life sim from marrying each other in the game - as male and female partners are able to do
But now Nintendo has apologised, saying that while it cannot update the game this close to release it will work harder to create more inclusive games in the future.
NIntendo said in its statement:
"We apologize for disappointing many people by failing to include same-sex relationships in Tomodachi Life.
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.
We are committed to advancing our longtime company values of fun and entertainment for everyone. We pledge that if we create a next instalment 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."
The decision inspired a campaign to bring same-sex relationships to the game, an effort led by Tye Marini from Arizona. In a video urging NIntendo to reconsider, he said:
"I want to be able to marry my real-life fiancé's Mii, but I can't do that," Marini said in a video (above). "My only options are to marry some female Mii, to change the gender of either my Mii or my fiancé's Mii or to completely avoid marriage altogether and miss out on the exclusive content that comes with it."
The campaign has since been covered on various blogs and gaming sites, and has quickly picked up support. At least one petition has reached more than 3,400 signatures calling for the game to be modified.
Nintendo of America added that the decision was mainly due to practical considerations. Gay marriage is not legal in Japan, nor in many other countries or American states. The original game was not coded to allow those relationships, Nintendo said, and it will not be editing the code for other regions.
Nintendo recently announced another disappointing set of yearly financial results, including falling sales of its Wii U living room console.