LISA: Definitive Edition publisher Serenity Forge has announced the PS5, PS4 versions releasing today have undergone some content changes in order to comply with Sony's rules and restrictions. Most notably, a significant change that has affected all versions — including Xbox and Nintendo Switch editions — has been made in two scenes that were deemed racist. On top of that, Sony has asked for more changes to be made to content elsewhere in order for the game to release on PS5, PS4.
The Salvation Ranger introduction scene and a flashback involving Junior were considered racist in the original version, and both have now "had small alterations made to them". The Colorado, USA-based developer Dingaling Productions said: "Whether or not to make these changes was not easy to decide, but ultimately it became an exciting prospect to alter some content in a small way in hopes that it welcomes and includes more players."
This change applies to all versions of the Definitive Edition, but Sony has gone one step further with its demands. This version bundles in a sequel called LISA: The Joyful, where you play a 12-year-old version of the protagonist. To reflect this, the PS5, PS4 versions have altered the naming of some items. Cigarettes have become "cigarette candy", Joy isn't called "pills" anymore, and alcohol has become "soda". Dingaling Productions added: "Basically, the changes are not a big deal. We just wanted to make everyone aware of it in advance, because we know that LISA fans will notice it as a difference from the original games."
A blog post from the developer goes on to explain how important it was to preserve the original content of the game, but the changes made now better express the "main themes and values" of the game. "The stories, jokes, and characters of LISA are never meant to attack or denigrate who someone is as a person. Instead, they are meant to motivate reflection. And although the game features dark characters, it doesn't want to wallow in this notion. Quite the opposite. Even when the world feels like it's completely lost and you are all alone in this mess, you still have to take care of yourself."
LISA: Definitive Edition is available now on PS5, PS4 for £19.99 / $24.99. How do you react to this news? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
[source serenityforge.com]
Comments 40
Disappointing. Removing things in a re-release is fair game so long as the original is still playable. So the potentially offensive racial changes are fine with me.
That said, why Sony needs to insist on changes that even Nintendo don't is utterly beyond me.
Tricky one. I do understand Sony's perspective based on the things described here, but I'd always err towards preserving the original creative vision.
Never heard of this but somewhat intrigued.
Looks like i won't be getting this on PS5 if i ever do decide to get it.
This reminds me of How I met your mother, when they get high on huge sandwiches.
Wow, I hate this. You better be sure that Sony isn't going to change cigarettes from Metal Gear Solid in a couple of months to cigarette candy. This is a bad sign of things to come for smaller developers. Sony should not be doing this. Censorship is bad
I havent played it so not sure how extreme the content is (I've heard it a depressing play so im intrigued), but rating wise, if a game is an 18/M rating, surely you can have cigarettes in it?
If the game is rated 18 then I don't believe it should be censored. If they are aiming for this to be sold to 12 year olds then I understand changing these elements. Adults should be able to decide for themselves what content they choose to "consume"
@StrawberryTurtle No, but I was once a 12 year old using cigarettes in a game. You realize these are fictional characters, right?
@Mio_Nakashima @StrawberryTurtle Game didn't have any trouble selling itself or getting fans almost a decade ago on PC after being made by only one person... It's widely regarded as a great game akin to Undertale in the RPG community, and just because you haven't heard of it doesn't mean it isn't. A quick Google search is all it takes.
@KaijuKaiser No, nothing like that. There's a lot of subject matter that's very mature though dealing with every conceivable kind of abuse from substance to SA. I don't really remember the two racist parts too well...partly because the world is so bleak that things like that don't even really stand out.
If this game is getting hit with the censorship stick, I don't even want to see a future where Fear and Hunger, and Fear and Hunger: Termina get console releases lol
LISA Not-So-Definitive Edition, only on PlayStation.
I already completed this (really cool) game on Steam years ago so I don't care personally, but this is pathetic.
Corporations love censorship. Sony's is extra troubling since it feels random.
@LordAinsley Exactly, with all the things you are allowed to do with that rating, drug and alcohol usage is pretty tame. Guess I'll just buy the game on PC.
@Mio_Nakashima Skill issue. You literally only need to type in "Lisa game" to get pages and pages of results from store pages to community pages about both games. Lisa: the Painful and Lisa: The Joyful, the first is 20 dollars and the second is 10.
So you may want to work on your Google skills buddy.
The game is an absolute classic, seriously brilliant and subversive. Not a game I’d expect to play on a console though, was always going to be censored.
@Mio_Nakashima Like I said before. Skill issue. Have a nice day.
@nessisonett If you liked this game you might like the Fear and Hunger games. They are probably the cruelest, most brutal games I've ever played and I loved every second of it. Can't recommend those two games enough.
If you like subversive genre bending games like Lisa, then I'm sure F&R is up your alley.
@Constable_What I’ve heard real good things about F&H so it’s definitely something I need to get round to.
Ellie, another underage protagonist from a Sony production, broke bones and blew brains left and right in TLOU1 and used all sorts of weapons and guns to do so, And it made sense to be fighting with actual weapons instead of nerf guns and bats because of the post apocaliptic setting. But, oh boy, to Sony a sprite consuming pixelated cigarretes and beer from a command menu would be too much for the userbase these type of games are made for :/
Well, I guess it’s good to know Sony aren’t only puritanical concerning adult sexualised content, but also drugs and alcohol.
Not going to comment on the supposed racist content as I know nothing about it, but at least there there is reason for them to look more closely.
@LordAinsley
No, of course not. It doesn’t matter what age the player is, it’s all about the fictional people depicted. What about their health?! What about their feelings?! Non-people are people too!
@Shions_Glasses
It feels random as they made the policy decision not to advertise their policies, nor tell devs. This was a problem in Japan especially, as many smaller devs with any type of sexualised content had to mutilate their games in the fear of not getting allowed to release. It’s a costly process to keep trying to get approval from Sony.
If I can buy a non censored version elsewhere, then that’s where I’m buying it. They did the same recently with Martha is Dead.
Poor baby Sony once again can't handle the same grown-up themes as Microsoft and Nintendo, apparently.
So a game like last of us 2 gets a pass but they wanna censor cigarettes and alcohol? Lolmao
Sony/PlayStation needs to quit this crap. Abby caving Joel's skull in with a golf club is ok but drugs and alcohol crosses the line?
Sony rules are so ass backwards and dumb. They allow you to go around and slap people with a dildo and do drugs in Saints Row but want to cut content deemed "unfit" for other games.
@Mio_Nakashima Seemed like a reading issue since you thought $25 was $50 somehow. Perhaps you should put more effort into that next time you start criticizing something just because you don't know about it
@get2sammyb
With the tech available today, it'd be nice to give people options. We can turn off blood or battle damage in certain games, I get this is a smaller studio but surely there has to be a way to make this happen that wouldn't break the bank.
@Gamer83
You’d think. Unfortunately Sony don’t care about giving options, they care about pandering to the terminally offended self important mobs and avoiding the bad PR they can inflict.
This is messed up, I can't play games without racism in.
@StrawberryTurtle Agree with kids smoking or not it is a reality, censoring it in a video game doesn't change that. Unless the game is rated lower than T for teen there is zero reason for this other than coddling, which weakens people, not strengthen.
@Mio_Nakashima @StrawberryTurtle "I've never heard of this game before so that must mean it's BAIT!!!!"
"Definitive Edition"
Play the originals on PC 👍
@HotGoomba @Constable_What Yeah it's a little embarrassing seeing people defend Sony's policy by putting down well received games like this.
You don't see Sony doing this with the big publishers either, it's basically bullying smaller teams. Or their own studios. I'm sure if Neil wanted to put a depiction of underage alcohol or cigarette consumption in TLOU Part 3, or any other taboo subject matter, he'd get it.
This is just ridiculous. Absolute insanity. Also right as a game is parading bear sex. Definitely a double standard going on here.
What a joke. Mind as well change the rated M for mature to a rated T for teens. Is unbelievable how PlayStation is acting like the Nintendo from the old days, smh
The game is rated M right? I feel the changes are unnecessary.
@thefourfoldroot1
This person has it right. Sony has become so concerned with their image, all they care about is making sure they look "good" and "inclusive". They don't want to risk someone getting offended over the game, but they end up looking childish for forcing censorship on developers. Censorship should never be necessary. There will always be something that someone doesn't like or agree with, but luckily you're never forced to buy or play any game. That is how it should be, developers making the games that they want, and the consumers choosing to support the games they want. It's so sad that it's 2023 and people still think censorship makes sense.
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