Okay this makes me want to add a “WTF” tag. Dead or Alive is a fighting game series well-known for having some very impressive females, with a huge amount of outfits ranging from typical ninja outfits, to Japanese schoolgirl uniforms, and a very impractical swimsuit that leaves little to the imagination. Fetish fuel everywhere. And it’s too hot for Sweden.
Japan’s liberal attitude on sex however is incompatible with Sweden’s laws. Sweden has some very tough laws regarding pornographic or suggestive material involving anyone who is under the age of 18. Even if the minor depicted doesn’t exist, even if said fictional minor would very easily pass as an adult if their age was completely ambiguous. As a result, Bergsala, the distributor for Nintendo games in the Scandinavia region got a legal threat that they would be charged under the laws if Dead or Alive Dimensions was released.
The issue with the game is the Showcase mode, which allows you to take pictures of the many girls in the game in whatever outfits you desire. With Dead or Alive being a fighting game with a side of ecchi, the end results are obvious. Normally this would be handwaved as someone being a pervert for having 90 pictures of Ayane from countless angles, but the real issue is that three of the characters, namely Kasumi, Kokoro, and Ayane, are underage. Not to where it’s outright pedophilia however, with Kasumi and Kokoro being 17 and Ayane being 16. Regardless of that they are considered minors under the law.
Even though the game can hardly be considered pornography, Bergsala elected to not publish the game in Sweden to avoid any massive controversies.
This wasn’t a move to prevent the game from being sold however, but it was to have stronger enforcement of Sweden’s child pornography laws. Such laws are under debate for being far too strict following the arrest of a manga translator who was arrested for having illustrations of minors which were considered pornographic, resulting in a fine equal to roughly $3000.
I think someone is just acting completely butthurt for no good reason, it wouldn’t be hard to release the game without the Showcase feature and to omit or edit the more scandalous outfits. Regardless of its massive amounts of fanservice, Dead or Alive is a solid fighting game series.
