This isn't really Sexual Content, right?

[Lordofriva]

Just saying, it's a bit annoying that all games that have anime characters automatically are flagged with "sexual content"

Can it be confirmed that there is no actual sexual content in this game (same for nudity, before that one pops up). Nudity pertains to visible genitalia and secondary sexual characterisics eg. Fully naked breast with visible nipples et all. This shouldn't be used on skirts or bikinis or similar attire.

This is a problem pertaining to all anime style games and it is bothering me massively, not only isn't every short skirt sexual attire (imagine telling that a person in RL) but also we are making it harder to inform others about games that have actual Adult content.

There is a reason why we should definitely stop this from happening where it isn't applicable. Not only does this make the tags less helpful, it may lead to less sales for games that aren't sexual in nature.

This remains true if I err in this case, it would be nice of everyone if you could report a wrong tag if you see it.

Thanks.


EDIT: After a message to steam support, basically stating the general issue the following conversation occured:

Answer from steam support:

Hey there,

Thanks for your comments - we value feedback about the game tagging. Please keep in mind that the Steam Community and Developer are responsible for the tags. Either way, I'm forwarding your comments to the appropriate department.

Additionally, if you wish to share an opinion, suggestion, or idea with the community as well, please visit the Suggestions/Ideas section of the Steam Discussion forums.

This forum is regularly read by Valve's development team.

Best Regards,

(steam support agent)


My answer:

Hello (steam support agent),

thank you for your answer.

First of all I want to state that i've worked in support myself long enough to understand how this works, meaning while I will try to reiterate my point directly (there is a also a bit of a language barrier) I just want to assure you that any statement made is not intended to disrespect any employee at valve or valve itself.

You answered that valve values feedback and suggestions, while I hope that this is the case we all know how hard it is to have clear consentual feedback on something especially when it comes to things sexual in nature.

What I did however wasn't to suggest something or to give feedback, I reported an abuse of a system that directly influences sales on a product due to how steam handles the exclusion of material that is sexual or violent in nature per default options.

There are three aspects to this in my favor regarding this:

1. There is a Report function on the tags itself, which means that valve is interested in reported abuse of the system and seems to be aware that it can be misused in certain circumstances. What those are can no one say as the guidelines aren't really clear on that.

2. Valve has acted before on a System that is solely based on developer and user responsibility. In this case the User reviews, were steam, again per default, now treats reviews leaning heavily on the negative side on controversial games based on the fact if the factors pertaining to the reviews is external or not.

Therefore it is irrelevant that it is a system only the steam community or developers can influence.

3. I want to reiterate the statements I made in my first post regarding the fact that this is abuse of a system:

If the Developers are responsible to tag a game without nudity or sexual content with these tags to make the product more attractive to those seeking for mature/adult content than this is misleading at best, false advertising at worst and I would think that valve would agree that the tags should be used to help user find products they actually want, not that they are used for advertisement purposes.

If it's based on community feedback you let a certain group of people decide that a game, without adult content be flagged as such so that the game will be excluded for potential customers just because they feel that there is a morally correct reason to do so. The issue with this, especially in regards to sexual content, is that by excluding things like this on a basis like this the smaller portion of the customer base who is actually interested in a Product like this, again a product accepted by valve, are unable to view the content desired , if they exclude sexual content because they actually do not want, or are not old enough, to consume that or that they have to accept seeing adult content just so they can see the content they enjoy whcih isn't adult in nature at all.

How hideous this is becomes clear if you turn it around, let's assume that a majority of people would tag any game that includes mentions of homosexuality, even if this is just pertains to a couple that is mentioned without any sexual interaction at all as "sexual content" which excludes it from a lot of peoples storefront we all realise how discriminatory that is.

Another example, if the community tags every game mentioning the Islamic religion in a positive light with the sexual content tag so that it is excluded and blurred for many it becomes easily perceivable how this system can be abused and is abused as the game mentioned in this post has no "sexual content" or "nudity" in it, just like the example with the religion.

To consider this ticket to be answered I would need a clear answer on what valve intends to do with this report, that includes ignoring it, it may simply not worth it for a company I understand that.

So please tell me who the "appropriate department" is, if I can contact them for details or an answer and how long it will take to get an answer.

Thank you again for your time,

Best Regards,

Riva

[Firehawk]

Kids can watch hardcore porn on the internet at the age where previous generations were still playing physical board games before. Citing that kids need this kind of safety is hypocritical and ignorant, not to mention counterproductive because a lot of games or other media needlessly fall victim to the fallout as collateral damage. The more publishers pull this crap, the less credible tagging systems become.

[Zaign]

Originally posted by ꧁Renfrew꧂:

@Lordofriva

In fact when it comes to the mobile game if you compare the Chinese version to the English Version and then the Japanese Version, you'll find that the Chinese and English Version have to be censored when it comes to specific skins and loading screens.

Just quoting this bit - incredibly rare that English actually does get censored skins. Most censors we get are usually global ones, where something gets changed for everyone. CN however does get changed for just about anything.

Honestly we've had more "censored" loading screens than anything, and those screens were garbage anyway so i honestly didn't care.

[_Gustavo]

Unfortunately there's nothing really sexual in the game, just the same old Compa/Iffy Fanservice, don't know why people still care about those tags, most of them are totally inaccurate af....

[🎌The Last Spirit🎌]

I bet if you go beach you say sexual content everywere no lolz

[Lordofriva]

Originally posted by _Gustavo:

Unfortunately there's nothing really sexual in the game, just the same old Compa/Iffy Fanservice, don't know why people still care about those tags, most of them are totally inaccurate af....

Well, for one a lot of users can not see products with sexual content or they are at least greyed out.

I also do not agree that tags are that useless in general but at least tags that directly influence sales (or from a customers perspective, the community) should not be applied if inappropriate.

[D's Journal]

if they have tits, it's sexual lmao

[Zaign]

Originally posted by _Gustavo:

Unfortunately there's nothing really sexual in the game, just the same old Compa/Iffy Fanservice, don't know why people still care about those tags, most of them are totally inaccurate af....

Inaccurate or no, I think its mostly "safety" reasons. In crosswave, you can use Photo mode to look under their skirts or just get a shot of their chest alone or whatever you're into. Most likely why its tagged here along with jokes of that nature, probably.

Anyone who has basic knowledge of the game understands what they're getting into, but parents who monitor their kids probably want to know what they're getting first. This specific use of the tag is who thats aimed at, I believe. (Kids are gonna be kids anyway though.)

[Neoyoshi]

Good thing we have a ESRB rating to fall back on, right..... right??

[Zaign]

Man if only it was that good. (Quick edit: I'm surprised the ESRB rating only says suggestive themes in relation to this. Thats kinda funny.)

[Lordofriva]

Originally posted by D's Journal:

if they have tits, it's sexual lmao

Thats seemingly how it's interpreted. Exactly why it is worriesome.

Originally posted by Zaign:

Originally posted by _Gustavo:

Unfortunately there's nothing really sexual in the game, just the same old Compa/Iffy Fanservice, don't know why people still care about those tags, most of them are totally inaccurate af....

Inaccurate or no, I think its mostly "safety" reasons.

I do get that it is for "safety" reasons, but that doesn't mean it's fairly or informatively applied. IF we thought that "short skirts" are sexual a lot of titles would need to be seen as products with "sexual content" ... like pokemon. In X/Y you can even take pictures.

To make a long story short, to describe this as an easy decision is simply wrong, there is a gigantic difference between something being suggestive and sexual and there is a also a mile of difference between nudity and swimwear or any kind of cleavage.

[Astasia]

If it's anything like the mobile game and other CH games, the sexual content tag is valid. The content in this case being dialog, "touching," and very sexual (not pornographic) art. I've played a lot of Azur Lane, one of my characters essentially has a "climax" (forum censors the other word apparently) every time you tap on her. Many of them have lines that are extremely suggestive. Many of the load screens feature naked characters with just some object in the foreground or a piece of loose cloth barely covering the bits (lots of bath scenes), one of more recent screens had a bunch of nearly naked characters in dominatrix outfits with zipper crotches (this was removed after a few people complained, then there was a lot of community backlash and Yostar apologized for removing it).

CH games in general also usually have most of that, they are a highly fan service oriented developer, their games are often as close to eroge they can possible get and still be placed on store shelves for major consoles. Many of them have you fondle naked characters partially obscured by soap bubbles or steam while they moan. If it has the CH tag it's going to be sexual, that is their normal, and they wouldn't be the least bit concerned about seeing that tag on their games. One of the first CH games to come out in the west had a collectors edition that included a mousepad with soft foam breasts to rest your wrist on. I still have that nearby. Great company.

[Tiasmoon]

Originally posted by Lordofriva:

Just saying, it's a bit annoying that all games that have anime characters automatically are flagged with "sexual content"

I imagine its some malicious people going around doing that. Altho judging from some comments there are also people who genuinely dont understand the meaning of those words.

[Zaign]

Originally posted by Lordofriva:

I do get that it is for "safety" reasons, but that doesn't mean it's fairly or informatively applied. IF we thought that "short skirts" are sexual a lot of titles would need to be seen as products with "sexual content" ... like pokemon. In X/Y you can even take pictures.

To make a long story short, to describe this as an easy decision is simply wrong, there is a gigantic difference between something being suggestive and sexual and there is a also a mile of difference between nudity and swimwear or any kind of cleavage.

Its less their "short skirts" and more you can see their undies. You're not wrong about this though. But we can sit and go back and forth about this day and night but it wont make a difference. They won't remove it. :<

[Astasia]

Originally posted by Lordofriva:

there is a gigantic difference between something being suggestive and sexual

I think I see the confusion. There isn't actually. There is no tag on Steam for "suggestive content" because that's covered by the "sexual content" tag. Sexy is short for sexual in case you've forgotten, it's a pretty vague term, it's not limited to porn.

[Lordofriva]

Originally posted by Astasia:

Originally posted by Lordofriva:

there is a gigantic difference between something being suggestive and sexual

I think I see the confusion. There isn't actually. There is no tag on Steam for "suggestive content" because that's covered by the "sexual content" tag. Sexy is short for sexual in case you've forgotten, it's a pretty vague term, it's not limited to porn.

there isn't really any confusion here.

I would be happy to see a "suggestive themes" tag for a game like this as this would serve it's purpose well.

As most people stated correctly, this here isn't pornographic and "suggestive themes" should not make this title and adult only product.

This also includes that I would happily allow my son if he were already a sexually interested teenager to buy and play this product without any qualms.

While I do understand that some think pointing this out is pointless and ineffectual i would still kindly suggest that reporting the tag costs way less time than posting here, both is naturally appreciated ;)

as i said on the first page i actually send a ticket to the steam support asking about clarification on the steam guidelines pertaining "sexual content" and the informative value of these tags, I'm still waiting for a response though.