First they came for GTA V and you did not speak out because you're not Australian. Then they came for Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 and you did nothing because the game looked bad. Then they came for a game you wanted...

Wait, let me back up a bit.







It was this time last year the controversy over The Interview began. You know what happened. Sony was hacked by 'North Korea' because its upcoming film, which made fun of Kim Jong Un, was coming out.



The decision to pull the film from theaters citing security concerns was met with wide-spread criticism by people of all political stripes and multiple media outlets. It was all anyone could talk about for about two weeks straight.



Eventually, the movie was released in a VOD format and many were happy.



The movie, however, wasn't that great. It didn't even look that good in trailers. Yet people got to watch it and that was that.



Yet why was the support for The Interview so universal? Could it be that the antagonists, the censors, weren't scary? North Korea wasn't going to dox you and harass you. They weren't going to post your phone number, call your work and get you fired. North Korea was funny. North Korea isn't your Facebook friend.







Enter Dead or Alive Xtreme 3



Previously, a Facebook admin for Koei Tecmo replied to a question of whether or not DOA X3 would get a Western release. The employee said it wouldn't due to the fear of a feminist backlash.





Now, an official statement released by Koei Tecmo on Dead or Alive X3 and a western release has confirmed that the backlash by pro-censorship feminazis is to blame.



Here's the official statement tweeted by the company's account:









While it would seem like they're differing themselves from the post made by an employee on the company's Facebook page, one part of the statement negates this.



“We remain focused on delivering the best in fighting entertainment to our fans around the world, while consciously respecting and strategizing to support the different global audiences the Dead or Alive franchise lends itself to.”



So, the fact that western audiences are different is the reason why the game won't get a western release? What about the fact that the first two DOA X games received North American releases?



Japan is no stranger to deliberately not releasing games to the west. Remember Super Mario Bros 2? The original game was not released in North America because it was thought to be 'too difficult'.



And while I concede that Japan is much more liberal with its depictions of sex (I would know, I've been there), DOA X does not cross the line the way certain anime and hentai do in Japan.



However, we live in a society where websites like Polygon give video games such as Bayonetta lower scores than they deserve because the character is too sexy. This results in lower overall grades which can effect how much developers get in bonuses.



Lets not kid ourselves. If DOA X3 was released in the west there would be a feminist firestorm and thousands of petitions and Anita Sarkeesian would make yet another mindbogglingly bad video.



We live in a society where Target Australia pulled GTA V from store shelves after an uninformed feminist started a petition citing things about the game that weren't even true.





Here's the thing: unlike GTA, the Dead or Alive Xtreme series isn't that great. The gimmick of women in bikinis playing volleyball gets old very quickly. But that doesn't change the fact the latest version isn't coming to the west due to fears of poor sales.



This game isn't even getting a digital release, which would put aside mostly all the potential sales problems.



This is what happens when the fear of backlash is greater than the will to do what's right.



This is what happens when “games journalists” threaten a company for not giving into the SJW nonsense.



After company Play-Asia said they will offer imports of the game, former IGN and Gamespot employees threatened them.



“I know many people with industry connections to @playasia who will be re-assessing and examining their contracts/agreements shortly,” tweeted former IGN writer Carolyn McDowell.



Former Gamespot writer, Kevin Vonord, said “And so @playasia ensures I'll never buy anything from them again.”



All this in response the original tweet by Play-Asia: “#DOAX3 will not be coming to the US due to #SJW nonsense. However, we will have the English Asia version available.”



GamerGate has been accused by the mainstream media (such as the state broadcaster/CBC) as being a hate group. Yet the movement's mission has been simple: expose corruption in games journalism and stop the SJW narrative infecting the industry.



And with this story, it's proof that GamerGate exists for a reason. That their fears are real.



In 2013, Jim Sterling said that uber feminist (and so-called video game critic) Anita Sarkeesian wasn't going to 'take your games away'.



Well guess what, two years later and she doesn't have to. Because the companies are doing it to us themselves.



DOA X3 doesn't look like an amazing game. Hell, it doesn't even look fun. But it's the victim of a society so enriched with censorship that actions must be taken.



We've seen games like GTA pulled from stores due to BS complaints. What will it take for the mainstream media and games journalists to wake up? To realize that in some ways, GamerGate was right.



It will take a game such as Elder Scrolls or Half-Life being pulled for the mainstream media to join the fight. But by the time that happens (if it even does) it may be too late. The industry will be changed and not for the better.



What's the solution?





What we can do is support companies like Play-Asia. Purchase imports of DOA X3. Flood the west and demand that at the very least the game is released for purchase digitally.



There should be no excuses. This isn't about gamers and censorship. This involves everyone.



This is a culture war on all fronts. And we're losing.