DmC and the Benefit of the Doubt.

As some of you may know, DmC: Devil May Cry: Definitive Edition is being released shortly. Now, there's one documented edit being made, as Eddie Makuch sensationalizes here.

Now, at first glance, it does seem like Ninja Theory and Capcom are kowtowing to SJW meddling.

During a early cut-scene, main antagonist Mundus is outlining his nefarious plans with his demon mistress Lilith. In the original game, the scene plays out like this.

Mundus:"Soon I will own everything worth owning. I will control the world through debt. I have absolute power."

Lilith:"The world is at last your bitch. As am I. Nothing left but to grab it by the hair, bend it over over, and f..."

The Definitive Edition version, however, keeps Mundus' line intact, but shortens Lilith's to chop off the suggestive bit.

Mundus:"Soon I will own everything worth owning. I will control the world through debt. I have absolute power."

Lilith:"The world is at last your bitch."

Seems pretty damning, doesn't it? However, there's more to the story, as we see by reading more of the article.

DMC: Devil May Cry also contains an implied sex scene between Mundus and Lilith, which remains intact in the Definitive Edition. The alteration of the cut-scene was first discovered by Eurogamer.

In a statement to GameSpot, Nijna Theory creative director Tameem Antoniades the decision to alter the dialogue between Mundus and Lilith.

"We did make an edit to the opening cut scene. It wasn't a case of censorship as there are far more suggestive scenes in the game," he said.

"We felt that scene in particular drags on a little bit for the opening sequence and frankly, we didn't like the line. Those few seconds were irrelevant to the scene and is covered effectively in a later scene where Mundus is metaphorically shafting world leaders."

Now, consider the lines I've put in bold for a moment. While I would have had Lilith's line cut off after "... As am I," it seems as though Ninja Theory is less concerned with censorship and more concerned with improving the narrative. I certainly appreciate that. That line is completely useless in the context of the opening, and only serves as padding in an already stupidly long opening. Now, if other, more suggestive content is kept in the game, then we can let Ninja Theory off the hook. At worst, this is just them trying to make the game a smoother experience for newer users, which is fine, although as George Lucas will attest, that can earn a different type of ire... I'm getting ahead of myself.

Basically, smoothing out a single line doesn't necessarily mean that Ninja Theory and Capcom are in cahoots with Anita Sarkeesian, Zoe Quin and Brianna Wu, especially if Lilith remains dressed the way she is in that scene. See, while gamers are understandably paranoid about SJW meddling - and who wouldn't be when Giant Bomb, the former gold standard for integrity, marches in lock-step with Sarkeesian and co? - the fact remains that developers and publishers need to be given the benefit of the doubt. If other suggestive content is conspicuously cut, then we can tar and feather Ninja Theory. If Street Fighter V comes out and Cammy is covered up head-to-toe without so much as an ankle showing, then we can rail against Capcom (at least for submitting to SJWs, Capcom has other sins...).

Basically, what I'm saying is that, in the war against the enemy, we must hold onto the integrity that differentiates ourselves from them. We must not rush to conclusions, or paint with a broad brush, or we become no different. Let's see what the final version is like before we get the pitchforks out, yeah?

I don't know. I find it odd to be removing anything in a "definitive" edition. And the part removed was, what, two seconds of dialogue? If the scene was already dragging on for so long, what good would it have done to clip that last bit. Did the removal of the line really help with the flow of that scene?

I also find it odd that if they are appealing to Sarkeesian and Co. by removing that line, they aren't also doing more to make the game less sexist, such as covering up Lilith and removing the sex scene altogether.

So, I honestly don't know what to think. We have an edit of a line that's only a couple seconds long in a game that came out in 2013. If they didn't like the line back then, why didn't they remove it then? What happened over the course of two years that caused them to change their minds and say, "Okay, a couple seconds of dialogue has to go."

Yeah I don't think that this is really anything more then a simple edit although it's hard to see how this bit of dialog makes any difference either way. I'm movies do things like this all the time so if they found the dialog redundant and wanted to cut it then so be it, that's kind of part of their job anyway.

man that is some quality dialogue

No need..... the 7th Gen edition is great.... its only going to get better....

See, I don't think they're appealing to - or even care about - the SJWs. This strikes me as something more of a George Lucas-type impulse to perfect something that was fine to begin with. Compared with other re-releases that were ported by other companies, and I wonder if it's just a bad thing to give the creators of something control over a re-release. I understand the impulse, of course, but as we've seen with the numerous Star Wars re-releases (NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!), that might harm the work in question if done enough times.

That change seems odd, developers pussying out irks me, but w/e game is still good

See, I honestly don't think this is what's going on here. Consider this, from the ESRB's rating of DmC: Definitive Edition. I've put the most relevant part in bold, but I think it's easy to see that this game isn't being toned down for the SJWs.

The game includes some sexual material: scantily clad strippers dancing/gyrating provocatively; a woman moving her head toward Dante's lap (fellatio is implied). During one cutscene, moaning sounds can be heard while a female character is bent over a table—a man is positioned behind her, though there is no actual depiction of the sex act. A handful of still images (i.e., concept art) portray women with exposed breasts and/or buttocks. The phrase “crack whore,” and words such as “f**k,” “sh*t,” and “c*nt” can be heard in the dialogue.

I love to having a little bit of sexism in my games, and the funny thing is the feminists who cry about sexism in games are not the core audience who buy these games so why does anybody care what they think is beyond me.

I would have expected from the OP that the GS article was accusatory but it seems completely fact-based to me. Idk why anyone would think this has anything to do with the 3 women mentioned. Ninja Theory has the right to edit their game however they see fit with a re-release. You know how something like this happens. The devs were reviewing the game and one of them says something like 'that line seems kinda out of place.' The others agree and so they remove it. It's not so big conspiracy.

I'll buy this shit when it comes down in price.