Light, the studio behind Dies irae: Amantes amentes, is developing a PlayStation version (PlayStation 4 or PS Vita was not specifically clarified) of its January 2017-released ages 18 and up visual novel Silverio Trinity. Console versions of ages 18 and up titles are generally edited to meet the requirements of platform holders and ratings boards, but recent regulations imposed by Sony Interactive Entertainment have taken a stricter approach to such edits compared to the past. Silverio Trinity is one of several titles to be affected.
The following dialogue comes from the Niconico live stream of a recent event held by Light (transcript via Hachima Kikou):
(Following the announcement of a console version of Silverio Trinity called Silverio Trinity: Beyond the Horizon…)
Moderator: “People have been asking what platform it’s on. Oh, but can we not say?”
Light representative: “The platform? Is it okay to say it?”
Moderator: “Well, I don’t know. Would it be bad to?”
Light representative: “We already said it at the event last week, so maybe it’s fine. We applied to release it with Sony. And we already finished development. A long time ago. But yeah, we applied to Sony and it hasn’t been approved yet.”
[…]
Light representative: “Right now Sony seems to be moving toward disallowing ports of ages 18 and up titles worldwide. And this games is ages 18 and up, so it’s being subjected to a very strict inspection, and we’re getting all these questions. And like ‘Please write everything in English.’ So we’re in the middle of answering those now, and we’re not sure if we’ll get approved or not. It’s terrible, but in any case, development is done.
“So internally it’s complete, but there are things we can’t do without connecting to Sony’s servers, like Trophies. So everyone is like, ‘When will we be able to add Trophies?’
“And we have a guy who is in charge of translating everything into English and sending it to Sony, but it’s like, ‘Don’t you guys understand Japanese?’ At present we’re thinking we can release early next year if it passes Sony’s inspection… And if Sony says no, then I guess we’ll just find somewhere else to put it.”
[…]
Moderator: “So you’re waiting on approval.”
Light representative: “Yeah, waiting for Sony’s approval. If we put it on Steam or wherever, we could be selling it next week. But at the moment we have an agreement with Sony, so… We submitted it with this agreement and yet we’re waiting for approval… Pretty awful, right?”
Other titles that have been affected by these regulations include:
- Omega Labyrinth Z (PS4, PS Vita): Banned from release in North America and Europe by SIE. Before that, it was banned from release in the United Kingdom by the Video Standards Council Rating Board.
- Daitoshokan no Hitsujikai: Library Party: A PlayStation 4 version of this game was never announced. A PS Vita version was released in 2015 and a Switch version in July 2018. The game’s developer, August, is reported as saying the following in a Summer Comiket-distributed booklet: “We want to release a PS4 version, but SIE’s regulations have gotten strict, so we are looking into a counterplan.”
- Senran Kagura Burst Re:Newal (PS4): Western release delayed to remove the game’s “Intimacy Mode,” which has appeared without issue in previous iterations of the series. The mode remains implemented in the PC version.
- Nora to Oujo to Noraneko Heart (PS4) : The PlayStation 4 version conceals various scenes (links NSFW) behind rays of light, including skin, swimwear, and underwear. The Switch version that launched alongside the PlayStation 4 version was released without these regulations. The PS Vita version released in 2017 is also without said edits.
- Sakura Sakura (PS4, Vita): The PlayStation versions of Sakura Sakura trims scenes that contain sexual content (link NSFW) with black borders.
(Editor’s Notes: There has been speculation that Sony’s regulations led to the removal of “breast physics” in the PlayStation 4 version of Warriors Orochi 4—and by extension, the Xbox One and PC versions believed to be ports of the PlayStation 4 version—where they are in tact in the Switch version. However, this is likely a bug caused by said versions’ 60 frames per second frame rate compared to the Switch version’s 30 frames per second.)
And while not confirmed, the PlayStation 4 version of Nekopara Vol. 1 may have also been affected. The PlayStation 4 and Switch versions were planned to launch alongside each other in July, but only the Switch version has been released. After months of silence, the PlayStation 4 version was rescheduled for release on November 2 earlier this week. The differences between the PlayStation 4 and Switch versions remain to be seen. (Update: Developer Neko Works tweeted today that “there are no white rays covering up graphics” in the PlayStation 4 version.)
There are also many upcoming PlayStation 4 and PS Vita titles that are ports of ages 18 and up PC visual novels. Again, console versions are always edited to meet certain requirements that enable its release, but never at the level recent regulations have resulted in. Here are some upcoming titles likely to be affected (all release dates are for Japan):
- Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs: Steam Dungeon for PS4 (not a port) – November 15
- Hana Saki Work Spring! for PS4 – November 22
- Hatsujou Sprinkle for PS4 and PS Vita – November 22
- Haruoto Alice Gram: Snow Drop for PS4 and PS Vita – January 24, 2019
- Sengoku Hime 7: Senun Tsuranuku Guren no Ishi for PS4 – January 24, 2019
- Suki to Suki to de Sankaku Ren’ai for PS4 and PS Vita – January 24, 2019
- Nora to Oujo to Noraneko Heart 2 for PS4 and PS Vita (also coming to Switch) – February 28, 2019
- Song of Unleash for PS4 (not a port, also coming to PC) – Early 2019
- Saku Saku: Love Blooms with the Cherry Blossoms for PS4 – 2019
- Shinsou Noise: Jushin Tantei no Jikenbo for PS4 – 2019
- Karigurashi Renai for PS4 and PS Vita – TBA
- Nekopara Vol. 2 for PS4 (also coming to Switch) – TBA