Nintendo apologizes for Tomodachi Life's lack of same-sex relationships

Tomodachi Life, an upcoming 3DS game that places the Miis of a player and their acquaintances in various scenarios, has drawn criticism from fans over its lack of support for same-sex relationships. Nintendo of America recently explained that the company "never intended to make any form of social commentary" with Tomodachi Life, but the bungling response only upset people further. With fans amassing awareness for the issue through the Miiquality hashtag, Nintendo has now issued an apology for "disappointing many people by failing to include same-sex relationships."

"Unfortunately, it is not possible for us to change this game's design, and such a significant development change can't be accomplished with a post-ship patch," the statement continues. "We are committed to advancing our longtime company values of fun and entertainment for everyone. We pledge that if we create a next installment in the Tomodachi series, we will strive to design a game-play experience from the ground up that is more inclusive, and better represents all players."

It's nice of Nintendo of America to play damage control, but since the response is from the company's American division, we wonder if the strive to be more inclusive would only be evident in Western versions of the next game. Of course, that's assuming that another Tomodachi game will be made in the first place.