Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 not coming to America over fears of sexism backlash

Earlier this year Team Ninja, the developers behind the Dead or Alive stood firm in their voluptuous maidens saying their character designs were here to stay. At the time they took care to be conscious of the "objectification of women in entertainment, misogyny, all of it."

While being aware of the situation, they decided to hold fast to their designs."We obviously pay a great deal of attention to blogs and user feedback, but at the same time, we have to hold our own and say 'Hey guys, at the end of the day, this was our thing,'" said Team Ninja in February. "We have to have some integrity behind what we set out to do."

If you're unfamiliar with the series, the female characters tend to be scantily clad and rather… jiggly in specific places. Team Ninja and their publisher Koei Tecmo know exactly how the game is and why people purchase it — you can tell by glancing at their Collector's Editions. They aren't ashamed of what they have to offer.

Unfortunately, it doesn't seem as though they could overcome their fears of backlash to Dead or Alive Xtreme 3's content from the West.

Responding to question from a fan on Facebook who inquired on whether the game would make an appearance in the West, a representative for publisher Koei Tecmo wrote: “We do not bring DOAX3 to the west and won't have any plan change in the future. Thank you for asking.”

The developers went on to explain their reasoning behind the decision in a following comment, "Do you know many issues happening in video game industry with regard to how to treat female in video game industry? We do not want to talk those things here. But certainly we have gone through in last year or two to come to our decision. Thank you."

Team Ninja will not be releasing the game in Western territories, but that doesn't mean that the developers aren't making it accessible to the Western audience. The game itself will not be region locked and will release with a full set of English subtitles, anyone who wishes to play the game will simply have to import it to enjoy its splendors on the PS4 and Vita.

My take:

It's extremely disheartening and unfortunate to see a developer feel limited by the culture of a specific few who make their opinions loud by using specific media outlets. Team Ninja and Koei Tecmo should be able to create the game they have been making for years, if someone doesn't like it they can speak with their wallet and not purchase it. The lack of release in the West makes it feel as though things are more repressed than before, which should be the opposite goal of those that are yelling about equality.

Even if DOAX3 is more of a glorified ogling simulator above all else.