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Nintendo forced to add content warnings to its Wii Karaoke U app

Nintendo has confirmed it will add content warnings to its Wii Karaoke U app after it became clear that the game does not censor mature lyrics.

The app lets you sing to unedited versions of songs using your favorite Mii avatar. The app has songs of all genres.



Since launch, the app had a notice informing gamers that the songs were not being rated by ratings groups but now Nintendo will issue a new warning even before download that the game has mature content.

"It is however very important to us that all users of Wii Karaoke U by Joysound understand that some lyrics contained within songs may not be suitable for all audiences and as such we will immediately be implementing an additional message within the Nintendo eShop (prior to downloading the application and ticket purchase) as well as on the Wii Karaoke U by Joysound website pages," Nintendo added. "In the near future this message will also be incorporated within the notification that is displayed as the Wii Karaoke U by Joysound application is launched."

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 10 Nov 2013 0:33

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• 20 comments

• bobiroc

  You mean the warning that online songs are NOT rated was not enough of a warning?? So they have to add more warnings that pop up everywhere for the extremely stupid people that cannot read in the first place.
  

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  10.11.2013 00:40 #1

• themind

  I hope you are not a parent.
  

  10.11.2013 01:03 #2

• bobiroc

  Originally posted by themind: I hope you are not a parent. Why?? Because I am intelligent enough to read that the online interactions of a game are not rated therefore knowing that a song with explicit lyrics in the real song would have the same explicit lyrics in a karaoke game? This is in a world that parents buy and allow young kids to play rated M shooter and criminal themed games like Grand Theft Auto without a second thought. Then blame the video games for when those kids act up because of their lack of differentiating the game world from the real world?
  
  No I would be smart enough to know that I should not let my kids sing that song in the first place if I did not approve.
  

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  10.11.2013 01:13 #3

• Bozobub

  Damn well said, bobiroc!

  10.11.2013 01:33 #4

• bobiroc

  Originally posted by Bozobub: Damn well said, bobiroc! Thank you.. I am sick of the world making excuses and blaming companies for being exposed to something and the need to be warned and censored just because people cannot do their research or simply read. If Nintendo blocked out the lyrics they would bitch and complain that Nintendo only did it because they are a kiddy game company.
  
  People need to take responsibility for their own lives. Something offends you then do not be involved with it.
  

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  10.11.2013 01:54 #5

• elbald90

  Originally posted by bobiroc: Originally posted by Bozobub: Damn well said, bobiroc! Thank you.. I am sick of the world making excuses and blaming companies for being exposed to something and the need to be warned and censored just because people cannot do their research or simply read. If Nintendo blocked out the lyrics they would bitch and complain that Nintendo only did it because they are a kiddy game company.
  
  People need to take responsibility for their own lives. Something offends you then do not be involved with it. I couldn't agree more
  
  

  10.11.2013 03:05 #6

• themind

  Its not about being offended. Its about having faith in a company. Bob your the one bitching..... And, what is your reasoning?
  

  10.11.2013 04:07 #7

• Bozobub

  What is the justification for being offended, when you already have been warned of the potential offense, yet you persist? In other words, there's already a warning; the 2nd warning is redundant silliness, only made necessary by those who are too stupid or lazy to realize what the 1st one means.
  
  I'd rather a company have a morsel of faith in me, for once.
  
  I'm incredibly tired of people expecting corporations to be responsible for them, especially if that is obviously NOT in the corporation's bailiwick.
  
  This kind of bullpuckey is a large part of why corporations essentially own us today; we've given all the responsibility to them, and not even for any good reason.

  10.11.2013 04:13 #8

• Mysttic

  I am honestly surprised Nintendo just didn't pull the songs, rather than slap another needless warning.

  10.11.2013 06:53 #9

• baxter00

  Originally posted by Mysttic: I am honestly surprised Nintendo just didn't pull the songs, rather than slap another needless warning. I don't think they pulled songs because that would cause fewer people to buy the game. They are well below in sales of the console. As for the additional warning, I guess it's a means to cover themselves against any type of litigation, should someone "not notice" the first warning.

  10.11.2013 08:41 #10

• Mysttic

  I get why they did the warning, just it wouldn't be the first time Nintendo has pulled something off the market due to profanity.

  10.11.2013 09:03 #11

• bobiroc

  Originally posted by themind: Its not about being offended. Its about having faith in a company. Bob your the one bitching..... And, what is your reasoning? My Reasoning?? First of all the game is made and published by Joysound (a division of Hudson Soft I believe) and not Nintendo.
  
  Second of all I have seen countless people purchase "mature" games for their children to be warned by sales associates and other people to say things like "It's only a video game" and then to see someone complain enough about a swear word in a song that is in a karaoke game is just sad. That is my reasoning. The real song has the same lyrics so would they object to their child or themselves listening to the song in the first place? Probably not. I think it just shows the ignorance of some people.
  

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  10.11.2013 13:55 #12

• themind

  You're grouping two totally different types of people, just to bitch. Also Nintendo has 100% control over what is or what is not aloud on their console.
  

  10.11.2013 14:07 #13

• bobiroc

  Originally posted by themind: You're grouping two totally different types of people, just to bitch. Also Nintendo has 100% control over what is or what is not aloud on their console. I don't think so... I think it is the same type of people. The ones that do not read and/or ignore the labels printed on the game. The game had that information in the eShop that the songs and online interaction was NOT rated in the description. I am not in the UK so I cannot get a screen shot but have seen others get the screen shot so I think it is pretty much the same.
  
  For years Nintendo was criticized for censoring games made by 3rd party and now they are being more lenient and allowing 3rd parties to develop and release the games the way they want and you feel it is about having faith in a company to keep censoring. I do not agree with that at all. It should be up to the players and the parents of the children to research and know what they are are and their children are playing.
  

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  10.11.2013 14:16 #14

• themind

  There is something wrong with you. Are you going to cry to ABC or NBC that the XXX porn you like isn't on there station? If not, don't bitch about Nintendo's policies. Also its a lot easier to do your research when there is a clear warning about said product.
  

  10.11.2013 14:33 #15

• ddp

  play nice or there will be lightning bolts flying around here.
  

  10.11.2013 14:35 #16

• bobiroc

  Originally posted by themind: There is something wrong with you. Are you going to cry to ABC or NBC that the XXX porn you like isn't on there station? If not, don't bitch about Nintendo's policies. Also its a lot easier to do your research when there is a clear warning about said product. That is not even the same thing and for you to imply that I want porn on those channels or like porn at all is insulting.
  
  I will end this debate by saying the warning was clear. Not rated simply means not rated so they can mean anything including having the same lyrics as the original song. Other game vendors use the same type of warnings and do not censor the actions of other players or online content so if someone wants to play an online game and make their character do inappropriate motions with the game character implying sexual acts they cannot control that or the language they use in the chat or voice over.
  
  It is just my opinion that there was a warning on the game in the eShop about content not being rated and that should be enough but since people ignored that they were offended enough to make a big deal and want warnings on any song or multiple warnings to be shown over and over letting them know that content is not rated.
  
  You have a different opinion and that is cool too. I guess it is the simple fact that the song had those lyrics in there originally and you are acting like Nintendo went in an added the lyrics into make the songs with swear words.
  

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  10.11.2013 14:48 #17

• ddp

  what did i say!!!!
  

  10.11.2013 15:00 #18

• bobiroc

  Originally posted by ddp: what did i say!!!! I am playing nice.. I did not call any names or insult.. Granted this is a little heated but if I did anything wrong PM me and let me know because I do not see anything attacking or out of line in my posts.
  

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  10.11.2013 15:03 #19

• xboxdvl2

  no rating simply means no rating.t
  they could just add a rating to the songs???hello nintendo i hope your reading this???
  
  Warnings like the following songs contain sexualy explicit lyrics or the following songs contain lyrics promoting drug use might actually make parents look & take notice.
  Some parents are lazy,
  some over react to the slightest scandel involving celebrities,
  but i think most don't actually pay attention to what there children listen to,they block it out as background noise and don't listen to the lyrics and have no idea what they are actually listening to.
  

  i have the big screen tv,a ps3 and 5.1 channel surround sound.car still runs smooth and computer still works but its a bit outdated.

  10.11.2013 16:01 #20