Nintendo isn't allowing gamers to play as gay in an upcoming life simulator game.
The gaming company said on Tuesday it wouldn't bow to pressure to allow players to woo characters of the same sex in English editions of Tomodachi Life.
The announcement follows a social media campaign launched by fans last month seeking virtual equality for the game's characters.
The fans had urged Nintendo to add same-sex relationship options to the English hand-held Nintendo 3DS game ahead of its June 6 release.
The game was originally released in Japan last year and features a cast of avatars based on real players living and playing on a virtual island.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
Several past life games like The Sims and The Elder Scrolls have allowed players to create characters that can have same-sex relationships.
In a statement, Nintendo said: "The ability for same-sex relationships to occur in the game was not part of the original game that launched in Japan, and that game is made up of the same code that was used to localise it for other regions outside of Japan.”
