Thousands of NSFW Dead or Alive Content Removed by Koei Tecmo Yearly

At this year’s Tokyo eSports Festa 2025, Tomotoshi Nishimura, general manager of legal affairs at Koei Tecmo, revealed their stance on fan-made content based on their intellectual properties. Although they value and encourage fanart stemming from their creations, they’ve set firm guidelines to safeguard the authenticity of their characters.

Every year, Nishimura discloses that they delete around 200 to 300 self-published works related to the Dead or Alive series from various internet platforms, which range from manga and novels as doujinshi. Moreover, approximately 2,000 to 3,000 fanart pieces are taken down annually due to inappropriate content. These artworks frequently pop up on social media and art-hosting sites.

The main motivations behind these actions are early publication of artwork for unlaunched games depicting derivative content, as well as alterations to characters for inappropriate adult themes. These representations could negatively impact the brand’s image and the characters themselves. Nishimura stressed that the creators consider these characters as if they were their own daughters, which highlights their dedication to preserving their representation.

Notably, Koei Tecmo, known for games such as Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball featuring female characters in swimwear, draws a boundary when it comes to fan-made projects that push the boundaries of explicit content involving their characters. This division suggests that the company aims to strike a balance between making their characters appealing and maintaining a respectful portrayal.

As a dedicated gamer, I’m super excited to share that back in 2019, the mainline chapter of the Dead or Alive franchise, Dead or Alive 6, dropped on various platforms like PS4, Xbox One, PC, and even arcades! Since then, no new fighting game has been announced from Koei Tecmo, but here’s something to look forward to: Venus Vacation Prism: Dead or Alive Xtreme. It’s a 3D adventure-style dating simulator that’s all set to launch on PS4, PS5, and PC this coming March. Can’t wait!

Although the Dead or Alive series might not garner the same level of fame as Tekken or Virtua Fighter when it comes to complexity and fighting techniques, it has certainly found its unique spot. For example, Dead or Alive 6 was generally well-received, with critics praising its user-friendly aspects and improvements on modern gaming platforms, despite certain flaws in the narrative delivery and online capabilities at first release.

Fundamentally, Koei Tecmo takes an active approach to regulating fan-made content, demonstrating their commitment to maintaining the authenticity and reputation of their cherished characters. This way, they foster creativity among fans while keeping the work consistent with the company’s principles and objectives.

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2025-01-19 04:43