Nintendo pledged to have more same-sex couples in its video games after being targeted by gay activists last week.
The popular Japanese life simulation game "Tomodachi Life," which allows heterosexual characters to marry, will be released in Europe and the U.S. on June 6.
"Tomodachi Life" allows players to create avatars called Miis that participate in leisure activities such as shopping, dining out, and going on dates. Miis can also get married, but only to avatars of the opposite sex.
However, due to outcry from activists, Nintendo succumbed and apologized on May 9, but said it is too late to change the U.S. and European versions of the game.
"We apologize for disappointing many people by failing to include same-sex relationships in Tomodachi Life," the company said in a statement, adding that "such a significant development change can't be accomplished with a post-ship patch.
"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."
GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said that Nintendo is lagging behind by not allowing gay characters.
"Nintendo has taken a first step, but if the company's longtime values are rooted in 'fun and entertainment for everyone,' then it needs to catch up to peers like Electronic Arts, which has been inclusive of LGBT gamers for years," she said in a statement.
Video game developers Electronic Arts, Microsoft Studios, and Bethesda Softworks allow players to create gay avatars in select games.
Nintendo's pledge to allow same-sex avatars in the future has caused some Americans to cry foul.
A Nevada resident accused the company of giving in to an agenda that demonizes traditional values.
"So, the minority has pressured Nintendo into including immorality. Doesn't anyone have the guts to stand up for decency and morality any more?" Nevada resident Janice Dyer wrote on the company's Facebook page.
Another gamer pointed out that decades of racial minority exclusions in video games have not received nearly as much attention as the "Tomodachi" controversy.
"I love how people complain about stuff like this," Chase Betram wrote. "I mean im native american and I dont get that as a racial option in almost every game...but im not gonna stop buying games or whine about something like that jeez."
