Changes to Story Content
We want to be transparent regarding recent developments around the Valenza Family project.
Due to increasing restrictions and pressure from platforms and payment processors such as Visa, Mastercard, Steam, and Itch, we are being forced to make changes to the story. Specifically, the incest-related aspects will be removed.
This was not my original intention, and I strongly dislike having to rewrite key elements that were central to the original vision. Unfortunately, the reality is that this type of content now risks projects being deindexed, blocked, or outright banned from major storefronts — which is not a risk I can take.
While this decision throws a wrench into my plans, I will do my best to keep the narrative gripping and dramatic, even if some elements must change. The heart of the Valenza Family story — the tension, power struggles, and emotional depth — will remain.
I hope you understand this difficult choice, but our hands are tied on this matter.
— Arcane Ink Productions
Community Discussion
Join the conversation!
Log in to commentShort answer? No. Even if the default is non-incest, shipping a toggle that lets players switch it to a family relationship would still violate current storefront/payment-processor rules. The recent policy updates target the presence of that content in the build, optional or not. To keep the project safe and available, we’re committing to a non-familial canon and won’t include any in-game options that imply otherwise. We’ll keep the drama and secrecy through several other taboos instead.
But we're still looking into it, if we have a chance / opportunity to stick to our original vision, later down the line perhaps? We'll adapt and change it accordingly. But at the present time and date, we're literally forced and pinned to abide by this.
Do you think that adding a default relationship that is not incest-related that the player can change themselves to reflect the original intended story might fly with the payment processors? I take it that it might murky the story coherency by doing so could be a downside to this option.
You’re absolutely right it really is absurd that such a small group can dictate terms for the entire industry. Unfortunately, as developers we don’t have any real power against it; we’re all at their mercy for now. And realistically, I don’t see this changing anytime soon, which makes it all the more frustrating.
I have no doubt you will do the best that can be done. Why this small group feels they need to dictate what the entire world can see is beyond me. I would never try to censor any of them, no matter how ridiculous I consider their viewpoint to be. Since I follow around 100 developers, I am fully aware of the impact this has had. Some have had their income drop 90%. I never before realized what a strangle hold the credit providers have on the modern world. They now have the ability to control the entire worlds economy. Nearly every transaction is now done through them. Even on a local level.