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PlayStation VR Protects Hatsune Miku From Upskirting

Voyeuristic photography is a prevalent problem in Japan, so much so that cell phones make a shutter sound to warn people that a photograph is being taken. However, that fails to prevent all unwanted panchira, or glimpsing of a woman's underwear. Busy places like escalators often feature warning signs to keep the public wary of illicit photography, including upskirt shots.

These days, anime and manga are also rife with fanservice such as physics-defying jiggling breasts and in-your-face panty shots. Some (non-pornographic) works even revolve around viewing women's underwear. These images are so prevalent in Japanese pop culture that it can come as a surprise when a company prevents fans from peeking at fictional panties.

Twitter user Gacsan got just that kind of surprise this week. Gacsan posted an apparent screenshot on Thursday of Sega's Hatsune Miku: VR Future Live app for the PlayStation VR headset.

Some cases of hiding panty shots may provide legal protection to individuals or have the less noble motive to tease fans of virtual females. The image in the screenshot does not explain why the app prevents players from viewing Miku's underwear, but the message in the blackened area says "outside of play area."

Given the family-friendly nature of Hatsune Miku games and software, the app's creators made a prudent move in preventing upskirt shots. Future releases will reveal whether other game makers or the PlayStation VR system itself will follow that precedent.

The "1st Stage" of Hatsune Miku: VR Future Live debuted as a launch title for PlayStation VR in Japan on October 13. The second and third stages will launch in November and December, respectively. Each stage will cost 2,500 yen (about US$24), but they can be preordered together for 7,560 yen (about US$74).

The headset and app also launched in North America and Europe on Thursday.

[Via 0takomu]