Nintendo has issued an official apology over the lack of same-sex relationships in Tomodachi Life, in another attempt to quell criticism surrounding the game.

The life-sim, which has a big focus on relationships, is getting localised in North America and Europe next month. But most of the publicity surrounding the game has centred on its omission of same-sex relationships. Nintendo had previously issued a statement, which only served to draw more accusations of being aloof to the issue.

In another change of tack, the company has now released an apology for "disappointing" people over the omission. But it still insists that it would not be possible to rectify the issue even with a post-release patch.

Here is the statement in full.

We apologize for disappointing many people by failing to include same-sex relationships in Tomodachi Life. Unfortunately, it is not possible for us to change this game's design, and such a significant development change can't be accomplished with a post-ship patch. At Nintendo, dedication has always meant going beyond the games to promote a sense of community, and to share a spirit of fun and joy. We are committed to advancing our longtime company values of fun and entertainment for everyone. 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.