RapeLay

[malakian]

Right, this is kind of a serious issue, and an issue which (unusually) i haven't made my mind up on through thought on my own.

Rapelay has attracted some controversy. It's a Japanese sex game, but with an unusual premise (which you've no doubt deduced from the subtle title) - the plot revolves around you raping a mother and two daughters.

Now, the issue I'm talking about is sexual crime in games. CGI raping. CGI child porn. Is it okay? The first thought is 'no, of course not! People who want that are clearly sick!', but this is a bit of a minefield for most western gamers. Violence to the point of brutal murder is a factor in an enormous percentage of video games, and the games community see this as fine. Is this not as bad a crime?

If it isn't, then why should any action be taken over raping virtual children on your PC, right?

Thoughts?

 

[letusprey]

The Japanese are fucking weird.

 

[LawnGnome]

I heard about this game in a recent Australian Gamer podcast.

You can debate one way or the other whether videogames are an outlet to prevent or an inspiration to commit various crimes. I think that we should all just be responsible for our actions and what we do in a virtual world is just that, virtual.

Now, I'm off to tie a chainsaw under my rifle & curbstomp people at city hall.

 

[schimmel]

I don't know whether I should respond positively to this or not. When it comes to rape and child porn/abuse I don't even question it, I just say that it's wrong. Then again I know most child molesters have a psychological problem and throwing them in jail instead of institutionalizing them is wrong because through years of therapy they may overcome their problem.

I guess I would say that in the virtual world these subjects are okay, because they are just that, virtual. Maybe this will deter some rapists and child molesters from actually carrying out the real thing because whenever they have an urge they boot up this game? Who knows.

I do know that it will never be released in North America or Europe though. That's for sure. The public would be in an outrage and actually try to ban all videogames for good if it happened. Not that they haven't tried that before, but I think they might actually have a platform with a game like this.

 

[JCvgluvr]

Ask yourself this question: Who would want to play this game? Yes, exactly.

There's gotta be a line drawn somewhere, and this "game" is definitely far and beyond that line. Absolutely disgusting.

 

[Rakon]

I don't see why anyone would want to make or play this game. There's pushing the envelope, and then there's going overboard. This is the latter.

 

[schimmel]

^ Changing my opinion. I agree with Rakon

 

[Bretimus_v2]

Playing a videogame allows you to step into someoneelse's shoes. So just ask yourself would you rather be this guy,

or this guy?

 

[Longo_2_guns]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ACSsUhF ... annel_page

Pretty much sums up my thoughts.

 

[Briggsred]

My blog pretty much talks about this subject, maybe not rape in particular but seriously, what the hell are going through the game makers minds when they make stuff like this? I mean a good example is that Baby Shaker app on the iPhone.

 

[malakian]

I can understand why you say it's disgusting, but i'd ideally like to hear more rationale on why you think it's more disgusting than murder in games.

This isn't one of my usual foregone conclusions - I really haven't made my own mind up on this issue yet.

 

[keepithowitis]

The game company Illusion that designed Rapelay also made the series Battle Raper, basically a rip off of Soul Calibur. Why they would include rape in the name is beyond me, as there's no actual rape in Battle Raper, but I really do think a rape simulator is going too far as far as things like that go.

 

[Bretimus_v2]

I've always considered sex crimes to be worse for the sole fact that the victim is more likely to live through it. Victims usually show more profound and long-lasting signs of depression and anxiety afterwards as well. (My friend is a social worker and his professional feelings as explained to me are where I pull that from.) If, in reality, any percentage of homicide statistics is truly caused by videogames, do you really want to see that videogame bump in sex crimes?

More than anything, I just feel that videogame content is not strongly protected. My kid nephews get there hands on all sorts of stuff and although I find it awful that an eleven-year-old friend of his wanted to show him how he could "peel out on a person's head" in GTA IV, this would be ten times worse for kids to get a hold of. I really feel that if they make stuff like this it will have to be sold through the proper channels and even then a sh**storm is on the horizon.

Plus, I have no interest in this type of game. Do they have the right to make this? Sure. It's a capitalist economy. Go for it. Will it sell? We'll see. But expect major backlash in the West.

 

[Rekkie7]

It's not going to be something I'ld buy, but I can see the arguement Mala is making.

We kill people in games all the time, but we are not killers. We get annoyed when people assume that our violent games makes us violent and shoot up schools etc

Should we not apply the same rules for sexual violence?

 

[vlietvandon]

Child expoitation/pornography is vile and nasty no matter what form of media we are talking about here...and this game is targeted towards sick *****, not real gamers. Underneath the story their probably lies a heartless, hollow and pointless game (nothing more than a way to for some pervert to get their kicks). I don't believe this is going to nullify a perverts will to act on their prey, and it's also not going to go out and make them commit such an act. This is on completely different level than a violent video game...I hope that if congress hears about this game that they will know this: Our country has been founded on blood, sweat and tears we came along way to get where we are, and as a whole most of us embrace our past and violence is a big part of it...do not take that away from us. Do not censor us from a good story about vengence...or tell us we can't play a game because it is immoral, hell most of us are immoral. But one thing that as a whole we can all agree on is that some forms of media are down right disgusting...and this is one of those things. Im proud to live in a country where this crap will never be distributed legally.

 

[Rekkie7]

In other words, a double standard. Murder, one of the worst things you can do to another person is okay in a virtual setting. However rape, also one of the worst things you can do to another person is not okay in a virtual setting.

We are still talking about games, so performing these acts in game are victimless crimes.

So you say don't tell us we can't play a game because it's immoral and then be glad that this immoral game will never be released.

This would be a different issue if people were actually raped in the production of the game, but then again GTA4 would have never been made if they had to kill real people for that.

Again, im not saying I would play or enjoy this game. I'm just supporting this topics idea that there is a double standard.

 

[De-Ting]

In other words, a double standard. Murder, one of the worst things you can do to another person is okay in a virtual setting. However rape, also one of the worst things you can do to another person is not okay in a virtual setting.

Bloody well said.

Arguing against this type of game is pointless if you play any other games that depict any other type of crime against humanity. But since I don't recall playing any games in which you straight up murder children, raping them in a virtual setting is also not okay.

 

[KoalaRainbowPoop]

i'd rather rape the neighbors dog. poop on my lawn will you....

 

[madster111]

I'll respond to this with crime stats, from Australia:

Murders have a 60% chance of getting through their jail-sentence without injury or death.
Underage Rapists (people who rape anyone under 16) have a 11% chance of getting through their jail-sentence without injury or death.
11%.

Other averages;
Manslaughter committed through self-defense gets an average of 5 years in prison.
Manslaughter committed because the victim raped a relative/close friend of the offender runs an average sentence of 2 years.

Assault on a rapist usually gets completely ignored by the police.

The other things to note is the fact that a large number of people who are proven to have raped someone turn up at the court room after having 'tripped' down some stairs or something, while in police custody.


That's society.
According to most people, rape is worse than murder.
That's the main reason this game is getting more controversy than anything else.

I personally believe that rape is equal to murder, and because we kill people in video games all the time, i think that anyone who wants to (ie, sickos) should be able to rape people in a video game.
I'm not saying it's right to even rape a virtual character, but it's just a tad hypocritical if we want to be allowed to kill in video games, but we want to stop people from raping in them too.

 

[vlietvandon]

Well if you think that it's pointless to stop a game like this ever being made then that is your choice. Personally Im not going to sit down and right a letter to an official to do what they can to see to it a molestation game never gets made, so I guess I can agree with you there, I mean one way or another this game will not be distributed legally anyways. But I do believe people are more likely to be offended by the rape/murder of a child rather than the rape/murder of an adult. no matter what the law says about sentencing To abuse a child physically or sexually will completly ruin your life in prison and outside of it. It's a very weak and nasty act, hurting someone that can't fight back and hasn't had the chance to grow up. So I guess what im trying to say is that if you are going to make a rape game like this...leave the kids out of it. I mean, can't we at least agree on that?