Virtual rape game banned by Amazon

Scarinae

A Japanese rape-simulator computer game called Rapelay has been banned from the Amazon marketplace after complaints from users

Article in yesterday's Telegraph

Rapelay virtual rape game banned by Amazon

A PC game that allows players to gang rape virtual women – and then force them to have an abortion – has been banned from Amazon.

In Rapelay, gamers direct a character to sexually assault a mother and her two young daughters at an underground station, before raping any of a selection female characters.

The game was intended for release just in Japan, but was on offer to British buyers through Amazon Marketplace, the section of the online store's website open to third-party sellers.

But Amazon has now withdrawn the game after complaints from users, deeming it to be inappropriate. "We determined that we did not want to be selling this particular item," a spokeswoman said.

Rapelay was developed by the Japanese production house Illusion, which makes a number of sexually violent games for the domestic market. Their other titles include "Battle Raper" and "Artificial Girl".

A spokesman for the company said: "We believe there is no problem with the software, which has cleared the domestic ratings of an ethics watchdog body."

Keith Vaz, the Labour MP for Leicester East who has previously spoken out against computer games that promote violence, condemned the game.

"It is intolerable that anyone would purchase a game that simulates the criminal offence of rape," he told the Belfast Telegraph.

Rapelay, which was released in 2006, encourages players to force the virtual woman they rape to have an abortion. If they are allowed to give birth the woman throws the player's character under a train, according to reviews of the game. It also has a feature allowing several players to team up against individual women.

I am absolutely disgusted that a game like this would even exist, and that people would want to play it. How is the violation of women entertainment?

(apologies if this is in the wrong place - I didn't want to post it in After Hours because I anticipated misogynist reactions and rape jokes)

Nevyn

You have to consider that the game was mad in japan and for a japanese audience.

Japan is not a christian country there are very few sexaul taboos and sex is not seen
or treated the same way there as in the rest of the western world.

All so, the reluctant woman who is 'put upon' and then is so turned on she consents
is very much a traditional role esp in Asian culture and is often played out in many types of fiction.

That being said, while I understand the cultural mores I disagree with the insensitivity
and the message that game gives out.

jellie

wtf.. thats disturbing

Otis Driftwood

The Japanese are a mad lot.Sure there are loads of simulated rape movies made over there,and there was a comic series simply called Rapeman.I believe the comics were even filmed into a movie series too.
There were also a couple of movies in the 70s about Hanzo the Razor,a cop that used to interrogate female suspects by raping them.They allowed the Prodigys "smack my bitch up" to be aired during day time hours simply because the video didnt show pubic hair.That made it ok to them.
They are bonkers.

RxQueen

*sighs*

mad or not over there, that game is just so wrong..

minidazzler

They let you do see all this, and play games like this as a matter of course.

Yet, in Japanese Adult Movies, they are not actually allowed to show Genetalia.

luckat

Japan doesn't have sexual taboos? (gape) Ever been there?

Kind of ironic that Amazon, which is furiously fighting a lawsuit by the Humane Society of America (equivalent to the ISPCA), which is trying to stop it carrying cockfighting and dogfighting materials on the grounds of cruelty, regards animal cruelty as a matter of free speech, but human cruelty as a matter of morality.

Nevyn

luckat wrote: »

Japan doesn't have sexual taboos? (gape) Ever been there?

They don't in the same way.

inordertobeable

A lot of countries differ in their sociacal references. But at the same time a company like Amazon should not be selling that item.

Scarinae

In fairness to Amazon, it wasn't an item they were directly selling, it was available through the marketplace which is where people can sell their own stuff.

Even if there are less taboos in Japan though, surely rape is just as violent and degrading anywhere in the world? I mean, the three main victims in the game are a mother and two daughters - the two daughters are both virgins and bleed when you rape them, the younger one is just a child and she cries as you rape her. It also has a counter to measure the amount of times you cum inside each victim (I got all this info off a review on somethingawful.com by the way, I don't want to post the link up here though because it contains some pretty nasty pictures) You also have the option of gang raping them with other players. I think the entire idea is sickening

Phototoxin

All the same there are games out *coughGTAcough*where you can murder people indiscrimiately and no one cares... yet with this game rape is featured and suddenly everyone panics.. its an interesting reflection on society. Possibly an innate 'protect out wimmenfolk' response ? Or possibly because we see rape as worse than the taking of a life?

Scarinae

In games like GTA, when you kill someone is it instantaneous from shooting? I would see it as being analagous if the character takes pleasure in drawn-out torturing of the person, with detailed graphics of them bleeding, and takes photographs of their battered body before killing them. This is essentially what this rape game is portraying.

minidazzler

Phototoxin wrote: »

All the same there are games out *coughGTAcough*where you can murder people indiscrimiately and no one cares... yet with this game rape is featured and suddenly everyone panics.. its an interesting reflection on society. Possibly an innate 'protect out wimmenfolk' response ? Or possibly because we see rape as worse than the taking of a life?

Personally I think Rape is worse than Killing someone but that's just me.

But to the rest of the post. It is fairly graphic stuff, involving getting them pregnant, and the characters learning to "Enjoy" being raped.


while it may suit Japanese Tastes due to a totally different culture, It is without a doubt not a game designed for a western Audience.

r3nu4l

Fishie wrote: »

In games like GTA, when you kill someone is it instantaneous from shooting? I would see it as being analagous if the character takes pleasure in drawn-out torturing of the person, with detailed graphics of them bleeding, and takes photographs of their battered body before killing them. This is essentially what this rape game is portraying.

In GTA you can beat people to death with your hands and feet or with a baseball bat and knife if you don't want to use a gun, you can also have sex with a prostitute (costs money) and then beat her to death afterwards to get all the money she made that night. The sex scenes are very 'suggestive' and have audio that includes the prostitute screaming phrases such as 'F*ck the sh*t out of it'. You can also visit lapdancing clubs...

In many ways GTA is every bit as bad as this game but in a 'different' way. (BTW, I like playing GTA!) I certainly wouldn't enjoy playing a game like this though. I have a particular hatred of rape as a crime, I've gone out with a rape victim in the past and saw the effect that it had on her I've also had a cousin murdered in one of Dublin's 'gangland' shootings so I've experience of losing someone to murder too and therefore feel 'qualified' to talk about this.

Phototoxin

Well in GTA for example you can start shooting people from the leg upwards... in metal gear solid 2 you are actively encouraged to point a gun at guards and kneecap them if they dont comply.. and that's a 15's rated game.

While I dont agree with rape (obviously) I don't see why it should be banned in a computer game. We have rapes in films and other visual media.
Is it because it is one of our last societal taboos. No one really talks about rape, except possibly in the context of 'ahh I raped ya in halo aaaaaaaahhhhaaaaaa'!/'ahh he got raped by the taxman' or jokingly referring to sheep or whatever.

But if we talk about it maybe then people become desensitised to something which we should be sensitive about?

(This post mightn't be sensible)

Rhyme

There was another one a while back called 'Battle Raper', saw someone playing it on the bus.

Lockstep

Sounds like a stupid idea for a game, from what it looks like, anyone playing this is an idiot.

Then again, I don't see why it should be banned. Down with censorship.

Kirnsy

minidazzler wrote: »

Personally I think Rape is worse than Killing someone but that's just me.

But to the rest of the post. It is fairly graphic stuff, involving getting them pregnant, and the characters learning to "Enjoy" being raped.


while it may suit Japanese Tastes due to a totally different culture, It is without a doubt not a game designed for a western Audience.

wtf?? rape is an awful crime but surely killing someone is even worse

twisted mind to come up with this game IMO. however i understand where some posters are coming from in relation to GTA etc being as bad if not worse.

The_Minister

minidazzler wrote: »

Personally I think Rape is worse than Killing someone but that's just me.

:rolleyes:
I know which I would prefer*.

luckat wrote: »

Japan doesn't have sexual taboos? (gape) Ever been there?

They had tentacle rape porn nearly 200 years ago.


Now thats liberal.


*That is NOT an invitation!:mad:

dardevle

. seriously fugked up!


that anyone would actively seek out a video game that
allowed them to role play at rape situations is just wrong...


where is the attraction? pretending to rape someone you know,
trying to prefect a skill or technique, to become the best possible rapist you can be.....

while i would be a proponent of freedom of speech.....that someone would want to make/play a "game" of this sort...wrong, end of.

busted flush

how can i get my hands on this game ? id love to play it!:o

Kinetic^

Surely simulating murder would have caused many other games to be withdrawn from shelves? The game is not reality. People play computer games for entertainment so they can drive a ferrari, play in the premiership or blow someone's head off. How is going on a virtual killing spree of a 100 people in grand theft auto any different to virtually raping somebody? Yes the chances of getting violated in real life I would imagine is far less likely then being caught up in a killing spree but..........virtual.

I am not condoning the game for one second, I have seen it and it smacks of amateur hour from a software company looking for a quick route to sales from curious/angry consumers.

(I do realise that answering this thread is like answering the question, "does my bum look big in this" )

Piste

I really don't see how this game is any more deplorable than GTA or any violent war-based video game.

Or has rape suddenly become worse than murder?

Scarinae

Ok I didn't realise that GTA or other computer games were quite that graphically violent, I haven't played any of them. I don't really see how kneecapping people and murdering prostitutes is entertainment either, but in a lot of ways I think rape is worse than murder. Maybe I've been desensitized to killing because it happens in so many films, I don't know

Nerin

Piste wrote: »

Or has rape suddenly become worse than murder?

Murder-the victim no longer suffers once its done.

Rape- the victim suffers for a very very long time.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

Nerin wrote: »

Murder-the victim no longer suffers once its done.

Because they're dead

Rape- the victim suffers for a very very long time.

Because they're not dead.

Nerin

Father Mordmas wrote: »

Because they're dead



Because they're not dead.

Yes.

cHaTbOx

Piste wrote: »

Or has rape suddenly become worse than murder?

In all honesty , It depends on the person ,every one is different in their ability to cope with the trauma of rape. Some would rather be dead .
Is it worse to be killed or living a life wishing you had been killed, it is all a matter of debate .

Murder , well it can be very impersonal . I think most of us have accepted that we will die one day , but I don't think many of us have imagined that one day we will be raped .

On a rational train of thinking , you would say I would rather be raped than murdered as you could live happy, fulfilling lives afterwards. But nothing about rape is rational . Someone has violated you , they have made you do what they want for there pleasure , you are being reduced to an object. Your mind goes and asks a million questions ," why me?""what did I do to deserve this?", you break down , anything you that reminds you of it reduces you to a wreck.

This game is going too far imo , there maybe culture differences but if anyone is saying this is healthy attitude to have ,well I would question there morals if they had any .

MJOR

I dunno why anyone plays those murder/ rape/violent games anyway.

Kinetic^

MJOR wrote: »

I dunno why anyone plays those murder/ rape/violent games anyway.

.......because it's fun and it beats the hell out of watching TV where there's only a pile of crap soaps, reality tv or the news spouting on about the recession.

coffee_cake

Maybe a bit extreme for some peoples' tastes but none of it is real - it really is a case where you can just ignore it if you don't like it.