Japan Bans Video Games Depicting Rape
Erotic video games are common in Japan, but a shocking and offensive video game called “Rapelay” in which the player’s avatar rapes women, has caused games depicting rape to be officially banned in Japan.
Rapelay was released legally three years ago, but outrage from Western politicians migrated across the Pacific. Soon, Japanese politicians were pointing to Rapelay and popular comics and pornography featuring rape as the cause of a rise in violence in Japan.
Japanese television station TBS reported falsely last week that these games would be banned. After confusion and controversy over the report, the 200-member Ethics Organization of Computer Services held an emergency meeting to ban rape-type games this week.
The decision did not come from politicians, but rather from self-imposed industry restrictions. The ethics organization will work with erotic game companies to determine the specifics of these regulations.
(link)
By RMJ on 03-06-2009
Comment by Ryan
June 4th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
But how will salarymen, and overweight westerners who think they are participating in an 'innocent cultural experience' vent their sexual frustrations?!
Comment by Maria
June 4th, 2009 at 7:07 pm
this is the right deed!
Comment by Faust
June 6th, 2009 at 7:02 pm
Fine that they're outraged, but games like these haven't "caused" any violence in Japan. They've been around for years, and there are a ton of various sexual outlets SO MUCH SO that the birthrate is DECLINING. Yeah, that sounds like a recipe for violence. If you've done your homework, you'd know that the most violent countries have a population demographic that looks like a pyramid.. that is, and overcrowd of young, aggressive males compared to everyone else.
Not only that, but correlation isn't causation, and for one, the problems within Japan don't compare to the problems in America do they now?
Rape exists, and will always exist as long as violence exists. It's no coincidence that there are plenty of rapes in wartime.
That being said, I think games like these are pathetic. But I can't imagine why they should be illegal.
Comment by Acala
June 9th, 2009 at 5:21 am
Don't you think that it's a little disturbing? Games like this only exist for sexual gratification through fantasy, so why should anyone want to encourage the fantasy of rape? I mean I'm fine with porn, good fine have as much porn as you like. But please don't encourage unhealthy fantasies in the population; rape, goru, or underage I don't think that it should be allowed.
Comment by Faust
June 9th, 2009 at 5:56 pm
I never encouraged anything of the sort. I just think it's strange to illegalize such a thing. There are violent games and pornography out there, so where do you draw the line? It isn't harming anyone or turning them into "deviants", seeing as rape isn't so much deviant behavior as it is an act of violence and possession inherent to us and shown through history. Basically it's illegal because they "don't ike it".
Killing someone in a game is okay. Raping and fucking hookers should be too. You need some consistency there.
Comment by the rapist
June 23rd, 2009 at 5:22 pm
its just a game ^_^ lol
Comment by Shun, the violent
October 22nd, 2009 at 11:50 pm
I agree with the rapist. It's just a game. And the people who play these kind of games know that too. Hell, if they ban this kind of violence in games, then they should ban other violent games like diablo 3, counter strike, and starcraft 2! the fools…