Amazon pulls Japanese rape simulator from shelves
Amazon has blocked sales of a sick Japanese PC game that puts the player in the role of a criminal who rapes a mother and her two teenage daughters. The online vendor recently advertised two copies of the game RapeLay sold through the Amazon Marketplace section open to third-party vendors. Made by the Japanese production house …
Sure there could be tighter controls by Amazon but just like knives on Ebay things can slip through the net, these things do happen and it's not like Amazon was buying this stuff in and selling it themselves. Hardly worth a parliament mention, someone screwed up, it does happen but it's blocked now so it's dealt with.
it'll be pirated like mad by people wondering what all the fuss was about. reaching a far wider audience than an obscure hentai game ever would have normally.
I heard of another game where you are an armed man and you have to kill shitloads of other people, that should be banned too.
"Labour MP Keith Vaz told the Belfast Telegraph he was shocked that Amazon would allow people to purchase the game and plans to raise the issue in Parliament. "
Labour MP Keith Vaz has no idea how the Amazon marketplace works.
Big surprise.
where you are an armed man and you have to kill Keith Vaz?
[/jk]
A US merchant on a US based site sells imported copies of a Japanese video game. Customers of said site dislike the game so much that they complain. The people responsible for running the site decide that it's not really worthwhile to go on carrying said game, since people are complaining about it, and use their veto power over what their merchants may carry to take it down from the site. After the fact, a British paper decides that the incident is apparently of international importance (or are really stuck for interesting stories) and reports on it in Britain.
Now how in the heck does some British politician named Vaz and the entire British Parliament get involved again? More importantly, is there no way to punish people like Vaz for criminal misuse of government time?
Of course, who am I to complain? Members of the US congress decided they needed to take time out a session in order to issue a response to remarks made by some radio talk show host.
Politicians really need to be introduced to blogs. It is, after all, a match made in heaven. Nobody reads blogs, nobody listens to politicians. Blogs would give them a nice, cheap way to have their opinions ignored, so they can do real work during their paid hours. Oh, I see the problem now! ;)
Ugh, it really is Friday, in'it?
... needs to google playfilth sometime. His head might explode.
As sad as it is, there's a part of me that wants to defend this game. Why? Because like the violent games many of us play (or have played), it's not real. It's not a "training utility" as the anti-gamers say about violent games. It's merely a fictional video game in which you control a fictional character to perform fictional acts on other fictional characters. And in this case, it looks as if the characters aren't even rendered to look realistic. The subject matter is in extremely poor taste, but some people would say that about violent games such as GTA Vice City or the countless war-based FPS games out there.
On the other hand, there's also a part of me that feels certain topics are off-limits, specifically rape and child abuse. That includes pornography involving young children and pornography in which the person was forced or coerced. It would be nice to be able to say "child porn" instead of that previous sentence, but we can't use that term anymore since the idiotic law enforcers and lawmakers have used that term to describe a 17-year-old girl taking nude pictures of herself, and to describe anyone receiving an unsolicited picture of a nude minor on their mobile phone.
That said, where do we draw the line? It's important to be able to talk about rape, in order to teach people (specifically young girls) about it and hopefully prevent it, and also to help someone recover if it does happen to them. To that end, it *may* also help to allow it to be a part of a television show or movie, depending on how it is treated (though, if you ask me, it's way overused it today's media, and used for the wrong reasons).
I guess the ultimate question is: Why are we psychologically opposed to rape but not to murder, especially in a society which largely considers casual sex an acceptable act (thereby eliminating the "sex is sacred" defense)?
....an "outraged" politician gets you.
That title just went from obscure to very probably awesomely well seeded on PB....
And sure enough, after a quick look...
475 seeders with almost 1300 leechers, way to go politician guy, barely anyone would have touched it originally, now everyone will want to cheggit out and see what the fuss is about.
Anyone over the age of 18 getting his/her knickers in a twist about simulo-rape by cel-animated 2D protagonists should seek out the next psychiatrist's couch as he/she has clearly been a victim of grooming by the pink mental rays coming out of politician's behinds whenever they are looking for easily sellable ideas to divert from any real problems coming our way.
So how is the financial meltdown coming?
Same old same old.
You can simulate hacking people to pieces with axes, blasting their brains out with guns, running them over with cars and it's all good (because that's just violence) but as soon as sex comes into then suddenly it's deemed offensive.
The target market is probably limited to Japanese over here on business who have run out of vacuum packed school girl panties to tug the nog over. Games are just that, games, and while the subject matter is distasteful it's really only marginally more distasteful than a recent mainstream war game that encouraged the player to execute unarmed injured enemy soldiers.
This is stupid.
I mean, really, what happened to freedoms?
Oh, that's right ...you are on "that side" of the pond.
Very good observation Seán. The worst two things a person can do, yet one is acceptable to do virtually!
Does that say something about the human condition?
Seán has a point there. Games such as Battle Raper 2, the others mentioned in the article, and countless fetish-oriented doujin (amateur-published) hentai works are pretty disagreeable, undoubtedly.
When lines start to be drawn in the sand, that is when I start to feel uneasy. Rape simulators are bad, we can probably all agree. Next on the list, however, could be murder simulators.
(e.g. potentially any FPS/semi-realistic shooter)
I won't stand for the thin end of the wedge; the next thing you know, the cat will have the cream and the only two potential things to look out for will be arsenic and icing sugar.
They need to grow up and learn to separate the real world from movies games etc.
They may think you are the only person to be able to separate real from fake and that you know better than others. In reality, they are a dangerous emotional irrational idiots that are trying to impose their own world views on others without a solid logical reasoned basis.
Knee jerk nannies.
It's not very good. The CG isn't exactly the best drawn in the world and because it's Japanese based, there's loads of censoring. Plus, the English translations leave a lot to be desired, I spent about 3 minutes on 1 frame trying to decipher the Engrish.
tbh, if you want to have a wank, just watch porn. It looks better, it's uncensored and you don't have to keep fumbling your mouse with your left hand to click continue.
The removal of such a game is a most grievious assault on your rights and freedoms.
Why, we really ought to be having /truly/ free speech, and let any warped bugger spew forth with dubious titilations -- just so, if anything, we will finally draw a line in the sand, between liberty and libertarianism.
Why didn't you get teh decensors, they're easy enough to find, but yeah not a great game regardless of how much the communiy raved about its customisablility
Said underware has been illegal for years. Update your tabloid based knowledge of Japan.
Only reason no one wants yank/brit girls underware is they don't want some guys jizz all over their nose or skids.
(hey I've been ushering the 1234567890 event ~~ wee bit tipsy)
Prroblen is you just described 90% of the anglo dominated world, (What the hell should you call UK/Canada/Republic of Ireland/USA/Australia/New Zealand - other than "those prudish psychos with the teen parent problem")
And why is it we have such a violent haterid towards sexual fantasy? Continental Europe doesn't seem quite so mental, although I say give it time, I'm sure soon enough everyone will have the same ultra anti fantasy mind set, bet you'll see rape and violent abuse escale in concert with it.
... so, any 2d content, should be exempt from negative sanctions.
Sort of article I would expect to read on the Communist Broadcasting Politburo (formerly BBC) or on some tripe like iVillage
Rape is wrong yes, we hear that all the time from stasi commander jacqui, murder is taken to be worse in law, so why do we have a "sex offenders register" ( <- biggest piece of feature creep EVER ) and no "life takers register"?
Answer - murder can be ok'd by the church for "religious defence/holy war/jihad"...rape...well unless your a catholic priest its a sin as is sex generally.
Frankly this country is still 1 step from being christian Iran and I'm surprised pastor brown and stasi Smith havent pushed us over that step yet along with "morons against porn" - "women don't like hard sex, they only like fluffy soft love making" <- My wife burst into peals of laughter reading that quote from them...and then said "so clearly I'm not a real woman since I actually prefer hard sex to that soft romantic crap"
Is El Reg looking for a buyout by MSM? or have senior management decided on a realignment of views towards the "religious mainstream"?
to reiterate...crap article full of kneejerk opining
amen to that. Nanoha-chan~~~~~~
The fact that the sorry excuse for an MP Keith Vaz has jumped on the predictable outrage-train almost makes me want to condone selling this. Almost, but not quite. Despite the low regard in which I hold Keith Vaz and all his opportunistic bullshit I have to admit that this sort of stuff needs sanction.
Frankly, my only reason for submitting this comment is that I saw Keith Vaz's name in the article. Sorry, but I can't help myself expressing how much I despise his complete disregard for fundamental principles. He represents the very worst that New Labour (or any party) has to offer.
Ok, it's late and I'm rambling, feel free to moderate this out.
Yes, we should certainly ban this game and draw a "line in the sand".
Whilst we're at it, let's ban books that advocate:
1) Stoning your children to death for being unruly.
2) Cut off the noses and ears and ears of promiscuous women, then burning them in fire and taking their children and stripping them naked.
3) Forcing a victim of rape to marry the man who raped her.
4) Killing a prostitute if you get her pregnant.
5) Killing every man, woman and child in a community if they don't believe what you do.
6) The cutting off of a woman's hands for touching her husband's genitals when trying to protect him from an attacker.
7) Offering your virgin daughters to a mob to stop them killing your guests
8) Being willing to murder your son because someone tells you to do it.
9) Having children torn to death by bears for laughing at a man's bald head.
10) Producing offspring with your widowed sister-in-law (and then being killed for refusing)
Guess which Book these all come from...
How can such things be allowed in print?
Surely we must draw a Line in the Sand against such things!
Yup. Too long since a good BOFH story, blokes get bored. Idle hands, and all.
Paris, idling.
Any comments from women what they think about this? Or just blokes saying things like 'Rape is wrong yes'
John
"9) Having children torn to death by bears for laughing at a man's bald head."
What's wrong with that? Cheeky little sods!
It's actually quite sad- many years ago Keith Vaz had his bones replaced, Wolverine style, with a highly powerful bandwagon-seeking magnet- the poor guy can't help it.
Now looking forward to a week of lip-licking moral outrage from the British press, complete with web links to high res screenshots in the Sun, just so readers can see what might not have shocked them had they not reported on it in graphic detail.
first they criminalise your acted extreme porn
next they criminalise your virtual extreme porn
then they criminalise the lolicon and the tenticals.
Then they criminalise your hardcores,
then they just outright ban porn.
Then what do they do when their gestapo measures have had no effect?
Ban sexy clothing for woman? Doubtful as woman seem to have rights to do as they like where as men obviously can't wank to things that people don't like to publicly talk about. "Oh a rape fantasy how horrid, never had one of those!"
Pehaps remove mens penis? All babies will be made in test tubes.
meh it's all crap, pronz doesn't make people crazy, people make people crazy.
I''m guessing that Illusion would not create this game unless there was a market for it and I'm still not sure what to do with this information: there are people willing to pay real cash money for the chance to rape schoolgirls in a videogame. Not relive- my- 14-year-old- consensual- fumblings- with- a- 13-year-old- cheerleader games, but rape. Not blowing the other guy up (before he kills me) as an act of war to save the Kingdom (or whatever the "plot" is), but raping a schoolgirl for no discernible good reason. Not barrelling my supercar down a sidewalk to escape/ evade "them" and accidentally mowing down a bystanding grandma as collateral damage, but taking time to engage in the deliberate act of dragging down a schoolgirl and raping her. The problem seems larger than this one particular game, no?
People often ask why rape is considered worse than murder. I have a theory about this. Most of us, I think have at some time wanted to kill somebody. We probably never seriously considered doing it, but I think it's safe to say that nearly everyone has at least wished someone dead. Likewise we know what rage feels like. Most of us have probably even struck another person in anger at some point.
So, in a way, it's not that hard to identify with a murderer. They seem human at least. But most of us -- I hope -- have never wanted to rape anyone. So we can't understand anyone who would. They're monstrous, alien and presumably evil.
That may also explain why games where you kill people are very popular while games where you rape people are not. For me personally, that latter just doesn't hold any appeal. But I'm not prepared to brand anyone who might enjoy pretend rape a monster. As long as they keep it strictly fantasy I figure it's none of my business.
And even though I wouldn't miss rape games if they were outlawed, I can't think of any compelling reason why someone who does en enjoy them shouldn't be allowed to. Besides, something I like could be next.
Use your left hand, it frees up your right hand for the mouse and also makes it feel like someone else is doing it. How can you not know that, your not a Banker are you?
That's what a left hand looks like.
There's nothing explicit in the article !
> Amazon has blocked sales of a [b]sick[/b] Japanese PC game
C'mon El Reg, you're above such Daily Wail nonsense. Remove the 's' word and we might get closer to some proper journalism.
> so why do we have a "sex offenders register" and no "life takers register"?
Bloody good point, my man ! Your ideas are intriguing to me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter. Surely the taking of life is [b]the[/b] #1 crime ?
And while we're at it, how about a "mental thugs register" and "psychotic neighbours from hell register", too ?
in court as a grand theft auto style defense.
of the reality of this statement - no facts or figures to back them up... But doesn't Japan have like a really low rape / violent offence - er, history, like the lowest in the civilised world. Maybe, by allowing weirdoes and sickoes (no offense to the w&s brigade), to indulge in their fantasies in a safe virtual environment it lessens their need to to do it in the real actual world.
Just a thought.
Keith Vaz is one of the most unbearably pompous people in that Thamesside gothic monstrosity full of unbearably pompous people. He's never short of something to say about a subject of which he knows nothing. Only this week he leaked a private conversation with Boris Johnson and denounced a movie which he admitted he hadn't see; so getting some publicity on the back of a game which he won't have played is just par for the course.
And yet, Amazon will sell games where murder and violence are the only activity.
So, either they are completely devoid of conscience, or this is a Politically-correct type of action.
In that case, it is a good place to ask why is men murdering men considered OK in our society.
"Labour MP Keith Vaz has no idea how the Amazon marketplace works"
The last five words are unnecessary.
Huh? I thought the article was on the libertarian side of neutral...
As others have said, I just don't get why simulating some crimes is deemed OK and simulating other crimes is not.
I'd actually go one step further and say that possessing any image/video should not be a crime because it in itself is not harming anyone.
Good point Graham
Perhaps a rape-simulator game would be ok if the protagonist was Jesus.
He couldn't waste his seed though, so I supposed there'd have to be a little cup or something.
I am sure many more copies will now be sold/downloaded than otherwise...
<QUOTE>
...how in the heck does some British politician named Vaz and the entire British Parliament get involved again?
</QUOTE>
I believe how it goes is like this. Some press man gets a good contentious story. He looks through his little black book of rent-a-quotes for someone to call. Ah, Keith Vaz. Dial. Ring Ring. He relates the story and asks for an opinion and doesn't he think something should be done? "Oh absolutely. Truly disgusting." Click. Cue/Queue/Whatever outrage. Moves onto next scandalous story. Whether anything actually does get done is another matter. Its possible the press man never even spoke to Vaz at all, merely an underling.
RapeLay was doing badly in Japan because, well, it was crap. Forget the storyline, the graphics and gameplay and everything else was shite. So the writers arranged for some copies to go on Amazon in the uk, let word slip out and the Japanese press is now loving the controversy and sales are on the up.
Keith Vaz, the best thing that ever happenned to poorly drawn porn.
Question: "Why are we psychologically opposed to rape but not to murder, especially in a society which largely considers casual sex an acceptable act (thereby eliminating the "sex is sacred" defense)?"
Answer: FEMINISM.
<runs away before a Moderatrix smacks me over the head with a modstick>
>> People often ask why rape is considered worse than murder. I have a theory about this. Most of us, I think have at some time wanted to kill somebody. We probably never seriously considered doing it, but I think it's safe to say that nearly everyone has at least wished someone dead. Likewise we know what rage feels like. Most of us have probably even struck another person in anger at some point.
>> So, in a way, it's not that hard to identify with a murderer. They seem human at least. But most of us -- I hope -- have never wanted to rape anyone. So we can't understand anyone who would. They're monstrous, alien and presumably evil.
My theory is that it is possibly other way around - we all know that murder is terrible, it is 100% instinctive. The awfulness of rape isn't 100% instinctive, people (men at least) need to be taught that it is wrong. Rape is taboo and wrong, whereas murder is just wrong (albeit more wrong than rape).
We (as a society) can, for the most part, countenance somebody pretending to do something which is wrong. But, for whatever reason, somebody pretending to do something taboo (even consensual sex, let alone rape) is abhorrent and demands the full force of the tabloid press to stamp it out.
