Amazon.com Bans The Sale Of Japanese Rape Simulator Video Game

[JamesG]

Amazon Blocks Sale Of 'Rape' Game
9:13am UK, Friday February 13, 2009

A Japanese computer game that lets players simulate raping girls has had its sales blocked by Amazon.

The RapeLay videogame was available to buy on the web store via a third-party seller specialising in Hentai - sexually explicit Japanese animation products.

"We determined that we did not want to be selling this particular item," an Amazon spokeswoman said.

Rapelay was reportedly created exclusively for the Japanese market but a couple of "like new" copies were being offered on Amazon.

The game was released in 2006 by Illusion studio, based in Japan.

Other titles from the studio include Battle Raper and Artificial Girl.


According to game review site Giant Bomb, RapeLay is a "molestation simulation that allows you to terrorise a woman and her two teenage daughters, with events ranging from groping on a train to gang rape and forced abortions".

The Belfast Telegraph reported that Labour MP Keith Vaz said he was shocked by the Amazon listing and planned to raise the issue in Parliament.

Mr Vaz told the paper: "It's intolerable that anyone would purchase a game that simulates the criminal offence of rape.

"To know that this is widely available through a major online retailer is utterly shocking. I do not see how this can be allowed.

"I will be raising this matter in Parliament and hope that action is taken to prevent the game from being sold."


http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Rapelay-Japanese-Computer-Game-Is-Pulled-From-Amazon-Third-Party-Seller/Article/200902215222279

[MonarC]

:barf:

[catlover79]

What kind of a sicko (and that is MUCH too kind a term) would design a video game like that?? :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: Good for Amazon for refusing to sell it.

[browneyes106]

This sounds sickening. I'm glad Amazon decided not to sell it.

[JamesG]

I could understand Amazon's knee-jerk reaction to ban this game but it also brings up an interesting debate.


Why are games that permit murder, drug use, fighting.. etc permitted (and also sold on Amazon) but a game that depicts rape gets a huge backlash? With all the violence out there a rape game should come with the territory, no?


I should have the option to buy this game if I should want to and I tend to hate it when governments and corporations start banning things for the public to see and purchase.


I also see myself in a little problem; if I support and play violent games myself then should I support a game like this?


There seems to be a cultural clash as well as a social stigma going on here to me. From what I understand the Japanese culture are very much into this anime stuff and it's such a huge part of their culture; even the more adult themed ones. Amazon seems to have made a smart marketing move by banning this product from their store; despite the fact that other violent natured games are sold there. The social stigma of rape seems to be much more severe than murder, as far as in the entertainment (gaming) world goes.



So with all that beind said I have no interest whatsoever in this game. It seems to me to be repititive in play and seems to lack a plot or a premise. So it wouldn't interest me at all.
The curious part in me does want to play it to see what it's like but it doesn't look like it will be one of my favorites.

[catlover79]

^ You bring up an excellent point. Grand Theft Auto is, in my opinion, a disgusting and degrading game, and I have never understood its appeal. But at least banning this game is a start.

[JamesG]

^ You bring up an excellent point. Grand Theft Auto is, in my opinion, a disgusting and degrading game, and I have never understood its appeal. But at least banning this game is a start.

Na, I love the GTA games. To me it's the action, the feel of it (driving around the cities), all the cars, the plot, the music...

Also, one thing that I like is that the game has consequences for your actions. You can choose to go into crime (the real game) or you can simply drive around in your own car and not get involved.

When you do something wrong the police do come after you, so at least it seems to be great in that sense.

[Dutabi84]

I could understand Amazon's knee-jerk reaction to ban this game but it also brings up an interesting debate.


Why are games that permit murder, drug use, fighting.. etc permitted (and also sold on Amazon) but a game that depicts rape gets a huge backlash? With all the violence out there a rape game should come with the territory, no?


I should have the option to buy this game if I should want to and I tend to hate it when governments and corporations start banning things for the public to see and purchase.


That is an interesting point, but I think it's a sexual thing.

Take Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. This is a game that includes a lot of drug use, foul language, nailing prostitutes (though you cannot see anything), killing pedestrians, gangs, cops..basically anyone you please with a variety of weapons, including baseball bats, all kinds of guns, a giant purple dilly, knives, katanas, and a chain saw (my favorite); stealing cars, driving over people. So things were all find and dandy until someone creates the 'Hot Coffee' mod for the PC version, which allows you, the lead character, to have a consensual sexual encounter with your in-game girlfriend (which you can watch). This of course led to all kinds of ridiculous overblown outrage, and the game got pulled off the shelves from a majority of stores.

Any type of male to male, or female to male violence seems to be perfectly acceptable in general. But when it comes to anything sexual, it's a giant no-no. That's just how our society is, so when it comes to sex, especially of the non-consensual variety, it really is no surprise this game would not be considered acceptable in the US.

[Dutabi84]

Na, I love the GTA games. To me it's the action, the feel of it (driving around the cities), all the cars, the plot, the music...

Also, one thing that I like is that the game has consequences for your actions. You can choose to go into crime (the real game) or you can simply drive around in your own car and not get involved.

When you do something wrong the police do come after you, so at least it seems to be great in that sense.

Same here. The amount of freedom you have in the GTA games is definitely one of the draws. It literally took me about 3 years to finish San Andreas. I spent countless hours just messing around.

[*Pleasant Tomorrow*]

WTF? What kind of moron would waste their time playing that?

[JamesG]

That is an interesting point, but I think it's a sexual thing.

Take Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. This is a game that includes a lot of drug use, foul language, nailing prostitutes (though you cannot see anything), killing pedestrians, gangs, cops..basically anyone you please with a variety of weapons, including baseball bats, all kinds of guns, a giant purple dilly, knives, katanas, and a chain saw (my favorite); stealing cars, driving over people. So things were all find and dandy until someone creates the 'Hot Coffee' mod for the PC version, which allows you, the lead character, to have a consensual sexual encounter with your in-game girlfriend (which you can watch). This of course led to all kinds of ridiculous overblown outrage, and the game got pulled off the shelves from a majority of stores.

Any type of male to male, or female to male violence seems to be perfectly acceptable in general. But when it comes to anything sexual, it's a giant no-no. That's just how our society is, so when it comes to sex, especially of the non-consensual variety, it really is no surprise this game would not be considered acceptable in the US.


You're right about that too; it's definitely a cultural thing.

What I've also noticed is that the countries that have violence ban the sexual stuff and the countries that are more liberal in sex tend to ban the violent things.

An example of this happened during the Manhunt controversy; made by RockStar who made the GTA games.

It happened in Australia. Basically some kid killed another kid with a bat and he said that he got the idea from Manhunt or something like that. So as a result Manhunt was banned from the stores and only recently did it come back.

Europe and Australia seem to be more liberal than the US when it comes to sex but for violence they ban them a lot more strict.

[JamesG]

WTF? What kind of moron would waste their time playing that?

Me. I don't know about you but Battle Rapers sounds like it can be... fun.:lol:

[*Pleasant Tomorrow*]

Me. I don't know about you but Battle Rapers sounds like it can be... fun.:lol:
No offense, but that's wicked lame. Getting some sick thrill out of "fake raping" or whatever the hell isn't...normal. The sad thing is, I think a lot of guys would feel the same way about the game as you do. I just don't get it.

[catlover79]

Na, I love the GTA games. To me it's the action, the feel of it (driving around the cities), all the cars, the plot, the music...

Also, one thing that I like is that the game has consequences for your actions. You can choose to go into crime (the real game) or you can simply drive around in your own car and not get involved.

When you do something wrong the police do come after you, so at least it seems to be great in that sense.
Well, to each his own!

[JamesG]

No offense, but that's wicked lame. Getting some sick thrill out of "fake raping" or whatever the hell isn't...normal. The sad thing is, I think a lot of guys would feel the same way about the game as you do. I just don't get it.

I was joking..

If you had saw what I previously wrote games like this really don't interest me.

Still the sick, twisted, and curious part of me wants to play these Japanese games to see the "hype" but I really don't see myself enjoying it and playing it over and over.

I'm more interested in the government/corporations deciding to ban things.

[*Pleasant Tomorrow*]

I was joking..

If you had saw what I previously wrote games like this really don't interest me.

Still the sick, twisted, and curious part of me wants to play these Japanese games to see the "hype" but I really don't see myself enjoying it and playing it over and over.

I'm more interested in the government/corporations deciding to ban things.
Sorry. :o I was too lazy to read all of the replies.

[Marvo301]

No offense, but that's wicked lame. Getting some sick thrill out of "fake raping" or whatever the hell isn't...normal. The sad thing is, I think a lot of guys would feel the same way about the game as you do. I just don't get it.
Well, I'm a guy and I don"t get it either. The very idea of this game makes me sick to my stomach.

[ekkostar]

Big deal, you can still download 'em for free off of the intertubes.

[JamesG]

Same here. The amount of freedom you have in the GTA games is definitely one of the draws. It literally took me about 3 years to finish San Andreas. I spent countless hours just messing around.

Well for me, I always went right for the main missions first before I free roamed around.
I haven't played much of GTA IV yet. I have it but haven't had much time for it. It's set in NYC so I really want the time to play this.

[JamesG]

Well, to each his own!

Agreed.

[JamesG]

Sorry. :o I was too lazy to read all of the replies.

No it's cool.

[Dutabi84]

Well for me, I always went right for the main missions first before I free roamed around.
I haven't played much of GTA IV yet. I have it but haven't had much time for it. It's set in NYC so I really want the time to play this.


Yeah, that's road I've taken with GTA IV. I haven't done a lot of exploring in it, just missions, and various side games/missions. I've been too addicted to Halo 3 lately to finish GTA IV, but I have gotten through about half of the game. The visuals in that game are just incredible.

[DVDFreaker]

WTF? What kind of moron would waste their time playing that?

Men who rape girls in real life?

[JamesG]

Men who rape girls in real life?

By that same note, those who play violent or fighting games are violent people in real life. That's not true.

[DVDFreaker]

By that same note, those who play violent or fighting games are violent people in real life. That's not true.

Yeah I know

[Pus$y Galore]

By that same note, those who play violent or fighting games are violent people in real life. That's not true.

Actually, that's the first thought that hit me. Is this game bad in the sense that it "promotes" rape, or is it good in the sense that someone who's inclined to rape anyway, wouldn't because this game would be an outlet for that violent side of them?


hmmmm.... it would be very interesting to see studies on human behavior done with it actually. The Japanese society especially would be an interesting place to start.

(That said, I don't actually condone this sort of thing, just it does bring up a couple of interesting debate subjects). Good post JamesG!

[Purffin]

This is just disgusting, so are all the other games out there that promote such sick and twisted violence. I don't know why these games are even allowed to be created, besides the fact they bring in billions of dollars, they still shouldn't be allowed to distribute this trash :mad:

[JamesG]

Actually, that's the first thought that hit me. Is this game bad in the sense that it "promotes" rape, or is it good in the sense that someone who's inclined to rape anyway, wouldn't because this game would be an outlet for that violent side of them?


hmmmm.... it would be very interesting to see studies on human behavior done with it actually. The Japanese society especially would be an interesting place to start.

(That said, I don't actually condone this sort of thing, just it does bring up a couple of interesting debate subjects). Good post JamesG!

You bring up an interesting point too. Without a doubt many of us live vicariously through characters we see on screen. Whether it is video games or movies, whether it's action or romance, people vision things that they do not normally (perhaps never will) get to do in their real life through entertainment.

This does bring up interesting speculation that people who are prone to rape will live out their fantasies with this. Also, just like with anything else, what if they get bored with this and now they are ready to do it for real?
You might prevent some but you might encourage some as well. This concept goes with all media. I don't think the game will make you become a rapist, no, I think that sick part already has to be there in your mind.

I think in order to fully grasp this concept we need to study Japanese culture, as you stated. They are the most technological advanced civilization and they have ideas and concepts out there that many of us have never heard off. Their adult market is more advanced as well and most of it is anime. You could do A LOT with cartoon porn than real people can do so they have many, mnay depictions of bizarre fantasies and what not.

It will make an interesting study for sure. I also want to know if Japan even takes this game seriously? Is it a joke? Is it some weird novelty?

[robyrob]

just to clarify a point from the original story - it was not Amazon that was selling this game, it was a third party seller selling it through Amazon.

[JamesG]

Well curiousity got the better of me and I decided to download RapeLay.

To put it simply the game sucks. The graphics are great and everything is.. detailed.. but the game sucks. It's repetitive and their is no strategy whatsoever. You just move a cursor around the body and you hear sexual sounds like "oooooo".


I think this controversy was the best thing that happened to this game because now it got in the press and got more exposure. The game doesn't deserve all of the attention.