You may have heard that a once-obscure rape game, RapeLay, has been causing controversy ever since the hentai title was discovered "for sale" on Amazon. The Japanese game was pulled from Amazon's used market, but Western reactionaries did what Western reactionaries did best -- they cried and shouted about it until the game was known to everybody, thus undermining their own attempts to get the game squashed.
The controversy has become absolutely hilarious. Earlier this month, New York-based women's group Equality Now has started a letter-writing campaign to developer Illusion Software, demanding that they cease sale of the game, even though the game is produced for Japan and has never been officially on sale in America. Illusion Software has issued a quasi-statement, rightly saying it is "bewildered" by the campaign, because the game isn't intended for American audiences.
"We are simply bewildered by the [Equality Now protest]," stated Illusion. "We make the games for the domestic market and abide by laws here. We cannot possibly comment on [the campaign] because we don't sell them overseas."
Don't get me wrong, a game based on rape sounds rather vile. However, the game was obscure and relatively unknown until Keith Vaz's ilk started shining a spotlight on it and basically advertising the thing to importers. Amazon stopped one of its sellers from posting the game up, and it should have ended there. This self-perpetuating controversy will only ensure that RapeLay is "enjoyed" by many more Western gamers. Bewildered is the word.
Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize.
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Contest:
1:40 PM on 05.08.2009
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I get that it's a whole power trip for the emasculated (and likely virgin) Japanese male who lives in a 1 bedroom apartment with his 4,000 garage kit statues of various anime characters in states of undress.
But that doesn't make it a necessary game genre.
It's like making good for all the fecal-philiacs out there by making a game where you force women to take a poo.
Kuso Hero: The new hit series from Activision Japan!
How do you live with yourself knowing that your job is to produce porn where people stick electric probes into fat chicks?
"Ride the Electric Wave"
/insert mental image
Dale pretty much nailed it. people should know there's far much worse out there. But this tidbit pops on amazon and someone gets buttfucked to the point they have to bitch and whine about it.
I'm quite sure no one really payed attention nor cared about that game in america until that guy said something. I know this is my first time hearing about it.
Even for a rape game.
And I know my rape games!
Any "scare" like this is always funny. It reminds me of when parents call out some 5 year old game, or some "new sex simulator title". IF I HAVEN'T SEEN IT, ITS NEW TO ME, RITE?
Japan is CHOCK full of this messed up shit and Rapelay is really like an iceberg tip on a giant freak show of fucked up porn ideas.
American based equality groups aren't going to make any sort of waves in Japan. Hell, Japanese women just got "the pill" like 15 years ago, so equality among the sexes is going to take awhile, if it's something they even want at all.
The mind boggles.
What pisses me off even more is that if Equality Now had found a game where men were being raped I can almost guarantee that they wouldn't be causing such a shitstorm about it.
Its a slippery fucking slope. Now its games that simulate rape, whats next? Everything.
BTW, Illusions games (sexy beach 3, artificial girl 3 etc..) are still all over ebay. Probably pirated versions by the look of it.
I think the biggest issue with the game is not that is shows rape, but that it glories it. There is not line to say this is make believe, as there is in a film. Granted its a computer generated, but the game is aimed at turning people on not in conjunction with rape.
I think its good that people are talking about it, but I don't think Equality Now can just choose to be a part of the world community now. Americans are not always conscious of the world around them, yet when they want something to be angry about they jump in. If you really want to get the game off the market then play it first, learn about. Then learn about the culture. And then shut the hell up because we have a thing called free will and in this situation no one is actually be raped... except for our minds.
"that includes games with shootin, stabbing, choking, punching, kicking and etc... "
So you simply hate videogames?
oh wait, cooking mama! I think....I've never played it!
--------------------------------------------
but this game is strange, and for that I must see it's blasphemous images!
The premise: You're an early 20s petty drug dealer who gets 5 years in the pokey and have to find a way to get accepted in the pen. Join a gang? Or will you become a Prison Bitch!
I think the reason why games are seen as so much worse than movies on subjects of violence and sexual assault is because people don't see the point you made about watching being a sort of participation too. The argument is that video games will "train" people to go out and kill or go out and rape, which is a stupid argument in the first place with no evidence to back it up.
They stab a fish
@Angra: Equality Now might be in objection of RapeLay, but if they did their homework, they'll find that there's also plenty of yaoi/boys love hentai games around too, and aimed at female, their prime demographic in japan. Male characters get the booty love/rape etc, by other dudes.
So there you go. Rockstar don't need to make a Prison Bitch game, because yaoi hentai games, have had that niche locked down ages ago in japan. If you are that way inclined, and love to see male charcaters get the booty love etc, check some out. Now you all know, why yaoi manga does so well in sales in the U.S, because the females love it and eat it up, regardless of what goes on inside of them. Each to their own.
Indeed, equality between men and women in japan is still a big problem that requires a lot of work, and while the gears turn slowly, at least they are moving at all. And at least their games are a good start.
Would you like to know more? I think its about time we were educated more about these games, that the industry would like to brush under the carpet.
What really amazes me is how people get up in arms about this, but there's yet to be a shitstorm kicked up about the likes of SWAP.avi or the triad of 2girls1cup/3guys1hammer/1guy1glass. Guess I'll have to wait for Vaz to pick those up in 2014.
@Ace Fible
Stupid you ! Dont cum inside or you get the bad ending (like IRL , this games is eductive and should be in all ghetto highschools) , you have to let them not-pregnant to get the good ending .
They are trying to send a letter written in ENGLISH to a JAPANESE company.
I think that speaks to the level of intelligence they are working on.
And I'm sure they have translators (actually probably not since they only market to Japanese audiences), but even so, I doubt they will try to translate a bunch of letters from angry Americans who they aren't even marketing to.
They don't know how many Japanese's living depends on raping simulators lol
There are TONS of "rape games" like this one. There are like a dozen of them on Newgrounds right now. Their being horrible games is beside the point.
That being said, even if Illusion WERE to sell this game overseas, I think that's their god damned right to. If you're offended, just look away. Don't play it and don't let your children play it.
As much as people like to whine, crime (especially violent crime) is on the decline. Haha. I rhymed.
I'm kinda curious about this game.
People people may think I'm a pervert for saying this even though I'm not I actually want to try out this a game just to see what it's about or what's getting the media all worked up for no reason.
As far as I know.
This game is on PC it might also be out on PS3 in Japan.
Americans, and British to an extent are such whiney bitches. It's a fucking game! It's not real! Sure if it were a sport, where you have to rape as many bitches as possible, then fair do's, bitches be getting raped as a result - you'd better put a stop to that.
But IT'S NOT REAL! NO WOMEN WE'RE HARMED IN THE MAKING.
It's controversial, but the phole "taking photo's of kids" thing bugs me too, I'm no pedo, but if my kid is on a fairground ride / swimming pool next to your kid and you wanna photo of your kid, GO FOR IT. It's not hurting my kid to be in your photo, even if you go home and whack off over it, my kid will never know.
a simple rule that Western Society seems to have forgotten is..
NO HARM - NO FOUL.