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Exclusive: Amazon selling rape simulation game
Thursday, 12 February 2009
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A game that involves the player stalking victims and then raping them in a virtual world is being offered for sale by online retailer Amazon.com, the Belfast Telegraph's website can reveal.
The shocking 'rape simulator', Rapelay, is set in Japan and carries a sickening game description on the Amazon website. An MP said last night that he plans to raise the issue in Parliament.
Reviews by gaming websites have expressed horror at the basis for the game.
One website review describes "tears glistening in the young girl's eyes" as she is attacked in graphic detail.
Players begin the game by stalking a mother on a subway station before violently raping her. They then move on to attack her two daughters described as virgin schoolgirls.
Players are also allowed to enter 'freeform mode' where they can rape any woman and get other male game characters to join the attacks.
Pregnancy and abortion are listed as 'key features'. One review said: "If she does become pregnant you're supposed to force her to get an abortion, otherwise she gets more and more visibly pregnant each time you have sex.
"If you allow the child to be born then the woman will throw you in front of a train!"
Most of the descriptions and screenshots of the game are too graphic for publication here.
The game's producer, Illusion is a company from Japan famous for making similar 3D Hentai games.
The online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, says: "Due to Illusion's policy, its games are not intended to be sold or used outside of Japan, and official support is only given in Japanese and for use in Japan."
Despite this policy consumers, including those in the UK and Ireland, are now able to buy the game through the Amazon website.
Last night Labour MP Keith Vaz said he was shocked that Amazon are allowing people to purchase such a game and plans to raise the issue in Parliament after being contacted by the Belfast Telegraph website.
Mr Vaz said: “It is intolerable that anyone would purchase a game that simulates the criminal offence of rape.
"To know that this 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.”
Last year the MP for Leicester East was criticised for claiming such games exist.
Mr Vaz was speaking in support of of Conservative MP Julian Brazier's Private Member's Bill – which sought to introduce an official governmental body that can challenge rulings by the British Board of Film Classifications (BBFC).
Vaz stated: "People who are watching a film at the cinema cannot participate in what is happening on the screen, or if they do they are removed from the cinema.
"However...when people play these things, they can interact. They can shoot people; they can kill people. As the honourable Gentleman said, they can rape women."
Vaz's claims were questioned by Tory MP for Wantage Edward Vaizey.
He told Parliament: "...the right honourable Member for Leicester East (Keith Vaz), who chairs the Home Affairs Committee, mentioned that some video games allow the participant to engage in a rape act...
"I checked the point with the BBFC and found it to be completely unaware of any such video game.
"Is the honourable Gentleman aware of any video game that has as its intention the carrying out of rape or that allows the game player to carry out such an act? The BBFC and I are unaware of any such game."
At the time hundreds of gaming blogs slated Vaz for his comments. One blog poster said: "This guy has no idea what he's talking about he's more likey to of never even played a game in his life just plain stupid if you ask me."
Only one comment appears on the Amazon website. The user says: "1.0 out of 5 stars. The fact that this exists as a game makes me sad. I am saddened and appalled by the mere idea of this game. is this for real?"
Last year the Belfast Telegraph revealed that Amazon had listed a Barack Obama mask as terrorist costume. The online retailer said the offensive category was put there by someone using its "tag" feature and had removed it immediately.
Update
After being contacted by the Belfast Telegraph Amazon today removed the webpage (still viewable here from Google's cache). A screenshot is also available at this location. The company would not comment on the item or say why it had been offered for sale through their website.
The Amazon page
Rapelay Japanese PC game
by Illusion
Game description on Amazon
Rapelay is an offshoot of the Illusion series, Interact Play. You, like in
previous installments, play as a public nuisance that gets away from
captivity and starts scouting for new targets. This time around you find a
family of a single mother and her two daughters. You quickly begin your hunt
and capture each woman one by one. The gameplay involves an amusing
training/disposition system with which to break each respective target to
your liking....
An expert's opinion: Peter Hepper
Could games like this encourage people to commit illegal acts in the real world?
There have been high profile instances of individuals copying from TV and games. However I think these are the exception rather than the rule.
If one looked at the overall proportion of people who copy such things then it is likely to be very small. However to a potential victim even if one person does - that is one too many.
I don’t think that it would make someone not so inclined to commit an illegal act more inclined or likely to commit a specific act.
However if people are already inclined to view the world this way it may reinforce their views and make it more likely they would undertake an illegal act. I suspect the will to do this would need to be there in the first place.
Professor Peter Hepper, heads the School of Psychology at Queen's University Belfast
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Comments
133 Comments
What is wrong with the world today to make a few buck were willing to sell garbage. Bet the makers of this video game have never been in that situation before and if they were they wouldn"t make such light of it. Children!!! you actually put children in how truly sick some have become.
Posted by Tracy | 23.09.09, 19:20 GMT
Seriously everyone just calm the hell down..
Do you know that there is a game where you cut peoples heads of with chainsaws.. yes. its called GRAND THEFT AUTO and millions of kids are playing it every day and you are complaining about this one game, why does it even matter, if some sad person wants to buy this game and play it in the privacy of their home why does it even matter to you, its not hurting anyone. Stop making a fuss of something that isent even that serious...
Posted by Kev | 13.08.09, 18:34 GMT
Wow. All of you people need to chill. If this type of thing offends you, go out and do something about the people that actually do this in real life. Don't stand on you soap box and post comments on a website thinking your going to make a change. Its sad when a 16 year old (me) looks at you people like you're stupid cause you cant comprehend the fact that there is nothing you alone are going to do to change anything. I'm now going to continue hating dumb people that live in a fantasy world.
Posted by Justin | 11.07.09, 04:51 GMT
Quoted from Mirai "Any male or female who tells you they haven't had sexual fantasies, or needs of 'domination' of some kind is a liar or desperately repressed".
Errrr.... domination and rape are not the same thing...
I think that this game is shocking and I cannot believe that any decent human being would want to play it. That doesn't make me a hypocrite, I don't like violent games anyway, but at least with those, isn't the object to get bad guys? Stalking the innocent is on a different level
Posted by Soap Box | 10.07.09, 15:04 GMT
Great, now everyone over the age of 40 who's never played a video game in their life and hasn't a clue as to what anime even is can get up on their moral high-horse and preach to us, and pass laws to restrict us from playing video games they don't like. If you find it disgusting, that's understandable, but don't try to step on other people's rights. Aside from being gross, how has this game harmed anyone in any way? There's a negative correllation between porn consumption and real-world rape.
Posted by Knows What He's Talking About | 24.06.09, 01:26 GMT
i dunno how many thousands of people i have slaughtered in video games. guess how many I've killed in real life? none. Where is all the outrage over that? What is it about rape that freaks people out so much more? You "outraged" people really need to think things through a little bit.
Posted by MassMurderer | 15.06.09, 06:03 GMT
I feel as if most people have completely misunderstood this game.This game is an ADULT(XXX, pornographic) game, in japan, it is sold only in stores that cater to ADULT games. There are loads of pornographic movies that have "rape" scenes, I fail to see how this is any different.
I would like to point out that there is very little interactivity in this game, it's more like "select a scene, sit back and enjoy".
Now OBVIOUSLY this game shouldn't have been for display on amazon - since they don't sell adult items.If you think this game is sick or whatever then just look away, nobody is forcing you to play. But please don't judge others who enjoy this kind of thing, since they have not harmed or done anything to anyone so it makes you the bad guy.Oh, and unless you went to a university to study psychology, please don't say it has "psychological effects". Especially since serious crime in this country has only been going down as more and more violent films and games have been released.
Posted by Waka-waka | 08.05.09, 22:36 GMT
RHODA got it in one.Its pure hypocrisy and blurring of reality. We glorify guns, wars, alcohol, drugs and killing animals but suddenly outraged by our sexuality? As lizards are supposedly aroused by the colour of scales, males and females have programmed autonomic natural biological physical activations, in the same way.Any male or female who tells you they haven't had sexual fantasies, or needs of 'domination' of some kind is a liar or desperately repressed.Women's biology dictates 2 modes because they have to protect their eggs, and choose the best partner from the hungry wolves.So they (1) have to give off the image of purity,but mode 2 is the complete opposite, when they are in bed of course. And this is where all the hypocrisy comes from. Males only have 1 mode. Direct (yang). Although this game takes it all...way too far.
Posted by Mirai | 08.05.09, 17:45 GMT
How about games that simulate the "criminal offence" of murder? There's plenty of point-and-shoot games out there. Hypocrits.
Posted by Frankie | 29.04.09, 12:02 GMT
So, we can make video games of murder and torture, guns, violence, Movies of graphic violence, killing of men and women, children, animals, but no talk of "Boycott Amazon! Boycott Hollywood! People are sick minded! Boycott all video games! I'm morally outraged!!
DOOM, Manhunt, GTA, Resident Evil, The Suffering, etc. Go look at those games, my so called outraged people. That's okay for you? You're so upset over this game, try lookin at games that have been around for the past ten years.
So only if there is rape, it's bad? Murder is perfectly fine, so fine that I witness mothers buying their kids the games. Kids who play these shooting games and go "Hey, these are cool" are perfectly okay because murder is not bad. Only rape is. So kids, murder all the people you want in video games. Get your rocks on with big guns, knives. Kill in the most creative way you can. Ooh, even get extra point for particular gruesome ghastly killing.
yep fine examples
Posted by Rhoda | 11.04.09, 07:54 GMT
I am absolutely disgusted, appalled and gobsmacked that such a game could be made, never mind sold!! What the hell next?! There are obviously no limitations or moral decency as to what will be made available anymore... and to say it was only intended for sale in Japan; the net does make it very easy for inappropriate material to be obtained via download or purchase... sickos!
Posted by Tracey | 02.04.09, 09:58 GMT
Am I, like, the only one not too freaked out about the rape play but reeling about the "force the woman to have an abortion!" aspect?
Posted by Kat | 16.03.09, 04:07 GMT
Why the hell is Amu (from the anime "Shugo Chara") in this game?
Or are all these screenshots from different games? Because I find it hard to believe that there is that much of a variation with the art in this one, not to mention an obvious anime character.
Is this a real article about the game, or just random product placement?
Posted by Shade | 09.03.09, 21:30 GMT
Come on people - what is going on in this world. I don't give a damn that some of you think this is just a game. Are you kidding me. Hurting, raping, people/animals is nothing to play with. There is something obviously disturbing about a person that thinks this has any element of fun in it. What is wrong with society these days - anything goes-can we have an ounce of compassion for those who have been raped and never ever purchase or glamorize such a horrific act. This is becoming a sick world that in all honesty makes me so disgusted with the human race-some of us are just becoming monsters.
Posted by Kaane67 | 03.03.09, 16:16 GMT
I just have one question. Is this an honest to god news article, or an advertisement for the game. As it practically includes a link to purchase the game, I have to assume the latter.
Posted by Puzzled | 01.03.09, 23:39 GMT
disqusting.
Who could even make up something like this, particularily the "virgin schoolgirls part"?
We live in a messed up world if this is considired entertainment.
Posted by Disqusted | 28.02.09, 07:31 GMT
unbelievable.
what a terrible world.
what next? very disturbing.
Posted by no | 27.02.09, 02:30 GMT
Stalking and rape are against the law. If I were a juror on the test case against this company for a lawsuit from a woman who was raped by a person who was inspired to commit such a crime because of immersing himself in this game the company who produced the game would have to consider what the downside could be ... unquantifiable comes to mind.
Posted by Robert heartland | 25.02.09, 04:26 GMT
Hmm. Go complain to GTA creators also.
In GTA you can run over people, kill people, do drug deals... ETC ETC.
Posted by D | 24.02.09, 14:48 GMT
What the hell are people thinking...
a) to manufacture this AT ALL!
and b) to try and defend it ...er i know the country is slighty of the map but come on...shall we practise ????????
and then to some how say that, if they do interact they will be thrown out...well hang on a second, it shouldn't even have got this far, nevermind being shown to Us relitavly ordinary general public..
I mean come on this just ain't real
Posted by dani | 20.02.09, 11:54 GMT
133 Comments