Amazon and a game about rape

It sounds absolutely fucking horrible. But then I don't "get" a lot of the games that a lot of people seem to cream their pants over, either. I'm a Wii Sports and Brain Training kind of gal.

I agree with Roobarb, it's utterly sickening and I'm disgusted that Amazon made it available. I don't understand games involving realistic violence at the best of times, but this is beyond the pale.

Just cannot understand the appeal of Hentai. Weird beyond belief.

I know it's the age-old censorship debate, but what concerns me is the erosion of levels of acceptability with young, teenage boys. Rape being more normalised through this sort of experience is probably not likely to make the commit a rape, but it may have an impact on the way they see male / female interaction, or their empathy for victims of sexual attack. Boys seem to respond best to clear rules, and, in my humble opinion, this is one of those that should not be broken: sexual violence is dispicable.

Well said, Clairy. I think there are some very worrying attitudes towards rape among younger people (male and female), and games like this aren't exactly going to help.

Its so horrible I just can't get my head round it tbh. Although, as I say, Mr P and GTA doesn't appeal at all either.

Quite. However, I don;t think it is necessarily fair to single out this game, when popular games have involved other crimes. I tend to think if you don't want video games to promote crime then that's that - you can't categorize rape as being worse than murder, for example.
However, wasn't the game Manhunt banned in this country ? (that was a sick and horrible notion for a game - I bought it and it creeped me out so much I took it back). I think this game should fall into the same category.

What is far more worrying than the game's existence though is that the demand exists in the first place

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I can't see much difference between this and games where you hurt and kill. In fact surely killing games are worse and yet there are hundreds of them on amazon.

It's just an extension from hentai and is complete fantasy.

I did exactly the same with Manhunt as well, Lois. Cartoon/fantasy/sci-fi violence seems so far removed from ordinary life that it doesn't seem to register. Manhunt was far too realistic. Whatever the games industry says, those games do get into the hands of children (plus some vulnerable adults as well).

It is really tricky because generally I don't agree with censorship, but... The game 'Manhunt' was SO realistic, alhtough it obviously ISN'T real, it is extremely engrossing. And that's where I think there could be an inherent problem with vedeo games over, say, books or films - you are interacting with them and making things happen.

However, you are probanly right, it is all fantasy, and I don't think there's any evidence to suggest people make the leap from games to real life crime, is there?

On the other hand (do I have three by now?), should we be desensitising people to crime to such a degree that maybe they won't find it so shocking when they hear of it happening in real life? Is there a duty to make people understand that horrible things in games become reality to some people and are horrific and awful?

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