Japanese Eroge Company Renames Rape Games to "Platinum Games"

[John Funk]

Japanese Eroge Company Renames Rape Games to "Platinum Games"

One Japanese eroge (that is, porno games) company has figured out a clever way to get around the country's impending ban on rape games: Don't call them rape games anymore.

Okay, recap time. Are you ready? Back in February, a listing on Amazon.com for a Japanese hentai game called RapeLay - where you play a stalker who rapes and enslaves a mother and her two daughters - its mind [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/89398-Rape-Game-On-Amazon-Triggers-Anger-Outrage].

When the dust settled, though, it seemed that rape games had been unofficially banned, and the manufacturers thereof now had to do their best in order to adhere to the ban as lightly as they possibly could. Some responded by changing the titles (Gang Raped by the Entire Village ~Girls Covered in Milky Liquid~ became The Trap Set by the Entire Village ~Bodies Covered in Milky Liquid~) without changing the content, and some responded by assuming that the games wouldn't offend our delicate foreign sensibilities if we couldn't access their site [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/92637-Eroge-Site-Blocks-Non-Japanese-Viewers].

Now, yet another eroge company has tried another tactic - maybe if they don't call them rape games, nobody will notice! PC Game download site Canned Dogs [http://www2.bgamebox.com/oshirase.htm] reports, their (separate) e-mail newsletter says that the games will be rehosted on their site under new categories.

The Rape category will be renamed "Platinum" games, while the Sexual Slave Training category is now known as the "Thoroughbred" category. I... don't know about you, but that actually sounds more creepy and demeaning to me, and I didn't know that was possible. Then, of course, there's also the scenario where some poor sap mistakes the Platinum category for something not unlike a "Greatest Hits," and has his mind irrevocably scarred.

Though come to think of it, knowing Japan, it might actually be their Greatest Hits category. Nevermind.

(Via Kotaku [http://kotaku.com/5329336/company-renames-rape-game-category])

Permalink

 

[fix-the-spade]

Aren't Sony's classic games already sold under the Platinum name?

I can't wait to hear what they make of this...

Edit
Before the next smart arse turns up and tells me I'm wrong.

http://www.beefjack.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/mgs4platinum.jpg
You don't get it in the US which is why Xbox can call itself Platinum (over here it's Xbox classics). If a game sells 400'000 units within a year of release in the PAL region it gets put on the Platinum range which go for half price. As far as I know only the PAL regions get Platinum.

PS1 and 2 cases are silver not yellow, it's been around since the PS1's early days.

Now stop being such bleeding smart arses!

 

[HardRockSamurai]

.............................................

.............................................

............................is this for real?

So "rape" is "platinum" now?

*starts crying blood*

 

[Go Fighting In The War Room]

What..... The..... Hell.....

 

[IrrelevantTangent]

This is just...really pathetic, disgusting, and sad. Call me a weak-stomached fool who wants to shut down games because I don't personally like them, but if I were in charge, those 'rape games' would be banned, all of them, and I'd put out a notice saying, 'If you attempt to replicate said rape simulators, there will be severe consequences and/or lawsuits against your companies.'

Creating a rape simulator is never justified no matter what you try and call it.

 

[Armored Prayer]

Here we go again!

 

[Krakyn]

They're games people, come on. Manhunt had you murder people as violently and efficiently as possible. If that's allowed in a game, anything should be allowed in a game if the people want it. We, as the developed world, believe censorship is bad, remember? Just because you don't like something doesn't mean it should be banned.

What if I was in charge and banned something like...bacon? Or Christianity? They're two things that majority of people in the U.S. want, but I can argue that both of them have a bad affect on people.

In summary: do to others as you would have done unto you. Don't censor lest ye be censored.

Call me a weak-stomached fool who wants to shut down games because I don't personally like them, but if I were in charge, those 'rape games' would be banned, all of them, and I'd put out a notice saying, 'If you attempt to replicate said rape simulators, there will be severe consequences and/or lawsuits against your companies.'

Creating a rape simulator is never justified no matter what you try and call it.

Calling one of those games a rape simulator is just as accurate as calling CoD:4 a murder simulator. Welcome to the forums, Jack Thompson.

P.S.- I've played RapeLay, and I still know nothing about raping women.

 

[mikecoulter]

Why are they pushing this genre? What the actual hell.

 

[Amarok]

Creating a rape simulator is never justified no matter what you try and call it.

What if said rape simulators were keeping actual rapists off the streets?

It's a stretch I know, but I'm just trying to be awkward

 

[Amnestic]

Why are they pushing this genre? What the actual hell.

Because people buy them?

 

[IamQ]

Aren't Sony's classic games already sold under the Platinum name?

I can't wait to hear what they make of this...

That's what I thought too. Boy, this should be good.

 

[Proteus214]

As much as I like to be the one to pull for the hard-working game devs, these guys can get bent. This is NOT the kind of game that should be encouraged. Out of all the illegal activities portrayed in games, I think this is crossing some sort of line.

 

[Usagi_dono]

Japan never stops scaring me, or well... some of the people in japan. That place is like a theme park for perverts (and scarier things than that)

 

[mikecoulter]

Why are they pushing this genre? What the actual hell.

Because people buy them?

But more people complain and blacklist the company for it, causing them possible loss of profit.

I'm sure people would also find a way of suing them for corrupting their children's precious little minds... Not that I care for that part.

 

[Cid Silverwing]

It's not gonna work. Whoever's responsible for these criminal games -will- be prosecuted for it.

 

[Iron Mal]

They're games people, come on. Manhunt had you murder people as violently and efficiently as possible. If that's allowed in a game, anything should be allowed in a game if the people want it. We, as the developed world, believe censorship is bad, remember? Just because you don't like something doesn't mean it should be banned.

What if I was in charge and banned something like...bacon? Or Christianity? They're two things that majority of people in the U.S. want, but I can argue that both of them have a bad affect on people.

In summary: do to others as you would have done unto you. Don't censor lest ye be censored.

This guy has a point (as a matter of fact, in Manhunt you were also killing people for the purposes of filming snuff and violence fetish films).

I find it strange that we seem to have this belief that banning something from the media will purge ot from our society (like how we can't have people smoking in films without an 18 rating, imagine a child going to see a movie where no-one smokes and then steps outside the cinema and sees mummy light up a cigarette).

 

[ZippyDSMlee]

This is what happens when fou morality is let run amuck, you get abstract dailustion of terms and repeal of rights be it by law or social "opinion".

Get a bunch of of old rich guys who hold the reigns of order flustered enough and you can kiss everything goodbye as they steal things inch by inch trying to make themselves look better than the last guy....

 

[ckeymel]

They're games people, come on. Manhunt had you murder people as violently and efficiently as possible. If that's allowed in a game, anything should be allowed in a game if the people want it. We, as the developed world, believe censorship is bad, remember? Just because you don't like something doesn't mean it should be banned.

What if I was in charge and banned something like...bacon? Or Christianity? They're two things that majority of people in the U.S. want, but I can argue that both of them have a bad affect on people.

In summary: do to others as you would have done unto you. Don't censor lest ye be censored.

This guy has a point (as a matter of fact, in Manhunt you were also killing people for the purposes of filming snuff and violence fetish films).

I find it strange that we seem to have this belief that banning something from the media will purge ot from our society (like how we can't have people smoking in films without an 18 rating, imagine a child going to see a movie where no-one smokes and then steps outside the cinema and sees mummy light up a cigarette).

Agreed. If you replace the word rape with murder, I think most people here would be responding with outrage at the censorship as opposed to bashing the game developers for creating a game so against your moral upbringing. It's hypocritical. I guess now at least you see from the side of people who are against violence in games.