Eroge Site Blocks Non-Japanese Viewers

[Andy Chalk]

Eroge Site Blocks Non-Japanese Viewers

As the Japanese erotic game industry continues to deal with fallout from the RapeLay controversy, developer Minori has blocked access to its website by viewers outside Japan and a list of words now banned in games has also come to the surface.

Since the accidental appearance of RapeLay [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/89398-Rape-Game-On-Amazon-Triggers-Anger-Outrage] on Amazon, much of the Western world has been up in arms over the Japanese eroge industry, which develops and publishes a wide range of erotic games that are common in Japan but largely unknown to other cultures. As a result of the outcry, Japanese game publishers have been codifying new standards for such games, although much of it appears to affect the presentation of the games rather than the actual content, and it's difficult to shake the feeling that most of it is being done for the benefit of outsiders.

In that vein, eroge developer Minori is no longer allowing its website to be viewed by people who reside outside of Japan. Anyone attempting to access the site now receives the following message:

This website cannot be browsed excluding Japan.
Some foreigners seem to be having an antipathy against EROGE.
Therefore, We prohibited the access from foreign countries, to defend our culture.
Sorry for you of the fan that lives in a foreign country.

At least one Japanese online retailer also said it will begin restricting games that have any association with a list of keywords mandated by an "unnamed regulation body," which Ethics Organization of Computer Software [http://zepy.momotato.com/2009/06/23/online-dl-shop-reveals-new-restrictions/]. Among the list of proscribed words and phrases is "rape," "cruel sexual play," "train groping," "incest," "torture" and "reverse sexual violence," as well as any alternate terms that reference them in any way. The list covers written materials used anywhere in the games as well as imagery.

Regulators in Japan apparently still haven't settled on exactly when the new restrictions will take effect or what they will entail but an announcement finalizing the changes is expected shortly. Meanwhile, to help avoid controversies like that surrounding RapeLay from erupting again in the future, some manufacturers are voluntarily toning down the titles of their games; thus, Slave Maiden's Rape Hell becomes Young Girl's Prison and Repayment Sex Slavery is now known as Repayment Plan.



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[yeah_so_no]

...Wow. That is such a very, well, Japanese reaction. Foreigners don't like it, make so it foreigners can't see it, and the problem goes away.

It's like how, rather than deal with men thinking it's ok to grope women in the trains, they just create women-only cars and hope that will solve the problem.

And "defend our culture." Yeah, so, guys? That's not the "Japanese culture" you want to really be defending...

 

[Cpt_Oblivious]

It's like how, rather than deal with men thinking it's ok to grope women in the trains

What the hell goes on in that country? Rape games? Public random groping?

And yes, "defending culture"? I don't think that's something you should defend.

 

[randommaster]

...Wow. That is such a very, well, Japanese reaction. Foreigners don't like it, make so it foreigners can't see it, and the problem goes away.

It's like how, rather than deal with men thinking it's ok to grope women in the trains, they just create women-only cars and hope that will solve the problem.

And "defend our culture." Yeah, so, guys? That's not the "Japanese culture" you want to really be defending...

Well, to be fair, nothing was said about these games until one accidentally appeared in the US, so it seems reasonable to assume that people won't bother them if they don't see what they don't like.

 

[Rylian]

It sounds like whoever wrote the message had poor translation skills. Admittedly, there's a lot of things which go on in Japan which seem really strange to those of a Western persuasion.

 

[yeah_so_no]

It's like how, rather than deal with men thinking it's ok to grope women in the trains

What the hell goes on in that country? Rape games? Public random groping?

And yes, "defending culture"? I don't think that's something you should defend.

Yeah, public random groping. That's why there are women-only trains during the morning and evening rush hour. I've been groped just walking down the street and once when I was buying a bottle of tea at a kiosk at the station on a Monday morning (NOT the way one wants to start their work week) and one of my friends is about ready to have her dad send her some mace from the US because she keeps getting groped on the trains.

Well, to be fair, nothing was said about these games until one accidentally appeared in the US, so it seems reasonable to assume that people won't bother them if they don't see what they don't like.

That's because of the Japanese idea of "mushi"--if you ignore it, it's not actually a problem. People ignore these games because it's outside of their bubbles and they don't want to think about them, and since they ignore them, oh hey look, they don't actually exist and there's no problem!

 

[Sixties Spidey]

This website cannot be browsed excluding Japan.
Some foreigners seem to be having an antipathy against EROGE.
Therefore, We prohibited the access from foreign countries, to defend our culture.
Sorry for you of the fan that lives in a foreign country.

I lol'd at the absolutely stupid translation. Let's nitpick.

Defend our Culture
I'm sorry, but if culture in their minds means: "making games where the player has sex with women against their will", they really should fix their morals. Doesn't that, in some weird way make Japan look bad?

Some Foreigners seem to be having antipathy against EROGE.
Well, no shit sherlock. What do you really expect? Do you expect people in the States or Europe, for that matter are really going to allow a Japanese game developer to get away with developing a game based on raping women? I don't think so!

Therefore, We prohibited the access from foreign countries
That kind of strikes me as a stupid thing to do. It's like a 3 year old child covering their face with their hands going "YOU CAN'T SEE ME!"

Sorry for you of the fan that lives in a foreign country.
EROGE, the only reason why you actually have fans is because of this whole RAPElay controversy. And they really aren't fans. They're "fans" in the same way that Paris Hilton has "friends".

 

[Cpt_Oblivious]

It's like how, rather than deal with men thinking it's ok to grope women in the trains

What the hell goes on in that country? Rape games? Public random groping?

And yes, "defending culture"? I don't think that's something you should defend.

Yeah, public random groping. That's why there are women-only trains during the morning and evening rush hour. I've been groped just walking down the street and once when I was buying a bottle of tea at a kiosk at the station on a Monday morning (NOT the way one wants to start their work week) and one of my friends is about ready to have her dad send her some mace from the US because she keeps getting groped on the trains.

That's just wrong, women aren't object. They're people.

Your friend doesn't need mace, she needs a strong left hook.

 

[PrinceoN]

I would hate to be the devil's advocate here but...imagine if japan turned around and wanted all you people in your countries to stop doing the things that they (and several other countries probably) didnt like that you do. does that seem fair? now, i would also like to say that i, i no way, shape, or form, permit rape or any type of misogynistic activities, however, i am also highly against one country telling another country how to act. THIS IS HOW WARS GET STARTED PEOPLE. the thought of japanese men fondling random japanese women sickens me to no end, however, i know that several of the things i do on a daily basis probably sicken japanese men to no end. its worth remembering that "good" and "evil" (or "bad") are very relative terms, and they are relative to the worst and best things in your memory, as well as your surroundings, meaning environment and culture.

 

[Pimppeter2]

Apparently Raping is part of their culture

Off to rewrite the history books!!

 

[FinalGamer]

Ohhh wow Japan, nice.

Hey I don't care what you guys do, if we whined about it then why should we care? Go and play with your virtual rape.

 

[cobrausn]

Frankly, it is Japan's responsibility to ensure that justice is done within their own borders. I don't ever expect to see that really happen, at least for Japanese women.

So I guess now we know the real reason the birth rate is declining - a lot of Japanese men are perverts and Japanese women don't put up with it.

 

[Erana]

Wait, who made this discovery?

 

[The Pie]

meh, i think we should just ignore them and let them do what they want with their own country, problems like theese should be solved alone.

 

[Octorok]

It's like how, rather than deal with men thinking it's ok to grope women in the trains

What the hell goes on in that country? Rape games? Public random groping?

And yes, "defending culture"? I don't think that's something you should defend.

Yeah, public random groping. That's why there are women-only trains during the morning and evening rush hour. I've been groped just walking down the street and once when I was buying a bottle of tea at a kiosk at the station on a Monday morning (NOT the way one wants to start their work week) and one of my friends is about ready to have her dad send her some mace from the US because she keeps getting groped on the trains.

*Brings out Blacklist*

*Writes, never go to Japan on it*

Coming from you that's a bit rich. Actually, right, don't go to Japan. If you did the temptation to be inapprpraitely intimate with a stranger would be too great, and you'd be electronically tagged.

On topic : While I agree that this is appalling, and that this response is rather childish, in Japan, things are just different. Worse, but different. This is seen as acceptable, and the people complaining about it are people from different cultures.

 

[Erana]

It's like how, rather than deal with men thinking it's ok to grope women in the trains

What the hell goes on in that country? Rape games? Public random groping?

And yes, "defending culture"? I don't think that's something you should defend.

Yeah, public random groping. That's why there are women-only trains during the morning and evening rush hour. I've been groped just walking down the street and once when I was buying a bottle of tea at a kiosk at the station on a Monday morning (NOT the way one wants to start their work week) and one of my friends is about ready to have her dad send her some mace from the US because she keeps getting groped on the trains.

*Brings out Blacklist*

*Writes, never go to Japan on it*

Coming from you that's a bit rich. Actually, right, don't go to Japan. If you did the temptation to be inapprpraitely intimate with a stranger would be too great, and you'd be electronically tagged.

On topic : While I agree that this is appalling, and that this response is rather childish, in Japan, things are just different. Worse, but different. This is seen as acceptable, and the people complaining about it are people from different cultures.

Japan isn't that bad, save the racoon dog statues and the creepy chicks handing out maid cafe brochures...

 

[Pain Is Inevitable]

When it comes to VIOLENT FICTION (in games, movies, books, etc.) you must either allow anything to be made the basis of free speech because it's FICTION, or you must ban anything from being made on the basis that it's harmful to society because it's VIOLENT.

So fellow escapists, think about the last video game you played which had some sort of violence in it and ask yourself whether you would like to see it banned. Then, you already have the answer to this debate.