New York City Councilor Calls For RapeLay Boycott

[Yog Sothoth]

I just sent an email to the webmaster at the New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault. Here's a copy of it, I'm wondering if I came off too strong....?

"Dear Sir or Madam,

While I agree that the game in question is offensive to western audiences, I want to point out that it has never been distributed here in the US. The fiasco with Amazon.com was a one time mistake, the retailer does not normally offer that game in the US. Calling for retailers in North America to stop selling this game is pointless, as none of them carry it now.

My point in all this is that first, you're asking retailers to stop selling a game that they DON'T SELL TO BEGIN WITH. Second, you're feeding negative media myths about video games by calling attention to one that is an exception, NOT the rule. This would be akin to condemning Hollywood for snuff films and amateur porn. Last, you're mis-categorizing this game by calling it "a teenage video game" which makes NO SENSE WHAT-SO-EVER. This game is obviously NOT intended for children, and using the that phrase to describe it only contributes to the misconception that all video games are violent, misogynistic, and targeted at kids.

Don't get me wrong, IF Rapelay were actually being sold in the US I would fully support your request for a boycott. Violence against women should never be condoned and is a serious problem that warrants continued vigilance. But, I am SICK and TIRED of video games being demonized and blamed for everything that's wrong with our country and society.

Do your homework next time. Right now you're the laughing stock of everyone in the gaming community who's read your press release.

Sincerely
(name withheld)"

 

[Flap Jack452]

Haha on the Escapist home page all i saw was "New York City Councilor Calls for Rape".

I just sent an email to the webmaster at the New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault. Here's a copy of it, I'm wondering if I came off too strong....?

Snip

No, not strong at all, it was something that needed to be said and I am glad you did, let me know what they say.

 

[Yog Sothoth]

Haha on the Escapist home page all i saw was "New York City Councilor Calls for Rape".

I just sent an email to the webmaster at the New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault. Here's a copy of it, I'm wondering if I came off too strong....?

Snip

No, not strong at all, it was something that needed to be said and I am glad you did, let me know what they say.

Sure, if they respond I'll post it here. I love writing angry emails....

 

[bodyklok]

I just sent an email to the webmaster at the New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault. Here's a copy of it, I'm wondering if I came off too strong....?

"Dear Sir or Madam,

While I agree that the game in question is offensive to western audiences, I want to point out that it has never been distributed here in the US. The fiasco with Amazon.com was a one time mistake, the retailer does not normally offer that game in the US. Calling for retailers in North America to stop selling this game is pointless, as none of them carry it now.

My point in all this is that first, you're asking retailers to stop selling a game that they DON'T SELL TO BEGIN WITH. Second, you're feeding negative media myths about video games by calling attention to one that is an exception, NOT the rule. This would be akin to condemning Hollywood for snuff films and amateur porn. Last, you're mis-categorizing this game by calling it "a teenage video game" which makes NO SENSE WHAT-SO-EVER. This game is obviously NOT intended for children, and using the that phrase to describe it only contributes to the misconception that all video games are violent, misogynistic, and targeted at kids.

Don't get me wrong, IF Rapelay were actually being sold in the US I would fully support your request for a boycott. Violence against women should never be condoned and is a serious problem that warrants continued vigilance. But, I am SICK and TIRED of video games being demonized and blamed for everything that's wrong with our country and society.

Do your homework next time. Right now you're the laughing stock of everyone in the gaming community who's read your press release.

Sincerely
(name withheld)"

*Clap on back
I must say, Sir, that this is a very well worded and to the point letter that raises some interesting and important points, and of course if you do receive a reply (though that is unlikely I believe) I for one would be pleased to see it. On topic I'd like to say that if they were doing this in order to try and stop the game from being sold (ever) in the USA I might understand. Much more so if it was actually being sold there before hand.

 

[Fronken]

I had no idea the american government could control what is sold in Japan, but ofc, i should've known seeing as the american government think of itself as supreme ruler of the world...

 

[KeyMaster45]

Its all just to put on a show for the ignorant voters that they already have in fear of video games. I only wish I could be there to raise the queston "Are you aware that the game was not, and will not be released in US markets?", and then revel in the stark silence as another jack thompson esque crusade comes to an end.

The sad thing is that everyone will get up in arms over some misinformation, and the truth will never be known to the ignorant masses.

 

[Slift]

Still nothing like Australia's shitty gaming politics.

Yet i did laugh VERY loudly at this, it's (Evidently) three years old and has never been released (By the looks of it) in mass quantities.

While I'm aware that the adult video game department is large in Japan, I'm also lead to believe that this game (While popular to a point among fans) doesn't sell very largely (Like other adult video games, you only have a small market.)

Meanwhile, as pointed out by previous posts... Rape and murder and everything is in books on a MUCH larger scale. This kinda stuff means it's harder for people to create interesting and deep games we can enjoy, mostly because shit like this happens (Where, really... Nothing can be done and... Who the hell cares in the end? It's a rape game, yes... Don't agree with that, but free speech, different culture... It's never been released outside of a small market, so i don't rightly agree with the game's plot, but i don't have to care because I'm not going to buy it am i?)

In the end it comes down to the stupid notion that video games influence people in some horrible and mystic way of space magic and fairy dust... Where they suddenly want to go to a strip club or kill hookers because they played GTA. Where books and shit somehow don't have that effect. And the general populace being idiots... That too.

Generally this shit happens because, like the Mass Effect scandal, these idiots don't research. And the general populace i stupid enough to believe that video games are some kind of demonic thing that can command people to do stuff.

...Sorry, went of on a tangent there. But yes... I blame the mass stupids on this.

 

[Zeraki]

What these politicians are too stupid to understand is that the more they complain about it, they give it free advertisement, and more people are going to want to play it. It is kind of funny to see them trying to ban a game that wouldn't get passed the ESRB in the first place.

EDIT

And the fact that they're trying to say that it was being sold in America is just stupid. Yet the ignorant lemming-like masses will believe it like they always do. I saw a news program the other night about it with so much misinformation, and even a lack of information. All they did was cut to some soccer mom outside of a video game store saying that, and I quote "It is disgusting that something like this would be released here, that game is never coming into my house!", the way they were talking about it gave the impression that it was actually released outside of Japan, when it reality, it wasn't. It never would have, and it never will be.

They are just trying to use this as ammunition against the video game industry, and it angers me to no end.

 

[Woe Is You]

Heh, how many of us had even heard of this game before these politicians started making a huge deal about it? I sure as hell hadn't.

And as revolting as the game is, how do you boycott something that no sane person has on stock? It's like they assume every store that's selling games has this game on stock, while the fact of the matter is that unrated and AO games aren't even sold for the most part.

 

[KDR_11k]

Boycott? Isn't it already illegal in the states?

There's something pesky called the First Amendment but don't worry, politicians are doing their best to eradicate that. Child pornography is punishable but a blind man could tell that the characters in a videogame are virtual and AFAIK courts have ruled that child porn is only illegal when it involves actual children (because the laws are to protect children from being exploited and put into CP, not the idea by itself because ideas are protected by the constitution). The situation is different in other countries of course.

 

[nova18]

This is hilarious how the everyone is overreacting to this. If they hadn't publicised it then 99% of people who know about it now, wouldn't know about it.

That's the case with most games like this,controversial games get so much coverage that it makes it appealing to so many. Even this game, which even I have to admit is taking things too far, yet now I want it so I can see first hand how bad it is.

 

[Moloch-De]

This is hilarious how the everyone is overreacting to this. If they hadn't publicised it then 99% of people who know about it now, wouldn't know about it.

That's the case with most games like this,controversial games get so much coverage that it makes it appealing to so many. Even this game, which even I have to admit is taking things too far, yet now I want it so I can see first hand how bad it is.

Exactly this!
Now that we have been introduced to this new thread to our Religions/Savety/Values/Potatochips/Whatsoever I feel tempted to see if it is another of those typical overreactions or if there is a boundrie crossed that should and has never been crossed before...form an opinion on my own...

 

[the_tramp]

That's the case with most games like this,controversial games get so much coverage that it makes it appealing to so many. Even this game, which even I have to admit is taking things too far, yet now I want it so I can see first hand how bad it is.

Precisely, when I first heard of this game I found a review for it, which was hilarious in it's own right and showed the concept of the game and read key parts of the review to my housemates. They were horrified but we did sit around laughing about how bad this game could possibly be. Out of curiosity I did a torrent search for the game and found one for the game. I didn't download it but then again if this situation played out somewhere else then it is likely that it would have been downloaded.

 

[sturryz]

RapeLay is just another example of a game, well seen as nothing out of the normal for the Japanese and their extremely open porn market, proves that Americans are so stupid as to ignore the fact that this game never came out in America to begin with.
of course it was only a matter of time before Hentai or Eroge hit the american public and caused a MASSIVE outcry. i am surprised it took so long. i guess the violent, often times 40x more revolting Hentai mangas and animes (demon rape, child rape, bondage rape, etc.) out there doesn't do it. it needs to be in a video game to be dangerous.

 

[CAPPINJACK]

It's stuff like this (that the game was created in the first place -AND- the overreaction of the masses that are incapable of thinking for themselves) that only reinforces my belief that the human race has overstayed its welcome on this miserable little planet and needs to be purged.

 

[MaxFan]

I had never heard of this game prior to these politicians making it an issue and would have been fine with simply never having heard of it. Good job there, guys!

 

[Captain Blackout]

I just sent an email to the webmaster at the New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault. Here's a copy of it, I'm wondering if I came off too strong....?

"Dear Sir or Madam,

*snip*

Do your homework next time. Right now you're the laughing stock of everyone in the gaming community who's read your press release.

Sincerely
(name withheld)"

That's perfect. The last line sets the tone well. They need to understand the consequences of their actions. If they ban rapelay, we all ignore them except for the laughter. So when GTA tries the same thing politicians will have lost credibility and I'll have a new game to take away from my kids.

On a highly related note: Legend of Overfiend, Ichii the Killer, etc. etc. etc. but this is where they make a strong stand? WTF? They are pretty much going to make certain games have the same First Amendment status as all other media and it will all be downhill from there. Brilliant.

 

[Yog Sothoth]

That's perfect. The last line sets the tone well. They need to understand the consequences of their actions. If they ban rapelay, we all ignore them except for the laughter. So when GTA tries the same thing politicians will have lost credibility and I'll have a new game to take away from my kids.

Wait.... politicians have credibility to lose....?

 

[TsunamiWombat]

This patches well with my own political initiative, to get retailers to stop selling games in which you eat babies! NO MORE WILL WE ALLOW OUR CHILDREN TO BE CORRUPTED BY ALL THE BABY EATING SIMULATORS OUT THERE! GAMES LIKE.. ..uhm..err...

anyway NO MORE EATING BABIES!