Well discussed. There are, already, some instances listed by other commenters when including the idea of rape or rapists isn't inappropriate in a game (thinking here of The Cheshire's comment about a game sequence of hunting down a criminal whose crime happens to be rape), but the rape of characters - or things like the upcoming 'almost' rape of Croft - is something I do think the industry shouldn't dabble in -- because it isn't something to be dabbled in. It's something that should be treated, when it is treated, with extreme gravity and sensitivity due to the excellent reason that you brought up in the video: there are victims of rape who may end up facing their trauma in such games, they are still alive to do so where murder victims do not have that problem. I think this applies equally to kidnapping and torture in the sense that victims of such acts need to be considered as potentially part of the audience and their well being as consumers and human beings must then be considered when addressing that subject. I don't think the industry and the medium is really well-rounded and mature enough to manage that properly yet, which means they shouldn't do it at all until they are in my opinion. Or, if they are going to have to under some "practice will make perfect" argument, then the content should be walled and optional to players who want to explore that development process, but not inflicted on the whole audience or snuck in without warning on unsuspecting potentially adverse players.
I, personally, don't want it in games I play. That's my opinion, my preference. Others may differ, that is their right. I would be very disappointed if it became the 'it' thing to put in games to show off their maturity or dark fantasy or whatever trends, because then the ability to avoid it, as I wish to do, would be diminished.
And because this thread is already moving in a direction I don't fancy getting a migraine over - rape is not comparable to a paper cut - I will leave it at that and be on my way. Well done Jim, thank gods for you.
