Poll: Is featuring rape in a game going too far?

[Thaius]

I'd say allowing the player to rape someone, especially if the actual act is interactive, would be going to far.

As for having a game in which a character is raped, that would be absolutely okay. All other storytelling mediums have done it, and often been praised for it, so video games should be allowed to as well.

 

[Xan Krieger]

I've killed the entire planet several times over in all the games I've played, I'm pretty sure a few rapes are tame in comparison.

 

[boag]

I would not mind seeing it in games like Fallout, or TES, where the moral choices of your character are made by the user.

If you role play an actively evil character that goes around massacring a town just for giggles, then rape wouldn't be too much of a stretch.

It would add immersion to that type of game.

 

[Astoria]

Like anything else as long as it has a purpose then it's ok. If it's in there for the hell of it then hell no it shouldn't be in the game. I can't imagine it ever been needed in a game though.

 

[A Free Man]

Of course not, anything that can be released in the form of a book or a movie (ie. pretty much everything) should be able to be released as a game as well. Sure lots of people will hate it, but since when has that stopped anybody from doing anything? As long as it is clearly targeted to adults with the right classifications.

 

[Assassin Xaero]

Having in it a game, no. Having it as a "feature", making it sounds like an addition to make the game better... what sort of sick fuck would like that?

 

[KaizokuouHasu]

Rape as a plot point? Sure.

Rape as a gameplay feature? HELL NO.

Agreed 100%. I don't think it is in any way acceptable to let the player rape someone. That's just breeding all kinds of bad mojo.

I'm against rape (which should go without saying). I am also against war, famine, murder, theft, discrimination, bullying and many other things.

That said; I play Just Cause, Assassin's Creed, Oblivion, Deus Ex, Thief, Mirror's Edge and some others. In all of these games certain elements of the things I'm against are features available in the game.

->In the game Thief the whole set-up of the game is to sneak around a steal property, and in some instances assassinate. There is also the option to go on a killing spree (which I would do on every level just to get an idea of what I'm up against).

->In Assassin's Creed the whole set-up is based around pre-meditated murder or select few individuals, plus all other murder and damage committed on the way (many lepers and beggars in my case).

->In Just Cause 2 the whole set-up revolves around sabotage and chaos on a nation-wide scale. The purpose being to start war and civil unrest within a nation itself to thwart an oppressionist government by causing collateral damage and in the process kill loads of soldiers, and if you're unlucky (or bored) civilians too.

These last 3 games I mentioned were based around theft, murder and war. I like all 3 games, but I don't have the urge to steal, kill or join a military, or special ops any time soon.

Now, I've not played any games with rape as an actual in-game feature - but I doubt playing one of them would put me in a risk zone of committing a crime any more than the afore mentioned games. Games themselves do not encourage behaviour; conditioning in games does. Propaganda in games does.

Why is murdering as a feature in games a-ok, but rape is over the line? Both are digital depictions of almost equally atrocious crimes.

 

[Bran1470]

No, I think that if we ever want to make games more realistic we need to add all aspects of human life whether it be murder of children or rape; (I personal think rape and the killing of children in appalling) but if you are sane you wont do it in real life or even in a video game. I sure as hell could not do it with out feeling bad. As for the children of Fallout 3 i feel like the developers are taunting you by making annoying children by saying I know you can't kill me so I'm going to be extremely annoying to you so you will want to kill me.

 

[LostCrusader]

Rape as a plot point? Sure.

Rape as a gameplay feature? HELL NO.

I agree with this mostly, but even as a plot point it really depends on how it is being used.

If its part of someones back story, I don't think that we need to see it (definitely not more that flashes). If it's just being shown to give us a reason to hate the bad guys, I think it is better to show much or else we will end up with something like the women in Duke Nukem Forever in the alien ship. (basing this on what I have heard, haven't played the game or seen the part)

 

[siriusstorys]

The reporter states that " No one should play a game where the only way to win is to rape." My counter argument to this is, why should people play a game where the only way to win is to murder half the worlds population like i have done in plenty of games?

 

[Crimson_Dragoon]

No, because I don't think any subject matter should be considered "going too far" to tackle in a medium. If rape can be an important part of a movie, I don't see why it can't be so in a game.

Now, I see a lot of people say that using rape in a game is like using murder, so I figure this is as good a time as any to bring up this point: unlike rape, we can (arguably) justify murder in certain situations. A hero kills the bad guys to save the day. A soldier kills another soldier. A man kills another to protect his family. We can argue the actual ethics of these situations until the end of time, but these justifications do exist. Its a lot harder to come up with a good excuse for rape.

Still, I stick with my original point that we shouldn't shy away from tackling the subject just because its a bad thing. It just needs to be handled well and with maturity (yeah, I know, good luck with that one).

So then when violence isn't justifiable, then you agree that its wrong? I think that blow up the nuke in Fallout 3 because some rich guys doesn't like it appearing on the horizon, would be an example of unjustifiable genocide.

It absolutely would. I never said murder can always be justified, only that there are circumstances in which it can be. Rape, for me (and I'm projecting here but I imagine for most people) can not be justified or excused in any reasonable situation, which is why it can be seen as a more reprehensible act. This is why I think we don't see it as often in stories, even among villains, who have no issue killing and torturing.

 

[EHKOS]

Depends on how it's shown. It worked in Silent Hill 2. But it wouldn't work in a game like Ratchet and Clank.

 

[Therumancer]

I have no problems with it, basically games can cover all the same ground as movies and books and such, and should at the "M" rating, that includes the deaths of children and things like rape. The abillity to dirrentiate between fantasy and reality is important however and why material of the M or R level are to be kept away from children, even teens.

There are various ways ao address the issue of rape, and it can vary with the storyline and type of material. In horror rape can be considered a terrible, and frightening thing, and presented that way, specifically to elicit those kinds of reactions which is the entire point of the material. One problem today with horror is that it's gotten too tacky, few people who do horror actually want to shock a jaded audience because they fear the potential backlash.

Outside of horror, you have to understand that rape can be presented in a somewhat positive, or fun light. You might be going "WTF Therumancer", but let me explain to those of you naive not to get this. Rape fantasies are common, people wanting to be basically forcibly seduced by an attractive member of whatever group they are attracted to. This is a standard feature of a LOT of material ranging from porno to romance novels. A lot of those romance novels directed at women basically involve the protaganist getting abducted by pirates and "ravished" or whatever, the differance is entirely in presentation. Incidently, this is also why you have people putting out personals and seeking unknown partners to rape them via the internet and private newspapers and such, the fact that it is fairly common is why such "communities" have been exploited by say an angry spouse (of either gender) assuming the identity of their partner/former partner and cutting a deal to get them attacked/rape under the mistaken assumption that it's consentual/acting.

Of course it should ALSO be understood that with the above it's important to diffentiate between fantasy and reality. Some guy, or girl, raping the reluctant object of their affections and having it turn to love/lust/whatever might make for an interesting story, but in real world things rarely, if ever work out like that. The problem with such material is when people take it too seriously, and that can lead to tradgedy where say some loser rapes a girl he likes thinking she'll come around afterwards, etc...

Then of course there is the whole "dark fantasy" thing which is similar to the above, but lacking any realistic foundation. This is where people explore their dark side vicariously and you have a lot of rape and sadism purely for the purpose of taking pleasure from someone's misfortune and/or seeking your own enjoyment. You see this kind of thing in a lot of vampire fiction, in the way "ghouls", "shadows" and other slave-beings are treated. Not to mention the entire "Gor" series, where a recurring theme is for a girl to be taken as a sex slave just long enough for her to fall in love with her trainer/master (Stockholme syndrome anyone) and then sell her at that point. Of course it can also be said that these things don't just work with men using women, but go every way you can think of depending on series. Even in Gor, people who criticize it tend to forget the situation Jason Marshall found himself in when he first arrived on the planet.


The point is that rape CAN be used for various kinds of entertainment within the realm of fantasy, and shouldn't be off limits. It's just important to make it very clear that your dealing with fantasy no matter how realistic it might seem in places. Video games certainly should not be pulling the punches they are here.

 

[emeraldrafael]

Depends on the context.

mentioned rape as a plot device is perfectly acceptable as long as its handled in a mature and adult fashion and not just "shes super pissed at men cause one time this total dickwagon raped her, so thats why you're playing a serial killer woman who kills exclusively men and removes their genitalia."

The act is a bit harder to work in, but as long as its handled well and works into the plot in a significant way that the character just wouldnt seem the same... well, character wise, without it.

Then again... realy there's shouldnt be anything that goes "too far". gaming is a medium that tells a story and has been shown to be as good as a book or movie (both of which can feature rape and in fact all revolve around rape).

 

[Machati]

I don't think it can be put on the same level as "killing children in this or that game". Killing people = exp. Are you insinuating I'll gain exp from raping my enemies? I do think it matters more on the situation.

.....but now I can't get the idea of a prison mmorpg out of my head.

grinding rape.

 

[bob-2000]

It has to be handled well, but yes, games can be mature enough if they try.

 

[Programmed_For_Damage]

I think there is a very fine line and if you want an example of a game that does it right (and this might come as a surprise) it's Army of Two: The Third Day. It handles it in a way that gives you an firm impression of the brutality of the incident, but it doesn't show the actual act itself. There's also an interesting moral choice based around it.

 

[bigbananadave]

I just want to straighten things out first.

Japan + Rape = Meh...no big deal.
Japan + Giant purple dildo sword from Saints row 3 = No F**king Way!!!!!

WTF Japanese people!

ok, thats my bit said and done.

 

[aarontg]

Being able to do it seems a bit sadistic and needless but I wouldn't stop the subject of it in videogames as a whole. I like to compare it to the concept of zombie children in zombie games. Iv'e seen films like survival of the dead and the walking dead series touch on the subject and portray the infection as a more horrific and ruthless enemy that must be fought as a result. But it seems that if anybody were to try to implement the same idea in video games they would be sued out of existence. I guess it all comes down to accepting reality and acknowledging that videogames are no different from films or books in terms of influence.