Last year, Valve’s ubiquitous digital PC game storefront went through a few changes. Steam was lambasted for prudishly removing games and visual novels that featured sexual content, and as a result decided to take a more hands-off approach to content curation. Valve decided that it shouldn’t be deciding what’s morally right or wrong. They did, however, draw the line at games that were games that were illegal or “straight up trolling.”
“Valve shouldn’t be the ones deciding this. If you’re a player, we shouldn’t be choosing for you what content you can or can’t buy. If you’re a developer, we shouldn’t be choosing what content you’re allowed to create. Those choices should be yours to make. Our role should be to provide systems and tools to support your efforts to make these choices for yourself, and to help you do it in a way that makes you feel comfortable.
With that principle in mind, we’ve decided that the right approach is to allow everything onto the Steam Store, except for things that we decide are illegal, or straight up trolling. Taking this approach allows us to focus less on trying to police what should be on Steam, and more on building those tools to give people control over what kinds of content they see.”
Now there’s a new game on Steam that pushes the boundaries of good taste – along with testing just how hands-off Valve’s approach might be. It’s called Rape Day, and it’s a visual-novel style game that allows players to “verbally harass, kill, and rape women as you choose to progress the story.”
The game features 3D renders as illustrations for its 7000-word strong story, and if we’re honest isn’t too unusual for the sort of adult stuff you’ll find on steam. This one, however, seems to have ben made at least in part for the sake of courting controversy and testing Valve’s boundaries.
“If we ever come to the scientific conclusion that committing crimes in video games, significantly increases the chances of committing crimes in real life, then at that point we as a society will have to decide if we want to ban committing some or all crimes in fiction. But you can’t reasonable [sic] consider banning rape in fiction without banning murder and torture. Murder has been normalized in fiction, while rape has yet to be normalized.
At some point in the future, game historians will look back on visual novels such as “rape day” as game historians look back on games such as “grand theft auto” now or even the first time nudity was shown on television. Moral out rage [sic] does not stop the entertainment industry, it slows it down but in time society progresses and realizes that the purely fictional things they thought would cause moral decay and widespread lawlessness in fact do not.”
Technically, the game isn’t breaking any of Steam’s rules.
“I have not broken any rules, so I don’t see how my game could get banned unless Steam changes their policies,” the developer says. “My game was properly marked as adult and with a thorough description of all of the potentially offensive content before the coming soon page went live on Steam.”
Last Updated: March 5, 2019
konfab
March 5, 2019 at 13:05
Murder = ok
Theft = ok
Willful destruction of the entire human race = ok
Rape = COMPLETELY OFF LIMITS
konfab
March 5, 2019 at 13:06
The only way that we will know that this type of thing is actually unpopular is to allow it to be sold.
If it is popular, then we know there is a problem.
If it isn’t popular (which is the highly likely scenario), then we can re-affirm some smidgen of faith in humanity.
Guz
March 5, 2019 at 13:06
Wow everyday I realize more and more that some people are just super f$%^d up.
For all the good in the world(and there is plenty) there is just more evil and one day the scales arn’t gonna tip they gonna fall off the f&^%ng table
Admiral Chief
March 5, 2019 at 11:38
“Evil is Evil. Lesser, greater, middling… Makes no difference. The degree is arbitrary. The definition’s blurred. If I’m to choose between one evil and another… I’d rather not choose at all.”
Caveshen Rajman
March 5, 2019 at 10:09
Steam link doesn’t go anywhere. Just me?
Geoffrey Tim
March 5, 2019 at 10:09
Link works – but as with all adult games, you need to be logged in.
Caveshen Rajman
March 5, 2019 at 10:16
Okay, this was better when I was logged off lol.
Nikola
March 5, 2019 at 10:09
I don’t know about this, it’s one to have a game that has an aspect of rape or like in the storyline there is a rape scene but to kind of have a whole game based on going around and raping people it’s a bit messed up! Sure GTA has murder but the WHOLE game is not about murder….and the name rape day…its a bit yeah I don’t know you are pretty messed up in the head making a game like that
Alien Emperor Trevor
March 5, 2019 at 10:09
So he (I assume) is not an asshole courting controversy to get attention, he’s a pretentious freedom fighter with delusions of grandeur. Got it.
Pariah
March 5, 2019 at 12:58
We call those “activists” or “politicians” here in SA.
RinceThis
March 6, 2019 at 01:07
Lies! He’s a… Fuck you’re right.
Admiral Chief
March 5, 2019 at 10:16
He’s got a point though:
“But you can’t reasonable [sic] consider banning rape in fiction without banning murder and torture. Murder has been normalized in fiction, while rape has yet to be normalized.”
We have become desensitized towards certain types of acts, acts who are all heinous IRL, but when portrayed, some are accepted.
G8crasha
March 5, 2019 at 10:39
True. It’s one of those conundrums in life. Somethings are generally acceptable in a game while others are not, and the question is, why are they looked upon in different lights? Surely if rape is frowned upon, so should murder and torture. Humans are strange creatures!
Raptor Rants
March 5, 2019 at 10:23
But entire games based around torture? I don’t see those.
One off story line based torture and pure cold blooded murder happens to progress the story sure. But they are not the entire premise of a game.
This seems to stretch the limit a little.
Admiral Chief
March 5, 2019 at 10:24
I know, but I’m just saying, we have became desensitized as a society
To quote the Joker:
You know what I’ve noticed? Nobody panics when things go “according to plan.” Even if the plan is horrifying! If, tomorrow, I tell the press that, like, a gang banger will get shot, or a truckload of soldiers will be blown up, nobody panics, because it’s all “part of the plan”.
Admiral Chief
March 5, 2019 at 10:32
“When the chips are down, these… these civilized people, they’ll eat each other”
HvR
March 5, 2019 at 12:04
Manhunt and Postal series comes to mind.
Raptor Rants
March 5, 2019 at 12:04
and there was some serious outcry over those. Wasn’t Manhunt and Postal banned in some countries?
Admiral Chief
March 5, 2019 at 12:04
Postal 1 was kinda bad, P2 took it to level 12
HvR
March 5, 2019 at 12:05
Jip they was and then the same countries went ban crazy.
It is a slippery slope to where the line is drawn
Raptor Rants
March 5, 2019 at 12:05
I agree on banning something like Manhunt, Postal and now this piece of trash rape nonsense.
HvR
March 5, 2019 at 13:30
That is your line, next guy’s line is never having “innocents” killed in a game, the next guy no brutal violence of any kind so no more Doom, then no more guns on it goes.
As long as Steam does not push this shit to the store front or at least give me an option that it never pops into my recommended list I will ignore it.
Let the twisted dude play to his heart content,
Raptor Rants
March 5, 2019 at 14:15
I have to disagree unfortunately because of the extreme nature of rape and what it does to people.
I just think this one is one too far and shouldn’t be on the store. Everyone is too afraid to draw a line and say : not beyond this point.
Everyone is too afraid that drawing a line will then result in the line being moved in more and more and more. Whereas all it should be is just a good solid, to here, no further and no we won’t budge this line. But this is the limit
Alien Emperor Trevor
March 5, 2019 at 10:45
He’s got a bad point, because he’s raising a false dilemma and divorcing it from any context.
You can’t say because crime x appears in fiction regularly and isn’t complained about to any great degree you therefore have to either ban all crimes or allow crime y because both are crimes – that’s flat out stupid. This is literally why there are different classifications for the crime of causing someone’s death, for example, because the context matters.
Admiral Chief
March 5, 2019 at 10:54
Not arguing his general point, just the one I quoted
So crime for death is surely worse than crime for stealing for example.
G8crasha
March 5, 2019 at 10:39
I don’t expect many people would be proud to have this game in their library, and let their friends know where their taste tends to wonder, but, we do live in an era of choice, and freedom to do as we please as long as we are not breaking any laws.
Pariah
March 5, 2019 at 12:58
Sadly, I’m willing to bet a lot of new Steam accounts were made just to buy games like this.
PoisonedBelial
March 5, 2019 at 16:02
What the actual fuck?
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ffd502917fe554d9accb0959a658d966f84ea7a334e5bba353ee4d8a7534c927.gif
Kikmi
March 5, 2019 at 10:45
WHY.
Pariah
March 5, 2019 at 10:54
*WHY?
Original Heretic
March 5, 2019 at 10:54
The mere thought of rape disgusts me to my core. Never ever would I consider ever playing a game like this.
Guild
March 5, 2019 at 11:12
This looks more as a social experiment in pushing the boundaries in censorship and arguing for Freedoms via gaming that are being infringed on. But he has already censored himself by taking out the baby killing scene because of causing distress by it’s existence.
“This scene has been removed. I am sorry to anyone whom this scene’s existence caused distress. I am learning to find my artistic balance between producing the games I love, and not causing avalanches of outrage.”
Sorry but here is where I ask how the fuck is RAPE not considered distressing by it’s existence?
Admiral Chief
March 5, 2019 at 11:12
Exactly. But surely murder/dismemberment/etc/ should be considered distressing as well?
Guild
March 5, 2019 at 11:18
It should. But we are desensitized to it. That’s why we love Doom, Gears, etc.
I just find the authors comments that a baby killing scene has been removed because it caused distress hypocritical when you pushing boundaries with a game whose primary objective is to rape people.
Guild
March 5, 2019 at 11:18
It should. But we are desensitized to it. That’s why we love Doom, Gears, etc.
I just find the authors comments that a baby killing scene has been removed because it caused distress hypocritical when you pushing boundaries with a game whose primary objective is to rape people.
Geoffrey Tim
March 5, 2019 at 11:18
Well, I think they have been. If you remember the furore over Manhunt and Hatred as an example. Also, even in games like Contra, the european releases replaced everything with robots because killing humans – even bad ones – was distressing. The Euro versions of contra were called probotector. We eve had Hero turtles instead of Ninja turtles for the same reasons. Games like Doom and gears and wolfenstein have us killing Mutants, aliens, robots and verifiable BAD PEOPLE like Nazis.
Admiral Chief
March 5, 2019 at 11:19
My liewe donner, Manhunt. Yikes, now THAT game….
Raptor Rants
March 5, 2019 at 11:18
Ok, but the act of murder in games is still very impersonal and is perpetuated against others doing the same thing (War games like CoD, BF, any BR game etc) and so is seen the same as “going to war” or “war games”
Rape is extremely personal and cannot be compared to things like war games.
Admiral Chief
March 5, 2019 at 11:25
Yes war vs murder. But I’m talking movies/series/gaming/comics in general.
We should be appalled, but we are not
Raptor Rants
March 5, 2019 at 11:25
Aren’t we? When we see cold blooded murder in a movie we are appalled. We have an emotional response that is generated that makes us really dislike the one who committed the act. It’s a method of generating a response from you personally to make the movie / book / etc good
Those are one off responses that are generated. This game is not a one off story forwarding event. It’s literally each encounter (From what I can gather) and isn’t being perpetuated by someone else but the player. Directly. You are now in direct control of the act over and over and over in the same game.
It’s not the same thing. Story vs …. whatever the heck this game is….
Admiral Chief
March 5, 2019 at 11:38
I’m not condoning the game at all, merely saying that hoomans in general have become desensitized towards violence, theft, etc.
You read the news, this guys stole X amount, this guy stabbed that guy, and it doesn’t affect it as much, since you are used to it. Someone’s puppy got shot/stabbed/poisoned, you feel it in your gut, sick to it.
You read about a woman being raped, or a child killed. You feel sick.
My point is you should feel sick about the deed, irrespective of who/what is affected.
(theft/rape/murder/etc) should be universally abhorred.
Raptor Rants
March 5, 2019 at 11:55
I believe society at large is still sensitive to bad news. I don’t think “Meh just another gunshot death” when I read about crime.
Society is slightly more normalised against crime sure, because of media and the amount of violence in them sure. But what is being discussed here is whether this game should be left on steam or banned.
The simple truth is it needs the ban hammer. Now.
It does more than just normalize rape. It wants to desensitize us.
There is a massive difference between normalisation and desensitisation.
*the next part is not my personal view at all but serves as a way to show how each term is vastly different.
*************
Normalisation:
Another school shooting. Sigh. It’s still so bad though. I feel bad for those affected. My heart still hurts for them. I feel like there’s nothing anyone can do though.
Desensitisation:
Another schoolshooting. Hey, I should load up my Schoolshooter game!
************
The above each has its own impact on society but cannot be compared.
Violence in games have certainly led to a lot of normalization in society, but not desensitization. Desensitization is EXTREME.
A game where you as the player are the one doing the raping is not going to normalise it, it’s going to desensitise people to the horrifying effects on those who go through it.
So yes, I hear what you are saying. As a society we need to take a good look at our media such as books, games and movies. We need to ask whether the amount of violence and general morally bad things is really required or if there are ways in which it can be toned down. Sure.
But for this specific case the question is, is this game a step too far? Should this get banned whereas CoD and the likes get a pass?
The answer is yes, this game needs to be banned. It goes beyond what any of those other games are doing in the worst ways.
Raptor Rants
March 5, 2019 at 11:55
I believe society at large is still sensitive to bad news. I don’t think “Meh just another gunshot death” when I read about crime.
Society is slightly more normalised against crime sure, because of media and the amount of violence in them sure. But what is being discussed here is whether this game should be left on steam or banned.
The simple truth is it needs the ban hammer. Now.
It does more than just normalize rape. It wants to desensitize us.
There is a massive difference between normalisation and desensitisation.
*the next part is not my personal view at all but serves as a way to show how each term is vastly different.
*************
Normalisation:
Another school shooting. Sigh. It’s still so bad though. I feel bad for those affected. My heart still hurts for them. I feel like there’s nothing anyone can do though.
Desensitisation:
Another schoolshooting. Hey, I should load up my Schoolshooter game!
************
The above each has its own impact on society but cannot be compared.
Violence in games have certainly led to a lot of normalization in society, but not desensitization. Desensitization is EXTREME.
A game where you as the player are the one doing the raping is not going to normalise it, it’s going to desensitise people to the horrifying effects on those who go through it.
So yes, I hear what you are saying. As a society we need to take a good look at our media such as books, games and movies. We need to ask whether the amount of violence and general morally bad things is really required or if there are ways in which it can be toned down. Sure.
But for this specific case the question is, is this game a step too far? Should this get banned whereas CoD and the likes get a pass?
The answer is yes, this game needs to be banned. It goes beyond what any of those other games are doing in the worst ways.
Raptor Rants
March 5, 2019 at 11:56
*cracks knuckles*
It’s ranting time
Raptor Rants
March 5, 2019 at 12:04
Ban
This
Game!
/rant
Admiral Chief
March 5, 2019 at 12:05
tl;dr
Raptor Rants
March 5, 2019 at 12:05
I should have expected that.
Raptor Rants
March 5, 2019 at 12:05
I should have expected that.
Admiral Chief
March 5, 2019 at 12:05
I even replied within 7 minutes
Pariah
March 5, 2019 at 12:05
😉
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d40d099318eaa26a76a3485b66f5f9d60bb11d5bd0cbafa7de53a31c77a5979f.jpg
Raptor Rants
March 5, 2019 at 12:05
/tableflip
Admiral Chief
March 5, 2019 at 12:14
You, I like you
Admiral Chief
March 5, 2019 at 12:14
You, I like you
Admiral Chief
March 5, 2019 at 12:05
I even replied within 7 minutes
ConquerGP
March 6, 2019 at 14:29
Well thats one way to build a list of psychopaths. Whoever downloads or pays for that shite can be sure to find their asses on some watch list. Theres gore and then theres facktap this is the latter