YOKOHAMA, JAPAN — The developer of an electronic game that awards points for committing acts of sexual violence against women has refused to pull the game from the market despite complaints from a U.S.-based rights organization.Makoto Nakaoka, a spokesman for developer Illusion, said the company was perplexed by New York, NY-based Equality Now’s demand that the game be banned. Rapelay was designed for the Japanese market, he noted, not the American market, and nothing about the game is illegal, unethical or immoral in Japan.
In fact, the company doesn’t even try to sell the game in North America, so North American opinions are irrelevant, he indicated.
Despite Nakaoka’s protestation’s to the contrary, Rapelay was offered on Amazon.com until February, when complaints about its content caused the e-tailer to remove the game.
According to its website, “Equality Now works to end violence and discrimination against women and girls around the world through the mobilization of public pressure. Issues of concern to Equality Now include rape, domestic violence, reproductive rights, trafficking, female genital mutilation, political participation [and] gender discrimination.”
This week the organization launched a campaign “against rape simulator games and the normalization of sexual violence in Japan.” It has requested members bring to the attention of Illusion and Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso that “Rapelay” breaches the terms of the 1985 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, to which Japan is a signatory.
A spokeswoman for the Japanese government told The Associated Press officials “realize the problem is there” and are attempting to craft a solution.
