Rape Day

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Rape Day
Studio Desk Plant
Publisher Desk Plant
platform Windows
genre Visual novel
Subject Post apocalypse, zombie apocalypse, rape
control keyboard
medium Download
language English

Rape Day is a visual novel by British developer Desk Plant that released the game on March 9, 2019.

The game came under fire because of its plot - the player controls a serial killer during a zombie apocalypse and has the option to decide whether the main character rapes female non-player characters . The game was removed from the Steam gaming platform shortly after it was released after the company was subjected to massive criticism. In Germany , the game was indexed by urgent application .

Development and publication

According to the developer, the game was developed for a niche market and should only be released in regions where such topics are legal. The developer stated in a statement that he wanted to make a game "that would entertain him" and that there could be other players "who might like the game." The game should be approved for ages 18+. Since June 2018, Steam has made it possible for developers to publish a game for a fee of US $ 100 without the platform checking its content.

Gameplay

For Rape Day is a visual novel , where the player a serial killer controls. The game scenario represents a post-apocalyptic plot in which the world is plagued by zombies . The player has to fight these zombies for survival and meets various female characters in the course of the story. The player has the freedom of action to let his controlled character interact with these characters.

controversy

Shortly after the game was published on the Steam computer game platform , it met with massive criticism from around the world. There were numerous requests to stop the game on social networks such as Twitter and on Steam itself. Worldwide were online petitions started, to pay services such as Visa , MasterCard and PayPal are directed to ban the game.

The game was removed from Steam a week after it was released. Also on Humble Bundle has been Rape Day briefly banned after its publication. In Germany , Rape Day was indexed in an urgent procedure by the Federal Testing Office for Media Harmful to Young People (BPjM) , while in Austria the game was not banned due to various obstacles. According to the Federal Inspectorate for Media Harmful to Young People , the game is not only harmful to young people, but also complies with the criminal offense of violent pornography under Section 184a of the Criminal Code because of its portrayal of rape and sexual murder , which is why distribution of the game within Germany is a criminal offense. The British MP Hannah Bardell made a request for the game to be checked by the government shortly after it was removed from the Steam platform. Demands for a ban on the game were also raised in South Africa .

In the course of this controversy, Deutschlandfunk Kultur , Netzpolitik.org and Neues Deutschland dealt with radicalization in the gaming scene, with Netzpolitik and Neues Deutschland transferring this to a political level.

Jake Roberts, the game developer, started a counter-petition in which he speaks of a "draconian moralism " of a "vocal minority". The developer made a statement on the game's ban on the game's website, which is no longer accessible:

"This visual novel has been banned from PayPal, Humble Bundle, Steam, Send Owl, and DeviantArt. Germany will be adding this website to a list of media harmful to minors and UK is reviewing their laws to ban Rape Day, and there is a South African petition that intends to be taken to the local government as well as the United Nations. We live in a time, when guides such as the the Communist Manifesto that lead to the deaths of millions, are freely sold, while a fictional story that offends a vocal minority is censored and banned. "

- The game developer to ban the game.

“This visual novel was banned from PayPal , Humble Bundle , Steam , Send Owl, and DeviantArt . Germany is going to add this page to a list of the media harmful to minors and the UK is reviewing its laws to ban Rape Day and there is a petition in South Africa aiming to get local government and the United Nations involved . We live in a time when advice like the Communist Manifesto , which has resulted in millions of deaths, is freely available for sale, while a fictional story that outrages a vocal minority is censored and banned .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ "Rape Game" reaps Shitstorm - and is only blocked after months of protest. Stern.de , March 6, 2019, accessed June 17, 2020 .
  2. ^ A b c Thomas Lindemann: "Rape Day": harassing, rape and killing for fun. Zeit Online , March 13, 2019, accessed June 17, 2020 .
  3. ^ Felix Schütz: Rape Day: rape game was indexed by the BPjM by urgent procedure. PCGames.de , March 28, 2019, accessed June 17, 2020 .
  4. ^ That is why "Rape Day" is not banned in Austria. Today.at , March 7, 2019, accessed on June 17, 2020 .
  5. ↑ Provisional order for the indexing of the online game "Rape Day". Federal Testing Agency for Media Harmful to Young People (BPjM), March 20, 2019, accessed on June 17, 2020 .
  6. ↑ Stefanie Fogel: UK Politician Calls for Review of Steam, Controversial 'Rape Day' Game. Variety , March 7, 2019, accessed June 17, 2020 .
  7. ↑ Thabo Madalane: 'Rape Day' video game sparks outrage. Iol.co.za, March 28, 2019, accessed June 17, 2020 .
  8. ↑ Rape Day: A game platform without moral values. Deutschlandfunk Kultur , March 12, 2019, accessed on June 17, 2020 .
  9. ↑ Karolin Schwarz: Right hatred and the gaming culture. Netzpolitik.org , February 15, 2020, accessed June 17, 2020 .
  10. ↑ Michelle Janßen: Right hatred in the net: The gamer problem. New Germany , October 19, 2019, accessed June 17, 2020 .
  11. ↑ Rape Day - Banned For Sale. Official homepage, archived from the original on March 24, 2019 ; accessed on June 17, 2020 .