You hate censorship and I like responsibility--it's good to have common ground.

But if we believe in "free speech" then some people are bound to muck up and "be irresponsible" in the sense of saying awful and offensive things, writing awful and offensive things, etc.  If speech is free only when people use it to your personal standards and sense of morality, then it isn't free at all.

Agreed, and I tried to address that very thing in the post right before the one you're responding to.

But a game that allows you to become a fictional criminal--no matter how distasteful--should not, itself, be criminal.

Or, if it should be criminal, then we should agree about GTA, etc., because I find murdering hookers pretty distasteful; don't you?

Why didn't you tell me about this game earlier?

You are correct.  It would make those that condemn this game and play FPS/TPS hypocrites.  Does killing people in video games mean you will kill people in real life?  Does it mean that we are being conditioned to kill human beings?  Now, switch FPS/TPS games for this Japanese game and think about it.

The problem is that a lot of people are too busy looking outward that they can't realize they're probably doing, basically, the same thing (especially here in the US).

I'm amused by the blind views of many here. This is a game we're talking about. No one is hurt. There is no crime involved. It really is no different to GTA or Manhunt or any of a host of other games. Just because it is dealing with a crime that you do not find palatable does not make it worse than it dealing with a crime that you have less of an issue with. If you want this game banned, then why not ban, as a single example, Manhunt? Can you make a full and justified argument that makes consistent sense? Can you show where the harm to others actually occurs?

I'm opposed to censorship of material that hurts nobody, and this is a clear example of this. To be clear: nobody is hurt. Nothing happens to anyone real. It is only a game. If you don't like it, don't buy it. I won't, but that doesn't mean I'm against such a thing existing. If my daughter was killed in a drive-by, I may never play any game involving such circumstances again, but I would never call for them to be banned (I'd be the worse kind of hypocrite if I did).

Really, carefully consider your view here. Do you really want offensive games banned? If so, say goodbye to GTA, because that game offends more people than I care to consider. Why should what you find offensive be considered more important than what someone else finds deeply offensive? After all, what if a victim to a senseless crime much like one of the many perpetuated in GTA should get their hands on the game? How would they feel? Seems unfair that we should inflict such victims with games that so easily reproduce the circumstances of their nightmares. Ban GTA, I say, and ban this. Or not.

Trying to ban a banned game is silly.

Politicians pretending to work.

It's called "playing doctor", it's part of sexual exploration for many children, and it has a component of prevarication and humiliation by an adult authority figure.

As for psychiatric help: each and every one of us has dark fantasies of violence and even rape, as predators or victims. There's nothing wrong in recognizing these fantasies and even playing with them. I personally know people who are perfectly healthy, cheerful individuals and at the same time like to indulge into sadomasochism and roleplay in their sexual life.

And you know what? No psychiatrist will tell that there's a problem with that, as long as they don't become an obsession and there's a very clear distinction on where the game ends and the reality begins.

@Kowenicki: You know, the thing called "freedom of speech" exists and its value is based on one principle; it's freedom of expressing opinions that doesn't fit everyone. Freedom of speech is limited to a point where your expression breaks other peoples rights.

You're right about that there should be some standards, and i, among few other people in this thread, am calling for ones.

You know, you haven't given a single reason why this game should be banned, but games where you kill people shouldn't, outside that you find this game offensive and not the other games.

Some of the responses in this thread are as disturbing as the game in question. Rapists should be hung by their privates along with the creators and supporters of this game.

How many kids played a game where they pretend one is a prostitute, then after the sexual act and payment for the act, one kid beats the other with a baseball bat and takes his money back? How many kids pretended they were on a gameshow where the goal was to commit as many acts of creative gruesome violence upon contestants and got bonus points for civilians? How many kids played a game where you strapped somebody to a chair and tortured them, and then cut off their genitals with hedge clippers? Yet as adults we play games where all of these are done. It's vastly different from "cops n robbers" or "soldier". Your argument has no merit other than you find one heinous act unpalatable and another fun. That's not a reflection of this rape game so much as it is an interesting commentary about our society.