Japanese National Police Investigating Games

Gamasutra reports that, like here in the states, Japanese games are coming under increased scrutiny by law-enforcement and politicians. From the article: "Japan's National Police Agency is currently investigating the effects playing video games and watching anime have on children. Currently being led by former deputy governor of Tokyo, Yutaka Takehana, the police-sponsored group met on April 10 in Tokyo to discuss topics such as violent video games and sexual content on the internet."

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[SmallFurryCreature]

It is this censorship that has "forced" some japanese to be more inventive when it comes to making porn. Rather then just a closeup that would make a gynecologist wince they have instead got to think about a setup. A story if you like.

Granted some japanese porn still has closeups wich results in one big censored screen but it is offset by the absolutly weird stuff the companies like Soft in Demand come up with.

For instance their Deep Kiss series is totally hot yet has no censorship. Because it doesn't have any nudity. Thats right. Porn with no nudity. ONLY in Japan!

On a more serious note. A lot of japanese porn seems to obsess with rape. Offcourse the only way I know about it is because westerners share it via torrents so it is hardly limited to the west BUT I can imagine that someone in japan is worried about it.

In the game section too there are plenty of rape games. Games the make GTA seem very tame indeed.

The problem is that even if these violent games do have an effect on people what are you going to do? Plenty of stuff affects people badly. Religion is one. Just check all the holy wars we have and been having. Lots of people get in trouble because of alcohol as well.

Yet do we ban religion or booze? No.

We accept the price of some people being unable to deal with it as worth paying so the majority can maintain their freedom.

Then again alcohol is moderated and the church (at least in the west) is kept on a tight leash. Perhaps it is time to accept that games should be controlled as well. You know with like an age limit system so violent/sexual games can only be legally bought by people of the right age.

Oh that already exists?

Part of me is horrified by the notion of restricting free speech. Just replace "game" with "book" and most people would be very upset if you started banning fiction based on content.

On the other hand, what kind of person plays a rape sim anyway? Well me offcourse, else how would I know about them, but only once and then I just stayed the fuck away. Still I am not likely to rape in real life (oh okay since I am a nerd even a teenage girl could beat me up) even after playing.

In europe the driving license laws are being upgraded to be the same across the EU. One of the changes is that now all the countries will have a limit as to what class of motorcycle you can drive depending on your age (and a bit on how much experience you got).

It is in reaction to the "problem" of young people getting on powerfull bikes and killing themselves.

Strangely it is not much of a problem. First of all the accidents are rare since powerfull bikes are very very expensive and very hard to drive when drunk (you fall over wich is embarrising but rarely lethal).

The accidents that do happen are solo. Meaning the idiot eh sorry young biker kills himself and noone else. So who gives a hit. Evolution in action.

Yet to curb this limited problem personal freedom is sacrificed. Yet powerfull cars are not limited. Yet these do cause far more deaths often NOT of the young driver causing the accident.

Strange eh. Cars driving by the majority are unregulated, motor cycles NOT being driving by the majority are regulated.

Games make people violent. This is a fact.

Soccer matches make lots more people violent. So violent city centers have to be closed off by the police as soccer fans rampage through the streets.

Games played by a "minority" are regulated. Soccer watched by a majority is not.

I am getting a HUGE flash of insight here. Could it be that politcians are only intrested in regulating/banning stuff that is NOT seen to be enjoyed by a majority?

Perhaps not, it is too simple BUT I do think that going after games is too easy an answer. Not that I got an answer. Live is a bitch.