Today we've decided not to distribute this game on Steam. "Over the past week you may have heard about a game called 'Rape Day' coming soon to Steam. Read Steam's full statement on "Rape Day" below. While Steam's decision to pull "Rape Day" brings the situation to an abrupt end, these questions are still lingering: If the content of "Rape Day" was always too problematic for Steam, how did the game earn a listing in the first place? What part of the game's content or representation ultimately led to it being pulled? Steam has not said whether it will adjust its policies on sexual violence in games or if it will change the way games are reviewed before being cleared for sale. While blocking the Steam release of "Rape Day" was a goal for the critics of the game, Steam's response does little to address the concerns raised by the situation. "Rape Day" is a visual-novel game with still images and story choices but no animation or voice acting. "We respect developers' desire to express themselves, and the purpose of Steam is to help developers find an audience, but this developer has chosen content matter and a way of representing it that makes it very difficult for us to help them do that," the statement from Steam read. In Steam's statement announcing that "Rape Day" would not be released on its platform, the company did not specifically condemn the depiction of sexual violence but said the content of "Rape Day" presents "unknown costs and risks." As the controversy swelled, the landing page for "Rape Day" became one of the top Google results when searching the word "Steam." -Steven Messner will be at GDC March 6, 2019 Both sides eventually met on the game's Steam community hub, where heated debates signaled a larger cultural clash forming around the game. Meanwhile, a separate contingent of Steam users formed to defend the game on the grounds of free speech and censorship. Some outraged Steam users pledged not to buy any more games until "Rape Day" was removed from the store. The game was repeatedly criticized for promoting violence against women and normalizing rape, and a petition calling for the game to be blocked from Steam gained more than 7,000 signatures. "Rape Day's" apparent glorification of sexual violence sparked immediate backlash from members of the media and the public. Read more: A video game about rape is testing the free-speech policies of the most popular PC gaming store ![]() Users were not able to prepurchase the game, but they could add it to the wish list while Steam completed their content review. Like other games with sexual content, "Rape Day" was hidden from Steam's usual search results, but searching the exact title, or the word rape alone, would allow users to see and access the game's Steam listing. ![]() The creator of "Rape Day," Desk Plant, said they followed Steam's policies and disclosed the game's offensive content before it was listed on the store. Last year, after pulling a game called "Active Shooter," which simulated a school shooting, Steam said it would strive to allow any game on the platform regardless of content, so long as it wasn't " illegal, or straight up trolling." ![]() In the past, Steam has been vocal about its desire to protect the free-speech interests of the developers who release their games on the platform. While the game was viewable in the Steam store for weeks and was scheduled for an April 2019 release, Steam now says "Rape Day" presents "unknown costs and risks" to its business. ![]() Steam, the most popular platform for PC gaming, will no longer release "Rape Day," a controversial video game from the indie developer Desk Plant centered around committing sexual violence against women. By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from InsiderĪs well as other partner offers and accept our
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