UK minister slams Steam for explicit game promoting “non-consensual sexual contact” and sexual violence
By “The existence of a game like this on Steam is completely unacceptable,” states the CEO of Females in Video Games.
CW: This article contains mentions of severe sexual violence – reader discretion is advised.
The UK Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Peter Kyle, has criticized Valve’s Steam platform for hosting a disturbing visual novel wherein the central character participates in non-consensual sexual acts, sexual violence, rape, and incest.
Zerat Games’ No Mercy is explicitly labeled as incorporating “graphic sexual content and violence, mature language, nudity, and explicit [sexual acts],” along with themes of incest, blackmail, and “inevitable non-consensual sex,” yet it is not protected by age-verification measures, apart from alerting players that by “clicking the View Page button, [they] confirm that [they] are at least eighteen years old.” As a premium title, it also necessitates a card for purchasing.
“We expect all of these [technology] firms to eliminate content as soon as they are informed,” Kyle told LBC. “That’s what the law demands, it is what I expect as a Secretary of State, and it is indeed how we anticipate platforms that operate within and benefit from British society and the British economy to act.”
Kyle suggested that the media and communications regulator, Ofcom, should ensure the offensive game is removed, although Ofcom mentioned it “can’t address individual complaints.”
“Ofcom is the regulator,” Mr. Kyle stated. “They are responsible for enforcement and will determine whether to remove content in a timely manner.”
The Games Ratings Authority – officially known as the Video Standards Agency, which oversees the PEGI system in the UK – commented: “Game ratings provide individuals and players with information about the nature of video games. In the UK, physical game releases must carry a PEGI age rating by law. Digital games are not legally required to display an age rating, but nearly all major retailers utilize the trusted PEGI age rating system to assure consumers.
“While games on Steam can voluntarily seek a PEGI age rating through our classification process, this is not a requirement of the platform.