Serious Threat to the Eroge Industry

Visual Novel Community Archive, 2000-2009
#1

Not that Narg likes screaming “DOOM” or anything, but the Japanese PM has recently appointed Seiko Noda to the position of Minister of State ¬ñ which has some clout over “consumer affairs.”

So why care?

Well femi-NAZI Seiko Noda has been lobbying for over a decade, to make eroge illegal in Japan. She was one of the leaders, who tried to pass laws against “violent eroge” after the whole “stab-stab crime spree” Japanese children were having. Just do a Google search on Miss Noda, and see how draconian and one sided she is. May not be the immediate end of the eroge industry, but this DOES NOT bode well for us. :expressionless:

Now if you’ll excuse me, “DOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!”

#2

So what we have here is a female Jack Thompson (would that make her a ‘Jaqueline Thompson’? :stuck_out_tongue: ) The difference being that she’s in a position of authority where she could actually do some harm. If she’s been lobbying for over a decade without success, I wouldn’t be too worried that people will suddenly start taking her pet issue seriously. Still, it’s not good news.

#3

My biggest worry, is that she’ll make the export of eroge outside of Japan harder. She’s already claimed that “porn” hurts Japan image around the world (never mind that most modernized nations have their own thriving porn markets). I don’t think it would be difficult for her to lobby tighter regulation against adult material leaving Japanese shores. It helps her win points with the people who vote her into office, while not getting resentment from Japan’s large population of closet porn lovers. Not like we Americans really impact their sales - so I doubt ero producers would fight it too hard (except those allied with PP and MG). Our biggest hope in something like this, is that she over steps the boundaries of ero games and includes live action with her agenda. That would get the attention of North America’s and Europe’s powerful porn companies: they like to import talent and vids from The Land of the Rising Sun. Might spur them to push whatever influence they have to stop it. Then again, they might just turn more towards morea Korean and Tawainese porn instead.

From what I can gather, her favorite targets are: guro, violent ero, enslavement, incest, tentacles, and lolicon. She’s been ESPECIALLY active on the lolicon front, but recently took notice of things such as Nice Boat after those stabbing incidents.

#4

http://comipress.com/news/2007/03/31/1743

I see your point, but since the current Japanese government is somewhat shaky (a leadership change seems likely in the near -2009?- future), maybe this new development isn’t SO bad…

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/08/ … huffle.php

#5

Erogaming is just a hobby. When it’s dead, I’ll just get another.

…besides, I have enough in my backlog to be busy for the next two decades. :stuck_out_tongue:
Seriously, save if you make a living from erogee, that’s just a hobby and it’s not like there isn’t a million others just as worthwhile around. In fact, even if you make a living out of it, it’s not so catastrophic a news. It’s a bit bothering but switching jobs is just RL being a bitch… as often.

#6

I hope in fact she is just a light-sider who will change the worl into a “light eroge paradise”.

Raping twin loli is wrong… it’s been proofed that nazism, slavery during the 15th century and Mc gyver are the main side effect of the twincest in H-games.
Don’t believe those who say that stabbing people occured before the H-game era.

#7

No! Don’t take away my incest scenarios! :cry:

#8

Noo!!! shes trying to kill all the awesome where the fuck is the first Amendment when you need

                                this is revolting , eroge isnt just a hobby its a way of life and an incredibly unique artistic medium.
#9

Seconded, just save the incest :smiley:

#10

Over here, in the United States. We had a chance to make Japan a state 50 years ago, we didn’t. So the US constitution doesn’t apply in Japan.

#11

You have the constitution but nevertheless you don’t make eroge ! :lol:
What do you prefer ?

#12

well I dont know if I would go that far but they need some sort of political right to freedom (of artistic expression) . Maybe a vote of no confidence will be called in the Diet and Ms. Noda will be swept out as quickly as she arrived. :? :expressionless:

#13

The cabbinet reshuffle looks like a last-ditch effort. I doubt she’ll stay and even if she does, she’ll have her wings clipped since the PM doesn’t want to lose his position and his cabinet reflects upon him.

The only real impact i forsee she might be able to do, that would impact US and European market, would be tighter regulations on overseas shipments of eroge. However, Japan has been moving more and more global in it’s economy. More importantly there are 2 major points she is likely to slip up on being such a vocal anti-erogist.

  1. Awakening the sleeping giants of American and European porn industry which have massive pockets and benefit from live action material. Not so much eroge, though any restriction on any material live-action or not could be seen as a threat to them and they could try to stop it before it starts.
  2. Any restriction on exports is almost certainly to be universal and while the US, and even lesser the European, export market is non-important, the more local markets of S. Korea, China, etc. are higher on the list. Almost any legislation would affect these markets and that could have a serious impact that I doubt many would accept that kind of profit loss given the very tight profit margins most eroge have.

Even if she doesn’t slip and the PM stays, anything she attempts likely won’t be enforced very much if it’s going to get more money. Japan’s economy isn’t like the 1990s, but it’s not that robust either.

#14