As the original #GamerGate fiasco proved, sexism and misogyny is frighteningly rife in video game culture. But a new game, set to launch in October in Asia, will make this degradation available in a more visceral form: virtual reality.
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While gamers have long been able to sleep with and then murder sex workers in the game "Grand Theft Auto," "Dead or Alive Xtreme 3," a PlayStation virtual reality game, players can grope a woman avatar even while she verbally expresses her lack of consent.
As Engadget reported, she can be found saying "I don't like it" and a word that translates to both "bad" and "often used to flatly deny permission."
In a video of a man testing out the game, he can be seen using his controller to grope the woman’s body, despite both her non-consensual body language and verbal denial.
While the game isn’t coming to the Western hemisphere, the company behind the game, Koei Tecmo Games, has said it panders to its global audience.
In response to the rightful backlash, the company has responded by saying they "only reflect that individual's opinion" and that it will "remain focused on delivering the best in fighting entertainment to our fans around the world, while consciously respecting and strategizing to support the different global audiences the Dead or Alive franchise lends itself to."