What Is Safe To Create In This Age? (Censorship, Payment Processors, Etc)

[Zanurah]

Hello again,

I've longed to create a game or two. Originally, I wanted to create a survival horror in a dark fantasy setting, so it's fair to say adult themes like rape would be unavoidable not because of any need to focus on such acts but because it would simply be realistic for the setting. Alas, without sugarcoating things, evil triumphs over the fallen and naturally weak but I digress.

As an Australian, it infuriates me to no end Collective Shout hails from here. I could write much on them alone but whatever.

Is it financial suicide to create games with themes like rape in them nowadays? Obviously we can't rely on platforms like Steam anymore to act as sanctuaries for such creativity so it's getting increasingly difficult for devs to promote their work. And then there's the payment processors themselves that have allied with these hypocritical puritans, making things worse.

But is all hope lost? How can an Indy dev still create this content without worrying about the above?

 

[Artemissu]

If you're from Australia, then most likely it's going to be very challenging for you i'm afraid

You could probably try setting up a SubscribeStar account and ask people to support your game, but the game itself would probably need to be free to play.

AND you'd have to do your best to keep your game under wraps as much as possible too. I'm not too savvy about Australian laws, but i hear they do consider loli/shota content as a crime, even though they're fictional, so i it's not too farfetched to believe they'd also consider ficitonal rape a crime too...So, i'd keep the project as low of a profile as possible if i were you

 

[Winterfire]

Switched to my alt account real quick to let you know that it's totally possible, it has been done and it's currently done successfully. For instance, this dude: https://f95zone.to/threads/dark-land-chronicle-the-fallen-elf-v0-328-winterfire-studio.203111/ is creating a game with similar themes and he's successfully on Steam (as are other games with such content).

Also no, that's also not me, COUNT MORADO. It's another user, COUNT MORADO.
I don't have alts, COUNT MORADO.

You might have some issues with Patreon (despite the examples I've seen being on Patreon), but as Artemissu suggested, you can just be on SS (Or, ideally, both). Steam should be totally safe though.

The only real "Financial suicide" would be having minor looking characters. Even remotely looking minor would get your steam game banned off the platform. So, the only thing I'd worry about is to make sure each character looks old enough, and to avoid other sussy elements (School, school uniforms, and general text that may suggest like the character isn't old enough).

 

[eevkyi]

The first thing to consider in detail is your local laws. As long as there's nothing prohibiting you from creating a game like this, you can always circumvent censorship by making the game available for free independently and monetize alternative activities unrelated to adult content. You could sell various types of merchandise related to your characters, create a youtube channel discussing your work as a game developer and offer memberships, or even create sfw games as a sideline. By building a loyal fanbase, you'll always have the means to make your work viable.

 

[Zanurah]

If you're from Australia, then most likely it's going to be very challenging for you i'm afraid

You could probably try setting up a SubscribeStar account and ask people to support your game, but the game itself would probably need to be free to play.

AND you'd have to do your best to keep your game under wraps as much as possible too. I'm not too savvy about Australian laws, but i hear they do consider loli/shota content as a crime, even though they're fictional, so i it's not too farfetched to believe they'd also consider ficitonal rape a crime too...So, i'd keep the project as low of a profile as possible if i were you

Aye... and the more I look into things, the more concerned I am about my country's unreasonable laws.

I mean, it really is a silly system. I'm still legally able to buy and play a game like Sinisistar but I can't create something with similar themes myself. Woe is be to any creator born and raised in a nation that limits freedom of expression.

Australian laws do seem more lax when it comes to storytelling via ol' fashioned novelizations, though.

The only real "Financial suicide" would be having minor looking characters. Even remotely looking minor would get your steam game banned off the platform. So, the only thing I'd worry about is to make sure each character looks old enough, and to avoid other sussy elements (School, school uniforms, and general text that may suggest like the character isn't old enough).

Yeah, that wouldn't be an issue with any of my projects. As for Patreon, I've had an account there for a long while now but I already know how infamous it is when it comes to hurting adult content devs. I would never trust it with more edgy content.

The first thing to consider in detail is your local laws. As long as there's nothing prohibiting you from creating a game like this, you can always circumvent censorship by making the game available for free independently and monetize alternative activities unrelated to adult content. You could sell various types of merchandise related to your characters, create a youtube channel discussing your work as a game developer and offer memberships, or even create sfw games as a sideline. By building a loyal fanbase, you'll always have the means to make your work viable.

Food for thought, definitely. Thanks for the tips!

Curious. Would one way to circumvent censorship be as simple as producing a SFW game that is acquired via platforms like Steam, Patreon, etc, while an unaffiliated third party elsewhere in the world distributes a free NSFW mod for said game via hosting platforms like Mega, Pixeldrain and so on? That way, I can reasonably deny being associated with it, legal wise?

 

[eevkyi]

Food for thought, definitely. Thanks for the tips!

Curious. Would one way to circumvent censorship be as simple as producing a SFW game that is acquired via platforms like Steam, Patreon, etc, while an unaffiliated third party elsewhere in the world distributes a free NSFW mod for said game via hosting platforms like Mega, Pixeldrain and so on? That way, I can reasonably deny being associated with it, legal wise?

If a mod like this were released shortly after the game's official release and fit perfectly with the game's assets and code, there would certainly be suspicions that the dev created it himself, regardless of how it was distributed. All it would take is for a few haters to report it, and the developer could end up facing penalties on certain platforms and even legal issues, depending on the jurisdiction.

 

[whowhawhy]

That way, I can reasonably deny being associated with it, legal wise?

would the account publicly stating the intent of doing it be in any way tied to your dev identity?

 

[Count Morado]

Hello again,

I've longed to create a game or two. Originally, I wanted to create a survival horror in a dark fantasy setting, so it's fair to say adult themes like rape would be unavoidable not because of any need to focus on such acts but because it would simply be realistic for the setting. Alas, without sugarcoating things, evil triumphs over the fallen and naturally weak but I digress.

As an Australian, it infuriates me to no end Collective Shout hails from here. I could write much on them alone but whatever.

Is it financial suicide to create games with themes like rape in them nowadays? Obviously we can't rely on platforms like Steam anymore to act as sanctuaries for such creativity so it's getting increasingly difficult for devs to promote their work. And then there's the payment processors themselves that have allied with these hypocritical puritans, making things worse.

But is all hope lost? How can an Indy dev still create this content without worrying about the above?

All major platforms have rules against nonconsensual scenes, even if they are consensual but appear not, either directly or through payment processor/credit card agreements: Patreon, Steam, Itch, Subscribestar. The order I listed them is the order in which they actively/reactively enforce their rules.

Are there exceptions? Sure, depends upon how much sexual glorification is embued into the scenes. The less gratifying, the less likely a developer will get dinged. Always ASK the platform, if unsure, before putting it in and then SAVE any correspondence should someone reverse the decision. It may not allow you to keep the scene but it may give you a second chance at keeping it on the platform once edited to remove the scene.

Are there developers who are getting away with it now? Sure, but sooner or later they will get reported or a random review will get them. Could be a day, a week, a month, a year... Or they may find their top 20 spot wiped out once they are found out after they quit their day job and solely rely on game income.

And if the content is illegal in your jurisdiction, don't risk jail and public shame for a game.

Weigh your risk vs. reward.

That way, I can reasonably deny being associated with it, legal wise?

This site is discoverable and content is searchable should an investigation by platform or law necessitate.

So if your username here is the same as the account name... You've already fucked yourself.

 

[Zanurah]

If a mod like this were released shortly after the game's official release and fit perfectly with the game's assets and code, there would certainly be suspicions that the dev created it himself, regardless of how it was distributed. All it would take is for a few haters to report it, and the developer could end up facing penalties on certain platforms and even legal issues, depending on the jurisdiction.

Aye, I figured as much. I guess the only real solution then is to go live in another country, hahaha.

Anyway, I wasn't considering it. As desperate I am to find some kind of loop hole, I'm not THAT desperate.

would the account publicly stating the intent of doing it be in any way tied to your dev identity?

Nay. That would be suicide.

All major platforms have rules against nonconsensual scenes, even if they are consensual but appear not, either directly or through payment processor/credit card agreements: Patreon, Steam, Itch, Subscribestar. The order I listed them is the order in which they actively/reactively enforce their rules.

Are there exceptions? Sure, depends upon how much sexual glorification is embued into the scenes. The less gratifying, the less likely a developer will get dinged. Always ASK the platform, if unsure, before putting it in and then SAVE any correspondence should someone reverse the decision. It may not allow you to keep the scene but it may give you a second chance at keeping it on the platform once edited to remove the scene.

Are there developers who are getting away with it now? Sure, but sooner or later they will get reported or a random review will get them. Could be a day, a week, a month, a year... Or they may find their top 20 spot wiped out once they are found out after they quit their day job and solely rely on game income.

And if the content is illegal in your jurisdiction, don't risk jail and public shame for a game.

Weigh your risk vs. reward.

This site is discoverable and content is searchable should an investigation by platform or law necessitate.

So if your username here is the same as the account name... You've already fucked yourself.

Agreed. One can never be too careful and the risk itself is impossible to mitigate to the point it's worth considering.

Again, the game I was considering would have been a survival horror, so it wasn't planned to glorify the non-consensual sex but rather shine a spotlight on the horror of it all. I just want to create something realistic for the setting without feeling like I have to pull my punches but the reality is there are too many obstacles in place that would prevent its original vision.

Oh well, it was still good to ask around. Ultimately, I'm better off consigning the game to an online novel instead with a few illustrations of characters and certain events thrown in to promote it. Yet even then I'd wager there's still some risk involved.