Industry Stirred by 'Clothes Stripping Game' Used by Adolescents [Buaeri's Game Dictionary]

'Waifu - Undress' game screen. Photo by Mobile Index

[Asia Economy Reporter Boo Aeri] Over the past week, the controversy over the sexual content of the 'Clothes Stripping Game' has heated up the gaming industry. This game, whose very name is embarrassing, is 'Waifu - Clothes Stripping (Waifu)', released by the Singaporean game developer 'Falcon Global'. The academic community has raised concerns about the self-rating review system and the management capabilities of the Game Rating and Administration Committee.

According to the gaming industry on the 8th, 'Waifu' has been embroiled in controversy over its sexual content. In this game, users play rock-paper-scissors with female characters, and if they win, they can strip off one piece of clothing. When the user wins the game, the female character ends up in her underwear. The game company explained the game as "You transform into the boyfriend of lovely girls in the game, play rock-paper-scissors, conquer all the girls, and accept challenges that match their secrets."

The problem is that this game was rated 'suitable for ages 15 and up', allowing teenagers to use it without restrictions. According to Mobile Index, this game ranked first in the Google Play free rankings for five days from the 30th of last month to the 3rd of this month. After a flood of protests from some users, the game is currently 'hidden' and cannot be searched. Criticism has been raised that the reason this game could be distributed with a 15+ rating is due to loopholes in the 'self-rating classification system'. The Korea Game Society stated, "This incident casts doubt on the qualifications of the Game Rating and Administration Committee as the game rating and classification authority," and pointed out, "The Committee operates a system that entrusts reviews to platform companies like Google and Apple due to budget and personnel limitations, but it is doubtful whether this system's operation and post-management functions are working properly."

The self-rating classification system allows businesses to rate games by themselves. Once designated as a self-rating classification business, they can autonomously assign ratings other than 'All Ages' and 'Restricted to Adults' without prior review by the Game Rating and Administration Committee and provide services. Currently, there are a total of 10 companies designated as self-rating classification businesses, including Google, Apple, One Store, Samsung Electronics, Sony Interactive Entertainment Korea, Microsoft Korea, Kakao Games, Oculus VR Korea, Epic Games Korea, and Nintendo Korea.

'Children's Princess' Photo

While the self-rating classification system guarantees an autonomous game business environment, it has been a consistent source of controversy. In October 2020, 'Idle Princess' by I&V Games, which was rated suitable for ages 15 and up, faced heavy criticism from users over allegations of pedophilia. In response to the social controversy, the Game Rating and Administration Committee issued a 'reclassification by official authority' and decided on a 'Restricted to Adults' rating. The Committee stated, "Hundreds of thousands of self-rated games are distributed every year, making it difficult to manage post-distribution with the Committee's limited personnel and budget," and added, "We will strengthen education on rating standards for game businesses and take the lead in protecting youth." However, a similar incident occurred again after just a year and a half.

In academia, voices have called for legislation to force self-rating companies to disclose their classification criteria. The Korea Game Society issued a statement demanding, "Google must fully disclose its self-review standards." The society also emphasized that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism must thoroughly reform the Game Rating and Administration Committee's review system and post-management. Professor Wi Jeong-hyun of Chung-Ang University, the president of the society, said, "We feel a sense of crisis over the recurrence of controversies regarding sexual content in games," and pointed out, "As perceptions of games improve through COVID-19, if games become embroiled in gambling issues like loot boxes or sexual content controversies like this incident, they may face national criticism."

Editor's Note The goal of 'Game Dictionary' is to understand and clearly convey game-related issues every weekend. We always listen to incidents and various voices arising from games. Any tips are always welcome.