logo
Controversial 'incel' video game Revenge on the Gold Diggers is renamed after controversy

Controversial 'incel' video game Revenge on the Gold Diggers is renamed after controversy

Daily Mail​2 days ago
A highly controversial video game that was released under the title 'Revenge on Gold Diggers' has sparked huge debate over its portrayal of women - after it surged to the top of streaming charts.
Released on gaming platform Steam China on June 19th, it was billed as a live action 'anti-fraud' game in which the aim of the game is to spot deception before it happens.
However, all of the 'baddies' are women out to manipulate, with male protagonists ready to 'fight to the death' against them - and critics say it will appeal to and encourage incels, men who blame women for their romantic failure.
The blurb for the game says its plot centres around a character called Wu Yulun, 'a man who was once deeply hurt by gold diggers' - and was apparently inspired by real-life experiences of the games' Hong Kong creators.
Players are invited to 'navigate between several glamorous and highly adept female characters, and experience an emotional hunt that is gripping with every step.'
After it became an unexpected hit, a maelstrom of controversy quickly unfolded with many calling the game misogynistic and deeply offensive.
It's title was changed to 'Emotional Anti-Fraud Simulator' within 24 hours of its release.
Chinese artist Xu Yikun told BBC News the term 'gold digger' is rarely attributed to men in the country, saying: 'If you have a rich boyfriend, you are called a gold digger.
'If you try to make yourself look pretty, you are called a gold digger... Sometimes the label is used on you merely for accepting a drink from someone.'
Others have defended the narrative, saying: 'Would men criticise a game if it were titled "Womaniser Game"?'
In China, one newspaper said the game labelled 'an entire gender as fraudsters' - but the Beijing Youth Daily said it simply highlighted the growing issue of scams and emotional fraud in modern China.
According to the country's National Anti-Fraud Centre, around £204million was lost to romantic scams in 2023.
A Beijing-based video producer named Huang told the New York Times that the game 'very precisely taps into the intense gender antagonism currently sweeping through Chinese society.'
He says the video game will appeal to incels, or involuntary celibates, men who believe they are unable to have sex or form relationships with women - often because they deem themselves not attractive enough.
They often blame women and are extremely hostile towards them as a result.
One Chinese man, 23, who is unemployed, told the newspaper: 'I hate women, though I still want to fall in love, just a little bit.'
In Australia this week, parents were being warned their children could have access to hundreds of online games that simulate and encourage horrifying scenarios including rape, incest and child sex abuse.
When searching on Steam, at least 232 results matched 'rape', a campaign group called Collective Shout revealed.
On the same day, a search for 'incest' turned up 149 results.
The game titles are the stuff of parents' nightmares, from 'Incest DEMO' and 'Incest Twins', to virtual reality 'Reincarnation in another world going to rape'.
The latter allowed players to explore a virtual 'town' raping all the women who are non–player characters (NPCs) – avatars who are not controlled by a player.
Another game allowed players to 'set up' hidden surveillance at a female neighbour's home to secretly record her sexual acts.
Graphic imagery, which has been seen by Daily Mail Australia but is too disturbing to publish, included violent sexual torture of women and children, including incest-related abuse.
Kelly Humphries, who lives in central Queensland, is a survivor of familial child sexual abuse and has shared her horror at the games.
'There's not a lot that surprises me anymore but this was shocking,' she told Daily Mail Australia.
Experts have warned gaming platforms used across all age groups, including children, have listed video games that allow players to rape characters. In one game, a player could pretend to be a man recording a neighbour performing sexual acts
'I look at that research and I'm just so ashamed, angry and frustrated because I don't understand why this behaviour is acceptable for big companies.'
Ms Humphries has worked in law enforcement and is an activist raising awareness about abuse, including as an ambassador for Collective Shout.
'To see this violence depicted in such a horrific, brazen and humiliating way pushes survivors back into themselves,' she said.
'It completely undermines their experiences by gamifying and almost making fun of their true experience.'
Ms Humphries said the games will take a psychological toll on players, particularly on young people who interact online more often than older generations.
'(The games) are normalising this behaviour,' she said.
'(Young people) are either going to act out that behaviour or they're going to be a victim and suffer silently.'
This was echoed by University of New South Wales' Professor Michael Salter, who said the games are 'part of subcultures online that normalise sexual abuse'.
Professor Salter, who is also director of the East Asia and Pacific branch of Childlight, said the content will reinforce the acceptability of violence for children or people with problematic behaviour if they play the games.
He said that, while the games breach national laws, platforms like Steam and Itch.io operate internationally and as such, do not follow Australian standards.
Both Ms Humphries and Professor Salter signed an open letter to companies including PayPal, Mastercard, Visa, and Paysafe Limited, to request they cease processing payments for gaming platforms which host rape, incest and child sexual abuse–themed games.
Professor Salter said there are no rules in international law to manage the issue so 'payment services effectively become a de facto regulator'.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Valve Corporation, which operates Steam, and the platform Itch.io, which is also named in the open letter, regarding the claims.
Valve is understood to have changed its rules earlier this week, adding a clause prohibiting content that broke rules set out by payment processors including 'adult content'.
There were initially 14 clauses which banned content including hate speech, malware, sexual content of real people or exploitation of children, Automaton Media reported.
Professor Salter has also raised concerns about discoveries by his team which noticed people breaching others' boundaries on new technology platforms.
'Gaming services often forge ahead with designs without building in safety,' he said.
'(On virtual reality platforms), we see kids adopt avatars that are highly sexualised adult avatars and then interact with actual adults.'
He said the issue comes down to regulation and the need for clear, enforceable content rules to protect children, adding that parents can take action at home too.
'It's important to have discussions with kids about the gaming services they are on and the content they are seeing,' he said.
'It's not as easy as monitoring games so parents should set clear rules about types of games they are permitted to play and the types they are not allowed to play.'
Another suggestion was that parents explain to children that their behaviour online matters and speaks to their character.
'There is a pervasive view that online behaviour is not real, that it is not serious,' he said.
'So it licenses a range of behaviours that are antisocial and transgressive.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

'Great Jeans': Sydney Sweeney campaign fuels American Eagle rally
'Great Jeans': Sydney Sweeney campaign fuels American Eagle rally

Reuters

time8 hours ago

  • Reuters

'Great Jeans': Sydney Sweeney campaign fuels American Eagle rally

July 24 (Reuters) - American Eagle Outfitters (AEO.N), opens new tab surged 16% on Thursday after unveiling a new denim campaign with Sydney Sweeney, as the apparel retailer bets on the "Euphoria" and "The White Lotus" actress to reignite sales and reconnect with Gen Z shoppers. In a campaign called "Sydney Sweeney Has Great (American Eagle) Jeans," the company partnered with Sweeney for its fall season denim collection that includes a limited-edition denim jacket as well as a "The Sydney Jean." The campaign is American Eagle's latest effort to drive up demand as the company navigates muted consumer spending and potential price hikes due to tariffs. The retail industry in the United States has been struggling to spur demand as consumers grappling with financial constraints cut back on non-essential buys, including apparel and accessories. In May, American Eagle pulled its annual forecasts due to tariff uncertainty, with the company primarily sourcing from China. The Sweeney partnership is not the first time a celebrity tie-up has helped drive shares of a company. In 2020, Crocs (CROX.O), opens new tab shares jumped after singer Justin Bieber teased a collaboration with the shoe maker. American Eagle has also previously teamed up with celebrities, including tennis player Coco Gauff and actress Jenna Ortega. Sweeney's campaign, which launched on Wednesday and is reportedly the company's most expensive campaign to date, will also run across the exosphere of Las Vegas's 3D display orb Sphere. Short interest in the company, whose shares were trading at $12.55 before the bell on Thursday, stood at 12.2% of public float, according to LSEG data. The stock was the fourth-most trending ticker on Stocktwits, a social media platform for retail investors, indicating interest from individual traders who have boosted shares of retailer Kohl's (KSS.N), opens new tab and other highly shorted names in recent days.

Love Island racks up more than ONE THOUSAND Ofcom complaints as fans appalled by 'misogyny and bullying' on show reducing stars to tears
Love Island racks up more than ONE THOUSAND Ofcom complaints as fans appalled by 'misogyny and bullying' on show reducing stars to tears

Daily Mail​

time9 hours ago

  • Daily Mail​

Love Island racks up more than ONE THOUSAND Ofcom complaints as fans appalled by 'misogyny and bullying' on show reducing stars to tears

Love Island has racked up more than one thousand Ofcom complaints with fans appalled by the 'misogyny and bullying' on the ITV2 show, which has reduced stars to tears. The recent few weeks of the series have been full of drama, so it's not surprise that viewers have taken to the telly regulator to share their concerns. According to The Sun, a whopping 280 people took to the broadcasting watchdog to share their complaints over Harrison Solomon, 22, Dejon Noel-Williams, 26, and 30-year-old Harry Cooksley's alleged misogynic behaviour. Meanwhile others (247 people) shared their concern about Shakira Khan, 22, after some alleged bullying. And there are some episodes in particular that concerned viewers. The instalment that aired on July 20 received a number of complaints - including 222 viewers that weren't happy about Dejon's behaviour towards women. And a number of islanders raised some eyebrows on July 17. 69 people complained about Harrison's alleged misogynic behaviour and a further 27 took to the regulator to share concern about Shakira's well-being. Love Island's episode on July 15 bagged 184 in total about a number of different things. 107 people complained about Harrison's alleged misogynic behaviour and 44 weren't happy with how Lauren Wood, 26, was perceived on the show. 34 others thought that there was some bullying behaviour towards Shakira and Toni. Before entering the villa, the show share a number of care protocols with the stars, including training in language and behaviour. MailOnline have contacted ITV for comment. Last week it was revealed that the show was slapped with another 432 Ofcom complaints over 'offensive language and rigged editing'. July 9's episode received 82 complaints, while July 11's saw 266, and July 13 was hit with 84. According to The Sun, some watchers were not best pleased with Helena Ford's past social media posts on X and how she is still on the show. The publication claims she used 'offensive language' in them, some about foreign people. A source linked to the reality star told The Sun: 'These tweets are not reflective of the language Helena would use as a 30 year old woman and she would acknowledge she has done a lot of growing up since what she very naively posted over eight years ago.' While other fans expressed how they felt footage of Shakira Khan had been 'edited' to make her appear 'mean'. Clips have reportedly been cut from the show including when Meg Moore and Helena said Shakira was 'grafting' everyone. Some fans were also not impressed with the footage from Movie Night where Shakira was shown talking negatively about Helena and Meg. They claimed important context behind her reaction wasn't shown. One watcher penned on X: 'No, I am actually fuming with production trying to paint Shakira and Toni as the means girls when we all know who the really mean girls are #LoveIslandUK #LoveIsland.' According to The Sun, another wrote: 'Love Island is going to make out the mean girls are Shakira and Toni when it's been Meg and Helena.' While someone else added: 'It's giving rigged if they don't show what Meg, Helena and Harry have actually been like and what they've been saying!' There have also reportedly been allegations of bullying between Islanders, though they have not been named. MailOnline approached ITV for comment. It comes after Love Island fans shared their fury over Megan Forte Clarke's shock return to the villa during Wednesday night's episode. Viewers expressed it was 'unfair' Megan and Blu Chegini were given a second shot in the villa after she was already voted out by the public Blu was the second islander to be eliminated from the ITV show, while Megan was dramatically dumped shortly after by the public. Fans also voiced concern for Shakira Khan, who appeared downcast in the most recent episode with some admitting she looked 'done' and ready to go home. Moments after Shakira cooled off her romance with current partner Conor Philips, he was sent on a date with his former flame Megan. Viewers of the ITV2 series suggested that this might be the final blow for Shakira, who has already voiced her desire to call it quits. Sharing their thoughts on Megan's return, fans said: 'I'm confused who asked for Megan and blue back ? Weren't they gone FOR A REASON. Love island US and UK were trash this year. #LoveIslandUK next thing Meg and d are winning ??? DISGUSTING', 'I don't like the love island twist. I don't like that Megan and Bleu have came back. Because WHY?', 'Why would Love Island producers bring Megan back when the public voted her off #LoveIslandUK', 'atp what is the point of voting on love island UK if people like megan can just rock back up at any point of time, surely this shouldn't be allowed? #LoveIsland #LoveIslandUK', 'Sorry but I hate that Megan is back. Love island FIRE who ever game maker is!! #LoveIsland' Megan's return sparked a wave of concern for Shakira's mental health, who fans said already appears 'emotionally drained' on the programme. Viewers penned on X: 'funny how love island preaches about mental health and how the public should go easy on the islanders only to THEMSELVES use the most amount of vids of shakira for the grafties to push the mean girl narrative and sent back in megan one of the buIIies', 'this princess deserved so much better. i hope she walks for her own mental health. shakira you are loved worldwide and are better than love island', 'Shakira is emotionally drained and not okay Love Island uk is responsible for her mental health the contestants the producers the therapists everyone', 'Really not keen on the production team for the constant shots thrown at shakira. We only see one hour of the whole day and it's clear she's down and not feeling herself. Where's the mental health team love island are so vocal about? #LoveIslandUK'. Some fans have even accused producers of creating a 'mean girl narrative' by welcoming Megan back as they claimed she 'bullied' Shakira Khan in her first stint Viewers expressed their concerns for Shakira's mental health following Wednesday night's episode MailOnline has contacted Love Island for comment. In recent days, Shakira has been in floods of tears and has persistently said she 'can't wait to leave the villa' following a rocky start to her journey with Harry Cooksley. During the episode Shakira shut down her short-lived romance with Conor Phillips after struggling to get over her feelings for Harry. Last week, Shakira broke down in tears after a heated row with Conor after Harrison said during the Couple Of Sorts game that she had deeper feelings for Harry - who she was paired with earlier in the series. She told Conor: 'It's been twisted and you've wanted to believe the boys straight away. It's ego and pride. Wake up, Conor. 'They're literally the biggest game-players here. When have I ever lied to you? Their argument leaves Shakira feeling upset and she goes to Toni and Yasmin for comfort. Upset with the rugby lad, she said: 'I don't want to be surrounded by them all the time. For Conor to straight off the cuff believe them… We've been friends for weeks…' NAME: Dejon Noel Williams AGE: 26 FROM: London OCCUPATION: Semi-pro footballer and personal trainer WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? Someone who is beautiful on the inside and out, looks after themselves and is healthy CLAIM TO FAME? My dad being an ex-professional footballer. I've met all kinds of famous people through him. When I was younger it was weird because he was just my dad, but we'd go to a game and fans were asking for photos. I've met David Beckham, he was really nice. Megan Moore NAME: Megan Moore AGE: 25 FROM: Southampton OCCUPATION: Payroll specialist WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? I'd like to meet someone who is tall, with a nice tan, nice eyes and a nice smile. He needs to have a good fashion sense and a really good, funny personality that I can get on with HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR LOVE LIFE? Bankrupt, right now. But we're going to make sales and get on that corporate ladder and be booming. Profits, profits, profits! NAME: Helena Ford AGE: 29 FROM: London OCCUPATION: Cabin Crew WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? Somebody funny or Northern. I feel like Northern people have much more banter than Southerners. If you look through my previous dating history, you'll see I clearly go for personality. You can pretty much laugh me into bed. WOULD MAYA HIRE YOU FOR YOUR FLIRTING SKILLS? I would say hire but then quickly fire soon after. It would only be a temporary contract. NAME: Shakira Khan AGE: 26 FROM: London OCCUPATION: Construction Project Manager WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? Someone who is tall, charming, witty, with big arms, a good smile and just really funny. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR LOVE LIFE? Booming, but they're all frogs. It's a busy love life but I've not found 'the husband', I'm looking for 'the one'. I'm looking for the ring. NAME: Harry Cooksley AGE: 30 FROM: Guildford OCCUPATION: Gold trader, semi-professional footballer and model WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? The girl next door that makes me laugh and can hold eye contact with me. I don't think I'd go for the most obvious girl, I like a real sweet girl. CLAIM TO FAME? I'm the body double for Declan Rice. So when he does a shoot, any body close ups will actually be me. You'll never see my face, but you'll see my shoulder or chest, that kind of thing. NAME: Conor Phillips AGE: 23 FROM: Limerick OCCUPATION: Professional rugby player WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?Someone who is really sure of themselves, ambitious, a bit of a go-getter and good craic. I like dark eyes and I don't mind a dominant woman. WOULD MAYA HIRE YOU FOR YOUR FLIRTING SKILLS? Definitely hire. I ask girls if they want to go halves on a baby. It doesn't work, but it gets them laughing. It's an ice-breaker, not a serious question of course! NAME: Toni Laites AGE: 24 FROM: Connecticut OCCUPATION: Las Vegas Pool Cabana Server WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? I'm looking for darker hair, definitely muscular but not too muscular. Super fit. Clean hair cut. Someone that can make me laugh - I'm super outgoing. And someone that's quite active. Maybe one day we could start our own family together. I WANT TO DATE A BRITISH GUY BECAUSE... I've lived in three different states and I'm still single. It's time to try something new! I have some British friends and they're pretty charming. I think all Americans love a good accent. British men are just more polite, with better manners. NAME: Yasmin Pettet AGE: 24 FROM: London OCCUPATION: Commercial Banking Executive WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? I'm looking for a guy who is fit, has a nice body and who is funny with a bit of banter. WHAT'S YOUR BIGGEST ICK? A guy that's stingy NAME: Bilikis Azeez aka Billykiss AGE: 28 OCCUPATION: Content Creator WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? Someone tall who's good looking, but not too good looking, and that's confident, assertive, knows what they want and is serious about me WHAT'S YOUR BIGGEST ICK? Someone who's childish Jamie NAME: Jamie Rhodes AGE: 26 OCCUPATION: Electric Engineer WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? Bubbly, cheeky, outgoing, good face card and a nice bum. WHAT KIND OF ISLANDER DO YOU THINK YOU'LL BE? I'll be in amongst the drama! It's a once in a lifetime opportunity, I'm gonna take it by the horns and go for it. NAME: Ty Isherwood AGE: 23 OCCUPATION: Site Engineer WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? I go off energy, if we vibe. I've typically dated brunettes, tanned, nice teeth with a nice smile. WHAT KIND OF ISLANDER DO YOU THINK YOU'LL BE? A head turner! I get along with lads easily and like to make people laugh. NAME: Cacherel 'Cach' Mercer AGE: 24 OCCUPATION: Professional Dancer WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? Someone who's emotionally intelligent, beautiful, charismatic, caring, affectionate, and I'd say an intro extrovert. WHAT KIND OF ISLANDER DO YOU THINK YOU'LL BE? I think I'm gonna get into trouble, I feel like I'll be the joker of the group! I'll also be the person people come to for advice… and a bit of eye candy at the same time. ......................................................................................................................... NAME: Angel Swift Angel AGE: 26 OCCUPATION: Aesthetics Practitioner and Salon Owner WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? I'm ready to make memories with someone, go travelling with them and fall in love WHAT KIND OF ISLANDER DO YOU THINK YOU'LL BE? I feel like people have been getting their heads turned very easily. I do feel like I have quite a good chance of turning someone's head.

Siang Lu wins Miles Franklin award for Ghost Cities, ‘a genuine landmark in Australian literature'
Siang Lu wins Miles Franklin award for Ghost Cities, ‘a genuine landmark in Australian literature'

The Guardian

time10 hours ago

  • The Guardian

Siang Lu wins Miles Franklin award for Ghost Cities, ‘a genuine landmark in Australian literature'

When Siang Lu found out he'd won the Miles Franklin literary award, he had a physical reaction. 'I was in such shock that I lost all feeling in my hands and legs,' the Brisbane-based author says. 'I teared up. I lost my voice a little bit. It was the first time in my life that I've ever had to ask someone with a straight face, 'Can you just please confirm to me that I'm not dreaming?'' The feeling Lu describes is akin to the surreal nature of his experimental, prize-winning novel, Ghost Cities. Set between modern and ancient times, and inspired by the vacant megacities of China, the sprawling, ambitious novel is shot through with absurdist humour, cultural commentary and satire in what the Miles Franklin judges describe as 'at once a grand farce and a haunting meditation on diaspora', and 'a genuine landmark in Australian literature'. Many of Ghost Cities' characters, from emperors to civilians, are devoted to telling, and preserving, stories. It's something Lu hadn't realised until a keen-eyed reader pointed it out – now, he says it's key to the novel itself and the $60,000 prize he's just won. 'I think people are responding to a combination of the humour, which I care very deeply about, but also the idea that we should venerate art, storytellers and storytelling,' he says. Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning 'Amongst the cast of characters in Ghost Cities … It was the storytellers that had any hope of claiming agency. I did not consciously do that or plan that, but I recognise it now as something that is true, that my mind was working towards. I hope that at some subconscious level, this is what readers and the judging panel might have responded to: the love for storytelling and literature.' Like many of Australia's most acclaimed writers, Lu works a full-time job (in tech) and has two children, aged nine and 11. Some of Ghost Cities was written many years ago on his hour-long commute to and from the office. 'From the outside in normal, real life, it might appear that in some ways, I've de-prioritised literature in my life: I work a normal job, try to be as present as I can for my children, do what I can for the community,' he says. 'But in fact, secretly, I've put literature above everything … I'm grateful for the things that ground me, because they inform the things that I want to write.' Ghost Cities is Lu's second novel and follows 2022's The Whitewash, a madcap, satirical oral history blending real and fictional stories of Hollywood's race problem. An online project, The Beige Index (described as 'the Bechdel test for race'), is a companion piece of sorts. The perennially shy author says it was a 'gift' for this to be his debut in the Australian literary world, because it meant 'I could be an advocate for something that I care about very deeply, which was more and better representation – that very quickly became like armour for me. I thought, 'Let me be a good advocate for this cause, and then I don't need to talk about myself,' which is a win-win.' This year Lu was shortlisted for the Miles Franklin alongside Brian Castro (Chinese Postman), Michelle de Kretser (Theory and Practice), Winnie Dunn (Dirt Poor Islanders), Julie Janson (Compassion) and Fiona McFarlane (Highway 13). He observes that prize shortlists have become more diverse. 'I don't think that is possible without people behind the scenes, the judges themselves, the readers who are reading critically and thinking about these questions: where are we, where are we going, and how do we get there?' he says. Sign up to Saved for Later Catch up on the fun stuff with Guardian Australia's culture and lifestyle rundown of pop culture, trends and tips after newsletter promotion But the author also believes it is, first and foremost, about the work itself: 'I've been in judging panels and session groups … [In] the conversations about whose voices we want to champion, always, always, the first cornerstone to that is quality.' The writing community matters a lot to Lu. He expresses it in his own idiosyncratic way through what he calls 'Silly Bookstagram', where he Photoshops fellow authors' book covers to be about himself. Lu stresses that the braggadocious nature of the posts is an exaggerated persona but he enjoys connecting with, and promoting, other writers through this tongue-in-cheek project, which has had a real-life impact. 'It started to hit me when those fellow authors actually showed up for my book launch in Sydney,' he says. 'I didn't know them other than through Instagram but it felt like a way to connect in the most 'me' way possible.' So what's next for Australia's latest Miles Franklin winner? Lu is tight-lipped but promises one thing: 'It's gonna be weirder than Ghost Cities.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store