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Sex & computer games
Author
A link to two articles by Ernest Adams, which can contribute to discussion of this issue.
http://www.gamasutra.com/features/designers_notebook/20000915/adams_01.htm
http://www.gamasutra.com/features/designers_notebook/20000331/index.htm
There are many issues involved in sex related content in games, first of all it would be best to avoid gratuitous sleaze, even under the bulls**t pretence that it is humour. Naming no names, there are some games which make rude comments just to be funny. Is this okay, do we really want to start making the equivalent of Carry On films?
What does sex contribute to gameplay, well that really is a sick concept too. Sex should be about loving couples, expressing that in a beautiful way, not about some way of getting ahead in a game, I cannot see that sex should really be used in games as some sort of prostitution or gold-digging mechanism, which is one way that it could be construed as adding to the game mechanism.
Maybe if it were that you decided to stay with your ''lover'' in the game, thus risking death at the hands of the evil tyrant, or at the Capulet''s family hands (because Romeo''s family has a feud with them). But this would not be a "gameplay" choice per se, but a thematic / narrative choice.
I believe that sex should exist in games, but NOT be shown. It should be implied like in great films / books. Sexy voices can hint at things which never come to pass or are never shown. Think of Shodan in System Shock 2.
Be careful what you say here, you never know what employer /future colleagues might be reading it.
Agreed. But I don''t really think Shodan''s voice counts as sexy... more like downright scary... that was a great game.
Hi there, I''m AnCcE, and you''d be too if you weren''t somebody else.
Hi there, I''m AnCcE, and you''d be too if you weren''t somebody else.
You should never question any content. All censorship does is hide the truth.
"I'd say pants, but this is a family publication."
"I'd say pants, but this is a family publication."
Sex in games, eh? Ever played any hentai games? Hehe.. maybe some "research" into this topic would ... well I''m not exactly sure what it''d do, but ... um... nevermind.
Um, go play ''three sister''s story'' or ''nocturnal illusions'' or something.. um... I have to go now.
Um, go play ''three sister''s story'' or ''nocturnal illusions'' or something.. um... I have to go now.
You know, if you''re not doing pornography, I think the only place this will work is in the context of story. In that case, I think you can be tasteful and imply by "fading to black." A good example is the comic way Star Control
As far as sex as a gameplay mechanic, it might be appropriate depending on your topic. Take espionage. Seduction as a skill could gain you information and access. It could also work as an "inventory item," such as photos for blackmail.
Funny enough, we should all note that the maturity of this theme and our squeemishness in dealing with it may be one of the things that limit us in terms of reaching beyond traditional gamers. Imagine what kind of books and movies would exist if sex were as taboo a subject as in games. (No wonder we''re our craft is considered "just for kids.")
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Just waiting for the mothership...
As far as sex as a gameplay mechanic, it might be appropriate depending on your topic. Take espionage. Seduction as a skill could gain you information and access. It could also work as an "inventory item," such as photos for blackmail.
Funny enough, we should all note that the maturity of this theme and our squeemishness in dealing with it may be one of the things that limit us in terms of reaching beyond traditional gamers. Imagine what kind of books and movies would exist if sex were as taboo a subject as in games. (No wonder we''re our craft is considered "just for kids.")
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Just waiting for the mothership...
Aaaaah, Ultima 
The prostitute in Serpent Isle, and this woman you fall in love with in Ultima VII (by the way, how does it end up, I never found out !)
Oh, I agree with the note on Hentai games... they are, ummm, a good source of information.
Oh, and by the way, sex isn''t really needed in a story, it''s *LOVE* you wanna talk about. And no they are not interdependant (ever heard the word "platonic love" ?).
After that, can we make a game with love in it ? yes, but only if you are not a virgin male teenager with acne...
By the way, do you think Womb Rider would have been such a success without its obvious/implicit sexual content ???
youpla :-P
The prostitute in Serpent Isle, and this woman you fall in love with in Ultima VII (by the way, how does it end up, I never found out !)
Oh, I agree with the note on Hentai games... they are, ummm, a good source of information.
Oh, and by the way, sex isn''t really needed in a story, it''s *LOVE* you wanna talk about. And no they are not interdependant (ever heard the word "platonic love" ?).
After that, can we make a game with love in it ? yes, but only if you are not a virgin male teenager with acne...
By the way, do you think Womb Rider would have been such a success without its obvious/implicit sexual content ???
youpla :-P
Why not? If we want games accepted into the general public, we have to start making things for adults as well as kids.
They should remake Leisuresuit Larry. What with all the graphical enhancements over the last few years and all. Hardware TnA anyone? :-)
They should remake Leisuresuit Larry. What with all the graphical enhancements over the last few years and all. Hardware TnA anyone? :-)
quote: Original post by PyroBoy
Hardware TnA anyone? :-)
Future Prediction #2051: Photorealistic polygon pornography will be pretty big for a few years due to low production costs and easy model availability. This will inspire a wave of censorship, though, as people begin doing *very* outlandish things with it.
Then we''ll go into a conservative Dark Age for a few decades...
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Just waiting for the mothership...
wavinator : I think that nerds will just stop having sex (just as nowadays), thus their genes not transmitted, and only people with a decent social life will keep reproducing, just like idiots kill themselves to help the human gene pool be a better place to swim in
Or maybe I''ll enjoy cybersex better than real sex ?
Or maybe I''ll enjoy cybersex better than real sex ?
There are alot of people out there that like sex - and like it alot. Seeing as alot of those people would be willing to buy a product with lots of sex in it I guess that constitutes a market. The more markets a publisher can reach in a game without cutting off others the better.
For example, let''s say they are making a first person shooter. If these people aren''t offended by gratuitous violence then gratuitous sex won''t matter to them much either. But to sex obsessed people the violence won''t matterv either, (some may even like the idea of sex & violence in the same scene) so you end up with a win/win situation for the publisher.
Sure it serves no meaningful purpose, but in this amoral, money-driven world, sex is a useful tool.
I think that if you were trying to use sex to display a meaningful relationship, or even imply, then your perspective of a meaningful relationship needs to be adjusted. There are many other ways of expressing love than diving for the clitoris.
One last note, I haven''t played any Hentai games myself, but I''ve seen enuff Hentai to "understand"...I still wonder why they are so obsessed with tentacles.
For example, let''s say they are making a first person shooter. If these people aren''t offended by gratuitous violence then gratuitous sex won''t matter to them much either. But to sex obsessed people the violence won''t matterv either, (some may even like the idea of sex & violence in the same scene) so you end up with a win/win situation for the publisher.
Sure it serves no meaningful purpose, but in this amoral, money-driven world, sex is a useful tool.
I think that if you were trying to use sex to display a meaningful relationship, or even imply, then your perspective of a meaningful relationship needs to be adjusted. There are many other ways of expressing love than diving for the clitoris.
One last note, I haven''t played any Hentai games myself, but I''ve seen enuff Hentai to "understand"...I still wonder why they are so obsessed with tentacles.
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