Is it just me, or has the videogame industry gone sex mad lately? Mass Effect 2, Dragon Age: Origins, Heavy Rain and Alpha Protocol all have erotic scenes packed into the experience, and now it looks like Assassin's Creed 2 will be joining the orgy with its own steamy encounters.
"Ezio is a womanizer," claims game director Benoit Lambert. "There’s a bit of sex. I can’t say more."
What do you think of all the sexy chicanery that's happening in videogames at the moment? Good thing or bad thing? Sign of maturity or silly childishness? Do you believe videogames are making a strong enough push into the realm of subject matter previously reserved for more established forms of entertainment, or do you think this recent spate of adult material will see a significant mainstream backlash?
Personally, I say bring it on. I'm hoping that so many games are tackling sex right now that the mainstream media won't know who to pick on. Once something is done enough times, it becomes normal and acceptable, so I'm confident that if more games are able to get away with decent sex scenes, it will become mundane enough to pass without complaint.
That, and I want to see a honking great pair of jugs.
Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize.
Likes
PS2, iPod Touch, Silent Hill 2, Metal Gear Solid, Dynasty Warriors 3
Meet the rest of the team
| BBcode help |
| [b]Bold text[/b] |
Bold text |
| [i]Italic text[/i] |
Italic text |
| [url]http://www.dtoid.com/[/url] |
http://www.dtoid.com |
| [url=http://www.dtoid.com/]Web link[/url] |
Web link |
|
| [img]http://www.example.com/robot.jpg[/img] |
 |
Post a comment! You can also post a photo below:
Comment with Facebook
Click connect and comment instantly!
|
Comment with Dtoid
New? SIGN UP - it takes 5 seconds
|
54 comments | showing # 1 to 50
|
Comment with Facebook
Click connect and comment instantly!
|
Comment with Dtoid
New? SIGN UP - it takes 5 seconds
|
Comments policy
Destructoid is an open discussion community. You don't need to "audition" to post a comment - just speak your mind. We respect differing opinions on the site, so have at it. Be smart, funny, insightful, clueless, or cute -- but back it up with substance. Keep your cool, keep it fun. We only ask that you act respectfully and above all: don't be a troll and ruin it for everyone else. Don't bring down gamers or we'll, you know, gently shoot you in the face and stuff you into a flaming mailbox. Each comment is your opportuntity to make this community awesomer. Is that even a word?
Avoiding the banhammer only requires common sense: spamming, trolling, racism, NSFW stuff, and other forms of sucking will not be tolerated. If anyone is griefing please report abuse. Be good. Don't suck!
Contest:
1:20 PM on 09.30.2009
| 
While I understand the aim (i.e. expand the audience for RPGs), I'm of the opinion that that stuff should be left as a surprise for players. Well, that or to be spoiled in the ESRB description.
Now everyone's just going to start the game looking for it. Leave that behavior to eroge, kthnx.
Tackling sex is excellent. It has just as much a right to be in a video game as Ninja Gaiden 2's gushing blood finishing moves.
Random sex for the hell of it/"booby" humor is just awful. Unless the game is built around that mantra (fanservice/eroge), it just detracts from the overall quality of the game. See Ninja Gaiden Sigma II's "boob-axis": it's juvenile.
On the other hand, I understand what Jim is saying about how a flood of mainstream games with sex scenes could be a good thing, because it would break down a lot of the taboos that developers sometimes have to dance around. I just hope that once the taboos are broken, developers will retreat back to a less gratuitous design philosophy.
....
Second.
king king five actually has it right. Sex has its place in society and, when done well, can be tasteful and fit a mood. Recently, though, people seem to be adding it because it's the "cool thing to do" and will make their games more "edgy." Hopefully the fad dies out soon and it reaches a happy medium where we can balance sex for the point of plot with being overly gratuitous.
I hope that rationalization NEVER become the norm itself. Just because something is done over and over does NOT make it right. (I'm not talking about sex in games, just the statement in general.)
Personally? I think if you're gonna have sex at least have top notch animations. Far too often does it look like two Barbie dolls doin' it. Seriously that's my gripe. Not context, it'll fall into play as the industry learns, it's making it look real. Poor animations completely draw you out of it and remind you it's a game.
Some of you puritans need to get off your highhorse if you're going to moan about sex in games while remaining silent where violence is concerned.
Sex as part of a story written by your typical computer game script writer = bad
However, I have secret hopes the people doing assassins creed have actually got the voice acting and story going well this time.
1. Casanova lived in the 18th century, AC2 set in 15th. But what's 300 years between friends.
2. Something being obvious is not a good thing. It makes for a dull and uninspired plot.
Come on guys. The argument "TITS" holds water. The rest of the cultural/historical/maturity arguments are silly. This is about sales. If you want to see this shit, fine, but it's a lot better at devoted porn sites. I'd prefer it stays there - they know what they're doing.
Besides don't forget about Jade promoting AC1 ;)
As if AC1 sold that many copies because of the awesome and non repetitive gameplay.
so far, all the sex i've seen in videogames has been with hookers. It
seems wierd to me that the are focus on sex but ignore relationships
On topic, video games are just another extension of media. It can make media interactive. Still, practically all games have pre-determined content, interactive or not, the rest is generally community-created (you know, that whole thing where ESRB doesn't rate online interactions).
Compare them to movies, and I can't think of many games that would have pre-set content any worse than television or movies already do. Therefore, as ratings correspond to violence in movies, so should they for sex.
As far as people who think it should not be in games, they're probably the same people who want to ban sex from TV and movies. So there's not much hope of winning them over for games, either.
And hey, if it's not your cup of tea, remember that you aren't the only consumer out there. And there will always be family-friendly games, too, because there will always be a market for them.
I mean for years and years nudity alone was a MAJOR taboo in games, I didn't see my first pair of bare video game breasts till God of War and sex? that was something ABSOLUTELY not shown unless you wanted a major scandal (see hot coffee)
but now nudity is becoming more and more accepted and sex is just the next logical step and I say bravo!
plus like Jim I also want to see a honking great pair of jugs, that chick from Heavy Rain has a nice pair
otherwise I too say, bring it on! ^_^
So I suppose if the assassin starts... say assassinating people it's going to be dull and boring.
And forgive me if I didn't know the exact time of AC2... I haven't played it yet.