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University of Central Florida developing abstinence game photo

It's a little weird to write a story that contains the terms, "Fox News," "videogame" and "sex" yet isn't actually negative. Well, not in the traditional sense, anyway.

Fox News Orlando reports that the University of Central Florida is hard at work developing a videogame geared towards female middle school students intended to teach them skills for handling peer pressure relating to sex. The game places them in social situations and they make choices and score points for demonstrating appropriate responses to offers of sexual activity and innuendo from onscreen avatars.

Now, the ridiculous part. The game uses a full motion-capture suit. They're going to put kids in motion-capture suits and have them act out rejecting male students. I'll grant you, it's a skill that all girls benefit from having, but is the suit really necessary? Not to mention it looks creepy as hell and is costing taxpayers $434,000.

I'm completely in favor of games being used as educational tools but this is just way too much. For that money, you could hire at least ten entry-level teachers and thin out some class sizes in low-income communities which would probably be just as effective in reducing teen pregnancies.

Hit the jump and you can see video of the game in action. If you think the above screen capture is terrifying, you really need to check this out.

UCF developing virtual game about sex, peer pressure [MyFoxOrlando via Boondocks Bootleg]








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Conrad Zimmerman is Destructoid's News Editor and home to the busiest mustache in the gaming press. An amateur historian and pop culture fanatic, Conrad possesses a nearly limitless wealth of videogame factoids and a passion for the power of games to teach, inspire and entertain. He enjoys reading, writing and turning things which should be fun into work. Likes Mega Man 2, Arcade Games, Books about games, Board games, Having cultural interests that aren't games Meet the rest of the team



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66 comments | showing # 1 to 50
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next 50 comments

acetated's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 03:13
acetated
This is... I mean... really...$434,000!?
shinryu's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 03:17
shinryu
inb4 Microsoft says Kinect is cheaper than this.
Rainbowblack's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 03:17
Rainbowblack
For just 10$ more you can get the limited edition that comes packaged with a purity ring
PwnanObrien's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 03:19
PwnanObrien
Good luck not being abstinent when you, like those kids, look like a partially melted realdoll.
superporkeater3d's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 03:21
superporkeater3d
Great, the government is going to kill NASA, but still has money to do this pedophile game (just make all the "wrong" choices and maybe you can get to watch a motion capture kiddie porn extravaganza)
coldalarm's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 03:23
coldalarm
Stop teaching kids to not have sex, and start to teach them about having sex. Jeez :(
The Cast's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 03:29
The Cast
....this looks like a Grasshopper game. O-O
Maz-'s Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 03:30
Maz-
lolUSA

what is wrong with you people that you can't deal with the most natural thing in the world?
Super Drybones's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 03:34
Super Drybones
They could have bought 434,000 condoms for that money.

haha my submissions was finally chosen for front page.
ZenGaijin's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 03:45
ZenGaijin
This could do wonders for kids self esteem. Play a guy and every time a girl comes up to tempt you into giving up your special gift you could "lose". It's the feel good game of the year.
AwesomeJon's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 03:47
AwesomeJon
I don't get it. How does peer pressure exist within the game? I'm sure kids already know what the "right" responses are. The challenge is doing it under pressure.
Yumsandvich's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 03:51
Yumsandvich
I can't believe a game like this cost $434,000. I can think of several indie games that look much better than this, and are actually fun, made on a budget of zero dollars. I'm seriously wondering how UFC is spending all of that money, surely it couldn't have all been spent on doing all the motion-capture stuff.
Fullmetalfox's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 03:54
Fullmetalfox
In the sequel, you are gonna have to play a girl trying to resist peer pressure and keep her Hijab on.
Welcome to Obama's America.
Tonesworth's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 03:56
Tonesworth
It sounds like she say "fucks" instead of "Fox" at the end. I thought that was funny. Anyway, this game looks like a waste of money. Seriously, all that money, and the suit sucks. Regardless, I think that this game is pretty pointless. How many teenage girls are actually going to take this seriously? Plus, like coldalarm said, they shouldn't be talking about abstinence, but sex instead. Obviously middle school girls shouldn't be having secks, but education is more effective than promotion. The only response I got from this was laughter. Silly Florida. Always doing weird stuff. Oh well. Home sweet home.
Vanilla Gorilla's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 04:11
Vanilla Gorilla
GotY, fuckin' srsly.
acetated's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 04:33
acetated
i went through middle and high school in florida and we had comprehensive sex education taught in the school system. we all got a good laugh in middle school but in high school they delt more with unwanted pregnancy and stds -- scary stuff to anyone paying attention. anyway, they didn't hand out condoms or contraception or condone premarital sex. what i remember was a pretty matter of fact explanation into things that let us decide if we wanted to try and get laid.

not sure whats wrong with that old system or why we need videogames to tell our kids how to say no. this is just retarded. if a parent can't talk to his or her daughter about this kind of stuff then a videogame sure as hell isn't going to be able to fill the gap. wtf.... oh and thanks for wasting my tax money!
Jackson Starburst's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 04:42
Jackson Starburst
This sounds very stupid. Surely people playing are going to know the answers they're supposed to give anyway.
BoneClawHugo's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 05:54
BoneClawHugo
I hope this game is wildly successful and takes the world by storm. Then when the world is underpopulated and young males commit suicide over self-esteem issues within the new social norms, they can develop a new game to deal with that. Besides, haven't 14-year-olds been having babies since the beginning of time?
Uther's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 06:06
Uther
I've never seen a group of game models look so terrified of being in someone else's mercy.
Jaffacakelover's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 06:11
Jaffacakelover
I like that the it mapped the reporter's arms the wrong way round, giving the glass-eyed tween in the game severely broken arms. And THAT'S when the cameraman puts it full-screen.
Conrad Zimmerman's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 06:11
Conrad Zimmerman
@BoneClawHugo: If you're of the mindset that time itself is a concept created by man, I'd say even longer than that.
LittleBigD's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 07:18
LittleBigD
A sex Ed videogame..... This is one of the reasons I firmly believe that it's time to pass a law that says "You need a license to have children."
Handy's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 07:20
Handy
“You earn points for using certain social skills”

*Groan*

Still, I think its working; I really don’t want to have sex with anything in that game.
MeisterLi's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 07:35
MeisterLi
How about a cheap flashgame showing people (not just girls) how to use a condom correctly and tell people to carry one with them instead of believing in their willpower to resist nature (hint: it doesn't work).

Costs only 15$ to make or none if you ask a student to do it and 10000 times more effective.
Rayray the spy's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 07:45
Rayray the spy
Ya were billons of dollars in debt so lets make a shity game that will not work. If you want kids not to have sex then tell them the risk of having it insted of making shity games for money that the goverment doesnt have
NotoriousBIG420's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 07:47
NotoriousBIG420
@MeisterLi

your comment reminded me of this: http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/183612/
RichardBlaine's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 07:51
RichardBlaine
In defense of the game, I think a big part of the abstinence movement is less about sex being "bad" and more about trying to prevent the spread of disease and unwanted pregnancies. However, I agree that it's better to teach safe sex practices than to ignore them in favor of a No Sex Ever policy. I'm also not thrilled about the government funding.
bunnymud's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 07:57
bunnymud
waste of taxpayers money

Parents, do your job
mada7's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 08:06
mada7
Firstly there is no peer pressure in a game as there is no one else there. Secondly who you are in a game is not who you are in reality the freezer geezers they always have pushing this stuff really do not understand video games at all. I have never once found myself in a difficult situation and asked myself "what would soap mctavish/mario/zelda/master chief do in this situation". Thirdly what 12-14 year old girl is going to wear that suit?
Mr Andy Dixon's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 08:15
Mr Andy Dixon
Achievement Unlocked - Started College with No Knowledge of Sexuality and Became an ABSOLUTE WHORE

100 GS
Sexualchocolate's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 08:25
Sexualchocolate
Seriously does ANYONE really need to know how to put on a condom?

It's a cock shaped glove, rolled up. it's not rocket science, hell it's not even junior high science!

Still, the fact that they make sex feel 50% less great is the biggest problem. Guys have a natural urge to splooge inside of women. Pulling it out, pulling of a slimy rubber leaving you with a slimy johnson, is pretty sucky.
DeusPayne's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 08:30
DeusPayne
Sex education needs only one word. "Condom". 99.99% effective at preventing both pregnancy and STD. No need to use scare tactics or a $434k video game to teach that.

Plus, I know that all my time spent on Ganguro Girl has immensely helped out my dating skills.
Arch649's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 08:32
Arch649
I don't want to have sex with any of those things. I don't need my tax dollars wasted to figure that one out!!
BoneClawHugo's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 08:51
BoneClawHugo
@sexualchocolate:

You know what's even yuckier? WAAAAH! WAAAH! WAAAAH! WAAAH! WAAAAH! WAAAH! For more information, play Yoshi's Island.
Karutomaru's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 09:02
Karutomaru
Let's just hope this isn't on the Wii. I smell shovelware edutainment.
Faux Furry's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 09:19
Faux Furry
@Karutomaru
If it were on the Wii,they could use motion controls to slap the boys or gesture to tell them to "Talk to the hand/step off/other outdated slang" rather than wear a cumbersome mo-cap suit...not that a console isn't the right place for a mo-cap suit. It's being played behind closed doors at home so who cares if it makes the player look goofy?

It's really brilliant how they make everyone look so unattractive that noone who wasn't already incredibly desperate would even think about approaching them sexually...at least,it would be if middle school/high school girls' "first time" was usually with their peers. It's the hot college guys they've got to teach them to say no to/use a condom with.
I blame Elvis Presley,Twilight Zoners and those gol' dern music vidya games.
RTsharpshooter's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 09:20
RTsharpshooter
So, this is the beginning of the anti-eroge genre.
/jk

It'll be interesting how this turns out. Even if the road indeed leads to hell, it's still paved with good intentions.
Ebola8MyFace's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 09:34
Ebola8MyFace
This is so fucking typical. It's usually the conservative whack-jobs pushing for abstinence only education and I would bet cash money that that base had something to do with this getting made. They get it both ways. Fox pushes the agenda and then gets to complain about what it cost to make, blaming it on the current administration. Don't be duped. It's supposed to incite anger towards the Dems (The only reason Faux News exists).
D Chap's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 09:41
D Chap
This game looks scarier than Silent Hill
HeyRiles's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 09:52
HeyRiles
A better application of that money would be to develop a motion-capture game on how to apply a condom to your penis
Elsa's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 10:04
Elsa
... think of all the condoms they could distribute for that amount of money. As others have said, safe sex education might go much, much further than a "how not to have sex" videogame.
Midgetsnowman's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 10:08
Midgetsnowman
You'd think by now people would realize abstinence training doesnt work. The most christian town in america ( a texas town I forget the name of right offhand) has abstinence only sex ed. It also has the highest teen pregnancy rate in america.
Midgetsnowman's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 10:11
Midgetsnowman
Course, on secoind thought, the funnier part is I bet the republicans dont even bat an eye over the expenditure given this supports their usual platforms.
taxial's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 10:11
taxial
FAIL.
HombreGato's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 10:26
HombreGato
I've already played two or three hundred abstinence games. The most recent one was Starcraft 2.
Javet's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 11:11
Javet
Wow, I'm in my senior year of high school in Florida and this college is actually where I want to go to study film >_>
yeadude's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 11:23
yeadude
LOL im a UCF digital media student and we were just talking about what a waste this is and how we in the game development and cg departments could use this tech but i really dont care anymore im goin back to fine art
Gamernerd101's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 11:32
Gamernerd101
Why does the little girl look like she has Parkinson's disease? And is that like a hand-me down motion capture suit I thought the recent ones had much more points on them so the characters didn't look like they dislocated all of their joints at the same times.
AlphaJC's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 11:35
AlphaJC
this is jsut sad the fact parents cant just tell their kids not to fuck or else your dick or vagina will sprout angry mages of pain.
WhiteZombie's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 11:36
WhiteZombie
LMAO at HombreGato - they should just make the kids play mandatory WoW
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