     |
 |
 |
 | | | | |
 |
|||
 |
||||||
          |
 |
 |
||||
|
Book Excerpt and Review - Sex In Video Games Hard-core sex in video games is uncensored, unashamed, and almost always un rated. Far beyond Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas’ “Hot Coffee” sex mini-game, hardcore games are characterized more by what’s left out rather than what’s put in. Often, a hard-core “game” is only a game in the most basic sense of the word—for instance, in Orgasm Girl and others like it, the player needs to get the character in the game to orgasm to “win.” Other times, the game is nothing more than an adult toy that lets the player use a variety of sex toys on a simulated man, woman, or fetish object. Such games as Soma Doll, VirtuallyJenna, and 3D Slut all fit this bill, and are often referred to as “poke the doll” games. Still other games simulate hard-core sex stories, particularly early 1980s games where it was only possible to tell, not show. Some hard-core games do try to make a game of it, though. For instance, Sociolotron, an MMORPG, gives players a standard RPG world to play in and also allows players to explore their sexual desires. Players are free to express themselves through their clothing—or lack thereof—and their actions. Patric Lagny, developer of Sociolotron, designed the game with this freedom in mind. “We have put great effort into making it possible to break any taboo, as far as legally possible, and have some quite shocking and blasphemous game elements. I believe in free speech and intend to use the rights the USA takes great pride in pointing out all the time” [Lagny01]. Lagny notes that the game does have its necessary limits. While encouraging people to explore their sexuality, the game will not allow any kind of pedophilia and goes to great lengths to insure that this type of content is impossible to create or to role play in the game world. They even record a log of every action and word exchanged between players. Furthermore, notes Lagny, “We have excluded some things that are legally questionable, like sex with animals or ‘furry creatures,’ or the graphical description of extreme sexual torture. In fact, Sociolotron gets away with remarkably little violence and blood, except an occasional splatter on the ground. I’m quite glad to discover that there are still some people out there who find sex more attractive than gruesome violence” [Lagny02]. Japanese “hentai” and “bishoujo” games are also frequently hard core. Known more gently as “dating sims,” the more adult hentai and bishoujo games allow players to experience graphic anime sex. One company, Peach Princess, produces English-language localizations of these Japanese games. For instance, Doushin— Same Heart features the three characters known as the Suruga sisters. Whenever one of the girls gets sexually aroused, the other two sisters also feel the same way. Another game, Water Closet: The Forbidden Chamber (Figure 1.2), allows the player to choose different fetish play paths, each from a different character’s perspective.
Sex by PurposeWhy is sex found in video games? The same reasons sex is found in art, movies, television, or books. To stimulate players sexually is just one reason. Sexual content can be used to entertain, as it is in countless television relationship dramas. It can be used to teach, just as it is in sexual education or health classes in high schools everywhere. For what purpose is sex used in video games? |
||||||||||||||||
Features
Previous
|
|
|