BioShock Creator Compares Videogame Sex to Naked Puppets

[Lokithrsourcerer]

still looks a bit like banging barbie dolls together though

 

[geizr]

It isn't the what; it's the how. Video games still present a sort of 14-year-old's perspective of love, sex, and relationships(come to think of it, video games present that kind of perspective about a lot of things). Also, because the intent of video games is always to be fun, it's hard to take video games as a whole as being anything more than a kind of roller-coaster thrill ride. Not all games have to be serious treatises on life, the universe, and everything, but video games will have to first shift the perspective of intent as being something more than just an electronic version of an amusement park ride before it can be taken seriously as a medium for full artistic expression. Even once that happens, video games will still have to make good on that shift by going beyond the 14-year-old/frat-boy mentality regarding the human experience and life in general.

 

[Booze Zombie]

*Cough* BIOWARE *Cough* Sorry, terrible cough there. I guess I was thinking about a studio that can't do sex scenes very well.

 

[Malk_Content]

Imagine an interactive sex scene in Dragon Age, say a quick time event:
hold X, right shoulder + B, quick fill the manna bar press Y repeatedly; faster, faster, faster, faster....Dam it, time's up!
*Defeat cinematic*
O.O
Morrigan is disapproves: -50

Have you played Assassin's Creed 2? The game teaches you that Triangle = An action to do with your head. In one scene you are prompted to press Triangle whilst with a lady, if you do it in time it cuts away and you can here the lass go "Oh Ezio."

 

[Scorekeeper]

I don't know about getting better every time. From where I stand ME1 had the best scenes in both taste and character interaction.

This. It was tasteful and artistic.

 

[Ekonk]

I literally see nothing about him mentioning Black Swan, like, at all.

 

[BehattedWanderer]

I was hopeful of the scenes in Dragon Age II. The most exciting part was watching Hawke handle Isabella's knives, which was amusing, at the most. Show a flash of her riding Hawke like the wench she is with a still camera with her rocking back and forth au naturale, then we'll talk.

 

[Rex Fallout]

I used to be one of the biggest fans of Ken Levine, way back when Bioshock was undoubtedly my favorite game, (which was pretty early on into my gamin career) then he sold out to make Bioshock Infinite, (a piece of - ok fine i'm not going to go into that) But now with actions like this he is starting to slowly- but surely win me back over.

Just curious what is so bad about Bioshock Infinite? Since it's not even out yet.

On Topic: I do agree that there is a unfair perception that video games are still "just kids toys" and that does get in the way of storytelling.

Because Bioshock was about Rapture, that beautiful wonderful city under the sea had so much potential, and its story was never finished. Levine just left it to make a city in the clouds with giant robot creatures, (TOTALLY NOT BIG DADDY'S) that just so happens to have similar drugs that make it so that normal people can shoot electricity and fire from their hands, (NOT PLASIMIDS, THIS IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT AND IN NO WAY SIMILAR!) It just seems like he's lost his imagination and sold out completely. BI looks like complete BS, and I will never play it.

I was saying that he was winning back over with the whole standing up for video games kind of thing he's doing now.

 

[similar.squirrel]

Why is it that so many people take more offense at sexual themes than they do at simulated murder? I think our species may be going to the funny farm.

 

[Alar]

BioWare, for example, has included romantic subplots in its games for years, and while you'd be hard pressed to say that the sex scenes in Dragon Age or Mass Effect are all that great, they do get a little bit better each time. There's still a long way to go, both for BioWare, and the industry as whole, but these are important first steps.

A little better each time? If I recall, don't they keep getting more and more clothes each game for these scenes? Unless you're talking about the context and the 'feeling' of the scenes? Or the romantic build up?

Just not sure what it is you're talking about, really.

 

[rokkolpo]

they do get a little bit better each time

And include more and more clothes each time...

On the subject, I still have yet to see a game where a sex scene is needed or even makes the game better than it would have been without it.

God of War, all of them.
Needed? no
Make the game better? HEEEELLLL YES!

 

[rokkolpo]

Why is it that so many people take more offense at sexual themes than they do at simulated murder? I think our species may be going to the funny farm.

Ask the church.
Crusades *god thumbs up*
Pre marital sex *god thumbs down*

It's been like this forever.
(not only the church of course, but I believe them to be a major influence)

 

[CommanderKirov]

Ahh yes. DAII Sex scenes, good grief they were so hillarious. Even nowdays whenever I feel sad or melancholical, I remind myself of "PASSIONATE LOVESCENE WITH ISABELLA" and I instantly regain good humor.

 

[Eveonline100]

can't help but feel as thoug the answer lyles (butchered the word) in allowing us see the whole thing not every nook and cranning just enough to get the picture or to put it blujnt about the same level as the movie industry

 

[Tomo Stryker]

You know, its not really about the graphical nudity. If you want to see that then go watch some porn to alleviate yourself or some fan made stuff. But shouldn't it be better left to the imagination? I mean, seriously its that old saying. Your brain is the biggest sex organ, so why not let it run rampant... in your mind.

 

[Assassin Xaero]

they do get a little bit better each time

And include more and more clothes each time...

On the subject, I still have yet to see a game where a sex scene is needed or even makes the game better than it would have been without it.

God of War, all of them.
Needed? no
Make the game better? HEEEELLLL YES!

It didn't do anything to further develop the story or Kratos as far as I see. Kratos is already been developed as a wreck less badass by then, and the sex minigames don't really do much to expand that.

Unless you consider sex making it better in a "OMGZ SECHS AND BOOBIES!!!!!11" way, then yeah, I guess some people could consider it "better" with the sex games.

 

[Dethpixie]

I'd say Bioware's sex scenes are pretty good as far as the goal of conveying emotion is concerned. Sure, there's still a lot to be desired on the animation front but we'll get there (and this applies to all aspects of games not just the sex). When you invest the kind of time and attention into a relationship that you tend to in a Bioware game the sex is more about an emotional pay-off than a desire to see anything explicit (for me anyway). I do feel that Bioware pulled some punches thanks to the "Ass Effect" bullshit, though I haven't played Dragon Age 2 yet.

There is a lot of prudishness to be overcome though, from developers, publishers, communities and the media and in a world where Fox News watches every move the gaming industry makes for an excuse to say it's ruining the children growing up as an industry can be a very difficult thing to do. It's like gaming is going through puberty but every time it tries to masturbate someone threatens to cut its testicles off.

Okay... not a perfect metaphor.

 

[mokmoof]

I can see how Kratos shtupping mermaids was genre-appropriate, at the very least. Greek heroes were all about the transhuman wanderlust.