How SHOULD sex scenes in games work?
- Thread starter Zechnophobe
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Depends very much on what you want to achieve with it.
Do you (merely) want to arouse your audience?
Do you want to convey an important romantic story element and how it evolves?
Do you want to showcase a new dimension to the characters, how they react to each other and the situation?
Or is it meant to be a desperate and/or disturbing act with nothing in way of sensuality?
Depending on the purpose of it, the overall setup, visual style, depicted sex acts, level of explicitness etc. could vary immensely. Context and overall story purpose matters most of all, and the direction of any scene - including sex scenes - is generally derived from it.
I hold absolutely nothing against explicit sex scenes - might well enjoy them even - if only they're done with respect of the overall story material (and aren't too disturbing in what they depict...). Though of course, pure porn - sex for no other purpose than audience arousal, with no connection to story or characterization - should stick to pure porn games, as it's little but a bother in a story that actually tries to go somewhere.
Do you (merely) want to arouse your audience?
Do you want to convey an important romantic story element and how it evolves?
Do you want to showcase a new dimension to the characters, how they react to each other and the situation?
Or is it meant to be a desperate and/or disturbing act with nothing in way of sensuality?
Depending on the purpose of it, the overall setup, visual style, depicted sex acts, level of explicitness etc. could vary immensely. Context and overall story purpose matters most of all, and the direction of any scene - including sex scenes - is generally derived from it.
I hold absolutely nothing against explicit sex scenes - might well enjoy them even - if only they're done with respect of the overall story material (and aren't too disturbing in what they depict...). Though of course, pure porn - sex for no other purpose than audience arousal, with no connection to story or characterization - should stick to pure porn games, as it's little but a bother in a story that actually tries to go somewhere.
Making it implicit is the best route, I think.
That way it leaves it up to the player whether they imagine nothing going on, or whether they imagine RAWRTIGRESSMODEENGAGED!
Hell, back in FF7, when Cloud and Tifa are sitting alone under the airship near the end of the game (which then fades to the next morning), I had two experiences. The first time I played it at age 13, I thought nothing of it. When I played it again around when I was around 19, I got the impression that they ended up going at it that night.
Also, I would VERY much approve of the characters advancing their relationship over the course of the game (like actually having moments where they hug, or kiss or whatever) instead of going straight from "I like talking to you" to "I WANT YOU NOW!" in the final chapter.
That way it leaves it up to the player whether they imagine nothing going on, or whether they imagine RAWRTIGRESSMODEENGAGED!
Hell, back in FF7, when Cloud and Tifa are sitting alone under the airship near the end of the game (which then fades to the next morning), I had two experiences. The first time I played it at age 13, I thought nothing of it. When I played it again around when I was around 19, I got the impression that they ended up going at it that night.
Also, I would VERY much approve of the characters advancing their relationship over the course of the game (like actually having moments where they hug, or kiss or whatever) instead of going straight from "I like talking to you" to "I WANT YOU NOW!" in the final chapter.
Also, this. ^^Zeithri said:
Say whatever you will about how distasteful you find sex, sex defines human characters as much as combat or dialogue. How a character behaves in sex adds another dimension to their identity, however awkward the developers portray it.
1) Sexual tension is needed. Leading up to it or something. I don't think games have ever depicted it properly. Need to think.
2) Nudity would be friggin' appreciated. But if you can't then at least use lighting and poses to obscure the horror of the naked body. Bioware clothed sex is too hilarious for words.
3) Connection to the plot or dare I say... character development. Nah scratch that one, not necessarily needed. Awesome when present but not necessary.
4) A scene, not a mini-game.
5) Humor can help. You're sort of lamp-shading that these are sex-scenes in a video-game. Also post-sex dialogue with a character is always fun, and when played nicely can be really arousing in itself.
2) Nudity would be friggin' appreciated. But if you can't then at least use lighting and poses to obscure the horror of the naked body. Bioware clothed sex is too hilarious for words.
3) Connection to the plot or dare I say... character development. Nah scratch that one, not necessarily needed. Awesome when present but not necessary.
4) A scene, not a mini-game.
+1tzimize said:
5) Humor can help. You're sort of lamp-shading that these are sex-scenes in a video-game. Also post-sex dialogue with a character is always fun, and when played nicely can be really arousing in itself.
Hmm. In Fallout 3, there was no interaction. It was just sleeping, and then when you woke up, there was someone laying there next to you.
In Fallout New Vegas, the screen goes black, and then you get some rather humorous audio.
Seeing as in Fallout, it was a little challenging to get engaged with characters, I don't really care what they do, as long as it doesn't wreck the game.
In Fallout New Vegas, the screen goes black, and then you get some rather humorous audio.
Seeing as in Fallout, it was a little challenging to get engaged with characters, I don't really care what they do, as long as it doesn't wreck the game.
but its a natural thing, a thing that happens in real life. videogames are supposed to be virtual lives basically, and you can't tell me you'd have, say, a bunch of adults hanging around for five years and no relashionships. duke nukem sex though, yes, should probably go away. makes us look like a bunch of prepubescent boysAnythingOutstanding said:
Well when a man pixel and a woman pixel love each very much... Seriously it shouldn't matter unless it is shown penetration or nudity. Even the latter is not that bad.
Mass Effect 1 did it well - artsy, with a bit of nudity, but faded to black almost immediately thereafter. Lots of classy implications without the "dry humping" of later games, which is both silly and overly explicit at the same time.Zechnophobe said:
What I'd like to see is more relationship build-up when appropriate, or less as appropriate.
For example:
In ME2, Jack will sleep without you almost immediately. I like that - the scene isn't well done, but the story is. It is in character for that to occur.
On the other hand, Garrus, who just wants to have sex for fun, makes you wait until the "romance" scene. I wouldn't mind a romance with Garrus, but that doesn't feel like romance as much as it does like sex with benefits.
Liara (in one) felt rushed. You meet her, kill a few geth, and suddenly she's got feelings for you. It's a bit odd.
Actually, I liked the development of Tali in ME2. It takes time, builds, there's a test of trust followed by a deeper relationship. Good stuff. The scene, while a bit "eh", was one of the most artsy and tasteful of any of the scenes in ME2.
Not that I would have minded seeing some skin. Or her face.
Also, I didn't mind Heavy Rain that much - yes, there were some clipping issues, but the story was good enough that I ignored the technical errors. Same for Indigo Prophesy (even if the story turned the bend towards crazy street right after the first scene).
I assume you mean example of sexual tension?blaize2010 said:
Didn't play Dragon Age (I think you meant DA Morrigan) or darkstalkers (In case you meant Aensland)
So... a vid would be nice. Cause as we know the Devil lies in execution.
You mean kind of like the VIOLENCE?Julianking93 said:
I mean, how many games did the game developers of the world need to go through before they hit that "magic mark" that DIDN'T land the violence in their videogames in the land of the gratutious and/or humourous?
Come to think of it, only a depressingly few game titles actually nails it when it comes to violence that doesn't strike people as gratitous or humourous (as most of you probably know, videogames still can't get enough of exploding heads, torrential rain of blood and bisected human bodies about as durable as wet toilet paper).
But hey, at least some developers are TRYING with MULTIPLE EFFORTS to make it all realistic right?
The question is; why not experiment more with sexual content? Despite the plethora of cheesy pornographic games that most people could even barely get ahold of, the matter is pretty unexplored (for your typical hypocritical reasons in a "violence making Peter Jacksons Braindead look tame in front of "the children" is okay, but an exposed female nipple will scar them for life"-kind of way).
It could probably be done in a variety of ways, if the censors weren't being so uptight when it comes to sex. I mean game developers would probably LOVE to put games on the more "mainstream" market featuring both romantic and sexual content (according to the laws of the average corporate drone brain, money can be made of things that feature sex in one way or another).
But due to restrictions from obnoxious moralists and "holier than thou"-idiots (along with incompetent parents who simply can't be bothered to control what kind of games their underage children purchase), any exploration in the realm of "sex in games" is being pretty hampered in the mainstream market.
Which is kind of a shame really. I mean, what happened to this lovely yearning for exploration? That drive that make men paint paintigs or sculpt statues never made before? Or making people ask what's beyond the horizon and actually getting their arses out of their seats and explore for themselves?
Of course it's difficult, but it sure as hell won't get any easier when moralist scumbags constantly try to spoil our adult fun by yelling "SOMEBODY PLEASE THINK OF THE CHILDREN!" in our ears all the fucking time.
My suggestion? A reasonable compromise! Let game developers go nuts with sexual content (hurr, hurr "nuts") and maybe succeed in nailing that "magic mark" that makes it all seem realistic. But! Make sure the game comes with some kind of code-lock that requires the player to be of appropriate age in order to placate the moralist parents with their "impressionable children" of the world.
That way Mr. and Mrs. Stephens won't have to worry that little Timmy (age: 10) is going to be "exposed" to any digitally rendered nipples on that digital prostitute he's in the process of gleefully cutting to pieces with a chainsaw in your average Grand Theft Auto title.
So to all you doubters out there: I know that it might seem cheesy right now with sex in games, but you have to understand that there's a reason behind the cheesyness, and that is coming from outside pressure from moralists who make it difficult for game developers to market games that feature sexual content in the mainstream arena of business.
Like another said, I think implications work best. Gives the imagination a workout. 
Also, sometimes the most minute detail is the most telling one.
I say the kiss in Jade Empire had far more impact than any scene in BioWare's later ventures (save perhaps Dragon Age, but the fact that the characters' underwear was left on made the scenes look really awkward).
Also, sometimes the most minute detail is the most telling one.I say the kiss in Jade Empire had far more impact than any scene in BioWare's later ventures (save perhaps Dragon Age, but the fact that the characters' underwear was left on made the scenes look really awkward).