Is there too much sex in video games?

[Caligulust]

There isn't much of a reason to leave it out of a game.
(Though it also depends on what kind of game)

If it can add more to a story, or to a game world itself that's great. But sometimes it's a bit silly and pointless. The first Fable for instance.

For me it can make a character a bit more human.

 

[sketch_zeppelin]

Nah, if anything i think there should be more, not to the point of it being porn but i've yet to see a mainstream game based entirely around a romance...not exactly sure i'd play it but i'm sure someone would if it were done well. right now games are mostly about blood and guns and action, i'd love to see more games where the point wasn't just killing or getting from one end of the level to the other.

we live in a weird country where we're all obsessed with sex but at the same time we treat it as a taboo.

Ex: porn is supposed to be bad but many mainstream advertisments are clearly aimed at your labido.

 

[Slenn]

I haven't seen much sex in games. But if you mean stuff that's much like fanservice or disproportionate attractive looking women, then yes, there's too much of that.

 

[Mark Hardigan]

There's too little IMHO. And the reason I say that is because of how it is done. So many games have random beautiful women with giant breasts running around with little less than a string for clothing and then label their game 'mature' when that is the definition of 'immature.'

Games need more mature dealings with sex, instead of just fading to black, or treating it like a giant penis joke made by ten year-olds.

 

[ShadowKatt]

I can't believe people think there's too much. There's hardly any. Until I see Clank transform into a vibrator for Ratchet to use on one of his numerous female counterparts, no, I don't think there's too much.

 

[gamer_parent]

no. not at all.
Ironically though, while outright sex is not in the game, sexism and over sexualization of characters are pretty much the norm. Just look at any game with a female lead protagonist from games developed with a T rating in mind. Every single one will feature a female character whose design is a design to be sexualized. (Bayonetta anyone?)

But that was like the whole point, wasn't it? I can see what you're saying, but it's not like they went "Okay, so we got this fighting game... now let's sex the hell out of it." Also: Metroid Prime trilogy.

No of course not. I don't see it as a strict problem in and of itself like say Bayonetta. I mean, with her, the whole point was to be this over sexualized character to the point of parody. I get that. And you know what, it's not really that bad in and of itself... if this was meant to be an isolated case.

The problem is that this is a problem of ALL games you see. In that, all games being made adhere to the virgin/whore dichotomy very closely. A character is always either absolutely devoided of any sexual component what so ever, or they are sex personified. So either their sexuality is so downplayed it is none existent, or it's so over the top that it becomes the defining characteristic of the character.

Some characters managed to dodge that bullet, only for the companies to totally turn that around later on. i.e. Jill Valentine went from going around with actual police wear (you know, the sensible thing to wear when going into the field) to wearing clubbing clothes on her subsequent appearance.

But this is starting to open up a whole other can of worms.

 

[Marv21]

No, need Moar sex...MOAR SEX!!! MOAR VIOLENCE TOO!!! Have sex on the dead thugs bodies YAH! YWAH!!



Thats my Zach Snydar impression from WAtchmen and 300

 

[Amnestic]

Depends. Are we including eroge in this?

 

[imaloony]

There's about as much "Sex" in a normal video game as there is in an episode of "Everybody Loves Raymond". Occasionally you get some implied sex, but that's it.

Rarely, you'll get a game like Red Dead: Redemption, or Grand Theft Auto that has a scene that's pretty sex-tastic, or something like Fable, where you get like three moans over a black screen, but really, there isn't much "Sex" in video games.

 

[RaphaelsRedemption]

Too much? Hell no! Not enough sex!

In all seriousness though, it's never a case of 'too much', rather it's the case of 'was that really necessary?'. It can be used to push the story, showing the relationships these characters have and so on, but too often it's just "We've got nothing engaging in this game. Quick! Deploy the jiggle physics!".

If used to genuinely enhance the story, then it's fine, but if it doesn't, then it's symptomatic of more than just a prevalence in games. It's symptematic of a bad game trying to distract you from its faults.

And you have nailed it. Thank you.

It's not about the amount of sex, it's about the quality and purpose. I'd love to see sex put in it's place, that is, treated with a little more care. If there's a purpose to the sex, that is, if it helps deepen characterisation, or forward the story, or heighten the stakes or change the atmosphere - then YES! Yes, please! Especially if it's done with a little bit of class and a bit of daring. To be honest, I'd rather see one sex scene in a game where I get to see nipples and nadgers and the rest of time the characters dress normally, to a game where they basically wear spray paint and string but for no apparent purpose.

Right now, I see games where sex is used as a bad device to stave off boredom. Often it's a mini game of seduction, or a clothing theme to keep immature horny kids playing. There's way too much of that, and while I can ignore it, it really doesn't do anything for my gaming experience, let alone the story or the immersion.

So... there is too much and not enough sex. At the same time. Hah!

 

[0bserv3]

as long as they keep it optional, i don't really mind how much they put in. Not saying it all has to be optional, but it should be a very minor part of the main storyline.

 

[Omnific One]

actually no. Its incredibly sparse compared to other mediums like movies or music.

Exactly. Every single movie (ok, almost every one) has a romance subplot. More devs need to look into this kind of interactivity. I'm not going after it for the inevitable sex cutscene, but because it adds an additional layer of interest to the game's plot.

 

[gamer_parent]

you mean isn't there too much video games in sex?

I don't know about you, but I like to play video games while having sex. Nothing like trying to multitask and end up doing both poorly.

 

[peterwolfe]

I for one think there isn't enough. WHO IS WITH ME?

You have my sword!
http://cache0.bigcartel.com/product_images/2017845/topatoco-and-my-axe-shirt1.jpg

 

[fozzy360]

actually no. Its incredibly sparse compared to other mediums like movies or music.

Exactly. Every single movie (ok, almost every one) has a romance subplot. More devs need to look into this kind of interactivity. I'm not going after it for the inevitable sex cutscene, but because it adds an additional layer of interest to the game's plot.

The industry still needs some maturing to do. There's a plethora of games involving macho meatheads blasting away baddies left and right, but almost none of those have any sort of romantic subplot that isn't corny or too crass. Any sort of sexuality in games tend to resemble the wet dreams of a sexually frustarted person than an actual attempt at creating some emotion centered around sex. There have been recent exceptions of course, but overall, there has been little progress. It's not that games need more sex, but rather, I think games need more sex done right.

 

[SyphonX]

Too much??

I'd say there is hardly any at all?

If you're talking about sexual innuendos and immature jokes, character flirts, etc.. then yeah, there is enough of that. There hasn't really been any *real* romance in any video game story. There have been some, but devs never really put much effort into it, for obvious fears of repercussions or ratings board problems.

 

[Patrick Dare]

Too much?! There's not enough!

 

[gamer_parent]

you mean isn't there too much video games in sex?

I don't know about you, but I like to play video games while having sex. Nothing like trying to multitask and end up doing both poorly.

You haven't lived until you've done the naughty whilst playing an online fps. Trying to consentrate on headshots whilst all the muscles in your body are contracting and your blood being rapidly pumped down to the fun zone. Philatio is equally as entertaining.

I've actually tried that. Unfortunately, there are two things that prevent me from enjoying it.

1. I get crazy motion sickness from FPSs. the only one that I can play without getting it is counterstrike

2. When I play games like FPSs' I also tend to get hyperfocused to the point of ignoring everything around me or even ignoring bodily discomfort. Let's just say that I had to put the game away lest I hurt her feelings.