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Sex in videogames.
When it comes to the portrayal of sex in the media, we have quite a mixed bag. Represented on TV as gritty, in film as glamorous and in videogames as... as,erm?
Well, very few videogames even attempt to use sex. Mario and Peach in Super Mario Funtime? Forget it. The most we can expect are references a la GTA3/Max Payne style (i.e. lewd, crude and often rude.)
It's at this point you're probably saying to yourself "So what, I don't want to see pixelated pus... naughtiness portrayed on my screen (I've got the Internet for that.)"
Well, silence your bigoted mouths for a mo, and listen to what I have to say.
Sex is a tool; a powerful tool used by many industries (advertisers, for example) to sell a product/send out an impression/convey an emotion. Sex is an emotion, not an act; and it's one of the most powerful emotions we humans are capable of experiencing.
Videogames have the potential to make us laugh (conkers BFD), to make us cry (MGS2, so dissapointing I'm still weeping now), to make us jump behind the sofa (Resident Evil, the first time round, I mean). In my opinion, videogames are the most emotive medium we have, or at least they have the possibility to be.
So why don't devs incorporate sex in their games? Fear, I believe. The mass media has the ability to make or break a game. They could do a feature on Ultimate Paint Drying Championships 2 and it would sell by the bucketload. That's why they use newspapers et al in marketing the game. Unfortunately, when Mr. Editor plays the game in the only way a narrow-minded, tunnel-visioned mass media editor can and sees sex, he'll deem it blasphemous. Sure, a patronising, perfect 10, sexy female character in the game is okay, but showing sex is a sin. So Mr. Publisher says to Mr. Developer, stop your creative juices flowing and carbon copy the game that's number 1 in the charts under a different alias. If you want to get paid, that is. And so, with little choice, Mr. Developer puts away that 600 page design document and reads the relevant review residing in FHM.
The mainstream are sheep (and without a shepard it would seem to be blind leading the blind.)
Does sex have a place in videogames? I believe it does though it's uncharted territory at the moment (unless you count Leisure Suit Larry, and Lula, which I don't.)
Sex is a strong emoticon, and at just over 30 years old, videogames are a relatively young media. Best let them grow up a little first, eh?
Comments welcome.
Sex in videogames.
When it comes to the portrayal of sex in the media, we have quite a mixed bag. Represented on TV as gritty, in film as glamorous and in videogames as... as,erm?
Well, very few videogames even attempt to use sex. Mario and Peach in Super Mario Funtime? Forget it. The most we can expect are references a la GTA3/Max Payne style (i.e. lewd, crude and often rude.)
It's at this point you're probably saying to yourself "So what, I don't want to see pixelated pus... naughtiness portrayed on my screen (I've got the Internet for that.)"
Well, silence your bigoted mouths for a mo, and listen to what I have to say.
Sex is a tool; a powerful tool used by many industries (advertisers, for example) to sell a product/send out an impression/convey an emotion. Sex is an emotion, not an act; and it's one of the most powerful emotions we humans are capable of experiencing.
Videogames have the potential to make us laugh (conkers BFD), to make us cry (MGS2, so dissapointing I'm still weeping now), to make us jump behind the sofa (Resident Evil, the first time round, I mean). In my opinion, videogames are the most emotive medium we have, or at least they have the possibility to be.
So why don't devs incorporate sex in their games? Fear, I believe. The mass media has the ability to make or break a game. They could do a feature on Ultimate Paint Drying Championships 2 and it would sell by the bucketload. That's why they use newspapers et al in marketing the game. Unfortunately, when Mr. Editor plays the game in the only way a narrow-minded, tunnel-visioned mass media editor can and sees sex, he'll deem it blasphemous. Sure, a patronising, perfect 10, sexy female character in the game is okay, but showing sex is a sin. So Mr. Publisher says to Mr. Developer, stop your creative juices flowing and carbon copy the game that's number 1 in the charts under a different alias. If you want to get paid, that is. And so, with little choice, Mr. Developer puts away that 600 page design document and reads the relevant review residing in FHM.
The mainstream are sheep (and without a shepard it would seem to be blind leading the blind.)
Does sex have a place in videogames? I believe it does though it's uncharted territory at the moment (unless you count Leisure Suit Larry, and Lula, which I don't.)
Sex is a strong emoticon, and at just over 30 years old, videogames are a relatively young media. Best let them grow up a little first, eh?
Comments welcome.
Really good topic, well done.
http://ukchatforums.reserve.co.uk/ space display_messages.php?threadid=68482&forumid=185
> We have a word limit?!
Nope, I wrote something about 6000 words and it was fine.
> Wow, could you possibly be the best JAT we've had in a long time?
JAT? Erm, thanks... I think. I can't get on the site everday though so I'm afraid you'll have to savour the posts I do;)