Sex in Video Games

In qj.net’s article, A Short Shallow Overview of Sex in Videogames, they define several reasons why the need for flesh finds its way into the pixelized world of virtual fun.

The 5 Reasons why:

1. Sex sells – if you’ve played God of War, you’ll know what I mean. Remember the “mini-game”. There you go. ‘nuff said.
2. Sex makes sense – sex makes games like GTA and even Fallout more realistic. In short, like anything in the real world, the virtual (gaming world) borrows on the elements of sex for realism and to give credibility to the content.
3. Sex is funny – Three words. Leisure Suit Larry.
4. Sex is fun – well, according to the Japanese. Where sex is rather an accepted fact of society. You’ll find Japanese console and even DS titles with the “Hentai” orientation easily.
5. Sex for sex’s sake – thank the Land of the Rising Sun again, a lot of mature games are being developed. And indeed, there is a market for it.

A rather interesting topic, if you ask me.

Personally, I feel that although some cultures and markets accept it as viable content. There still has to be some form of regulation. The US has the ESRB. Here in the Philippines, we still have no governing body that regulates legal game content (say, MMOs distributed in the country). This will fall upon the shoulders of the lawmakers we choose this coming May elections. Second, since there aren’t laws yet, the local gaming industry must police its own for the meantime. I also see a huge chunk of the responsibility falling upon café owners, parents, media and teachers.
Demographically speaking, the young lads of the 80s (that includes me) have grown into men now and can consume (play) games with sexual innuendos. However, the vast majority of the market here are still not privy to such.

I agree with what the guys at qj.net posted;

“Perhaps social acceptance is all just a mater of degree – how blatantly sexual
things are, and propriety - making sure people who are deemed by society to be
too young to be exposed to it...aren't”

‘til next post
GM T