November 21, 2006
Science of Sex Launched
Anne Machalinski, Aili McConnon and Christy Nicholson are proud to
announce the launch of our Columbia Journalism project, the "Science
of Sex".
According to their announcement, "The exponential growth of technology and new scientific research is changing dating, mating and love more dramatically and rapidly than ever before. It is now possible to decode romantic chemistry, marry a digital
spouse and handpick your best embryo."
The site covers three stories that are complemented by explanatory
graphics, interactive features and 25 videos, all contained within
more than 80 HTML pages, including a section on the Digital Lover.
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October 10, 2006
Whores of Warcraft
And so it came to be, that someone finally figured out that a game with a large male demographic base could be exploited for porn (and I mean real, skinflick porn. The doodles on the back of folders that were scanned and uploaded to deviantart don't count.). I present you with Whores of Warcraft.
It's amazing how much money some pointed elf ears, a little county fair style face painting, and perfect timing will probably net these people.
2 episodes out at the moment, ~20 min each for $8/ep.
No word on when we can expect the EVE "Naughty Spreadsheets" videos to follow.
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June 08, 2006
Sex in Virtual Worlds Paper for Games for the Web Class
One of the students of recent Terra Nova addition Dr. Aaron Delwiche's Games for the Web class has written a great paper on Sex in Virtual Worlds. It covers many interesting topics, including why virtual worlds are used for sex, as well as interviews with people who use virtual worlds for sexual means. There's quite a few interesting papers and blogs that came out of the class, I recommend checking them out.
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May 31, 2006
Evolutionary Gender Theory through Play
Over on Terra Nova, Edward Castronova has an interesting post up on using games to explore the evolution of gender theory. In A Tale In the Desert III, a few small, user collaborative games have been established create cross-gender exploration and interactivity. Many of the ideas being tested here could easily fold over into some of the new MMOEG games that are in development right now, in order to make the games interesting and enticing to both sexes.
Posted by KyleMachulis at 08:22 PM | Discuss this post on our forums
New Video Game Ratings System in Japan
The Japanese Government, who maintains the ratings system for video games for the country much like the ESRB does in the US, today instated a new rating level, "Z". This rating marks a game as being suitable for people 18 years of age or older, and is added above the "D" rating, which meant a game was ok for people 17 or older.
Yes, that's one year in difference between the two mature ratings.
According to Kotaku, games such as Driv3r, the GTA series, and Max Payne are now rated "Z", while others like God of War, Ninja Gaiden, and the DoA series stay at the "D" level.
via Kotaku
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May 29, 2006
Link named Sexiest Character by Out Magazine
According to Gamespot, Link from the Legend of Zelda has been named "Hottest Video Game Character" by Out Magazine, a widely distributed Gay and Lesbian magazine. The article states:
When darkness enshrouds the land, Nintendo's sexy farm-boy-turned-wolf sets out to save the day in this upcoming game. His weapons: a sword, a bow, arrows, and kick-ass grooming skills.
More games need to be rated on these terms.
via Joystiq
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May 26, 2006
Trash Talk on Second Life
Trash Talk, a machinima talk show made using the Torque Engine, has a new episode up outlining the ins and outs of relationships in Second Life.
It's a funny, and somewhat unfortunately true look at love in virtual worlds.
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Breasts as Game Development Metric
Club Skill has an article up tracking game development in terms of physics used to animate the breasts of female characters. Outlining mostly fighting games (Mortal Kombat series, DoA, Soul Calibur, etc...), it tracks the realism of breast movement in relation to technology and plot basis of the game.
via Kotaku
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May 13, 2006
IGDA's Contract Walkthrough for Developers
The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) has a contract walkthrough available for members (not a member? Join!).
The Contract Walk-Through 3rd relase focuses on contract clauses that impact quality of life, including the following topics:
* Strategic Use of Planning: Technology Evaluation, Milestone Dates, and Description of Deliverables
* Managing Change Orders and “Feature Creep”
* Responsibility for Delay
* Marketing Requests
* Outsourced Assets and Potential Effect on Developer’s Quality of Life
* Acceptance of Deliverables
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 11:33 AM | Discuss this post on our forums
February 03, 2006
Take-Two SEC filings show more Hot Coffee litigation
gameindustry.bizis reporting that the LA City Attourney may not be the only person on the war path against Take Two Interactive for the Hot Coffee Scandal. According to their SEC filings, lawsuits have sprung up all over the nation due to the incident.
Posted by KyleMachulis at 02:42 AM | Discuss this post on our forums
February 01, 2006
LA Times Opinion Piece on Hot Coffee Scandal
LA Times writer Joel Stein has an opinion piece today on the GTA/Hot Coffee drama unfolding in the city courts. His opinions about the whole incident are as positive as we've seen come out of the media in a while.
"Because if these teen computer geniuses are given the opportunity to unlock a video-game sex scene, then they'll be just one step away from breaking the code that allows them to type dirty words into Google."
via Metafilter
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January 31, 2006
Brenda Brathwaite, New Radical
Our very own Brenda Brathwaite has been named one of Nerve's New Radicals, a list of 50 people that make the world a more stimulating place. Congrats, Brenda!
Posted by KyleMachulis at 12:13 AM | Discuss this post on our forums
January 27, 2006
LA City Attourney files Hot Coffee Lawsuit
The LA City Attourney has filed a lawsuit against Take Two and Rockstar Games, concerning the hidden sexual content in the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas game. The suit asks for fines and retribution of US$10 million in profits, as well as informing customers who bought the game before the ratings change of the hidden sexual content.
Posted by KyleMachulis at 02:47 PM | Discuss this post on our forums
January 26, 2006
Take Two Director Leaves
The Street is reporting that the Director of Take Two Interactive resigned today, over issues including the SEC investigation of the company, as well as last year's Hot Coffee scandal.
via Kotaku
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January 23, 2006
Even the Big Names Do It
Penny Arcade, the popular gaming comic, today tackles the issue of cybering in an MMO, or as we call it in the Sex In Games trade, "research". Of course, we make sure we know who's on the other end first...
Posted by KyleMachulis at 08:28 PM | Discuss this post on our forums
January 21, 2006
Getting Friendly with Resident Evil DS
In the new Resident Evil DS game, if you get a little too friendly with your stylus tapping, the characters will make it clear that they'll be having none of it. Cute way to deepen character interaction.
via Kotaku
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January 19, 2006
Prior Restrain the Games
Gamasutra today features a rant about the current legislation and legal wrangling over video games. We're used to seeing this from gamers themselves, but this time it's from an attorney specializing in the game industry.
Posted by KyleMachulis at 05:05 PM | Discuss this post on our forums
January 17, 2006
Yaoi games come to the States
Kotaku is reporting that Asian import games distributer J-List is planning to start distributing translated Yaoi titles in the US. For those not up to date on their otaku terms, Yaoi is a type of romantic fiction involving two males, though not always erotic.
Posted by KyleMachulis at 09:10 PM | Discuss this post on our forums
Interactive Blackjack DVD
Going off of our usual console/handheld/pc centric coverage, there's now adult games for your DVD player. DVD Blackjack features porn star Gina Lynn (not Regina Lynn) stripping for you as you win at Blackjack, all from the comfort of your set-top DVD player.
via Fleshbot
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January 13, 2006
Sales of Adult Products through MMOs
With the recent announcement of real world items being bartered with virtual cash, MMOrgy has posted some analysis of the imapact of this new marketing strategy on the adult industry. Will the advent of play money becoming real money mean new, safer, more private ways of buying intimate products, or are we just setting outselves up for the 3D Popup Ad?
Posted by KyleMachulis at 03:38 PM | Discuss this post on our forums
Couples Go to War Each Night - and Love it
The Daedalus Project has shown that many couples play MMOs together, and now the media is starting to pick up the idea, too. The Sydney Morning Herald as a piece about couples who play MMOs together (starting with a rather oddly placed night elf picture), showing both the good (time spent together) and the bad (soul eating addictiveness) effects of virtual worlds on relationships.
Via Kotaku
Posted by KyleMachulis at 03:34 PM | Discuss this post on our forums
Porn Stars Love Video Games
Even though none of us got to go to AEE, GameDAILY managed to make it there. They interviewed many famous porn stars about their thoughts on video games, and what would make a good sex game. Lots of interesting takes on who plays what, and what people in the adult industry think would make a good sex game.
via Kotaku
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January 10, 2006
Lapis named Best New Video Game Prototype
Well, we're not quite out of "Best Of" List Season yet, but at least there's more positives coming. Lapis, the Nintendo DS game prototype that's been mentioned multiple times around here lately, has just won the Best New Video Game Prototype from the Village Voice. Congrats on more praise to an interesting idea, here's hoping it sees commercial fruition, and multiplayer wireless.
Posted by KyleMachulis at 10:41 PM | Discuss this post on our forums
Despite All Our Games
The Escapist is all about addiction this week, an issue that is dealt with quite often in the intersection of sex and the internet. Despite All Our Games discusses the matters of brain chemistry behind game addiction, explaining the biological matters of why we get hooked.
Posted by KyleMachulis at 08:50 PM | Discuss this post on our forums
A Celebration of Love & Healthy Sexuality
A Celebration of Love & Healthy Sexuality is an event happening at the Erotic Museum in Hollywood, California, on Wednesday, February 2, 2006. It will feature lectures from some of the top sex educators in the nation, including Dr. Betty Dodson and Nina Hartley. The organizer of the event, Judy Levy-Dawson, explains, "This event, while celebrating the anniversary of The Love Boutique, will benefit Children of the Night, and also kick off Love Month. In my stores there will activities going on all February in celebration of Love Month. I feel strongly that there should be more than one day to celebrate our love for each other, therefore I’ve deemed Love Month the opportunity to practice expanding our love for our partners and the planet."
Posted by KyleMachulis at 08:25 PM | Discuss this post on our forums
January 09, 2006
Utah to discuss video game legislation
In a trend that seems to be sweeping the state governments of the nation, Utah is now looking at introducing a bill banning sales of M/AO rated games to minors, this time making it a federal offense. According to U.S. Rep. Jim Matheson, "Parents probably have little idea what kind of video games their teens and preteens are purchasing and playing," and "there is a place for government to ensure that at the very least the young buyers are being checked at the cash register or when they use credit cards to buy online."
via Game Politics
Posted by KyleMachulis at 09:08 PM | Discuss this post on our forums
PSP and Porn
Kotaku is featuring a piece on the popularity of porn and the PSP. Apparently advertisers have now started being the card before the horse, selling the PSP as a mobile porn device instead of a game platform.
Is this a statement on the quality of the games or the popularity of porn (or possibly both)?
Posted by KyleMachulis at 08:38 PM | Discuss this post on our forums
Brenda Brathwaite selected as one of 2005's 10 Most Interesting People in Gaming
Congratulations go to our very own SIG Chair Brenda Brathwaite, as she has been selected by GamerGod as one of 2005's 10 Most Interesting People in Gaming. May you continue to stay interesting through the next year (and really, with this subject matter, how could you not?).
Posted by KyleMachulis at 08:23 PM | Discuss this post on our forums
January 06, 2006
Hillary vs. the Xbox
We somehow missed this editorial during the Hot Coffee controversy. Steven Johnson (of Everything Bad Is Good For You fame) asks Senator Clinton to use some of that $90M of the proposed videogame study to investigate how games are helping children.
The great secret of today's video games that has been lost in the moral panic over "Grand Theft Auto" is how difficult the games have become. That difficulty is not merely a question of hand-eye coordination; most of today's games force kids to learn complex rule systems, master challenging new interfaces, follow dozens of shifting variables in real time and prioritize between multiple objectives.
In short, precisely the sorts of skills that they're going to need in the digital workplace of tomorrow.
Posted by IanSchreiber at 09:54 AM | Discuss this post on our forums
January 05, 2006
"Where Do Babies Come From?" Minigame on Japanese Cellphones
"Where Do Babies Come From", the follow up Sega's mini-game compilation "The Rub Rabbits"(JP)/"Feel the Magic XX/XY"(US), is moving its version of mini-game romance training to Japanese cellphones, though a game called "The Babies Come From Somewhere". Famitsu reports (Japanese text) that the game will be distributed via Sonic Cafe, with gameplay consisting of matching the movements of your significant other until they are sufficiently happy with you. Much like real life...
via Kotaku
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New Daedelus Project Data Released
Nick Yee's Daedelus Project has just released a new set of demographics for MMO users. Some of the findings that are interesting to sex in games developers:
- for every single woman in an MMO, there are 10 single men.
- the romantic partners of female players are about three times more likely to play the MMO they play than the romantic partners of male players.
- Most of them didn’t stick with text-based gaming, but women were a lot more likely to stick with it than men.
- The more a player chats and socializes in an MMO, the more likely they report having fun.
- The more players chat and socialize, the lower their likelihood of quitting.
Posted by KyleMachulis at 09:44 PM | Discuss this post on our forums
January 04, 2006
Naughty America to offer background checking service
Sex Drive Daily has a post about a new press release from Safe Escape, the makers of Naughty America. The game will be featuring the ability for users to run background checks on themselves, and then be able to display a "special seal" on their account that shows they've done so. The press release is contained in the extended entry below.
SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Jan. 4, 2006 – Naughty America today announced a contractual arrangement with Sentry (www.sentryweb.com), the leader in online identity verification services, to provide identity and background verification for its newly announced MMO, Naughty America: The Game. This is the first such arrangement for Sentry in the world of online gaming.
[cut]
Each member subscribing to Naughty America: The Game will have the option of providing personal information which will be instantly verified through Sentry. This includes an immediate check of the user to detect a criminal and/or sexual offender history. Upon completing the Sentry process and obtaining verification, a special seal will appear on the member’s personal profile, indicating to other players that their background screen contained no negative information. This is updated every three months and will allow the entire gaming community to be a safer and more secure place.
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December 13, 2005
Hot Coffee on PR Blunders List
Hot Coffee Names as one of Top 10 PR blunders of 2005
The Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas "Hot Coffee" modification has been named to the list of top 10 PR blunders of 2005, along side Tom Cruise's Opera appearance and the Vioxx medical lawsuit.
via Game Politics
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December 08, 2005
Virtual Dog Humping
There's an interesting article up on Ludology about the Nintendogging hoax and the state of organic reproduction in video games, through emergent sex, hoaxes, or actual inclusion to the design.
Posted by KyleMachulis at 12:03 PM | Discuss this post on our forums
December 06, 2005
American Sexuality Magazine
The American Sexuality Magazine is a publication of the The National Sexuality Resource Center whose mission is to gather and disseminate "the latest accurate information and research on sexual health, education, and rights. Through active outreach to advocates, academics, researchers, policy makers, and diverse communities, NSRC initiates constructive dialogues—both online and face-to-face—on sexuality to promote social justice and improve the quality of life in the United States."
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:35 AM | Discuss this post on our forums
November 28, 2005
Sexual Interactions 2006 Workshop at SIGCHI
The Sexual Interactions Workshop is being held during SIGCHI 2006 (Montreal, Canada), and are currently having their Call for Participation. The workshop will cover Sex and Human/Computer Interaction, with some of the following goals:
- To understand how sex and themes related to it can inform current HCI practice and discourse.
- To explore the challenges in conducting human-computer sexual interactions research.
- To brainstorm novel technologies, interactions, and research methods inspired by human sexuality.
- To create a community for future discussion and exploration of the topic.
Posted by KyleMachulis at 07:56 PM | Discuss this post on our forums
November 15, 2005
Interview with Brenda Brathwaite on Gamasutra
There is a new interview with IGDA SiG SIG Chair Brenda Brathwaite up on Gamasutra today. The interview is by Bonnie Ruberg, of Heroine Sheik fame.
Posted by KyleMachulis at 03:40 PM | Discuss this post on our forums
November 10, 2005
Playing With Someone: Statistics on Bonds Between MMO Players
In a survey done at the MMO Psychology blog The Daedalus Project, it was found that up to 25% of MMO players play with a romantic partner. Of these, the majority found the experience to be very to extremely enjoyable. Could MMOs become a new bonding experience in relationships?
Posted by KyleMachulis at 01:12 PM | Discuss this post on our forums
November 09, 2005
Sex content on TV has doubled in 7 years
TV Sex Nearly Doubles, Says Kaiser
"According to the study of 1,000-plus hours of programming--excluding news, sports, and kids shows--across the four major broadcast nets, several top cable nets and a couple of stations, 70% of shows had some sexual content, averaging 5 sex scenes per hour.
That is up from 64% and 4.4 scenes per hour in 2002 and 6% and 3.2 scenes per hour in 1998."
Posted by KyleMachulis at 05:51 PM | Discuss this post on our forums
November 07, 2005
Successful Art Arouses
Successful Art Arouses
by Kelly Rued
Arousal is inspiration, emotion, and a call to action- isn't that what we want games to be capable of achieving?
Art can move people. Sexual excitement is moving. Yet when a work
includes or focuses on arousing sexual desire all artistic credibility is lost. Why? What is the difference between erotic content and any other content inspiring emotional desire, mental thirst, or a palpable stirring in the belly for expression, release, or knowledge? Any non-erotic work is considered a smashing success if it seduces arousal of some kind from its audience. But erotic works are vilified for this ability to communicate well- to move people.
In his keynote speech at Edinburgh Interactive Entertainment Festival, Adam Singer promoted the idea that games will never be a full-fledged artistic medium *without* erotic content. He says, bluntly:
"So the definition of a medium is to be able to communicate three things: stories, truths, and eroticism, or as I would call it, the three F's. Fiction, Faction, and...?! You can work out the last one. If you can't do all three you are not a medium."
I have to agree. There is no justification for avoiding erotic content in games and interactive entertainment software. Erotic love, sex, lust, and our core identities (constructed as much on who we want to be as on who we want to attract as a mate) are passionately intertwined with our sexuality. Eroticism is part of our relationships, our lives, and our sense of self.
Erotic love between parents is the foundation of traditional family
life. In the most basic biological sense, sex has the crucial role of being the starting point for all human life. We are indebted to the wonderment of eroticism from birth and it's a damn shame we are raised to disavow sexuality, to belittle it, and push it into dark bedrooms (or worse, bedroom closets). That sex has become synonymous with "obscenity" in our culture is nothing short of criminal.
We are fast approaching a time of improved eroticism in virtual worlds, and this erotic content will bring mainstream non-gamers to the medium to play out self-actualizing fantasies that extend beyond FPS heroics and god-game power-trips into the realm of everyday living. People will gain historically-unprecedented, discreet, and safe access to erotic experiences and the video game medium will never again be mistaken as simply a time-squandering diversion of childhood. Interactive entertainment experiences have been hovering around puberty for decades in terms of content, and now finally we will see adult themes dealt with on a level that really does arouse interest from mainstream, adult players. Erotic content is not an end in this maturation but a means- possibly the most important and natural means for anything to reach adulthood.
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:35 AM | Discuss this post on our forums
Parents In Adult: Resource for Parents in the Adult Industry
From the webpage, "Our goal is to develop a community of excellence where solutions to the issues facing parents who work in [the Adult industry] can be found..."
An interesting look at the way people in the Adult Industry deal with raising children and having a family. Not necessarily about video games, but it's a side of parenting we don't usually get to cover.
via Warren Ellis
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October 28, 2005
EB and Gamestop Screen PSPs for Porn
Employees of the Gamestop and EB Games video game stores have been told to send back any memory cards coming with a used PSP. These cards will then be screened and erased in order to remove "inappropriate content".
XBox consoles have been cleared before resale using the system restore disc in order to remove any music that might break copyright laws, but this is the first time porn has been explicitly mentioned for removal.
via Kotaku
Posted by KyleMachulis at 11:51 AM | Discuss this post on our forums
Wired: Coming Soon - Online Sex Games
Regina Lynn, the subject of yesterday's link of the day, recently posted an article on sexual content for women in games. Have a read.
Coming Soon: Online Sex Games
One of the questions I get asked most frequently is "where can I find good cybersex?" And one of my answers is games, with the caveat that you shouldn't join a MMPORG just for sex. Rather, games are places to meet other people who share at least one interest with you, and sometimes the relationships that arise lead to flirting and cybersex. Sometimes they don't.
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:34 AM | Discuss this post on our forums
October 27, 2005
Sex in Games Interview
There's an interview with me over on the Next Generation site on talk I gave today at the Women's Game Conference (a part of the Austin Game Conference).
"The problem is we haven't figured out how to show relationships in a game. That makes it really challenging to create good quality stories that include sexual content. We're some way from making a videogame version of the Graduate."
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 12:10 AM | Discuss this post on our forums
October 25, 2005
Sex in Space May Endanger Mars Mission
It has nothing to do with games, but here you go anyway.
A report by the US National Academy of Sciences (NAS) warns that sex and romantic entanglements among astronauts could derail missions to Mars, and therefore, should be studied by NASA
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:46 AM | Discuss this post on our forums
October 21, 2005
Game Conference Session to Discuss Sex
The Game Initiative has announced game industry veteran Brenda Brathwaite will deliver an adults-only talk on sexual content and video games at the October 26 - 27, 2005 in Austin, Texas. From flirting in MUDs to hardcore sexual simulators...
Posted by SheriP at 10:25 AM | Discuss this post on our forums
Where's the content?
Some of you may be aware of my continuing, but failing, attempt to find a sexually theme game made for women. While there are some under development, none are currently on the market. This article from AVNOnline.com announcing a new series called My Sex Therapist notes that
"...women currently represent the fastest-growing single sector of the market with a growing demand for informative, quality programming."
That said, it's reasonable to assume that some portion of this market would also want to play sexually themed games.
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:14 AM | Discuss this post on our forums
October 19, 2005
Have Porn, Will Travel
The adult entertainment industry is currently exploring the possibilities the PSP presents. See this article in AVNOnline.com.
Have porn, will travel is the new mantra on the lips of adult content producers as they begin their quest to co-opt the mainstream entertainment bliss of the PSP revolution.
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 07:53 AM | Discuss this post on our forums
October 16, 2005
Family Research Group denounces Jack Thompson
Family Group splits from Jack Thompson
The National Institute on Media and the Family distances itself from lawyer Jack Thompson after his recent game proposal. Quoting Dr. David Walsh, the institute's founder, "Over the past few months, I and members of my board have a growing concern that [Jack Thompson's] use of our name, without our permission, has had a negative influence as we try to educate the public on this important issue."
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October 13, 2005
Jack Thompson's Video Game Bounty
Notorious Lawyer Jack Thompson, the man behind most major (or at least, media covered) litigation against the video game industry in the past few years, is now trying to break into the game industry himself. He has offered to donate US$10,000 to a charity if a video game company will create and publish a product based on an idea he has. Of course, with a name like "A Modest Video Game Proposal," it's obvious something has to be up. Jonathan Swift is currently sandblasting his coffin.
Game description follows in the extended entry.
A Modest Video Game Proposal, by Jack Thompson
"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." The Golden Rule
This writer has been saying for seven years that violent video games can be "murder simulators" that incite as well as train some obsessive teen players to be violent.
I've been on 60 Minutes and in Reader's Digest this year explaining how an Alabama teen, with no criminal record, shot two policemen and a dispatcher in their heads and fled in a police car--a scenario he rehearsed for hundreds of hours on Take-Two/Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto video games.
I have sat with boys in jail cells, their lives over because of murder convictions, after they, with no history of violence, have killed innocents while in a dreamlike state. Said one cop who investigated such a murder in Grand Rapids, Michigan: "The killing was like an extension of the game."
The video game industry, through its lawyers, its spokesmen, and its head lobbyist, Doug Lowenstein, the president of the Entertainment Software Association, all say it is utter nonsense to suggest that what is dumped into a kid's head hour after hour, day after day, year after year, could possibly have behavioral consequences. Cigarette ads can persuade kids to smoke, but interactive simulators in which these same kids punch, hack, bludgeon, and maim affect not a wit their attitudes and behaviors, notwithstanding the findings of the American Psychological Association, published in August 2005.
The video game industry says Sticks and stones can break my bones, but games can never hurt me. Fine. I have a modest proposal for the video game industry. I'll write a check for $10,000 to the favorite charity of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc's chairman, Paul Eibeler - a man Bernard Goldberg ranks as #43 in his book 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America - if any video game company will create, manufacture, distribute, and sell a video game in 2006 like the following:
Osaki Kim is the father of a high school boy beaten to death with a baseball bat by a 14-year-old gamer. The killer obsessively played a violent video game in which one of the favored ways of killing is with a bat. The opening scene, before the interactive game play begins, is the Los Angeles courtroom in which the killer is sentenced "only" to life in prison after the judge and the jury have heard experts explain the connection between the game and the murder.
Osaki Kim (O.K.) exits the courtroom swearing revenge upon the video game industry whom he is convinced contributed to his son's murder. "Vengeance is mine, I will repay" he says. And boy, is O.K. not kidding.
O.K. is provided in his virtual reality playpen a panoply of weapons: machetes, Uzis, revolvers, shotguns, sniper rifles, Molotov cocktails, you name it. Even baseball bats. Especially baseball bats.
O.K. first hops a plane from LAX to New York to reach the Long Island home of the CEO of the company (Take This) that made the murder simulator on which his son's killer trained. O.K. gets "justice" by taking out this female CEO, whose name is Paula Eibel, along with her husband and kids. "An eye for an eye," says O.K., as he urinates onto the severed brain stems of the Eibel family victims, just as you do on the decapitated cops in the real video game Postal2.
O.K. then works his way, methodically back to LA by car, but on his way makes a stop at the Philadelphia law firm of Blank, Stare and goes floor by floor to wipe out the lawyers who protect Take This in its wrongful death law suits. "So sue me" O.K. spits, with singer Jackson Brown's 1980's hit Lawyers in Love blaring.
With the FBI now after him, O.K. keeps moving westward, shooting up high-tech video arcades called GameWerks. "Game over," O.K. laughs.
Of course, O.K. makes the obligatory runs to virtual versions of brick and mortar retailers Best Buy, Circuit City, Target, and Wal-Mart to steal supplies and bludgeon store managers and cash register clerks. "You should have checked kids' IDs!"
O.K. pushes on to Los Angeles. He must get there by May 10, 2006. That is the beginning of "E3" -- the Electronic Entertainment Expo -- the Super Bowl of the video game industry. O.K. must get to E3 to massacre all the video game industry execs with one final, monstrously delicious rampage.
How about it, video game industry? I've got the check and you've got the tech. It's all a fantasy, right? No harm can come from such a game, right? Go ahead, video game moguls. Target yourselves as you target others. I dare you.
Jack Thompson is a Miami lawyer who has for 18 years been involved in efforts to stop the marketing of adult entertainment to minors.
Posted by KyleMachulis at 11:27 AM | Discuss this post on our forums
October 12, 2005
Proposed legislation puts R-rated movies in same category as porn films
In the news: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051012/film_nm/porn_dc
"The provision added to the Children's Safety Act of 2005 would require any film, TV show or digital image that contains a sex scene to come under the same government filing requirements that adult films must meet."
The requirements here involve paperwork to confirm that all actors involved are over 18.
Presumably "digital image" in this context could apply equally to games. But here's where things will undoubtedly get unclear: God of War has a sex scene, but no actors -- so who fills out the paperwork? Okay, maybe that game is exempt because there's no actors. What about Playboy: the Mansion, where a likenesses of real people are used, but the models were hand-made by artists? What about a game where the polygon models in the game were motion-captured from an actor? Is that different from a game that uses actual video footage of an actor? Where is the dividing line?
Posted by IanSchreiber at 05:40 PM | Discuss this post on our forums
October 11, 2005
What percentage of internet traffic is porn?
We don't know, but newspaper columnist Cecil Adams takes a stab at it anyway:
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/051007.html
Posted by IanSchreiber at 02:41 PM | Discuss this post on our forums
October 09, 2005
Sex in Games Talk at Women's Conference
If you'll be at the Women's Game Conference, a part of the Austin Game Conference, stop by! I'll be giving a talk on sexual content in video games.
From the site:
Wednesday, 4:30pm - 5:30pm
Sex in Games
This is an adults only talk!
Before Hot Coffee, before Playboy: The Mansion, even before the 1980's Leisure Suit Larry series, there was sex in video games... and lots of it. From flirting in MUDs to hardcore sexual simulators to the emerging field of teledildonics, sex in games is nearly as old as the medium itself. Sex isn't limited to the games themselves, of course. The infamous E3 booth babes are as much a part of sex in games as the characters that walk through game worlds. Sexual content found in video game advertising has as strong a place in the discussion as emergent sexual content in MMORPGs.
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:47 AM | Discuss this post on our forums
October 08, 2005
Trick or Treat - Halloween & Sexuality
Just in off the PR wire...
This press release says:
For some singles, a Halloween mask may reveal more than it hides.
In fact, according to a recent national survey conducted by TRUE, the leading scientifically based online relationship service, those identified as Traditionalists by TRUE's SEXPLORATION(TM) test are anything but traditional when it comes to their Halloween costumes; an amazing 86 percent of Traditionalists want to either dress up in sexy costumes themselves or have their partners do so.
Of the 5,000 respondents surveyed, more than 62 percent thought Halloween was a GREAT date night (or chance to meet someone romantically) and over 45 percent planned to dress up for the occasion. Watch out New York, Los Angeles, Dallas and Chicago, as the survey found singles in these cities are ready to trick, treat ... and get sexy.
To me, there's a direct correlation with gaming here - among other things, Halloween is our one time a year to role play publicly. You can dress up and be whoever you want to be.
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:35 AM | Discuss this post on our forums
National Porn Sunday
I'm not making this up.
Check out this article from the Dallas Morning News.
This weekend's National Porn Sunday is not a holiday for downloading naked photos.
Its goal is just the opposite.
The day is part of an anti-porn movement dreamed up by nondenominational pastors Mike Foster and Craig Gross of California, who also founded XXXChurch.com – self-titled "the No. 1 Christian porn site" – to get churches talking about sexual addictions.
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:51 AM | Discuss this post on our forums
October 07, 2005
Op Ed - Redefining Feminism - The Daily Tarheel
This article, Rise of unique pornography helps to redefine ‘feminism’, on The Daily Tarheel looks at pornography as the next step in feminism, rather than a step back. Interesting read.
It’s about breaking boundaries. The female form has for centuries encapsulated sin, temptation and immorality. Unapologetic nudity has too long denoted impurity, and impurity in turn has marked bare flesh as damaged goods. So the final feminist frontier could be the reclamation of our own territory.
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:24 AM | Discuss this post on our forums
October 04, 2005
Free Speech Rights Protected in Oregon
According to this article from AVNOnline:
SALEM, Ore. - They have free speech in Oregon – really free – and they've got constitutional language to back it up, which the state court of appeals has just reaffirmed and made even broader, especially as it pertains to expression with a sexual message.
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:48 AM | Discuss this post on our forums
October 02, 2005
Canada's New Political Party - The Sex Party
From the "not sure what to make of this department" comes this article from the Edmonton Sun:
OTTAWA -- A B.C.-based political party wants to put sex on the national agenda.
The Sex Party ran three candidates in the recent provincial election and is now setting its sights on the federal stage. Fundraising poses a big challenge, but they hope to register as an official federal party to field candidates in Toronto, Calgary, Montreal and Vancouver in the next campaign.
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:56 AM | Discuss this post on our forums
Safe sex? Nobody does it worse than James Bond
Check out this article in Britian's Sunday Times Online.
MEDICAL researchers have accused Hollywood of glamorising unsafe sex, singling out James Bond for criticism for failing to use a condom during his amorous encounters.
The academics spent hours noting down the sex and drugs content of 200 of the biggest box office hits of recent years, and became especially animated over examples of failure to use a condom.
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:49 AM | Discuss this post on our forums
October 01, 2005
ZDNet - Adult Video Games Prospering
CNet's Daniel Terdiman discusses the growing adult game market in this article on ZDNet.com.
Before the scandal involving sexually oriented scenes in "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" broke in July, much of the criticism aimed at the video game industry focused on the rampant violence found in countless titles.
But when the hidden, X-rated "Hot Coffee" scenes were discovered in GTA, touching off a storm of indignation that made headlines across the country and raged all the way to Congress, not everyone thought the brouhaha was an all-around disaster for the industry.
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:14 AM | Discuss this post on our forums
September 30, 2005
Kyle Machulis Joins Sex SIG Leadership Council
The Sex SIG is pleased to welcome Kyle Machulis of Nonpolynomial Labs to the Leadership Council of the IGDA's Sex SIG. He joins fellow leadership council members Brenda Brathwaite, Ian Schreiber and Kelly Rued.
Kyle Machulis is a robotics engineer, IGDA member, and founder of Nonpolynomial Labs, a research firm dedicated to creating immersive environments and alternative user input through simple, affordable means. Through his webpage, slashdong.org, he builds sexual actuation hardware projects for video game interaction, while educating users on the basics of engineering. He is the developer of the SeXBox, the first video game controller made specifically for sexual use.
As you can see from today's Link of the Day, Kyle has an excellent writing style and an overwhelming amount of knowledge about sexual content in video games. He's a great asset to the SIG, and we're pleased to have him join our leadership council.
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:56 AM | Discuss this post on our forums
September 29, 2005
How much is www.sex.com worth?
According to documents recently filed in court, the price tag is a whopping $11 million dollars.
For more on this story, see this article.
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 06:55 AM | Discuss this post on our forums
The Worst Sex Scene Ever in a Movie
The awards (such as they are) are in, and the award for worst sex scene ever in a movie goes to:
"An infamous swimming pool-based clinch from the much-criticised 1995 film Showgirls received the dubious honour on Wednesday of being named the worst sex scene in the history of cinema."
For more information, see this article on Manchester Online.
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 06:50 AM | Discuss this post on our forums
September 28, 2005
Why the Video Game Industry is Losing the Culture War
Check out this article on GameDAILY.com, Why the Video Game Industry is Losing the Culture War by Dennis McCauley, the editor of the GamePolitics.com site.
"By waging a primarily defensive campaign, the industry is losing the battle for the hearts and minds of the public. Let's face it. Parents—an important electoral demographic—are bombarded with negative stereotypes about video games. These moms and dads are properly concerned about what their children might be exposed to while playing. The industry can spout all of the statistics it likes about increases in the average age of gamers, but the fact remains that in the minds of a large number of non-gamers, video games have always been—will always be—child's play. When those folks see a hidden sex scene in a game reported on the evening news, they are not considering that the product was rated "M" to begin with. Rather, they are thinking that the video game industry must be run by a cabal of greedy cultural corruptors, out to make a fast buck by pandering to society's baser instincts."
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:48 AM | Discuss this post on our forums
100,000 Years of Sex Exhibit
The Landesmuseum fur Vorgeschichte in Germany is hosting a 100,000 Years of Sex exhibit according to this article.
While we have found many interesting, new ways to convey sexual content over the years - cave drawings, carvings, books, printing presses, telephones, VCRs, televisions, Internet, video games - and each has been greeted with controversy, the actual sexual content has remain unchanged.
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:29 AM | Discuss this post on our forums
Everquest - Sexism Alive & Well?
While doing some research, I happened across this 2003 article from the BBC:
EverQuest exposes cost of sexism
The online game EverQuest may be set in a fantasy world but it seems to share one feature of real life: sexism.
A study of the price people pay for high-level games characters shows that males command a slight premium.
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 06:59 AM | Discuss this post on our forums
September 26, 2005
The Addictive Side of Pornography
This article on WebMD explores the issue of pornography addiction.
One of the key features of addiction, she says, is the development of a tolerance to the addictive substance. In the way that drug addicts need increasingly larger doses to get high, she thinks porn addicts need to see more and more extreme material to feel the same level of excitement they first experienced.
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:53 AM | Discuss this post on our forums
September 24, 2005
Love thy Enemy
In the news: California churches declare National Porn Sunday, scheduled for October 9.
Even after visiting their official website (xxxchurch.com) it took me awhile to figure out whether this was a campaign against pornography, or an invitation for churchgoers to revel in it.
Posted by IanSchreiber at 10:56 AM | Discuss this post on our forums
September 20, 2005
Sex Toys in Walmart?
This article in the New York Daily News is reporting that Wal-Mart, among others, is carrying Trojan's line of "intimacy care" products. According to the article, the "subtle black boxes [contain] so-called 'intimacy care' products, including a warming gel and vibrating ring, destined for the feminine-hygiene sections of major pharmacies."
Wal-Mart has long shown extreme sensitivity to sexual material in video games and elsewhere, and this move comes as a surprise.
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:26 AM | Discuss this post on our forums
September 19, 2005
Subsistence to Feature "Kinky Theatre"
The video game Subsistence will feature "an unlockable 'kinky theater' mode for adults" according to this story on Joystiq.com.
No further news on what this 'kinky theatre' might be.
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 02:11 PM | Discuss this post on our forums
September 17, 2005
Abstinent San Andreas ships
This article from Gamespot discusses the release of the sex-free GTA: San Andreas.
GameStop Web site lists M-rated game as available; source at brick-and-mortar store confirms 2nd Edition is on shelves.
It appears as though CJ can finally continue his exploits through Los Santos, but this time he'll have to keep his trousers on. Rockstar Games has reportedly shipped Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas 2nd Edition to stores.
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:05 AM | Discuss this post on our forums
AVN on John Roberts
This editorial on AVN Online discusses John Roberts confirmation hearings and the affect his decisions could possibly have on adult content.
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:45 AM | Discuss this post on our forums
Internet Oversight Board OKs New Domains
New story in...
AP - Thu, 15 Sep 2005 08:55 pm PDT
The Internet's key oversight agency approved a domain name for the Catalan language Thursday while deferring final action on creating a red-light district on the Internet through a ".xxx" suffix.
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:39 AM | Discuss this post on our forums
September 14, 2005
Jenna Jameson, HighJoy & Doc Johnson Partner
According to this news release, porn star Jenna Jameson, the online dating service HighJoy and Doc Johnson, manufacturer of adult toys and games have teamed up to create a virtual online community.
"HighJoy has moved cybersex to a whole new level. Because HighJoy Enabled(R) Doc Johnson sex toys work online, you can now see, hear AND touch your partner thousands of miles away," Jameson said. "Fans can also control the vibration of their own pleasure while viewing photos and videos of their favorite adult star online."
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 06:09 PM | Discuss this post on our forums
September 13, 2005
Sims 2 Nightlife releases
Congrats to Maxis on the release of Sims 2: Nightlife. The press release notes that:
"Also new is the dating gameplay and attraction system which helps Sims scope out the scene for potential love interests. Whether a Sim is destined to find the love of his life or just out for a night of fun, it's sure to be a good time."
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 12:17 PM | Discuss this post on our forums
Topic for Discussion - Sex Sells... but when?
We all "know" that sex sells. Except that no one seemed to mention this to Walt Disney. Or Pixar. Or Miyazaki. Or Miyamoto. Or Kojima. I'd say that we should send them all a memo, except that their games/movies outsell the rest of us (well, most of us) by an embarassing amount. You might even say that the absence of sex is what sells in their case.
So, riddle me this: under what conditions does sex sell? What environmental factors, what game design choices, what target markets must there be for sex to sell more units of a game?
The obvious answer is "17 to 30 year old males", but I suspect the true answer is much more complicated than that. Let's hear some wild speculation.
Posted by IanSchreiber at 10:20 AM | Discuss this post on our forums
"Murder, Sex & Censorship" Coming to Albany
I'll be speaking at the Albany IGDA chapter meeting on Thursday, September 15, 2005.
Details about the talk are here. Stop by if you're in the Albany area.
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:06 AM | Discuss this post on our forums
Cyberlore Closes - Official News Release
For Immediate Release
9/9/05 - Cyberlore Studios, Inc., a Northampton, Massachusetts computer and video game developer, today announces a planned reduction in its entertainment division in response to financial pressures relating to the bankruptcy of Hip Interactive, Inc. and the recent loss of new business prospects. A core of the company remains to pursue opportunities in the Serious Games market, where Cyberlore is already developing ground-breaking corporate training software using game simulation technologies.
President Seth Spaulding explains, "We bucked the industry trends for
thirteen years as we transitioned from developing DOS games to Windows games, 2D games to 3D games and PC games to Console games, all without outside funding. During this entire period we never suffered layoffs, and we provided our employees with great benefits, an open workplace, and tremendous job opportunities."
Cyberlore is actively working to help place its former employees at
game studios throughout the country as well as at other local companies. "The talent level at Cyberlore is absolutely spectacular. It has been an honor and a privilege to work with such distinguished developers, all of whom are terrific team-players," indicates Joe Minton who has served as the industry face of Cyberlore for nearly a decade. "I look forward to seeing all of the wonderful companies throughout the industry that are made even better with the addition of Cyberlore alumni."
Spaulding continues, "We are extremely sad to be letting these great
people go, and hope that Cyberlore's games including Majesty, MechWarrior4: Mercenaries, Risk and Playboy: The Mansion will continue to inspire and entertain gamers for many years to come.
Cyberlore is the owner of the Majesty intellectual property rights and is currently soliciting offers to sell the rights to this award winning, best selling, much-loved franchise. Interested parties should contact Seth Spaulding at sspaulding@cyberlore.com.
The Serious Games Division of the company, established in 2004
represents a solid foundation from which Cyberlore seeks to create new business opportunities in the fast growing industry of simulation-based corporate training. The New Year will bring announcements of the cutting-edge, industry leading work that Cyberlore is engaged in on this front.
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 07:50 AM | Discuss this post on our forums
September 12, 2005
Cyberlore Closes Entertainment Division
Sad news will be reaching the gaming community today. Cyberlore Studios, makers of Playboy: The Mansion and the employer of yours truly, is closing its entertainment division.
Gamecloud is the first to break the news here.
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:56 AM | Discuss this post on our forums
September 10, 2005
Wired: Old Porn is New Again
This article from Wired magazine's Regina Lynn discusses the return of old pornography and explores its current popularity and incredibly high retention rate among members.
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 11:38 AM | Discuss this post on our forums
September 09, 2005
MSNBC: When Gamers Become Parents
This article on MSNBC.com focuses on parents who are gamers. You'll find a pic of me and my daughter on page 2 of the article.
There's also a companion article that offers tips for parents.
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 05:15 PM | Discuss this post on our forums
Sending Us News
If you see a news article you think would be of interest to our audience or if your site would like to be featured as a Link of the Day, feel free to send me an email at: sex_sig@igda.org.
We're also on the lookout for future features for our "5 Questions" series.
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 06:56 AM | Discuss this post on our forums
September 08, 2005
Girl-on-Girl Gaming Article at Killer Betties
This article over at Killer Betties explores diversity in video gaming and, to a lesser extent, how that diversity affects sexuality in video games.
Interesting read.
Thanks, Bonnie.
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:34 PM | Discuss this post on our forums
Playboy to Feature Video Game Characters Again
CNN reportsthat the October Playboy magazine will once again feature video vixens in an upcoming issue.
Contributed by Sheri Pocilujko.
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 03:53 PM | Discuss this post on our forums
September 03, 2005
PSP Launches with Nudity
Have a look at the images on this non-English site. Specifically, look at the sixth one down in the column of small pics.
It appears the PSP launched with painted-but-quite-obviously-topless men and women recently.
Read about it here on Kotaku.
This launch brings up a couple interesting points:
1. Can you imagine if this happened in the US?
2. How do booth babes and the like affect the way others view sexual content in games or the games industry in general?
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 03:07 AM | Discuss this post on our forums
August 31, 2005
Sex in Games Talk at Women's Game Conference
The Women's Game Conference in Austin, TX will feature a talk on Sex in Games. The conference runs October 26-27 and is part of the greater Austin Game Conference.
While we're on the topic of talks, Future Play will also be hosting a Sex in Games Panel featuring me, Jeb Havens, Kelly Rued an another panel member.
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 07:13 AM | Discuss this post on our forums
August 30, 2005
Welcome!
The Sex SIG welcomes everyone interested in the topic of sexual content in video games, from developers actively creating such content to parents to those working in or with organizations that seek to restrict such content.
The Sex SIG hopes this "Sex & Games" blog will serve as an informational clearinghouse for such content, helping us to connect with everyone that shares our common goal of responsible, age-appropriate content development.
Sexual content is, of course, found in all forms of media, from Homer's Odyssey and The Iliad to movies like The Graduate, Sideways and even Shakespeare in Love. It is a valid storytelling mechanic and central to the human experience. As such, the Sex SIG embraces sex and sexuality as a natural, healthy and positive force in our lives.
At the same time, it recognizes several important points:
- The right of developers to work together to create games that include the full range of the human experience, including representations of relationships, love, intimacy and sexual themes.
- A parent's need to be informed and oversee/control their children's access to content.
- The responsibility we as developers have to make sure that the content that's in the game is reflected in its rating and its rating descriptors.
If these issues interest you, you've found the right place.
As you can see by poking around the site, we're hoping to address a number of issues. If you have things you'd like discussed, please post them on our forum or leave a comment here.
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 11:00 PM | Discuss this post on our forums
August 24, 2005
Topic for Discussion - How much of you is... you?
I'd like you all to think about yourself for a moment. The core, the essence of who you are is partly a product of your past and present environment: role models, significant life-changing experiences, etc.
But part of you chooses how to react to your experiences. Two people from the same background may have very different reactions to that background. Congratulations, your parents were great role models, they taught you everything you know about morality... but it's still you who chose to listen to them. There's some part of you that chooses which of your experiences will unduly influence you, and in what direction.
How much of your actions, opinions and ethics are yours -- either because you thought of them yourself, or because you chose to follow the lead of someone else? Compare with how much of your life is completely under someone/something else's control, without you having a say. If you were to estimate a percentage of yourself that is really YOU, what number would you guess?
(If you don't see the connection to sex, it's from the our desire to keep content age appropriate because kids are impressionable. I'm just wondering how impressionable adults are.)
Posted by IanSchreiber at 09:07 AM | Discuss this post on our forums
August 22, 2005
Forget Intimacy. Sex = Porn.
This article from the Boston Globe is quite interesting.
Real Actors, Real Sex: An onscreen no-no
A movie called 9 Songs by director Michael Winterbottom looks at a young couple's relationship through all its stages. It was an official selection of the Toronto and Cannes film festival.
The reaction to this particular film illustrates a common problem in the world of mature content. Regardless of content or context, if you show sex, you're making porn, though here, that's clearly not the case. It's an interesting dilemma.
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:33 AM | TrackBack | Discuss this post on our forums
August 20, 2005
Topic for Discussion - How do "Guy Games" make you feel?
These are four mini-games where your goal is to act like a stereotypical guy (I would particularly draw your attention to the first one, where the goal is to ogle the breasts of the woman sitting next to you without her noticing).
On the one hand, it's so obviously degrading to women that it's not even funny.
On the other hand, it's so obviously degrading to men (by implying that we're all just that shallow) that it's absolutely hysterical.
Is this a great example of how sex can be used humorously in a game, or is it another situation where advertisers are crossing the line just to make a quick buck? Let's hear your comments!
Posted by IanSchreiber at 07:21 AM | Discuss this post on our forums
August 19, 2005
Rich & Beautiful announced
Press Release
dtp publishes lifestyle/hospital simulation Rich & Beautiful
Hamburg/Leipzig, 08/19/2005 - German publisher dtp publishes the lifestyle/hospital simulation Rich & Beautiful. Developed by German developer Independent Arts, the game features a full life and hospital simulation with slight erotic elements. The player takes the role of a chief doctor of a beauty hospital, builds up the hospital, enlarges his income, flirts with the nurses, goes golfing etc. The game will be finished in fall 2006, dtp is actually looking for publishers all over the world to publish the game in different territories.
The press release did not elaborate on what those "slight erotic elements" might be.
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 11:44 AM | Discuss this post on our forums
August 18, 2005
Topic for Discussion - What is "Adultery"?
Most couples can agree that having physical sex with anyone except each other would constitute adultery.
What if the act takes place online? Is it unfaithful to describe sex acts with another partner in text chat? What if you're in an online game that supports graphic sex between avatars? Is it "just a game" or is it cheating?
Answers will vary between couples, of course. Are there any absolutes that can be applied to every relationship? (There had better be, since divorce on grounds of adultery happens in the courts.)
Let's hear your opinions!
Posted by IanSchreiber at 03:14 PM | Discuss this post on our forums
August 17, 2005
The Origin of the Barbie Doll
While not related to video games directly, this article is an interesting tidbit about the cultural evolution of objects from risque to mainstream.
"Ruth Handler had noted that her daughter Barbara preferred playing with paper dolls that looked like adults rather than like children. During a trip to Europe with her daughter, Handler noticed a German doll named Lilli and bought it for Barbara.
"In fact, the Lilli doll was based on the character of a prostitute in a comic strip drawn by Reinhard Beuthin for die Bild Zeitung. The Lilli doll was first sold in Germany in 1955. The dolls were manufactured in Hamburg, where legal, licensed prostitutes are ubiquitous. The doll was marketed to adult men in bars and tobacco shops, not to children. M. G. Lord, in her Forever Barbie: The Unauthorized Biography of a Real Doll, characterized the original doll as a 'gag gift for men, a pornographic character.'"
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 04:56 PM | Discuss this post on our forums
Topic for Discussion - Lara Croft
Contributed by Ian Schreiber
Ms. Lara is still the poster-woman for sexy game avatars.
On the one hand, she's a strong, powerful female lead and potential role model; on the other hand, she's yet another hypersexualized woman.
This dovetails nicely with her being a player avatar: on the one hand, a representation of the player in the game and a character that should be identified with; on the other hand, an object being controlled by the player's whims.
So, is Lara a card-carrying feminist, or an objectified female pin-up?
Let's have some discussion...
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 04:39 PM | TrackBack | Discuss this post on our forums
Was this in response to Hot Coffee?
Though the timing is certainly coincidental, the IGDA Sex SIG was not formed as a result of Hot Coffee. The scandal certainly intensified the need for such a group, however.
In fact, plans for it began after the 2005 "Sexuality in Games: What's Appropriate" roundtable at the Game Developers Conference.
The mailing list was set up shortly thereafter, and plans for the SIG were well underway when Hot Coffee was revealed.
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 12:09 AM | TrackBack | Discuss this post on our forums
August 14, 2005
Article on Post Mortem
The Springfield Republican wrote an article on my recent talk at the Boston IGDA's group's monthly meeting, Post Mortem.
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:38 AM | Discuss this post on our forums
August 13, 2005
You, You and You
Judging by the traffic this site is getting, there are three groups of people for whom the Sex SIG's "Sex & Games" blog is relevant:
1. Developers of sexual content (referrals from the IGDA)
2. Parents and other interested parties (google searches)
3. People looking for games with sexual content (google searches)
As a blog of the IGDA, we serve the needs of game developers. However, each group will find information that is of use here. In the link of the day (or whenever a link is mentioned), the SIG will endeavor to provide enough information about the link so that you don't inadvertantly click on something you'd rather not see.
We need to work together.
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 01:10 PM | Discuss this post on our forums
August 10, 2005
Boston Post Mortem
This evening, I spoke at Post Mortem, the meeting of the Boston chapter of the IGDA. My topic was "Murder, Sex and Censorship (and why you should care)". I'll try to condense the talk for a separate post here.
I was thrilled with the feedback I received and how involved developers were in the issue. I think we'll see some good initiatives coming out of it. I have some things to tweak, got called to task on a few points and was encouraged to investigate others. I'll post a more in-depth report as time permits.
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 12:40 AM | Discuss this post on our forums
August 08, 2005
Booth Babes (and Beef)
When E3 started back in 1995, it was hard to tell the booth babes from the regular staff at the various corporate booths. There were numerous attractive women in the company that I worked for at the time (Sirtech Software), and invariably, one of them would be accused of being a "model."
While that would be flattering in most any other context, here, it wasn't a complimentary term.
The press that were visiting Sirtech's booth wanted to see their latest games in action, ask questions and receive informed answers. Models couldn't provide that, particularly since this was the first time they were seeing the product themselves.
There were rumors - hot rumors - about who was using models. The front desk staff at the Nintendo booth. Sega for sure. Possibly EA. Sirtech never did use models, that I can recall.
Nowadays, models are common and even expected. Every year, developers feel a sense of embarrassment watching women in lingerie (or less) hawking their wares, but every year, marketing rolls them out again.
Interestingly enough, a company called Agetec launched a priceless campaign this year - the Anti-Booth Babes. For their effort, they got a whole lot of press and a whole lot of laughs.
I'm curious what affect all this sexiness has on actual mature content in the games industry. Thoughts?
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:13 PM | Discuss this post on our forums
August 05, 2005
Submissions
We're currently soliciting articles for the blog. If you have an article you'd like posted for commentary, please contact us.
We're also developing a link library for all things related to sexual content in games. If you have a link to add, please add a comment.
Thanks!
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 02:27 PM | Discuss this post on our forums
Future Play hosts Sex in Games Panel
Future Play will be hosting a Sex in Games Panel at this year's conference.
Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 01:59 PM | Discuss this post on our forums