Sex & Games

February 25, 2009

gamerotica.com sex in videogames community launched

thriXXX’s sex simulation videogame 3Dsexgames.com connects to new community site that lets users share ‘Make Your Own Porn’ video clips and gallery picture content.

“Gamerotica takes sex in videogames to a whole new level . The addition of user generated content exponentially expands the amount of bonus material available for 3Dsexgames.com the most realistic 3D sex simulation video game ever.” says Brad Abram head of Business Development at thriXXX.

Gamerotica’s advanced web 2.0 member s community management system allows users to upload and download and share unlimited softcore or hardcore porn video clips, TGP style galleries, high quality 3D models of girls and guys, 3D scenes, streaming video replay clips using the 3DSexVilla sex game from 3Dsexgames.com. In game content can be, remixed, reedited, reused and favourites stored and posted to the community.

Gamers can create and share uncensored exclusive content using shared celebrity look-a-like submitted fan art or their very own private personalized avatars. Virtual porn replay videos of in-game highlights and picture galleries collected and shared with others are tagged for easy searching and can be voted on and peer review rated. Contributors earn points submitting content and comments to the site. New content is added daily to favorites sections by Newest Items, Top Contributor, and Top Downloads.

Forums are also available so members can discuss the latest sex gaming news for their favorite niches, share game play and content creation tips, and make suggestions to contribute to the games design. Members receive email notifications when new site content or forum comments are posted.

Member created avatars can be uploaded to Facebook, MySpace, Live Spaces, iGoogle, WordPress, Xanga, Freindster, Comment, Bebo, Tagged, Blogger, Hi5. Content can be linked to other video sharing sites such as YouTube, MetaCafe, Daily Motion, Veoh, Revver, Guba.

About thriXXX

thriXXX software gmbh www.thrixxx.com provides the most advanced 3D adult animated virtual sex simulator videogames featuring fully customizable photo-realistic virtual girl and guy avatars. Sexy game characters can be customized by age and race, body shape, hairstyles, eye color, and make-up. Niche content settings includes ; Fetish, Bondage, Anal, Facials, Lingerie, Oral, Interracial, Insertion, Masturbation, Cum Shots, Squirting, Fucking Machines, Hand and Foot Jobs, Gay and Lesbian.

Brad Abram 604-988-8788 thriXXX software GmBH
http://www.gamerotica.com/news/

Posted by BradAbram at 11:05 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

October 06, 2008

BoneTown Released

In BoneTown, Sex on the Beach is more than just a drink, it’s what you’re about to do with that blonde in the short skirt, and all night binges, brawls, and partying until you drop are a way of life. So kick back, hang out, and enjoy, because this here’s BoneTown, and we ain’t following no laws. Download Price $39.99 Full Box Price $49.99 www.bonetown.com

-exploring thirteen full levels
-meeting tens of thousands of unique characters
-fighting with over 50 distinct weapons
-gaining new "magical" powers fueled by drugs
-participating in numerous competitions
-experiencing new, exciting sexual positions
-enjoying over 250 songs from new and established artists
-pleasurE lots of lovely ladies along the way
-following a dynamic storyline to save BoneTown from the forces of evil

www.bonetown.com

Posted by BradAbram at 09:34 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

August 03, 2008

Artmunk's Velvet Express Released

The creators of the Lovechess series just released their latest product, the Velvet Express. The Velvet Express is an highly interactive virtual sex simulator situated in the 30's of the past century.

Artmunk introduces a new, physics driven, animation engine in The Velvet Express. The sex in The Velvet Express is interactive, this means besides watching the animation one can also control the rhythm and force of the intercourse. Watch, Play and Record. In the The Velvet Express, the player can effortlessly record movie clips of his actions. The resulting movie clips are compatible with common movie players/editing software.

Features:
Realistic interactive sex using an advanced, physics driven, animation system.
Beautiful 3D scenery with detailed characters.
Nearly 60 different sex positions to choose from.
Record your own movie clips.
Four distinct female characters, in their own settings.
Multiple male avatars to choose from.

The Velvet Express is an advanced sex simulation designed to run on a windows XP or Vista based computer.

Posted by BradAbram at 10:41 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

March 14, 2008

Dreamstripper BlackJack

DreamStripper's just released a new product: DreamStripper Blackjack.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:28 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

January 15, 2008

More Sex Games

In our continuing series of sex games you can actually purchase comes this massive list from Amazon.com.

Sex Games on Amazon

Amazon has a lot of non-digital sex games for couples - everything from dominos (really) to books to board games with lubricant.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:37 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

What's Popular?

Got a kick out of this list from today's gametab.com:

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 06:26 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

December 30, 2007

Where can I get Hentai games?

One question I'm often asked is where people can purchase H-games. Since Hentai will be one of the topics for discussion this year at the Game Developers Conference, I thought I'd cover a few of these games here and actually point out where you can get them.

Bible Black: Double Pleasure is both a hentai game and a movie on a single disc.

Bible Black is a point and click adventure H-game and according to the reviews I've read, has 30 hrs of gameplay.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:41 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

December 13, 2007

G-Collections Releases Snow Sakura

JAST USA affiliate brand G-Collections, the leading publisher of Japanese PC dating-sim games in English, today announced the immediate availability of Snow Sakura, the latest adult PC game for Windows computers.

Snow Sakura is the story of Yuuji, a young man sent to live in the snowy wilderness of northern Japan. As you, the player, get used to life surrounded by your tomboyish cousin Saki, your demure classmate Misaki, her scheming best friend Kozue, your cool senpai Rei, and your bumbling teacher Misato, warm bonds of affection begin to grow between you of a sort you've never felt before. But what is the mystery of the Snow Sakura, the tree that blooms even in the heart of winter? A timeless tale of humor, romance, and tender eroticism that's often compared to legendary games like Kanon, Snow Sakura is a unique multi-ending adult gaming experience from D.O., one of Japan's top dating-sim game companies. The game can be seen at http://jastusa.com/snow/

The topic of sex in video games has increasingly been on the minds of people everywhere, as more and more consumers embrace video games as their favorite form of entertainment. With the average age of gamers at 33 years of age, it makes sense that computer games come to express stories that involve love and sex, just as television and mainstream movies do, and Japan's dating-sim games have been the most successful example so far of sexual themes in games being accepted by consumers. Adult PC dating-sim games have been enjoyed by a wide swath of fans of both sexes since the first English titles were released in the 1990s. In Japan, where PC games for adults have been sold for decades, such game titles make up approximately 25% of PC software sales in the country.

Ever since the first computers with color displays, Japan has had a strong culture of "love-sim" computer games, which simulate emotional and sexual interaction between the player and various game characters. PC dating-sim games are often referred to "hentai" or "H" games by U.S. fans. JAST USA has been involved in licensing and translating Japanese dating-sim games since 1997, and is the leading producer and distributor of English-language PC games for adults in any form. The company has a catalog of over 50 English-translated games with every theme from maids to "cat girls" to fantasy RPGs.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:12 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

December 10, 2007

Gamasutra: Why I Had Sex with An Alien

In a continuing series of headlines too good not to read comes this article from Game Set Watch via Gamasutra about the sexuality in Mass Effect: Why I Had Sex with an Alien.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 01:06 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

November 26, 2007

Sex and Board Games

Sex in board games was here long before sex in video games was here. Yehuda's posted a great summary on the topic here: Sex Games

The subject of today's post is sex in games, specifically sexual subject matter in non-electronic games such as board and card games. I'll cover a little about their history and then categorize them.

This would have made a good addition to my book. I recommend reading it.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 11:35 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

November 22, 2007

Geez Gamer - New Adult Gaming Blog

The folks that brought you Lovechess, have launched a new adult gaming blog at www.geezgamer.com.

The site covers a wider array of games than their adult games section on Lovechess. We wish them the best of luck.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 06:52 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

November 12, 2007

Kotaku: Mass Effect Lesbian Love Scene

Headlines like that are just made for this blog.

See more here:

Mass Effect Lesbian Love Scene

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:39 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Offended by Sex? We'll give you $35 for it.

... but only if you played GTA San Andreas.

According to this article on MacWorld, Take-Two settles 'Hot Coffee' sex content case.

Take-Two’s preliminary settlement offers a cash payment of up to $35 for customers who provide proofs of purchase before July 20, 2005, and attest that the Hot Coffee mini-game upset them; or users can simply trade in for an edited copy of GTA. The company will pay additional monies to cover defendants’ out of pocket costs as well as the cost of providing notice to class members and legal fees.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 12:23 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

November 02, 2007

Bazooka Cafe Available

Off the PR wire...

G-Collections Announces Acquisition of New Adult PC Game Title,
Bazooka Cafe Now Shipping

JAST USA affiliate brand G-Collections, the leading publisher of
Japanese PC dating sim games in English, today announced the
acquisition of Japanese adult PC game maker Sekilala's hit title
Cosplay Fetish Academy, the latest planned release in G-Collections'
popular line of bishoujo dating simulation games.

In Cosplay Fetish Academy you portray Ryouji, an average student
living and attending school with his beautiful twin cousins Yuuki and
Shana. One day while walking home with them a mysterious storm cloud
gathers above, and he is struck by a bolt from the blue - only to
awaken in a world where skimpy costumes are the norm! It is your task
to navigate through this brave new world with your cousins, your
classmate Kotori, and your busty teacher Maika, learning to enjoy the
sexy side of cosplay together.

This fully uncensored, English language / Japanese voice erotic adult
PC dating simulation game is now in production, and is available for
preorder at JAST USA, G-Collections and other anime goods websites.

In other news, G-Collections announced that their newest title
Bazooka Cafe is now in stock and shipping from their San Diego
location. "Not even the recent fires could stop us from bringing this
one out," JAST USA President Peter Payne said. "We're tremendously
excited to bring this great new bishoujo game to fans everywhere."

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 03:40 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

ESRB Issues Statement Regarding Manhunt 2 Investigation

Manhunt 2 was rated Mature by the ESRB for ages 17 and older for Intense Violence, Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content and Use of Drugs.

Earlier this week we learned about a hack into the code of the PSP and PS2 versions of the game that removes special effects filters that were put in place to obscure certain violent depictions. We have investigated the matter and concluded that unauthorized versions of the game have been released on the Internet along with instructions on how to modify the code to remove the special effects. Once numerous changes to the game's code have been made and other unauthorized software programs have been downloaded to the hardware device which circumvent security controls that prevent unauthorized games from being played on that hardware, a player can view unobscured versions of certain violent acts in the game. Contrary to some reports, however, we do not believe these modifications fully restore the product to the version that originally received an AO rating, nor is this a matter of unlocking content.

Our investigation indicates that the game's publisher disclosed to the ESRB all pertinent content in the authorized Mature-rated version of Manhunt 2 now available in stores, and complied with our guidelines on full disclosure of content.

What parents, and indeed all consumers, need to be aware of is that computer software and hardware devices are susceptible to unauthorized modification. Parents should be cognizant of whether or not their children are engaging in unauthorized modification of their games, consoles or handhelds, as those modifications can change game content in ways that may be inconsistent with the assigned ESRB rating. That being said, the vast majority of consumers have not made the unauthorized modifications to their hardware necessary to view the content at issue.

ESRB president Patricia Vance said:

“Manhunt 2's rating makes it unmistakable that the game is intended for an older audience. The unauthorized hacking into the code of this game doesn't change that basic fact.

“Parents need to be vigilant about monitoring what their children are downloading on the Internet and ensure that they are not making unauthorized and oftentimes illegal modifications to software and hardware that remove the controls the industry has so diligently put in place for their own protection."

Q&A

How is this situation different from the “Hot Coffee” incident?

The Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas “Hot Coffee” situation involved a scene that was a) fully rendered in an unmodified form on the disc (the Hot Coffee mod did not alter the content that was there, it merely unlocked it), b) not previously disclosed to the ESRB during the rating process, and c) easily accessible to all owners of the PC version of the game. Conversely, in the case of Manhunt 2, a) content that was programmed to be part of the game (i.e., visual blurring effects of certain violent depictions) is being modified, b) the content was previously disclosed to the ESRB, and c) unauthorized versions of software and/or hardware are required to play the modified content.

How is this situation different from the one with “The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion?”

After the release of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, the ESRB discovered extensive amounts of fully rendered and previously undisclosed blood and gore in the game that warranted a Mature rating. In addition, there was a fully rendered anatomically detailed art file of a topless female character present on the disc that had not been previously disclosed to the ESRB during the rating process. The blood and gore was accessible to all owners of the PC and Xbox 360 versions of the game. The partial nudity was accessible to all owners of the PC version of the game if they downloaded a modification available on the Internet that replaced one version of character artwork for another, both of which existed in a fully rendered form on the disc. Conversely, with Manhunt 2, a) the content in question was previously disclosed to the ESRB, b) the content is being modified by removing the obscuring blur effect that was programmed as part of the game, and c) unauthorized versions of software and/or hardware are required to play the modified content.

Why does this instance not fall under the ESRB’s disclosure rule clarification requiring that locked-out content contained in the code on a game disc be considered in the assignment of a rating?

Our rule clarification following Hot Coffee required that pertinent content that is programmed to be locked out but which exists in an unmodified, fully rendered form on game discs must either be removed or disclosed to ESRB during the rating process. In the case of Manhunt 2, the scenes in question were playable (not locked-out), programmed to include the blur effect, and fully disclosed to the ESRB.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 03:34 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

August 30, 2007

GLBT and Work in the Game Industry?

You'll be interested in this article over at GayGamer.net: Do You Work In The Game Industry? Join The Gay Game-Industry Professionals List!

What a hip effort. According to the site...

The GGP list serves a dual purpose: receive news, invites, job postings, resumes and the like (or submit similar items you'd like to reach the rest of the group); we'll also be making it easier to plan and attend GGP gatherings at all of the various conferences, expos and events where we so often find ourselves. Now you'll have a group with whom to gather and explore the gay environs of whichever city you visit next!

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 06:47 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Joystiq: Leipzig, booth babes, video, nudity, NSFW

With a headline like that, how can you not want to read it and watch it?

We joke, the video is very tastefully done, as tasteful as one can get editing together flesh shots meant to titillate.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 06:40 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Sex Worth Stealing

How the hell did I miss this article on MSNBC - Virtual sex worth stealing?

A civil lawsuit alleging stolen software that allows Second Life citizens to have more realistic sex begs the question … just who exactly are all these people having sex via their online avatars?

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:20 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

ESRB Statement Regarding Manhunt 2

August 28, 2007 - "Upon reviewing the modified version of Manhunt 2, the ESRB assigned a rating of M (Mature 17+) with content descriptors for Intense Violence, Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content and Use of Drugs. This is a very clear and firm warning to parents that the game is in no way intended for children. As always, we urge parents to strongly consider the ESRB rating in their decision about whether a game is appropriate for their children.

"Publishers submit game content to the ESRB on a confidential basis. It is simply not our place to reveal specific details about the content we have reviewed, particularly when it involves a product yet to be released. What can be said is that the changes that were made to the game, including the depictions themselves and the context in which those depictions were presented, were sufficient to warrant the assignment of an M (Mature 17+) rating by our raters.

"The FTC, the national PTA, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and Peter Hart Research have all found that parents are overwhelmingly satisfied with the ESRB rating system. Rather than publicly second-guessing what is unmistakably a strong warning to parents about the suitability of a particular game for children, which presumably neither Senator Yee nor CCFC have personally reviewed, we feel a more productive tack would be to join us in encouraging parents to take the ratings seriously when buying games for their children.

"The FTC reports that 89% of parents say they are involved in the purchase or rental of the video games their children play and 85% say they restrict them. Additionally, parents can now easily activate password-protected settings on game consoles to block out content they deem inappropriate. Further, according to a recent audit by the Federal Trade Commission, the major game retailers, representing approximately 90% of all sales, currently stop the sale of M-rated games to buyers under 17 the vast majority of the time, having surpassed the level of enforcement achieved by theatre owners in connection with children's access into R-rated movies.

“It is a parent's rightful place to make choices for their own children. The ESRB and console manufacturers provide families with the tools and information to help them do so."

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:00 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

August 27, 2007

The Divorce Game?

From Regina Lynn's blog comes word of this interesting project - software that eases divorce pains.

‘Family Winner’ and ‘Family Mediator’ mix ‘artificial intelligence, game theory and an electronic or human external mediator to help divorcing couples settle their disputes in a fair and rational manner.’

It would be hip to see more software developed to help couples achieve harmony during their relationship, too. So far, the efforts to do this, at least those that I am aware of, aren't polished.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:39 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

OMG, That Woman I Just Had Cybersex with Is Really a Man!

From the Village Voice's Bonnie Ruberg comes this article: OMG, That Woman I Just Had Cybersex with Is Really a Man!

Ever get the sneaking feeling that the self-proclaimed twenty-five-year-old blond who’s spent the last five minutes describing her “enormous tits” might not be a girl at all?

The topic reminds me of an interview that Regina Lynn gave a while back. The reporter posed a question to her regarding this subject, and her answer [paraphrased] was true and rather priceless: Until you meet in real life, does it matter?

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:32 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

August 23, 2007

Costikyan on the Bra Controller

Noted game designer and Manifesto Games' Greg Costikyan has weighed in on the bra controller: Wanna Play Pong, Sugar?

Well, so here's the thing. Touching my partner's tits can certainly be fun. Playing Pong can be (modestly) fun. Touching my partner's tits in order to play Pong?

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:28 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

New Item: Breasts of Jiggling +5

Joystiq's Alexander Sliwinski has an article up on Soul Calibur IV: Soul Calibur IV keeps laying on the sexuality.

Soul Calibur IV's bountiful breasts bounce along as Namco Bandai recently released more images of characters in the game. The first outing for the Soul Calibur crew on current-gen consoles is becoming better known for its breasts than anything else following a first-look at Ivy and her string-top battle bra in early June.

For pics and more, read the full article.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 11:03 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Arse Elektronika: Sex & Technology Conference

Hands down, this is the best sex and technology conference I've ever seen: Arse Elektronika.

Just check out the line up of speakers, including our very own Kyle Machulis.

Since space is limited, I recommend getting in on registration early before the venue fills.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:53 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

August 09, 2007

Going to AGDC? Register for Women in Games International Conference for Free!

Got some hip news regarding a conference I'll be speaking at in Austin on Saturday, September 8th.

If you're going to the Austin Game Developers Conference, you can register for the Women in Games International Conference for FREE. Scroll down to the last entry on the list.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 12:53 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Vivid IP Rep Looking for Game Devs

Vivid Entertainment, the world's leading adult studio and home to the famous Vivid Girls Briana Banks, Savanna Samson and Sunny Leone, has been talking with several major (and several independent) publishers and developers for a video game concept. Though certainly filled with jiggling eye-candy, a rumored concept has the focus on building a porn empire, managing girls, filming, distribution and everything else you can expect goes on behind the scenes.

Developers wanting more information are welcome to contact info | at | widgetandcog dot com.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 12:44 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

July 17, 2007

Trojan's Uses Traditional Game Mechanics for New Ad Campaign

Trojan's redesigned site, created to go with their new Trojan Evolve campaign, will look familiar to anyone who's played or designed games.

The interactive site is designed to educate consumers about safer sex practices in a way that's both entertaining, amusing and not preachy.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 11:20 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Strippers and GH 3

According to this entry over on Joystiq, First Look: Guitar Hero III, the upcoming Guitar Hero 3 features a stage set in a strip club, and the developers used mo-cap of strippers for the go-go girls on the stage at that particular venue.

Neversoft has a full-sized motion capture studio at their facility in California, so why not make good use of it? Especially if you have to mocap some strippers. Tough work, this rock stuff. Based on what we saw, the dancers will be giving Soul Calibur a run for the money. Jiggle factor five, Mr. Sulu.

What's interesting about this, at least to anyone who knows the history of the brand, is how that's a departure from the work that had previously gone into the game to attract and retain a more diverse audience. that traditionally doesn't like this stuff. I'm not saying it's bad thing - it's just surprising for this particular brand.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:37 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

July 13, 2007

Pornography tax?

A California legislator recently proposed a bill that would tax X-rated products, according to this story.

While the potential law doesn't mention games, it's conceivable that games could be included under the law should it be introduced into the legislature.

More challenging, however, is the gray area - exactly what is pornography and what is not? I guess we'll now know it when we tax it.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 11:38 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Comic Con - July 26-29 - San Deigo

Heading off to Comic Con? The event is fast approaching, and is actually an important even in the sex & games world. Why? Comic Con often hosts numerous hentai game producers, including JAST USA, producers of a great many dating sim titles, including Absolute Obedience, the X-Change series and many, many more. I've been playing their titles this summer (thanks, guys!), and completely enjoying them. The narrative construction and character development in this style of game could easily lend itself to traditional game design. You can look for commentary on these games in the near future when I complete them.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 11:30 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

July 11, 2007

Facebook Flings Through the Industry?

It seems like that. It's been a virtual friend-fest of game developers the last few days. Unlike LinkedIn.com, the favored professional networking service, particularly among game devs, Facebook gets personal.

At first, I admit it was difficult to drink this particular glass of Kool Aid. Much as I talk about all kinds of stuff that others might shy away from, I didn't feel particularly comfortable listing my favorite movie (Blues Brothers), favorite band (Ray Charles or Sean Paul, depending on my mood) or favorite books (East of Eden) online. It's out now.

From a community perspective and a game development perspective, Facebook is actually turning out to be a pretty fascinating experience for me. It's like an MMO stripped bare of any mechanics that I'd traditionally focus on (like combat, character development or narrative development), so it allows me to see in a limited sense how communities grow, and how individuals grow their own communities and influence within those communities.

You have to drink the Kool Aid to see it, tho.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 11:02 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Make Believe Sex Toys Bring Real World Lawsuits

According to this article on TBO.com, Maker Of Virtual Sex Toys Takes Online Dispute To Federal Court, there's a real world lawsuit brewing over one person allegedly copying another person's digital sex toys.

It's all happening in the often-recommended world of Second Life, which we recommend.

On Tuesday, his company, Eros, filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court claiming the avatar known as Volkov Catteneo has violated the trademark on one of his devices called a Sex Gen. Eros claims the avatar has made unauthorized copies of the device and is selling it for a profit.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 03:39 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

July 10, 2007

More on Take-Two, Manhunt 2 and the AO Rating

Strauss Zelnick, a power-that-is at Take Two recently made this excellent comment (carried on Gamasutra.com):

"We don't see ourselves in the AO business," said Zelnick, "and if we find ourselves there, it would be because we have a title we consider art and entertainment, that we consider appropriately rated at AO, that we’d like to bring to market."

"In that instance," he continued, "one has to ask oneself what is the purpose of a rating if it means that it effectively the title can't be released."

That's a point we've been on about for quite some time. AO is the kiss of death at retail. No big box store will carry AO content, as is its right. However, numerous critics of the ratings have argued that the rating system itself is out of whack, and compare the content allowances against those made for film. Would an M rated game = and R rated movie?

Certainly, when it comes to sexual content, it doesn't. The content in Sideways or The Sopranos would more than likely earn the dreaded AO stamp.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 01:07 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

July 07, 2007

Regina Lynn: Imagine All the People, Loving in 3-D

"People who play out sexual fantasies online are weird, perverted loners who can't maintain healthy sexual relationships (or even get laid) in real life," say the media and the masses.

Regina Lynn's new Sex Drive colum, Imagine All the People, Loving in 3-D, challenges this view of sex online for losers.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 12:25 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

July 06, 2007

Damon Brown: The Evolution of Sex in PC Games

Looking over Damon's previous articles on sex and games, I thought many of you might find this one of particular interest: The Evolution of Sex in PC Games.

Hot Coffeegate brought the link between digital games and sex to the forefront for politicians and parents, but gamers knew that the subject was as old as Leisure Suit Larry’s toupee.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 05:48 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

New Book: "Porn & Pong" Set for Fall 2008 Release

Damon Brown, a writer who's covered the sex and games beat on numerous occasions, is writing a book on how sex and video games have shaped culture. He sent Sex & Games this summary of his upcoming book:

In Summer 2005, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton followed the path of most American young males today: she became mesmerized by video games. Specifically, sex in video games. “The disturbing material in Grand Theft Auto and other games is like stealing the innocence of our children,” she said at an impromptu press conference. Clinton was responding to a special code in the latest Grand Theft Auto game, a code that lets the player’s alter ego essentially star in his own pornographic movie. “I believe that the ability of our children to access pornographic and outrageously violent material on video games… is spiraling out of control.”

What Clinton and other like-minded politicians didn’t realize is the two male-focused mediums of pornography and video games have been and always will be bonded by modern technology and social mores. The landmark porn film Deep Throat blazed theaters in 1972, the same summer that Atari’s Pong began the current video game industry. By 1977, porn helped bring movies into our home the same way Atari got arcades into our living room. The ascension of digital sex symbol Lara Croft, Playboy’s now-staple nude video game “centerfold” and the recent Grand Theft Auto controversy seem predestined when viewed in this context. More importantly, we can use these two expressions to see pop culture, sexuality and technology evolve (or devolve) over the past thirty years, using them to better understand a particular time period the same way an archeologist would examine a cross section of pottery.

Porn and Pong: How Grand Theft Auto, Lara Croft and Other Sexy Games Changed Modern Pop Culture will examine American pop culture and sexuality through the lens of video games, using this electronic medium as a cross section to view our history over the past thirty years. This historical narrative will look at more than a dozen games, the cultural events that inspired them, and what impact the titles themselves had on pop culture.

Porn and Pong will be released by popular indie publisher Feral House in Fall 2008. The official website will launch in summer 2007.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 05:44 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

July 03, 2007

Forbes: Sex, Pranks and Reality

The places these articles show up nowadays! Forbes was one of the last places I expected to see an article on sex in Second Life (among other things), but here it is: Sex, Pranks and Reality.

"There is nothing to do in Second Life except, pardon my bluntness, try to get laid," blogged David Churbuck, Web-marketing vice president for computer maker Lenovo. (Lenovo isn't represented on Second Life.)

I don't know about that. In fact, there's a whole lot going on in Second Life that's not all about, as Churbuck put it, getting laid. The article does highlight some of the more infamous pranks in the world's history, though.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:01 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

July 02, 2007

Erotic 3D Design

Of interest to adult content developers is this article over on Art of Love: Erotic 3D design, with Poser software

Did the launch of a new version, with improved base models, lead to better, more vivid and realistic 3D pictures? Are there any new artists and erotic websites that are worth mentioning? And where to look for Poser extensions and other related 3d software, especially for creating adult material.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 01:37 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Thumbs Up for Rockstar

"...we do not think video games should be singled out for special treatment from the authorities."

So said a press release issued by Rockstar Games in response to the recent Manhunt 2 festival-of-craziness. There's an excellent article on it here over on 1up.

Video games, like every other art form, have a right to explore the full range of the human experience. The perception that video games are just for kids is absurd, particularly given that the most recent stats show that the average player is a 33 year old guy. Nonetheless, this "for kids" mentality pervades the political and censorial climate that surrounds games.

We are the latest new technology, the latest thing to excite the younger crowd.

When cars were first released, people rallied against them, calling them "devil wagons" and "brothels on wheels." Many sought to ban the Hardy Boys calling the books, "explosives, guaranteed to blow your boys brains out." Elvis' hips would make us insane. The Beatles long hair would bring morality to a new low. Comic books censored themselves with the Comics Code in the 1950s just as movie did in the 1920s with the Hays Code. Why? Because the perceived sex and violence was just way too much for us. We, the movie buying, comic buying, game buying public can't be counted upon to purchase the right thing. So, it needs to be censored down for us. We just can't have it.

The AO rating is our modern day means to do this.

I suspect it won't matter much in a few years. Direct distribution, like that found at Manifesto Games, makes too much sense in too many ways, a great many of them financial. When the middle man ceases to be important, opportunities change and with them, restrictions.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 01:19 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Game Developer Census Available

Via Gamasutra.com comes news of the Game Developer Census.

...an accurate and detailed list of every significant developer and publisher currently working in the game business in the United States and Canada:

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 12:51 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

June 29, 2007

Slashdong.org: Intimacy Call for Papers

From Slashdong.org comes this call for papers.

“How are bodies represented through technology? How is desire constructed through representation? What is the relationship of the body to self-awareness?” [Stone, Allucquère Rosanne The War of Desire and Technology at the Close of the Mechanical Age Cambridge, Mass. & London: MIT Press, 1995, p. 17]

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:54 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

June 28, 2007

Amorous Professor Cherry to be translated into English

Hot off the PR wire...

JAST USA affiliate brand G-Collections, the leading publisher of Japanese PC dating-sim games in English, today announced the acquisition and beginning of development for Amorous Professor Cherry, an adult-oriented bishoujo ("beautiful girl") PC game from Japanese maker ZyX scheduled for release to the English language market.

Amorous Professor Cherry is the story of Kouta Koikawa, a youth madly in love with his rookie social studies professor Chieri. The player guides Kouta's actions as the romance between them unfolds, allowing the player to experience love and tender passion not only with Chieri but also with her vivacious colleague Mamiko and Kouta's classmate Kiyoka in an exciting story crafted by veteran scenario writer Tomohiro Minakami of G-Collections' "Crescendo" fame. Artist Sendorikun returns as well, bringing the style that charmed legions of fans of The Sagara Family and Virgin Roster among others back to the G-Collections lineup.

Amorous Professor Cherry is in the initial phase of development and is expected to see release in late 2007 or early 2008, and is now available for preorder at JAST USA (http://jastusa.com/) with rollout to other retailers coming soon. Further game information is available at the official JAST USA website as well.

In other news, JAST USA will be announcing the acquisition of two highly anticipated titles at an exclusive panel event on Friday, June 29th, at Anime Expo 2007 in Long Beach, California. Fans in attendance will receive free gifts as well as being able to catch the first exclusive glimpse of titles sure to revolutionize the face of the English language bishoujo game industry; press inquiries at the event are welcome.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:50 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Guest Editorial: Adult Games are Claiming Their Share

Auke Veenstra, a writer for the Art of Love, an adult games site, sent Sex & Games this editorial article:

There’s an endless list of computer games released each month. Marketing machines work in overdrive, trying to grab the attention from an immense army of gamers. Game magazines and gaming websites compete to get that latest demo or mind nibbling game review first, feeding their audience, hyping some games, ignoring others. And then there are the game rating boards, deciding what’s healthy to play, but above all, they reflect some sort of cultural and political agreement on what’s acceptable and what’s not. This well oiled money making machine has worked for years now, all targeting that typical gamer, young males between the age of 14 to 30.

But times are changing...

That typical gamer doesn’t seem to exist anymore. In fact, gamers have grown up, and women entered the gaming arena. The internet made the old distribution and marketing strategies less dominant, or at least it’s not the only way to publish a successful computer game anymore. What we are witnessing right now is a change on both sides. Besides those well-known large international gaming companies, small publishers are gaining ground, even without a million dollar budget. They are creating “niche games” for an audience that’s more diverse and demanding then ever. The role of the internet can’t be exaggerated in this - it provides the opportunity to bypass the beaten, and highly protected, publishing path. It gives the gamers a voice, and the possibility to choose the games they want to play themselves, without a marketing machine, or rating board, interfering.

One of these typical gaming niches is adult games, in this case games with erotic or strong sexual content. They have existed for quite some time now, occupying their own small and barely known spot among mainly pornographic websites. But recently, this niche is prospering more than ever before. New titles are released, and gamers are more than willing to buy them, as a relatively normal extension of their game collection. Game magazines and websites are still ignoring these games, with a few minor exceptions, and the rating boards are going berserk. How do you rate them? Where to draw the line? Is partial nudity pornographic? They tend to hang on to an outdated concept: computer games are solely intended for kids, and excessive violence is acceptable, but sex or erotica isn’t. It’s important to protect children and minors from accessing sexual content, I surely agree. But strict, local ratings don’t mean that much in an international market, and ignoring these games won’t make them go away. Remember that most gamers are adults, distribution through the internet is relatively easy, and there is money to be made.

It’s really time to revamp the system. International guidelines should be set up, with a new definition of what’s potentially harmful or acceptable. And the game media should start talking about adult games, in a more normal manner, informing the public on what’s out there. The game studios, creating these adult games, should also take their responsibility, and prevent minors from accessing their content. What a wonderful “gaming world” it would be...

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:28 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

The Dust on the Blog

What the hell's with the dust on the blog?

More than a few of you have asked, and the answer's an easy one: I had a ton of stuff to do, and it was more than your average metric-ton-o-crap that developers normally take on. It's been an exciting and busy few months. There were a few conferences (GDX, WIGI and the amazing IdeaCity), a Presidential Fellowship that I won and was working on and, lastly, a couple contracting projects.

It's time for the dust to come off. Lots of hip stuff going on in the sex and games world including a new book by Damon Brown, some exciting industry happenings and an upcoming conference in Austin.

Let's get going on that.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:34 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

May 21, 2007

David Perry's Photoshoot with Playboy Models

Seriously. Check out the pics here.

Hey, I know making video games is a high stress job, but I believe strongly in the term "work hard, play hard", so in my spare time I'm into photography.

So today, I took a short break and popped out to shoot some Playboy models.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:17 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

May 20, 2007

DreamStripper Cabaret Released

DreamStripper Cabaret has just been released with a whole bunch of new features. What's nice to see is that many of these features were in direct response to player requests. Among the added features:

- Diverse models, including an African American, Hispanic and Asian dancer
- Access your own MP3 playlist including ITunes
- Choose your dancers outfit
- New Dressing Room Mode, dress her up how you like
- New 3D Lighting Engine for sharper colors and more erotic detail
- New High resolution - High Polygon Count dance club

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 07:22 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Pixel Pulse: Genetic sex of escorts rarely questioned

Pixel Pulse has a great story up about whether you are or you're not who you say you are... and whether that matters at all in the virtual world.

The article reminds me of an interview Regina Lynn did with MTV's GameHead on their "Sex in Games" special. She says that it doesn't matter who's really what until you get off-line. Some sites actually do gender verification of digital escorts, though how effective that could be is debatable.

Not only does an escort’s real-life biological gender seem to be of minimal to no importance to many male customers seeking SL cybersex only (as opposed to Web cam interaction and voice), but it seems that many clubs and escort services do very little to nothing to verify whether applicants, employees and affiliates are genetic RL females.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 02:43 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Heroine Sheik: Interview with Brad Abrams

Over on Heroine Sheik, there's an interview with Brad Abrams of Virtually Jenna fame.

As one of our new regular features, Heroine Sheik is a starting up a weekly “5 Questions” segment. This isn’t your grandmother’s “5 Questions” though.

Grandmother's 5 questions? Dude. That's so harsh. We can only hope Ruberg wasn't suggesting that I'm a grandmother . The IGDA's Sex SIG has a 5 Questions feature that dates back to 2005.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 02:27 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

GOMA Sex on David Lawrence Show

Very interesting interview here on the David Lawrence Show.

Kevin Lyons, creator of GOMASex.com, joins us live from Chicago to look at his foray into the world of casual sex...games. On your Java-capable mobile phone, your Blackberry or your PC, you can control the positions of either a hetero or gay couple, and your goal is to get the participants in as many sex acts as you can in 5 minutes. It'll cost you between 10 and 20 dollars for the game. The carriers are actually talking about allowing this kind of content on the game.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 02:06 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Noche Kandora joins IGDA Sex SIG's leadership council

A big welcome goes out to Noche Kandora who officially joins the IGDA's Sex SIG leadership council. Noche is a professional editor and journalist whose primary interests include how human sexuality and gender are expressed in 3-D digital environments.

She knows more than any human actually needs to on emergent sex in virtual worlds and publishes PixelPulse Magazine.

Given that many much of the sexual content developed in virtual worlds is completely emergent, it's important to have someone like Noche on board to cover it.

See her complete bio here.

Welcome, Noche!

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 01:38 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Terra Nova: Accessible Sex

There's an article over on Terranova on accessible sex in video games. Odds are, it's not the kind of "accessible" you're thinking of. Rather, how people with disabilities can partake in the same types of adult content that those without disabilities can. It's an interesting article. Check it out.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 01:28 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

May 08, 2007

Game Trailers: Sexy Beach Videos

GameTrailers has a couple videos up for Sexy Beach 3. Unless you want everyone to lose respect for you, you will turn your speakers down first (particularly on the popsicle one for what should be obvious reasons).

Sexy Beach 3 'Maria Photosnapper' video

Sexy Beach 3 'EO Popsicle Sucking'

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:28 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

May 07, 2007

Destructoid: Top 5 Sexy Homebrew DS Games

With a headline like, "OMGCHUBBY! Top 5 sexy DS homebrew", you can pretty much figure out where the article's going.

DS Fanboy has compiled a sticky list of odd sex-themed games produced by indepedent developers perverts.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:33 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

ESRB: Parents are Increasingly Using Ratings

Having talked much about parental responsibility, the ESRB's latest press release was welcome news: "Parents Increasingly Using ESRB Ratings to Restrict the Video Games Their Children Play."

The study found that 6 in 10 parents (60%) with children under 18 “never” allow their children to play games rated M for Mature, while 34% only do so “sometimes” - one of several findings that is consistent with those reported recently by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Moreover, parents of children under the age of 13 are twice as likely as those with children 13 and older to “never” allow them to play M-rated games.

Among the study’s other findings:

* 87% of parents find it “very important” to be able to monitor and regulate what their children watch, read and play

* 90% of parents surveyed said that the ratings are “very” (55%) to “somewhat” (35%) helpful in helping them buy and rent games they deem appropriate for their children

* 91% say the ESRB ratings are the “most important” (17%), a “very important” (52%), or a “somewhat important” (22%) consideration when selecting games

* Other than ESRB ratings, parents turn to packaging (31%), other parents (29%), or their children (21%) as the top three sources of information about games

* 83% said that they would consider parental control settings to be “very” (53%) to “somewhat” (30%) helpful in allowing them to control the games their kids play

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:25 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

May 06, 2007

TShirt Hell: Where nothing is sacred...

... but much is mildly amusing or offensive, depending on your point of view. There are several game related shirts on their site like this one.

Ms. PacMan

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:20 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

May 05, 2007

Peach Princess Announces Adult Game: "Yume Miru Kusuri"

Peach Princess has announced that a new PC game is shipping: "Yume Miru Kusuri: A Drug That Makes You Dream".

According to the press release, "This interactive dating simulation game for Windows, intended for adults aged 18 and older, is the latest in Peach Princess's popular lineup of bishoujo games - games featuring beautiful women with whom the player can form meaningful relationships via choices taken throughout the story.

"The game is set in a pastel-hued version of postmodern Japan, where you take the role of student Kagami Kouhei and guide his quest to find meaning and color in an otherwise lackluster existence. Along the way you interact with several women, each exceptional in their own way, who hold out the promise of the answer you've been seeking..."

Aeka, the target of merciless bullying, Mizuki, the reckless student council president, and Nekoko, a strangely vital girl who insists she is a "fairy of the night".

Yume Miru Kusuri :: A Drug That Makes You Dream features a highly involved story, epic on a personal scale that deals more intimately than any earlier Peach Princess title with very real issues present in modern society. Themes of classroom avarice, suicide, and youthful temptations of escapism are all present, coming with them a depiction of the fragile beauty of life that it is your duty as Kagami to choose to protect - or abandon.

Acclaimed by Japanese critics for its brilliant characterization and scenes of haunting eroticism, Yume Miru Kusuri is the first in a series of artistically oriented titles planned for release from JAST USA and its affiliate brands over the coming months. As with other Peach Princess titles the player will enjoy completely uncensored graphics and a high-quality, faithful English translation of the original Japanese game text for dozens of hours of absorbing gameplay. The game's initial production run is limited to 1,000 pieces and contains extras on disc including the full game soundtrack in lossless audio format, character system voice files, exclusive artwork and trailers for other great JAST USA-distributed titles.

Further information on the game can be found at http://
www.peachprincess.com/ , and it is available for sale there as well
as at other anime product retailers.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 06:06 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Watercooler Games: Intimate Controllers

Ian Bogost over at Watercooler Games (highly recommended, btw), offers up something we're not entirely surprised to see: Intimate Controllers made with bras.

NYU ITP student Jenny Chowdhury has devoted her masters thesis work to making a videogame controller out of a bra and undershorts.

You have to wonder what would happen if Jenny and Slashdong.org's Kyle Machulis were let loose in a robotics lab for just one day...

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 05:18 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Savage Love on Second Life

Sex in Second Life makes it into Savage Love.

I laid down some ground rules for myself: 1) I would NOT form a partnership in SL; 2) I would NOT, under any circumstances, discuss or reveal any details of my RL with anyone; 3) I would NOT form emotional relationships with other avatars. I have followed these rules to the letter.

My wife knows I have an SL account, but that's it. She's made it clear that she considers sex in SL to be adultery. I disagree. I see it as a form of user-controlled porn—so long as I follow the three rules above.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 05:18 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

World's Sexiest Accent

Not-so-random things got me thinking about voices in video games and which male voices were sexy... and I couldn't think of any.

According to a poll at Budget Travel Online, the British accent (20%) is the sexiest in the world, followed by an Irish accent (14.1%). Coming in third is the Australian (12.5) accent. A West Indian accent came in 9th place.

Translated to a game world, this means that RPGs what with their traditional use of a British accent, could potentially be the sexiest sounding games in the world... to budget travelers.

See the complete list here.

Among luxury travelers, I'm sure the West Indian and Australian accents would have rated higher.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 05:16 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

April 17, 2007

Pixel Pulse: Second Life Escorts Go Live

Pixel Pulse Magazine has an article up on escorts using web cams in Second Life: Second Life Escorts Go Live.

One of the appeals of speaking with and watching Web cam escorts, aside from the obvious, is hearing and seeing the expressions and nuances not available via avatars and most animations. While in-world interaction between residents has been limited to text and animation scripts, a richer sensory experience via voice and video chat provides clients with a more realistic adjunct to traditional cybersex.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 05:28 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

GamersInfo.net: Interview on Sex in Games

There's an interview over on GamersInfo.net with Kelly Rued of Blacklove Interactive.

As long as mainstream games ignore player needs, there is a lot of untapped potential for indie and player-run MMOs to offer similar mainstream experiences with the added value of sex play options.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 05:11 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

April 13, 2007

Link of the Day - Sex Station - An Adult Online FPS

Today's link:

Sex Station 7

According to the site, "Sex Station 7 is the first ever all adult XXX explicit first person shooter." As far as I know, that's correct, unless you count mods which sort of cobble the nude skins in.

What's the game about? "Your goal is to help the girls of Sex Station 7 escape the clutches of the Alpha Ministries oppresive genetic engineering program. New Chapters of interactive sex games await you every month."

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:18 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

It's Definitive: Geeks are Better Lovers

Thank you, Regina Lynn.

Regina's a writer for Wired.com's Sex Drive column. Her latest, Why Geeks are Better Lovers, reveals news we've all longed to hear.

Geeks really do make the best lovers, for reasons that have nothing to do with adolescent ostracism or puppy-like devotion.

Regina includes such true-isms as "Geeks dig consensual role playing" and "Geeks know kinky people". I've talked to at least 300 of them personally.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 07:08 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Top 10 Controversial Games

Gwendolyn sends Sex & Games word of yet another top 10 list: Top 10 Controversial Games.

Games with sexual content occupy half the space on the list.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 06:48 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Possibilities for Sex in Virtual Spaces

3-D Maps Have Interesting Possibilities for Sex in Virtual Spaces is a headline that just screams read me over on Sex Rev 2.0.

Naturally, I’m imagining what this could mean for virtual worlds and erotic exploration (other than a huge expense, that is). Being able to feel the hills and valleys of Second Life, or run one’s finger (or whatever) along a bridge railing (or whatever).

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 06:42 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Spong: Japanese Dating/Porn Games: Now In English!

Thanks to Regina Lynn who sends along this link about Play-Asia.com via Spong: Japanese Dating/Porn Games: Now In English!

The really good news, if you're one of the aforementioned English-speaking pervs, is that Play-Asia claims the games are “mostly without the censorship of the original Japanese release.”

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 05:49 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

March 29, 2007

Juried Erotic Art Show at Kinsey

Some are seeing art in pleasure - fine art.

The Kinsey Institute is hosting its annual Juried Erotic Art Show on April 13 - July 20, 2007. Last year's show had some incredible pieces, including these pictured here.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:05 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

CNN: Porn '.xxx' domain faces questions

According to an AP story on CNN, Porn '.xxx' domain faces questions, an answer on the controversial .xxx domain should arrive tomorrow.

"They have made it very clear that the board will make a decision," he said. "It's pretty clear that they want to make a decision."

Stuart Lawley, the chief executive of IMC Registry LLC, which has sponsored the ".xxx" measure, told The AP he was confident too that a vote would come when ICANN's board meets and was optimistic that the domain would be approved.

Though this might seem odd to readers, many in the adult industry aren't in support of the move. Conservatives aren't either. While the ".xxx" domain is certain to draw adult content to its domain-sake, it's phenomenally unlikely that the same content producers will dump their .com, .net or .whatever sites leaving them available for clean content. Some charge that it might actually draw more adult content to the internet and make that content easier for people to find.

Whatever the case, we should know tomorrow.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:57 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Carnal Knowledge Quiz

MSNBC and Newsweek have released a Carnal Knowledge quiz.

Boinking, boffing, bumping, bedding—boomers always thought they invented it all. So here’s a pop quiz on the half century of sexual high jinks they lived through. Show us how much you know—in the Biblical sense.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:54 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

March 21, 2007

Distribution of Virtual Porn

MMOrgy.com explores the issue of distribution on virtual world pornography in its article: The Question of Distribution

Ok. So you've got your content, you've got it all sorted out and looking pretty, now what? It's time to release it to the unwashed masses and start the money rolling in. Except there's one last problem... What's the best form for them to see it in?

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 11:31 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Video Game Decency Act (Re)Introduced

Check out the story over on GameDaily.biz: Video Game Decency Act Reintroduced

Today, Michigan Republican senator Fred Upton reintroduced the Video Game Decency Act. Originally submitted in 2006, the new "Video Game Decency Act of 2007" H.R. 1531 seeks to forbid companies from hiding mature content in their titles. The lack of such disclosure would be labeled an unfair or deceptive practice as judged by the Federal Trade Commission Act.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 11:29 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

March 14, 2007

Joystiq: The difficulty of contact in game sex

Joystiq has some coverage of one of the GDC roundtables: Sex in Games: Designing the Erotic.

Check out the article here: The difficulty of contact in game sex.

A conclusion that came out of the discussion was the company who makes a friendly to use multiple points of contact software will make millions through licensing between the fighting and sex games genre.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:04 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

GDC Event Wrap Up

The IGDA's Sex SIG held two roundtables this past week at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. Both were standing-room-only events, and lots of good ground was covered.

In the next few days, I'll be posting details on the proceedings. Thanks to all who attended!

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:02 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

February 27, 2007

Kotaku: Wii a "Portal to Porno"?

Kotaku is reporting that a religious group is planning to launch an attack on consoles, calling them "portals to porno": Christian Group Preps To Attack Wii.

In the press release, leaked to Kotaku today, The Porn Talk founder Mike Foster does his best to stoke up some fear about the Wii saying that even though the device has parental controls, "parents don't see a need for them because they are unaware of the porn capabilities."

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:16 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Create Your Own Fantasy

My X Fantasy lets people create their own fantasies, and promises to do so in 3 steps.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 07:26 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

February 11, 2007

Kotaku: The World of Whorecraft

Thanks to Kotaku for sending this excellent story along: The World of Whorecraft.

Two porn stars, one dressed as a thief, the other as a fighter, acting out one of dungeons and dragons longest running jokes: Rogues do it from behind.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 03:52 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Walmart sells Hentai?

Seriously, but apparently not anymore.

According to this article in The Consumerist, Walmart and Target Sell Anime Porn. The titles the site cites are were longer available when I checked today.

Two follow up articles, Walmart.com Selling A Whole Bunch More Porn and Sorry About That Porn, chronicle their ongoing investigation.

While it's somewhat amusing (particularly the line "gay tentacle porn"), it's also unfortunate. Provided that proper age checks are carried out and the products are adequately labeled, Walmart and Target have a right to sell this content. I'd much rather see them sell this than, say, cigarettes, guns, bullets and Chia Pets.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 01:12 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

February 09, 2007

Now Online: Cell Phones Set to Get You Off

Cory Silverberg's article on Now Magazine, Cell Phones Set to Get You Off, covers Goma Sex, a game on its way to your cell phone.

I'm having sex on my cellphone. No, I'm not dirty-texting my ex or using the vibration mode as a kinky toy. I'm making game avatars on my tiny screen fuck missionary-, doggy-style and so on by hitting combinations on the keypad.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:58 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Hi Def too Real for Porn?

Here's an interesting article: In pornography, high definition could be a view too real.

Digital adult content developers have long talked of the effects of the "uncanny valley". It seems hi def is taking us one one giant leap closer to it.

They have discovered that sometimes the technology is not so sexy. The high- definition format is accentuating imperfections in the actors — from a little extra cellulite on a leg to wrinkles around the eyes.

Hollywood is dealing with similar problems, but they are more pronounced for pornographers, who rely on close-ups and who, because of their quick adoption of the new format, are facing the issue more immediately than mainstream entertainment companies.

Thanks, Tad.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 01:25 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Playboy Indonesia Gets Into Trouble

Playboy Indonesia's editor-in-chief on trial for -- wait for it -- publishing indecent material according to this story in the Syndey Morning Herald.

"The models also had inviting expressions on their faces," said Resni Muchtar, calling for the maximum sentence of 32 months in prison.

So, if anyone out there is thinking of making a game with sexual content, you might want to rethink that corporate headquarter relocation.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 12:45 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

February 03, 2007

BDSM blossoms in Second Life

Ever wonder what sex is like in Second Life? This very open article details the experiences of Destiny Welles: BDSM blossoms in Second Life.

In virtually no time, my new girlfriend and I were sharing the most personal, and deeply intimate, sexual fantasies that either of us had ever imagined. And as we got closer, she confided in me that she is in fact a submissive.

Thanks, Q.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 01:32 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

February 02, 2007

A Must Read Article on MMO Law

Lawrence Walters, a prominent First Amendment Attorney and soon-to-be speaker at GDC, has written a piece on law in MMORPGs. It's over on GameCensorship.com: MMORPG LAW
-The Wild West or a New World Order?

It's an excellent piece, and a topic certain to get more attention as the real world continues to explore the virtual one.

Although the idea of spending real money to obtain virtual objects may seem far-fetched to some, it is reality for millions of players. Furthermore, as more and more players populate cyberspace, the virtual world will become more of a reality for everyone, like it or not. Legal issues abound as to how to handle virtual objects and activities in a practical, real-world framework.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 12:27 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Absolute Obedience

JAST USA, the leading publisher of Japanese PC dating-sim games in English, is now shipping Absolute Obedience. The interactive hardcore game for Windows, intended for adults aged 18 and older, is the second English-translated title for fans of yaoi (yah-OH-ee), meaning aesthetically beautiful male/male themes in Japanese animation, which is the fastest-growing segment of anime sub-culture today.

The game is set in a fictional version of West Germany in the post-World War II period, and the player can choose one of two main characters, refined Louise Hardwich or rough-and-tumble Kia WelBenneh. He must play through 12 different missions in which he “targets” a KGB spy, a Saudi prince, a young Mafia boss, and so on.

Although these games feature male/male couplings, a majority of consumers of yaoi anime and manga have traditionally been females, with approximately 80% or more of customers at anime conventions or online shops being female. In a world where video game manufacturers continually debate ways of interesting the elusive “girl gamer,” PC games with dramatic stories could be an answer.

Game titles are available to retail customers via http://www.jastusa.com or for wholesale customers at http://www.pcrdist.com

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 12:14 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

February 01, 2007

Ebay Banning

This has nothing to do with sex, at least on the surface, but it's worth noting here:

Ebay bans the sale of virtual goods in World of Warcraft and other games, because of "legal complexities regarding ownership".

Ebay doesn't ban the sale of virtual goods in Second Life, because it's "not considered a game".

As a writer to Sex & Games said, "Is there any way you can explain this to me, that doesn't involve saying that Ebay is massively moronic?"

Academics who argue about the definition of "game" may have something new to argue about.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 06:45 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

American Sexuality: The story of my second sex life

Since you can never have too many stories on Second Life, there's another article on American Sexuality: The story of my second sex life.

This is harder than it seems when you’re wedged in a cage, waiting for someone to help you out of the handcuffs you originally thought were cool but now realize are not really helping your cause. Katrina Lachman, one of the club’s hired dancers, walks by me in her perfectly whorish ensemble, oblivious to my plight. Hate her.

Thanks, Bonnie.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 06:42 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

American Sexuality: The Sex Lives of Furries

Just out on American Sexuality is this article on the sex lives of furries:

Furries are self-described “animalistic creatures with humanoid features.” Wolves, dragons, orca whales. Anything goes. Like familiar cartoon characters, these animals can talk, stand upright, or wear clothes. But make no mistake, if furries—frequently shortened to “furs”—have great senses of humor, that doesn’t mean that being a lion, a mouse, even a skunk, is a laughing matter. Furs often associate closely with the animals they imitate.

For people developing MMOEGs, furries have actually proven to be an incredibly supportive, well-connected and friendly community. They pre-date many, many other virtual sex communities on the web, in fact.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 06:37 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

January 22, 2007

Virtual Worlds Conference - March 28 & 29

The Virtual Worlds Conference has been announced. The event will take place in NYC on March 28 and 29. According to the site, the event is geared toward "Fortune 500 companies seeking to understand and maximize marketing and business strategies within virtual worlds."

Virtual Worlds 2007 shows you how to succeed as a marketer in this rapidly growing segment of marketing, media, entertainment and commerce. Separate buzz from success; hear from companies who've made the journey and learn from their experiments and activities; learn more about this technology trend and the consumers who inhabit virtual worlds.

No word yet on speakers for the event or the line up, but we'll keep you posted.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 06:33 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Topless Sea Reaper

In my continuing trend of factually accurate but bizarre sounding headlines comes news of the Topless Sea Reaper cheat in Giants: Citizen Kabuto.

Sex & Games reader Chris sent me this email: "I just started reading your book, and you reminded me of cheat in Giants: Citizen Kabuto where you can play as a topless Sea Reaper."

According to Chris, you can get the cheat on Gamepyre.com.

Thanks, Chris!

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:06 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

CtrlAltDel Comic Says it All

When it comes to breasts in video games, we've just about seen it all.

Check out this Secession comic over on CtrlAltDel.com.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:02 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

January 10, 2007

Thanks to Computer Games Magazine!

Computer Games magazine features a huge article on MMO Erotic Games this month: Sexing Up MMOs by Laura Crigger.

Included our Sex SIG member games including Rapture Online, Red Light Center, Heavenly Bodies, Naughty America The Game and, of course, the "not a sex game, but endlessly mentioned as one anyway", Second Life.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:43 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Kotaku: Wii Sex Movie

Kotaku's posted a link to the Wii Sex Movie. It's not so much graphic as it is funny.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:52 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

January 08, 2007

Sex & Games Wins Porn Blog Award

Sex & Games wins an award!

We were the winners in the "Miscellaneous" category in the The 2006 Porn Blog Awards. Winners are listed here.

If you know anything about sex and blogging, let me tell you, there's a whole lot of "miscellaneous" out there, so winning this award is a nice honor.

Thanks!

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 12:09 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Art of Love: Hot Guys in Games

The Art of Love, home of Love Chess, has a article up on the hottest guys in games.

Dr. Gordon Freeman, Half Life
Finally a guy all “nerds” can relate to, adored by his counterpart Alyx, which makes him even more desirable. Interesting here is that the surrounding game characters, or general game's atmosphere, can add just that extra X factor you need.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:58 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Nerve's Year in Sex

Nerve Magazine has published its Year in Sex round up and welcomes us to test our knowledge of the year's media events.

If you're a politician, you either launched an offensive smear campaign or resigned in a fog of scandal. And if you're neither, you had a whole lot to read about.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:48 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Things You Search For

When I'm trying to avoid things I really should be doing, I sometimes take a look at what search terms bring people to this site.

The overwhelming winner is "sex games". This is closely followed by "sexy games" and other takes on it like "adult games", "sex and games" and "games for sex".

Sometimes, you're more specific, though. Lots of you like "dress up games". Today, someone was looking for "final fantasy sex games".

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:41 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

January 05, 2007

Link of the Day - Body Shot Showers

Today's link

TAG's Body Shot Showers

Catch the falling women in a tricked out convertible bus. Seriously. Also available here are the infamous Hide the Hotties and House Call.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 06:36 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Gamasutra: An Interview with Gerard Jones

There's a great interview with "Killing Monsters" author Gerard Jones over at Gamasutra: Sex, Violence, Tension and Comic Books - An Interview with Gerard Jones . Jones gave a great talk at the Montreal Game Summit. He and I spent an hour or more talking later that evening. Absolutely fascinating guy.

The interview and his books are well worth the read.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 05:50 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Pixel Pulse Second Issue Out

The latest Pixel Pulse is out... and has been for a few weeks. While I'm sorry for the late report on this one, it's a great issue and recommended.

Included in this issue are the following articles, among others:

* Building Bi Society in SL
* Sex One of SL’s Most Seductive Allures
* Real Connection in a Virtual World

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 05:41 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Second Life: Griefing Genitalia

Here's a form of emergent sex, sort of. Griefing genitalia.

According to the article here, "Yes, these digital dicks relentlessly infiltrated the interview. Even the valiant efforts of Greeterdan Godel were no match for the griefing genitalia."

You just never get opportunities to write sentences like that. Do you?

Thanks, Sheri.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 05:10 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

January 03, 2007

Adult Entertainment Expo Coming Up

The Adult Entertainment Expo will be held next week in Las Vegas from January 10-13 for members of the trade and January 11-13 for fans. If you haven't already booked your rooms... good luck.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:56 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

EA Apologies, Source Still Unclear

Fox News is reporting that Electronic Arts has apologized over the odd incident in which a boy found porn on a factory sealed game instead of the Madden he was expecting. See the article here: Utah Boy Gets Apology, New Games After Porn Pops Up on 'Madden NFL'.

Mind you, EA is not at all to blame for this. Nonetheless, it's amazingly refreshing to see them offer an apology as well as a replacement copy of the game. Whether anyone figures out how it got there doesn't so much matter. The incident was isolated. Puzzling, good for headlines, but isolated.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:49 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

1UP: Porn Sites Adapting to Wii

According to this article on Joystiq, Porn Sites Start Adapting to Wii, some users of the family friendly console are making the rounds on internet porn sites.

...some sites have already started adapting their designs to fit the slightly skewed resolution.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:40 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

January 02, 2007

Countdown to SL Backlash?

Over on Terranova, writer Ren Reynolds has written an interesting piece about a future media backlash against Second Life: Countdown to SL Backlash.

... I decided to write a New Year’s Eve piece about a potential media backlash against Second Life. The basis of this is that the media seems to work in a build ‘em knock ‘em down kind of way.

His predictions? There are 13 in total, but the top two are presented here:

My options for the form of the backlash are as follows:

1. It’s all just sex. sex sex sex I tell you
2. It's not just sex, it's prostitution

It's an interesting article, but I hope these predictions aren't true.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 03:26 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Circuit City Allegedly Sold Madden Laced with Porn

According to an article on Joystiq, XXX-Madden gag spoils kid's Xmas, the copy of Madden said to be laced with porn was purchased at a national retailer.

So far, the task force has been unable to track down the culprit of this cruel gag. The soiled Madden was apparently purchased by Uncle Dan on Dec. 2 from Circuit City.

Thanks, Ren.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 03:20 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Choice Award Nominations

Nominations are currently being accepted for The Game Developers Choice Awards. The awards "focus on rewarding and recognizing one's peers for innovation and excellence in the art of making games – regardless of genre, platform or delivery medium."

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 03:13 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

January 01, 2007

Slashdong: The Wiibrator

In a move that should shock only the dead, Slashdong.org is reporting on the Wiibrator.

The torch has been passed, and a new generation of consoles are perverted. The circle of wank begins again.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 04:05 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Adult Video News Lists Top Sex Stories of the Year

AVN's published its 2006: Stories of the Year which includes stories on everything from Playboy's acquisition of Club Jenna to an appearance by, of all people, Eddy Van Halen. Who knew?

They've also published their Year in Pictures review.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 03:55 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Happy New Year!

It's a new year. Hopefully, 2007 will bring with it good things.

Of course, several "Best of..." lists are circulating. Key among these is GamePolitics' nod to judges everywhere as its most influential: GamePolitics 2006 People of the Year… Judges.

More than any individual, judges collectively shaped the political landscape of gaming in 2006.

In the "most unexpected" category of 2006, Sex & Games selects the the partnership between Clinton, Lieberman and the ESRB. It's a wonderful and welcome thing, truly. When those interested in content start working together instead of sniping at each other, good things will (hopefully) come about for players.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 03:42 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Tampered Madden w/Porn?

In an interesting story CBS13.com, Porn Found On Video Game Bought In Modesto, that looks like an isolated and bizarre case of tampering:

Christmas turned X-rated for a 14-year-old Layton boy who found pornography -- not football -- on a video game he received as a gift.

Given that there are millions of copies of this game out there, this incident isn't likely to be the next "Hot Coffee." We'll see how the story develops.

Thanks Sheri & Tom.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 03:17 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

November 29, 2006

Luxury Sex Toy Gift Guide

Just in time for the holidays comes Cory Silverberg's "Top 10 Luxury Sex Toy Christmas Gifts for the Holidays" list.

Whether you’ve been naughty or nice, sex toys are the gifts that truly keep on giving, and while you may not be able to open these presents Christmas morning with the family, they’re guaranteed to keep you warm at night and inspire a new year’s worth of sexual exploration.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 01:13 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

November 22, 2006

Link of the Day - Consider Yourself Warned

Today's link:

Consider Yourself Warned

*Turn Your Speakers Down*

The "games" from Tag keep coming...

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 03:53 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

How the Pilgrims Shaped Our Sex Lifes

Now up on MSNBC's Sexploration column: How the Pilgrims shaped our sex lives.

And what better way to kick off this national revival than to answer the question everybody seated around the giblets and stuffing and space-age jellied cranberries has, but never asks: Did these people ever have sex?

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 03:07 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

November 21, 2006

Link of the Day - See More Side Effects

Today's link

See More Side Effects

Wow. If it were only a game, I'd say we actually had a sex game made specifically for women in their prime. Close... so close.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:22 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

PTA & ESRB Launch Education Partnership

Off the PR wire...

NEW YORK – Furthering their shared commitment to educating parents about video games, the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) are launching a nationwide video game ratings education campaign that will distribute 1.3 million brochures to 26,000 PTAs nationwide. The campaign will encourage and enable state and local PTAs to educate their community’s parents about the ratings. It includes informational resources including brochures in both English and Spanish, as well as online support through both the PTA and ESRB websites.

“Every parent knows how popular video games are these days, but perhaps not as many are familiar with the tools that can help them select games that are appropriate for their children,” said Anna Weselak, PTA national president. “Just as with all media, we urge parents to be as involved and informed as they can. The ESRB ratings are informational and help parents to make sensible video game choices for their families.”

The ESRB engages in several ratings education initiatives that involve print, television and radio Public Service Announcements (PSAs) among other vehicles. While many of these initiatives focus primarily on raising awareness and use of ESRB ratings, the partnership with PTA also provides parents with valuable guidance and resources about computer and video games, and is among the most extensive in terms of ground level support for communities nationwide.

“ESRB is always pursuing ways to educate parents about the rating system, and we’re incredibly pleased that the PTA has stepped up to participate in those efforts in such a meaningful way,” said ESRB president Patricia Vance. “Ratings can only be effective if parents understand and use them, and though our research shows that most do, we can all agree that more can and should be done. This campaign will not only help drive home the message to parents that they should be actively involved in choosing games for their families, but also provide them the knowledge and understanding of the rating system to allow them to make informed choices.”

PTAs nationwide will begin receiving the brochures in the coming days, and are encouraged to distribute them to PTA member parents through their regular programs and events.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:00 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

November 15, 2006

Say No to "More Sex in Games"

Despite media reports to the contrary, I do not want more sex in games. In fact, games like BMX XXX prove that just slamming sexual content into a game where it doesn't fit with the narrative is a horrible idea at best.

Rather than *more* sex in games, what I argue for is creative freedom (ie. no censorship). Game developers have the right to include intimate, sexual and erotic content in their video games provided they disclose this to the ratings board. This doesn't mean we need more sex in games. However, it does mean that we have the full palette of the human experience to choose from when we create our worlds, our stories, just as artists in any other field do - film, theater, written word, fine arts, etc. Whether we choose to use that content is another thing entirely.

Consider that there are games made today that are deliberately edited before they're released in North America. Why?

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 01:08 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

November 07, 2006

Lovechess: Age of Egypt Demo Available

I've just received word that a demo of Love Chess: Age of Egypt is available.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 06:26 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

October 30, 2006

Thompson: WTF?

Tempting as it is just to ignore this insult to GLBT people everywhere in the hopes that Jack Thompson will eventually find his way out of the industry press and into obscurity, some things just can't be ignored. This is one of them.

According to Thompson, Rockstar's new game Bully contains sexual material harmful to minors. Really. Check out the GamePolitics piece on it: Thompson’s Latest Tactic Equates Bully with Porn.

As GamePolitics.com notes, Thompson suggests that Bully's kissing mechanic that allows a boy to kiss another boy may be in violation of Florida's "Sexual Material Harmful to Minors Statute."

Come on. Come the frig on. Jack, it's not obscene. It's not pornographic.

If it's anything, it's homophobic.

As a teenage girl once, and as a mom periodically subjected to media that targets this audience, someone falls for someone roughly 2 times per show. 80 times per book and 20 times per movie (30 times if the movie is released in the summer). I can cite game after game after game in which a girl falls for a boy and a kiss is exchanged. What Thompons seems to find offensive here, then, is not the kiss, but that the kiss is between two people of the same gender.

I find that type of outdated, homophobic, grandiose thinking more dangerous to kids than anything Bully is putting out.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 11:35 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

October 28, 2006

Utherverse Hosting Halloween Festival

Just in off the PR wire...

Global Halloween Festival - 24 Hour Halloween Festival

Utherverse.com will be hosting a global Halloween Block party from 12 am to midnight on Halloween. Members can dress up their avatars (3-D virtual representations) in sexy or spooky costumes, can get virtually drunk, dance and even watch classic scary movies including George Romero's cult Classic "Night of the Living Dead" and the William Castle favorite "House on Haunted Hill.”

The festival will include a DJ and music throughout the world, as well as classic Halloween movies which will be playing all day in the theatres. Members from all over the world will be joining in the festivities.

Utherverse.com is a free social networking web site with a free MMO software package. After a soft launch in June the system already has more than 100,000 members, and the company is projecting more that 1,000,000 registered users by the end of this year.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:37 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

October 27, 2006

Killer 7 vs. Killer Porn

According to this article over on GayGamer.net, there's an XXX Site Listed On [the] Killer 7 Box.

Instead of pointing people to killer-7.com, the box suggests the definitely not safe for work killer7.com instead (but if you're afraid of NSFW stuff, I'm not sure why you're here).

A quote regarding the site from GayGamer.net:

Things on things, in stuff, and around other things. This one girl looked like she was having a ball, actually she was having six, but it takes all kinds I guess. It was a veritable cavalcade of perversion.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:19 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

The GTA Mod Community - One Year Later

There's an article up over on Gamasutra on the effects of Hot Coffee on the GTA mod community one year later. As I mentioned to a couple people in the community, there's really something about the human interest side of this story that draws me in.

Here's the piece: Hot Coffee's Effects on the Mod Scene.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:59 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

October 26, 2006

GDC Registration Now Open: Two New Sex Roundtables

GDC registration has just opened, and once again this year, the IGDA is hosting the Sex in Games roundtables which bring together the leading developers to discuss the business and design of erotic entertainment.

As requested by last year's attendees, the sessions will be broken into two: (1) The business end of selling sex games and maximizing profit and (2) The design challenge of creating erotic entertainment.

See the full abstract on the sessions here: Sex in Games abstract.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:37 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

GameDaily BIZ: Games Gone Wild

GameDaily BIZ has an article up on sex as its used to sell video games: Games Gone Wild.

T&A has been used to sell just about everything, and over the last decade in the game industry sex in games has really been used to full effect. But is this a good thing, or do game makers need to take more responsibility? We speak with Brenda Brathwaite, chair of the IGDA's Sex SIG, and Eidos marketer Matt Gorman about this titilating subject.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:31 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

ECA Acquires Game Politics

The newly formed Electronic Consumers Association has acquired GamePolitics.com, the site that covers the increasing flurry of legislation facing video games today as well as other relevant issues. Congrats to both groups. GP has been a long-time supporter of Sex & Games and always produces content of high quality. GP was instrumental in breaking the Hot Coffee story in June 2005.

More on this story on GameDaily BIZ: ECA Acquires GamePolitics, Partners with NCsoft.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:27 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

How 'bout this in your next political sim...

From Sex SIG council guy Ian Schreiber comes this email:

Okay, so we all know sex sells. But this time it's a politician trying to sell people on voting for her as governor. I bet most political-simulation games don't let you campaign based on your cleavage, but I bet the game dynamics would be interesting if you could.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:24 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

October 23, 2006

Sex Sells. Or At Least Makes Breasts Bounce Too Much

Joystiq has a piece up about a DOA video that features the infamous Giant Breasts of Jello(R).

From DOA's bouncing breasts to test "sex sells" cliche:

Indeed, if you care to watch, you'll be transported to a fantasy island where unreal beauties frolic and dance, wrestle and massage, read and relax -- and bounce.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:53 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Warm Tea: Boy on Boy Kissing in Bully

According to this article over on Joystiq, Boy on boy kissing in Bully, there's some interesting stuff going on in Rockstar's new game, Bully.

This is not "Hot Coffee" by any stretch of the imagination -- just kids kissing.

Now before everybody goes crazy, depending on your moral sensibilities, there are two videos after the break. Gamebrink's version is quick like a band-aid, with one smooch session. Of course, GayGamer's version has Jimmy going back for seconds -- nope, thirds -- wait, fourths.

So, the whole "diversity in games" angle aside, it's interesting to consider why that include things like this set alarm bells off all over the place. If you've watched any of the teen channels, someone in every sitcom falls in love or falls for someone roughly 4.5 times per show. This is fairly standard fare in other forms of media.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:10 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Interview on Best Damn Podcast Ever

There's an interview with me over on the Best Damn Podcast Ever.

According to the press release (that makes me sound infinitely more exciting than I actually am), "Brenda is an acclaimed game designer (Wizardry series, Jagged Alliance series, Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes, and Playboy: The Mansion), founder and chair of the International Game Developers Sex Special Interest Group, and professor at the Savannah College of Art and Design. The interview addresses the roles of women's portrayal in video games, marketing towards the female consumer, and Brenda's experience in the industry as a female game designer."

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:56 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Red Light Center on Gay Marriage

Just in off the PR wire...

Utherverse, Inc., Los Angeles, CA – G.B. and Dave are busy making plans for their big day. They’ve sent the announcements, selected the wedding party and coordinated the entertainment. On October 22, 2006, Justice of the Peace Jezebel will wed these two lovers. But this is no usual wedding. . . on two counts.

G.B. and Dave are a gay couple. And if gay weddings aren’t as unusual as they were a few years back, this one marks another milestone. The wedding is taking place in the Red Light Center of Utherverse.com – a completely adult, real-time three-dimensional world commonly referred to as an MMO.

Taking geography and politics out of the equation, gay and lesbian couples are beginning to join the steadily increasing trend of couples marrying within MMO’s.

“I’ve performed two weddings since becoming a justice of the peace in Red Light Center,” said Dan Mace. “On October 22, I will be swearing in Jezebel as a new justice of the peace to help me with all the upcoming weddings. As her first official duty, she will be performing the wedding of GB and Dave. In the upcoming weeks I will be marrying three more couples and one couple who will be renewing their vows.”

Although many people view MMO’s merely as online games, these weddings are serious affairs; they have real-world consequences.

“The first couple that I married, Mike and Jessica, had never even met outside of Utherverse.com, but they fell in love. After living as husband and wife online, they’ve decided to take the next step. Last week the couple announced that the groom was flying from South Africa to the United States to have a real-world wedding,” Mr. Mace said.

Weddings are becoming so common within the Utherverse.com MMO, the need for a second Justice of the Peace happened within only a few months of the first wedding.

“These weddings are a result of the powerful social connections that are formed within an MMO,” said Brian Shuster, CEO of Utherverse, Inc. “By letting users meet each other, chat, drink, dance and date within a virtual city, our social network is just naturally going to result in real-life relationships. I only hope that G.B. and Dave will one day be allowed the same freedom to marry in real life as Mike and Jessica have today.”

Still in pre-beta, Utherverse.com is a free social networking web site with a free MMO software package. The system has more than 100,000 members, and the company is projecting more that 1,000,000 registered users by the end of this year. To learn more about
Utherverse.com please visit http://www.utherverse.com

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:11 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

October 18, 2006

Sex in Advertising... but this time, it's men!

GayGamer.net's featuring a stunning advertisement over on their site of three men hamming it up over a new PS2 title, Singstar. The ad was featured in a UK gay magazine, Attitude.

D a m n .

I doubt this will be appearing in Oprah, Women's Day or even Cosmo anytime soon. But still. You have the attention of many women, too.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:52 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Wow. Guccione vs. Thompson

Sex and Censorship. The two go hand in hand. That said, this debate is still a little surprising.

Wolfman Productions is advertising a debate between Jack Thompson and Bob Guccione, Jr., son of Penthouse Publisher, Bob Guccione, Sr.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:09 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

October 17, 2006

Book Review: Sex in Video Games

Cory Silverberg's published his review of my book, Sex in Video Games (see the listing at amazon.com), over on his column at About.com: Review: Sex in Video Games.

Sex in Video Games is a must read for anyone working in the area of gaming or sexuality.

Okay, I know that it's my book, and this is my site and that pulling a quote like that is pretty self serving. If you're here, presumably, it's not because I need to sell you on the topic or my book, for that matter. However, if someone like Cory said something like that about your book, you'd do it, too. You know you would. Yes, yes. You would.

Thanks, Cory, for your kind review and feedback.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 12:14 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Rumble Roses Pinball on Mobile Phones

Just got word of this game - the women of Rumble Roses are coming to mobiles. It also looks like this one will be available in the States where censorship on cell content is alive and well (very, very well, in fact).

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 12:07 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Reuters to Cover News in Second Life

... and by that headline, I mean that they will bring news from the first life into Second Life. See the GameDaily BIZ piece on the news here: Reuters' Second Life.

It's probably only a matter of time before we see the virtual world affecting other media outlets as well. While online affairs have already found their way into media, to my knowledge, we haven't seen a love story featuring virtual characters or all the funky stuff that results from that. A couple sites do cover that funky stuff, though - Apogeevr and MMOrgy come to mind.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 11:55 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

October 15, 2006

Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality

For those of you with an academic interest in sexuality, there's the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality.

According to its site, The Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality is "the oldest professional society dedicated to the advancement of knowledge about sexuality."

About SSSS

• Founded in 1957 to encourage the rigorous systematic study of sexuality.
• More than 1,000 individuals hold membership in the Society.
• SSSS is a non-profit professional membership organization.
• A strength of the Society is the range of disciplines represented by its members, conference participants and journal authors.
• Membership of the Society includes anthropologists, biologists, educators, historians, nurses, physicians, psychologists, sociologists, theologians, therapists, and many other disciplines.
• The Society has a strong commitment to "the next generation" through the support of a vigorous student membership program.
• The Society's award program recognizes professional excellence, public service and service to The Society.
• A broad range of committee activity provides numerous opportunities for the involvement of members in the work of the Society.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:26 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

October 14, 2006

Games as Porn Bill a No Go in Oklahoma

Gamasutra has an article up on the Games as Porn bill that's been defeated in Oklahoma: Oklahoma 'Games As Porn' Bill Halted By Judge

US District Judge Judge Robin J. Cauthron of the Western District of Oklahoma has issued a preliminary injunction against HB30004, which was signed into law by Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry in June, and was set to go into effect on November 1.

Bear in mind, we're not actually talking about pornographic games with this bill, just treating standard video game like pornography.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 02:36 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Entertainment Consumers Association Forms

Hal Halpin of the IEMA writes to tell Sex & Games about the formation of the Entertainment Consumers Association.

From the press release...

First Ever Consumer Association Dedicated to Serving the Needs of Gamers Formed by Noted Industry Veteran Hal Halpin

Wilton, Connecticut (October 12, 2006) – “Give your passion a voice” is what the Entertainment Consumers Association (ECA), a newly formed web-based consumer organization, is looking to offer gamers who want to rally behind their favorite pastime. Launched today at www.theeca.com, the ECA is primed to serve the evolving needs of individuals who play computer and video games. This first ever of its kind organization focuses its advocacy efforts on consumer rights, anti-games legislation, and a host of other public policy concerns in addition to providing substantial community and affinity benefits to its members. Founded by industry veteran and advocate Hal Halpin, the ECA is a 501(c)(4) non-profit membership organization established to give gamers the resource to stand up for their gaming rights while taking advantage of exclusive membership and affinity benefits.

The mission of the ECA is to give gaming consumers a voice and ensure that state and local politicians hear their concerns and appreciate their demographic power. The organization is designed to be an advocate for the interactive entertainment consumers who represent nearly fifty percent of the population, whose average age is 33, and spends $10 billion annually on gaming, yet are continually overlooked by politicians and the mainstream press. Gaming fans must make themselves heard, and the ECA gives them a vehicle to do so.

“The ECA was created to fill a void that needed to be paid attention to… arguably the most important group within the interactive entertainment industry, the consumers,” said ECA founder Hal Halpin. “These individuals are the life-blood to this multibillion dollar industry yet they have been unrepresented, until now, which is exciting for myself and the rest of the ECA team as we are the organization that now allows their voices to be heard.”

The ECA is also dedicated to providing substantial community and affinity benefits to its members. With membership, entertainment consumers can connect with like-minded gaming fans, stay on top of industry issues and events, explore career and educational opportunities in gaming, and voice their feedback on issues and products. As part of its member services, the ECA offers access to a number of key gaming resources through unique and exclusive partnerships and services including subscription discounts, savings on game purchases and rentals, access to industry events, and more. Future potential offerings include research, a variety of education and information-related assets, career assistance and guidance, scholarships and financial aid, low-rate affinity credit cards, and even low-cost comprehensive individual health and life insurance for members. An annual membership cost will be $19.99.

Prior to forming the ECA, Mr. Halpin founded the industry’s retail trade association, Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association (IEMA), which served the $10 billion video and computer game business and merged with the Video Software Dealers Association (VSDA) to form the Entertainment Merchants Association (EMA) in 2006. Mr. Halpin has been a force in the interactive entertainment industry for fifteen years as an executive and entrepreneur. The founder of numerous influential publications and organizations, he is often called upon to represent the interactive entertainment industry as an ambassador at large.

For more information, or to sign up for ECA membership, please visit www.theeca.com.

About the ECA
Formed in 2006, the Entertainment Consumers Association (ECA) is a 501(c)(4) non-profit membership organization established to serve the evolving needs of individuals who play computer and video games by giving their passion a voice. The ECA serves as an advocacy organization for the interactive entertainment consumers who represent nearly fifty percent of the population, have an average age of 33, and spend $10 billion a year on gaming. The ECA mission is to give gamers a voice and ensure that state and local politicians hear their concerns and appreciate their demographic power. The Connecticut-based organization focuses its advocacy efforts on consumer rights, anti-games legislation, and other public policy concerns as well as providing substantial community, educational, and affinity benefits to its members—from discounts on subscriptions and game rentals and purchases to education, employment assistance, and insider access to industry partners.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 02:32 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

October 12, 2006

Couples, Computers and Gaming Conference

A new conference is coming up soon on November 11: Couples, Computers and Gaming. The conference is "a funny and serious look at the way the sexes play computer games."

Details: Saturday, November 11, 10 am – 6 pm, Ruby Skye, 420 Mason Street, San Francisco (between Post and Geary), $35 at Ticketweb.com, $45 at the door. Attend this half-day seminar to hear experts talk about the latest games and gamers, learn how to fit gaming into your relationship in a healthy way, find out about the exploding professional gaming industry and learn what games women really play. Special gaming demonstrations and audience training by the international all-girls PC gaming team the “girlz 0f destruction” straight from the Home of Chrome, the world’s first e-training facility in Stockholm, Sweden.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 02:45 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Microsoft Introduces Child Safety Initiative

Hats off to Microsoft for its child safety initiative which allows parents to control their access to entertainment. Hopefully parents will actually make use of these valuable tools.

Get the scoop on Gamasutra: Microsoft Starts Child Safety Campaign.

Kelly Rued of Black Love Interactive also sends news of an article up on GameBiz Daily regarding the initiative: Robbie Bach Champions Safety for Games. Thanks!

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 02:38 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

October 11, 2006

ESA Prez addresses E3, ESRB and More

Over on GameBiz Daily, there's a great article/interview up with Doug Lowenstein, president of the Entertainment Software Association (ESA).

Obviously, in the short term a lot of attention and interest is focused around efforts to regulate video games, particularly in the United States, and I think those are things that we need to take very seriously and do take very seriously. Given the state of the law on these issues, I think in time these kinds of attacks will dissipate and the likelihood that laws would be enacted and implemented that restrict game sales is pretty small unless there's a dramatic change in the courts.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 11:31 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Review of Red Light Center at Art of Love

Art of Love, a site that covers sex games and sex game development, features a new review of Red Light Center.

Read the review here.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 11:27 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Link of the Day - Mark Foley Games

Today's link

IM Foley Game

and

Help Hassert Hide the Perv

It was only a matter of time (and a small matter at that) before games featuring Mark Foley showed up. Flash once again proves that it's the printing press of sex games.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 11:23 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

October 05, 2006

Press Release on Goma Sex

Off the PR wire...

GOMA Systems Corporation released two Interactive Adult Entertainment titles for the mobile phone platform. For both the heterosexual (GOMA Sex) and homosexual (Rainbeau Café) versions, the object is to get your characters into as many sexual positions as possible before five minutes have passed.

Intended to teach users “a thing or two,” players are rated on their performance as they strive for perfection to attain “Master” status. (Hint: there’s no fondling in these versions of the games!) Blackberry and PC versions of these two “sex simulators” will soon be released. And the company plans to follow its foray into the Interactive Adult Entertainment genre with the launch of its Martial Art Simulator titles by the end of the year.

GOMA Systems’ Adult-Only mobile phone titles can be downloaded at www.gomasex.com for $1.99 each. (WARNING: this site contains adult-oriented, sexually explicit content and requires that you be over 18 years of age to enter!) In addition to a low price point, the company cites three unique selling points: (1) great graphics that fit even the smallest of phone screens; (2) over a dozen different sex acts that can be controlled and explored on many of today’s phones; and (3) a breakthrough interface device technology that allows users to intuitively exercise direct and real-time control over both virtual characters, engaging them in a variety of sex acts by using just one hand. It is this last point that has grabbed the attention of many in the video game, adult entertainment, i-TV and telecommunications industries, among others.

The company’s Vice President, Kevin Lyons, explained the company’s vision for this breakthrough technology. “Because the mobile phone, PC keyboard and TV remote control all share nearly identical number pads as inputs, our Adult-Only mobile phone titles demonstrate how our technologies can be leveraged to – efficiently and effectively – gain traction in three emerging growth markets: (i) online PC gaming; (ii) mobile gaming; and (iii) i-TV gaming.” However, Lyons also was quick to point out that its ground-breaking sex simulators demonstrate just one aspect of the patent pending Universal Control Mapping operating system. “Our Martial Art Simulator titles (due later this year) will demonstrate the flexibility, scalability and universality of our technologies for launching other human movement-intensive genres and the applicability of our Universal Control Mapping to all markets, including game consoles and other handheld devices.”

These technological breakthroughs will particularly appeal to the cash-strapped, independent game development community. “Indies have a great opportunity here. They can create great gameplay on platforms that not only have lower barriers to entry, in terms of both development costs and online distribution, but also have large install bases consisting of both the hardcore gamer and mass consumer.” Lyons explained further, “Regardless of the platform, a video game title’s gameplay boils down to the level of interactivity it offers the user. That level of interactivity is determined by the quality of two main elements: (1) INPUT by the player via the interface device; and (2) OUTPUT, or response, by the game to the user’s input, such as graphics, sound, storyline and AI. Until recently, the input element has gone largely ignored, but the industry now sees it as an important area of advancement for sustaining its long-term growth.”

And input is one of GOMA Systems’ specialties. Lyons touted, “In contrast to the incremental advancements in interface devices by others, our input technologies make video gaming more immediately accessible to the mass consumer without alienating the core audience, similar to the way the ‘point & click’ of Windows® and Macintosh® eliminated the need for DOS commands and function keystrokes.” In short, its interface device technologies enable any interface device to give players direct and real-time control over a far greater range of movements of the virtual character and its mates or opponents in an intuitive and easy-to-use manner. Indeed, this is significant because the essence of video gaming is that the player physically controls and moves his representational character on the screen via the interface device. “Just as video game graphics made a tremendous leap in providing a greater level of realism when it jumped from 2D to 3D, our input technologies raise the level of realism by making interface devices feel and function like an extension of the player’s own body.” In other words, use of the device truly becomes transparent.

GOMA Systems Corporation (www.gomasystems.com) specializes in the research, design and development of interface devices and artificial intelligence that enhance human-machine interactivity for applications across several industries, including medical, robotics and interactive entertainment.

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OhMiBod - Sex & Music

It has nothing to do with games, but color me amused anyway. Besides, slashdong.org will eventually figure out some virtual world use for it.

The OhMiBod... well, it speaks for itself, no?

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 12:02 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

October 04, 2006

About.com: 8 Lies We're Told About Sex

Cory Silverberg, About.com's sex and sexuality writer, has an article up on the 8 Lies We're Told About Sex.

The messages we receive about sex from our parents, the media, and our educational, social, and religious institutions tend to be contradictory, and often downright false. One way to combat the lies we’re told about sex is to start cataloguing them. Below is a very incomplete list of some of the biggest lies we’re told about sex.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:36 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Emotional Intimacy a valid game dynamic?

While reading this article over on the University of Florida news site, Sexual attitudes help explain narcissists’ relationship problems, the reliance upon physical pleasure as a gameplay dynamic rather than emotional intimacy struck me. In most sex games, the primary stimuli is visual. In many games, some the audio is terrible or sub-par when compared to commercial products. Given that these games are largely targeted at the male market, the visual is the most important thing. However, it fails to reach the full potential of the genre or even the market.

MMOs, both erotic and non-erotic, allow for player intimacy to develop. That intimacy ultimately leads to more emotionally satisfying encounters for players of both genders. What mechanics facilitate player intimacy? So far, the games that do it best are the games that don't try to do it at all.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:48 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

October 03, 2006

Networking for Porn

IGDA Sex SIG leadership council member Ian Schreiber writes, "A few years back I had an idea for game websites that rate games. The idea is to build a profile of each user based on their ratings, and then try to find them other games that rank high from people with similar tastes. So I can say, 'I think these ten games are my favorites of all time' and it can give me five more games that I may never have heard of, that I'm very likely to enjoy."

According to Ian, "as far as I know no one has done this yet. But someone just applied the idea to porn."

Regina Lynn reports in Wired's Taste Networking for Better Porn.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:03 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Sex in Games at the Montreal Game Summit

I'll be speaking on sex in games at the Montreal Game Summit which runs November 8-9. The conference is highly recommended.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 05:07 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

September 28, 2006

Walters vs. Thompson? Pro Bono, no less.

In a post to the IGDA Sex SIG's mailing list, prominent First Amendment attorney Larry Walters, Esq. of the firm Weston, Garrow, Dewitt & Walters has offered to assist Take-Two Interactive on a prop-bono basis in the event Thompson files suit. Larry's long been an ally to the IGDA's Sex SIG and has been helpful in addressing some of our members' concerns, and runs the site GameCensorship.com.

The post and letter read as follows:

"Thompson is at it again. His letter to Take Two, below. If he files
suit, we hereby offer to assist Take-Two and defend their Free Express rights on a pro bono basis. This is absurd.

Larry Walters, Esq.
www.GameCensorship.com

The Fax:
Subject: Bully will never be released

Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.
XXX XXXXXXX
New York, New York
C/o Blank Rome

S. Robson Walton, Chairman
Wal-Mart
Bentonville, Arkansas

Via Fax to XXX-XXX-XXXX

Re: Bully

Dear Mr. Eibeler, Take-Two Directors, and Mr. Walton:

Take-Two has until five o'clock p.m., Eastern time, Monday, August 14, 2006, to inform me in writing that it will forthwith provide me with a copy of Bully so that I and others can analyze it to determine whether it still poses a threat of copycat violence in our schools (See Miami-Dade School Board's unanimous Resolution), or the following will occur:

I shall file a lawsuit against your respective companies to stop the
game's October 1 release.

Regards, Jack Thompson

Jack Thompson, Attorney
Land line: XXX-XXX-XXXX, Cell: XXX-XXX-XXXX
XXXX South Dixie Hwy, Suite XXX
Coral Gables, FL USA XXXXX"

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Absolute Obedience Goes Gold

From the PR wire...

JAST USA announces that the upcoming title Absolute Obedience had been declared “golden master” and would begin shipping in the coming weeks. Their newest interactive dating-sim game for adults, Absolute Obedience is a "yaoi" (yah-OH-ee) title, the word describing anime and comics that focus on relationships between men.

The game, an interactive dating-sim for Windows computers intended for adults aged 18 and older, is the latest English-translated PC title released in the U.S.

While the majority of JAST USA’s releases have been traditional PC dating-sims which feature interaction between a male player and attractive female game characters, the popularity of yaoi anime and manga today has caused massive customer interest in games involving stories with male characters.

In the game, set in a fictional version of West Germany in the post-World War II period, the player chooses one of two roles, the refined Louise Hardwich or the rough-and-tumble Kia WelBenneh, and must play through a dozen missions which involve bringing down a “target” and making a sexual conquest, while solving a mystery at the same time. The potential target missions include a KGB spy, a Saudi prince, a young Mafia boss, an officer in the West German military, and so on. Each mission is a mini-game with several different outcomes, from rank A (the best ending) to rank D (the “bad ending” in which the player becomes the target).

Although the games feature male/male couplings, a majority of consumers of yaoi anime and manga have traditionally been females, with approximately 80% or more of customers at anime conventions or online shops being female.

Ever since the first computers with color displays, Japan has had a strong culture of “love simulation” computers games, which simulate sexual interaction between the player and various game characters when the player “wins” the love of a given character. PC dating-sim games are often referred to “hentai” or “H” games by U.S. fans. JAST USA/PCR Distributing has been involved in licensing and translating Japanese dating-sim games since 1998, and is the leading producer and distributor of English-language PC games for adults in any form. The company has a catalog of over 50 English translated games with every theme from maids to “cat girls” and more.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 07:08 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

September 27, 2006

Game Politics: Sen. Brownback Proposes Bill in Senate

The newly redesigned and all spiffy lookin' GamePolitics.com is reporting on some new federal legislation that could affect video games: Brownback Proposes Game Ratings Bill in Senate.

“The current video game ratings system needs improvement,” Brownback said, “because reviewers do not see the full content of games and don’t even play the games they are supposed to rate. For video game ratings to be meaningful and worthy of a parent’s trust, the game ratings must be more objective and accurate.”

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:44 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

September 26, 2006

Link of the Day - Play the Pimp

Today's link

Play the Pimp

This is a modernized version of orgasm girl, really. Not sure how "proving" you have the skill to give a woman an orgasm makes you a pimp, exactly, but I don't make 'em... I just post 'em.

In front of computer screens around the world, my female readers are thinking, "Is there a game that really teaches men how to please a woman?" Not that I'm aware of.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:27 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Kotaku: Reporter Goes Undercover as Virtual Stripper

Via Kotaku, comes this story of a reporter who worked as stripper Darlene Sin in Second Life: Reporter Goes Undercover as Virtual Stripper.

The reporter took on the persona of a perky blonde stripper named Darlene Sin. The story touches on the interaction between dancers and their tricks, madames, brothel mortgages and when a person's Second Life becomes their first one.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:21 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Apogee VR: Phone Sex Company Expands Beyond Voice

While finishing up my book, /plug Sex in Video Games /endplug this summer, I missed a story over on ApogeeVR: Phone Sex Company Expands Beyond Voice.

Noche's done an interview with Andy Ellenberger of Jezebel Entertainment who's set up shop in Red Light Center.

Interestingly, the working girls not only are attracting male clients, but an increasing amount of females also are paying for simulated sex and adult chat, Ellenberger said. What’s also interesting about Ellenberger’s venture is the fact that clients are actually choosing to pay for something they can get for free anywhere else in RLC.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:04 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Red Light Center: Social Networking for Adults

Speaking of Red Light Center, an massively multiplayer online erotic game (MMOEG), they also have a social center that allows people to log in and chat in a 3D world.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:10 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

September 25, 2006

Gay Hanky Codes

To quote a friend, "Before myspace, before online matchmaking, before wixxx, there was the hankycode."

What's hankycode, you ask?

The Hanky Code is a traditional form of signalling to others what your sexual preferences and interests are. Gay men used this code to communicate with each other in the noisy and distracting environment of gay bars. Although not as widely used these days, it is still a worthwhile resource and is, among those who know, a great conversation starter.

In game worlds, the profile or the 'wixxx' (what is xxx) command have taken the place of the old hankies, but the basic desire remains the same - a desire to instantly communicate to another person what our desires are. Pics on the net chronicle its continued existence at the recent Folsom Street Fair in San Francisco.

I bet there's at least one avatar with a hanky somewhere in some game world.

Thanks, Kyle.

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Internext Expo - January 15-17 in Vegas

The Internext Expo will be held in Las Vegas January 15-17, 2007. Those developing games for the adult market should consider attending.

Complete with workshops and loads of presentations, the event also features a sizeable expo.

Presumably, there will not be a booth-babe-brew-ha-ha at this show.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:05 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

TGS: Booth Babes

Speaking of booth babes, Game Videos via gametab.com brings video of the same from the Toyko Game Show.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:51 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

September 23, 2006

A Matter of Time, Even if It's Not Best Practices

Immersion TouchSense® technology can transform any gaming experience into a more thrilling and realistic encounter by letting the player Feel the Game™ through their sense of touch.

From the "Calling Slashdong.org" department comes this news item.

In today's gamasutra.com daily mailing, I find this information on Immersion's touchsense technology:

Next-generation rumble technology delivers a much wider range of more precise rumble effects, improved synchronization with audio and onscreen graphics, and a closer simulation of the physical world -- so your games can be more fun, realistic, and exciting. Get the white papers to learn more:

* Next-generation TouchSense® Vibration Components, transition plan, backward compatibility, and modern developer tool

* Best Practices for Use of Vibration Feedback in Video Console Games Tips, tricks, and how gamers say to best use rumble

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 02:56 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

September 22, 2006

Joystiq: Review of Sex in Video Games Book

Alexander Sliwinski of Joystiq has a review of my book up over on Joystiq: Textbook bares all on sex in games

He is also currently in the lead for quote of the week: "This book is long, thick and certainly knows what it's doing."

The screenshot Joystiq put together is also not to be missed.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:16 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Kotaku: Booth Babe Twister

Some things are only a matter of time. This wasn't one of those things, though: Booth Babe Twister.

In the search for today's links, I came across Games Nudity & Sex, a site that contains a list for board, card or dice games that may lead to sex (or injury resulting in lawsuits) as well as EroticaNoir.com.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:13 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

September 21, 2006

Site Launches to Provide Info to Parents on Adult Content

Take Parental Control has launched and aims to provide parents the information they need to understand media aimed toward kids vs. adults.

Thanks, Kelly.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:28 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

September 20, 2006

Self for sale in Second Life

Noche Kandora has a new article up, Becoming the Real Slut in Second Life, where she details a new erotic sensation in the world - putting yourself on display, but not exactly in the way you'd think.

My body was promptly strapped against the surface of the vertically positioned display board. Then, rendered motionless and unable to disengage myself using the SL interface’s default “stand up” option, I get packaged into Styrofoam and shrink wrap, with the exception of my breasts and genitals, which remain exposed from inside the air-tight packaging.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:34 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

September 19, 2006

Silverberg: Sex with Robots

Cory Silverberg over at About.com has an interview about robot sex, love and reproduction with David Levy. Levy is a scholar, engineer, award winner and author of Robots Unlimited: Life in a Virtual Age. Levy is also president of the International Computer Games Association. So, you know at some point sex & games will factor into this...

Silverberg: When most people hear the term "sex with robots" they probably imagine something from their experience of popular media, whether it’s a Star Wars robot, Bender from Futurama, or the maid from the Jetsons. Can you explain what in your writing you mean when you talk about sex with robots?

How can you resist the answer to that? Click it. You know you want to.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:50 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Carnal Knowledge: The Sex Ed Debate

Good article over on MSNBC on the issues surrounding sex ed: Carnal Knowledge: The Sex Ed Debate

Soaring rates of sexually transmitted diseases among teens are adding urgency to the debate over sex education. Conservatives claim the alarming statistics illustrate why abstinence should be the single mantra when it comes to sex ed. Liberals counter that the increase in disease is the strongest case for more detailed information. Caught in the middle are America’s kids, who are more vulnerable than ever to potentially deadly diseases.

Creating a safer sex video game will help to bring the message to teenagers in a medium that they understand and enjoy. It's certainly not a new idea, either. Europeans have done it before with games like Iffy Stiffy, Catch the Sperm and Scratch My Box (seriously), and Catch the Sperm was a huge success internationally.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:35 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Open for Bids: Safe Sex Video Game

Developers interested in developing a safe sex video game should direct their attention to the following University of Connecticut site.

Check out the last item on the page:

Safer Sex Video Game. A Mandatory Pre-Proposal Teleconference is scheduled for September 20, 2006 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern time. Dial-in information is contained in the bid document. Interested parties can download the bid by clicking on the bid number link at left or call (860) 486-2621 for additional information or to receive a copy of the bid.

Those interested in developing the game should get all the necessary information ASAP as well as prep for the upcoming call on September 20.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 06:48 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

September 18, 2006

Link of the Day - Star Poker

Today's link

Star Poker

Star Poker features both male and female models, and is pretty easy to win, actually. In an effort to auto-generate content, it even allows players to send in their pictures.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 07:09 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Sex & Toys & Good Design

Cool Huntings is featuring Haute Sex I and Haute Sex II, a survey of the latest and greatest sex toy offerings.

It's not sex and games, but it's close enough, particularly considering that the intrepid engineers over at Slashdong.org can (and frequently do) find a way to make any tech part-game or any game part-tech.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 07:00 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

September 14, 2006

Things you never thought Mousetrap could do

There's sex in games (in the sense of sex, within a game) and then there's sex in games (as in, literally, taking place within a game).

Seattlest.com features a story about the game mouse trap being used in ways that one would never, ever dream about: A Wholesome Evening of Porno Movies.

I bet you never knew that the old boardgame "Mousetrap" could be sensual. Well, it wasn't, and it still isn't, but that isn't stopping some people from trying.

Thanks, Ian.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:11 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

September 13, 2006

Thank you

Thank you to Next Generation, Fiona Cherbak and women in games in general for including me among the Game Industry's 100 Most Influential Women.

It's quite an honor and truly humbling to be included in this group.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:19 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

GameDaily BIZ: Interview with Henry Jenkins

Not to be missed is GameDaily Biz's interview with MIT Prof and anti-censorship advocate Henry Jenkins: Prof. Henry Jenkins on Serious Games, Videogame Violence & More.

I've been fortunate enough to talk with Prof. Jenkins numerous times, and have also seen his roadshow with Prof. James Gee of the University of Madison.

BIZ: You've also been an outspoken critic of the "evidence" that directly links violent video games with real-world acts of violence. Why do you think the mainstream media continues to attempt to connect the two?

HJ: Games fall into the blind spot of most major media organizations. If you follow industry trends, the average age of a newspaper or magazine reader or of the viewer of the evening news gets older and older. The news organizations are getting caught in a bind; they need to hold onto their core consumers who tend to skew older than most games players and tend to know very little about games as a medium. They worry that a games story won't hold their interests because they won't understand the nuances of how games work. But they know that these consumers are terrified of games and so they can hold their interest if they play up scare stories.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:14 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

September 11, 2006

New Blog Posting Schedule

Just wanted to let all of you know about my new posting schedule. Except for vacations and near-death experiences, I've posted on the blog everyday. From this point forward, Sex & Games will get updated Monday through Friday with weekends off (unless something very exciting happens).

Feel free to send in blog submissions, too. Sex _ Sig at IGDA *dot& org.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:11 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

September 08, 2006

The Age: Buying and selling overtake sex online

According to the Australian site, The Age, Buying and selling overtake sex online.

Sex and pornography have been trounced by business and e-commerce as the most popular internet search topics, new research shows.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:44 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Link of the Day - Hentai Sim Girls (Beta)

Today's link

Hentai Sim Girls

The beta version of Hentai Sim Girls is part hentai (obviously), part dating sim and part tycoon game.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:28 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

The Phoenix - Stories of Sex in Second Life

An article over on the Phoenix has a great opening line:

I have no idea how I ended up loitering on the rooftop of a burger stand called Hot Beef Injection.

The article, Does Your Life Suck?, is about life and sex in Second Life.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:24 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Creating Digital Characters

Gamasutra's article, AGC: BioWare on 'Writing for Digital Actors', discusses something material to adult content developers: creating believable characters, particularly in an age where we can create such incredibly realistic graphics.

In the old days, RPGs involved lengthy conversations with characters mostly seen at a distance, where facial expressions didn't matter and everything had to be conveyed in words displayed on the screen. But in Mass Effect, they have changed both the graphics and the dialog engine to the point where they're achieving nearly television-quality close-ups on characters in conversations. Now facial expressions and body language have to be put into use, or the game looks stiff and unreal. Bioware has started talking about their characters as "digital actors" and writing in a new way.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:18 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

September 07, 2006

Social Study Games

Via MMOrgy.com comes this link to the Social Study Games blog. What a phenomenal resource for developers and educators. The site contains lots of material on [not surprisingly] the social aspects of gameplay including cheating, gender, group dynamics and identity.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:30 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Artmunk's thoughts on Silo 3D

Artmunk, the developer behind Love Chess, has a post up about Silo 3D, a modeling tool that they say is "indispensable".

This program is just created for modeling, nothing more, nothing less. But its task limitation made it possible for the developers to concentrate and optimize it for modeling alone in a really intuitive way.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:19 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

September 06, 2006

GameBizDaily: The Myth of Marketing Sex

The Myth of Marketing Sex is an old article from GameBizDaily that still holds true today. While it's widely believed that "sex sells," it doesn't when it's a video game sold at retail. Let's face it, the sex scene in God of War had nothing to do with its sales. Scene or no scene, the game was great of its own accord.

Broadband and online sales have the potential to make the sales of adult games more popular. Until we see a breakout hit with breakout numbers, though, investment is likely to be small.

From the article...

... a title based on a naked co-ed theme would appear to be a slam dunk in the videogame community. After all, most gamers are young men, the M-rated content begs for coverage and since videogame magazine editors are also mostly young men... the reviews for The Guy Game should be glowing... right?

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:33 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

September 05, 2006

Via Violet Blue: The Best Little Whorehouses in Second Life

Violet Blue's blog, TinyNibbles.com, has a couple links up on articles on sex-for-hire in Second Life.

My pals at YesButNoButYes email to tell me about "a new piece we have up - part gonzo journalism, part erotic fiction, as we go undercover in the online world of Second Life, and discover the pleasures of the virtual ladies of the night.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:55 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Sex Games for Women in Their Prime

This article, Baby Boomers Set to Reinvent Their Sexuality on American Chronicle, got me to thinking about sex games that are made for women. Having given a talk this past weekend at Dragon*Con, I talked with several women after who wanted to know why there were no sex games for them yet.

Regardless of the conference, again and again, I hear women express a desire to explore their sexuality in fun, safe and discreet ways, be that through parties like those discussed in this article, through erotica or through other forms of pornography. The game I most often steer women toward is Second Life.

A great resource for women is the recently released book, The Smart Girl's Guide to Porn by Violet Blue.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:29 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

September 04, 2006

Booth Babes: E3 Has Nothing on DragonCon

After three days of DragonCon, we in the video game industry are looking screamingly conservative, let me tell you. Though I'd been to DragonCon way back in my old makin'-RPG-days (really, I did other things before all this sex and games stuff), I didn't quite remember it being like this: see Flicker photo series.

Everywhere you look, there's a spectrum of beautiful women dressed provocatively, en masse and in bulk form (which means the same thing, but the double emphasis is appropriate here).

There are also some sights that I had hoped to never see. Lead among these is the 300-lb guy in a blue Spandex outfit. Second was the woman in the open-from-the-back hospital gown wearing nothing but a thong (trust me, in this case, it was not at all hot).

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 06:54 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

September 03, 2006

Link of the Day - Active Dolls

Today's link

Active Dolls

An updated Active Dolls includes woman-on-woman play as well as toys.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 07:27 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Nurses, Firefighters and Soldiers, Oh My

Nurses, firemen dominate fantasies according to a story on News.au.com.

Some 47 per cent of women fantasise about firefighters, while almost 54 per cent of men dream about women dressed in a nurse's uniform.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 06:55 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Game Innovation

Game Innovation Database is a wiki set up by CMU, in an attempt to record every gameplay innovation in the history of videogames.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 06:24 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

September 02, 2006

Sex & Games Nominated for Porn Blog Awards

The Sex & Games Blog has been nominated for best blog in the miscellaneous category at the Porn Blog Awards site.

Don't stay here. Go vote for 79!

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 04:21 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

GameBizDaily: Revenge of the Booth Babes

GameBizDaily's carrying a satirical piece on the role the booth babes played in bringing down the industry's annual show, E3: Revenge of the Booth Babes.

What isn't widely known, however, is the role booth babes played in the demise of this event. According to documents recently declassified under The Freedom of Information Act, which both the ESA and The International Brotherhood of Booth Babes Local 103 tried to suppress, E3's booth babes were up to their pretty necks in the collapse.

Thanks, Kelly.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:27 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Sex on the Road

I'm at DragonCon today giving my sex in games lecture. Tomorrow, I'll be talking about censorship and video games.

I expect it will be both interesting and amusing to do my proverbial thing for Klingons, merry maids, and Superwoman, all of whom I saw in the lobby of the hotel last night.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:25 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

September 01, 2006

Kotaku: This Day in Gaming

For those of you into the game history, check out Kotaku's This Day in Gaming series.

It has nothing to do with sex & games, but it's a good read.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 12:25 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Philly Inquirer: Why Are Sex Words Our Worst Swear Words?

The Philadelphia Inquirer tries to answer that question in its article: Why are sex words our worst swearwords?

Sex SIG council member Ian Schreiber points out, that there are "[a]ll sorts of wonderful quotes in there, mostly in the context of a professional journalist writing a column about swear words whilst trying not to actually use any of them."

Thanks, Ian.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:22 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

August 31, 2006

Game Set Watch: College Girls Need Love, Too

Game Set Watch has some commentary on some commentary (no, really) on their site regarding the cell game College Girls.

While the game oversimplifies a great many things ("At this point it becomes obvious that you’re playing a game developed by nerds who have never slept with a girl before."), it is interesting to note that the game encourages safe sex requiring the character to bring (and presumably wear) protection. Since I haven't played the game, I'm not sure if this is required every single time.

Thanks, Joe.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:16 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

August 30, 2006

Apogeevr: The Elusive Digital SheMale

Apogeevr.com, home to writer Noche Kandora and her Second Life avatar Cheri Horton, has another article up on sexuality in digital worlds: The Elusive Digital SheMale.

Lately I’ve been trying to create a Second Life avatar with a hermaphroditic appearance — not an easy task by any means. It’s more of an experiment than anything else at this point. But still, I haven’t had much success. In fact, I keep the experimental av discreetly tucked away in my Second Life inventory because it currently still resembles a Frankenstein’s monster more than anything else.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:19 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

August 29, 2006

QDot at SLCC

Over on Slashdong.org, there's a video of QDot (aka the Sex SIG's own Kyle Machulis) talking about one of our favorite topics at the Second Life Community Convention.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 12:15 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Is she dead?

Well, no.

However, the way I've felt for the last two weeks, it may have been a step up. I have returned to the land of the living.

Sorry for the complete blog blackout. I was in no state to do anything other than, well... you really don't want to know (though I am sure I can find a flash game of it out there somewhere).

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 12:08 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

August 14, 2006

Random Trivia - The IGDA & Jenna

Jenna Jameson is a member of the International Game Developers Association. Her game? VirtuallyJenna.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:06 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Stay Tuned: Gender Bending in Games Is the Hot Topic

Interesting how a topic catches on. The current hot topic is gender bending in video games. There have been lots of articles on it recently, all of which I've linked to at some place or another.

A recent one, sent to me my the ever-wonderful Regina Lynn, is on MSNBC: Gender-bending popular in video games.

Prior to the video game Leather Goddesses of Phobos back in 1986, all females were gender bending. In all RPGs, you didn't have a choice about which gender you were playing. All characters were male.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:59 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

August 13, 2006

King Lud IC: The Sex Metaphor

Nice article over on King Lud IC: The Sex Metaphor.

Sex is wet. Sex blurs between turn-based and "real-time". Sex is flexible. Think of a good game as something that your audience can have metaphorical sex with, and you will have a solid foundation to stand on... or sit on, or whatever it is you do. Unlike sex, games do not discriminate based on race, age, physical composure, gender or sexual orientation. Games are bisexual, asexual, transexual, homosexual, heterosexual, and for those coin collecting, Nintendog petting fanboys (and fangirls) out there, fetishism.

Thanks, Kelly.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 06:50 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Joystiq: News on Desperate Housewives Game

From Joystiq comes some tidbits on the upcoming Desperate Housewives game: Putting the desperate back into Desperate Housewives.One can assume that given the narrative of the game, we'd likely see some kind of steamy gameplay here, too. Judging by the article, tho, it sounds like the Sims.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 02:42 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Live Science: Women's Brains React Surprisingly Fast to Erotic Images

Though the argument is often presented that women don't respond to sexual visual stimuli the same way that men do, and that women may, in fact, be turned off by the typcial design of hard core sex simulators, and article on Live Science suggests it might not be so: Women's Brains React Surprisingly Fast to Erotic Images.

Erotic images elicit faster and stronger electrical responses in a woman's brain than other images ranging from pleasant to disturbing.

...

"That surprised us," said study leader Andrey Anokhin of the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. "We believed both pleasant and disturbing images would evoke a rapid response, but erotic scenes always elicited the strongest response."

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:11 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

August 11, 2006

Link of the Day - The Sims Nude

Today's link:

The Sims Nude

There's really nothing more to say about this, is there?

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:37 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

GDC Radio: Murder, Sex and Censorship

GDC Radio has up an audio cast of my GDC 05 panel: Murder, Sex and Censorship. The panel featured James Paul Gee, Jason Della Rocca and Assembly Member Leland Yee.

I was both intrigued, excited and intimidated by this panel. It featured some serious heavyweights discussing an issue exceptionally close to all their hearts. You can clearly hear this in my voice earlier on. This is one of the few times that the insta-ham hasn't appeared the second I arrived on stage.

In announcing their new radio series, the site notes:

Gamasutra is proud to present a series of weekly podcasts will alternate between two sources under the overarching GDC Radio brand - the Gamasutra podcast, a new original podcast show, and GDC Radio Archives, which will feature exclusively the best lectures, tutorials, and roundtables from this and previous years' Game Developers Conference."

I'm honored that they kicked it off my this panel. Thanks, GDC, Gamasutra and CMP.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:28 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

August 10, 2006

Brandi Belle, Sex & Level 60

Here's sex and games in a different form (note - sex *and* games, not *in* games). Learn about how someone got to level 60... and see 'em naked.

Brandi Belle's hit level 60 in WoW.

Thanks, sender.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:10 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Virtual Call Girls

Here's an older piece from Computer Gaming World that's shown up on PC Magazine: Escort Mission.

The article features an interview with Second Life escort Taboo Heart.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:00 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Syndey Morning Herald: Flesh for Fantasy

Writer Jason Hill's written a thoughful piece on sex and games: Flesh for Fantasy.

In Australia, more than 70 per cent of gamers are adult and more than a third are female. But despite its large and diverse audience, the games industry still suffers from an immature attitude to sex.

Thanks, Regina.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:50 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Happy Birthday Sex & Games Blog!

Sex & Games is officially a year old and has welcomed over 2 million visitors.

Thanks to all of you!

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 01:03 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

August 09, 2006

Wired: Voice Chat Comes to Online Games

Wired reporter Kathleen Craig's new article Voice Chat Comes to Online Games discusses how programs like TeamSpeak and Skype are changing gaming.

Tech entrepreneur and World of Warcraft player Joi Ito recently told a group of VCs and CEOs that fully 80 percent of the communication between members of his WOW guild takes place outside the game.

How will these programs change games with sexual content? Could be good. Could be bad. Afterall, while you can sculpt or buy yourself that perfect avatar in Second Life, buying yourself a female voice to match your avatar might not be such an easy task (though I'm sure I'll receive at least two emails telling me where you can buy one).

Noche Kandora wrote several articles on this a while back available on Apogeevr.com.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 11:40 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Link of the Day - Adult Game Reviews

Today's link:

Adult Game Reviews

They're celebrating their six year anniversary, too!

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 11:28 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

MSNBC: Senator Clinton, Sculpture & Sexuality

MSNBC reports on a nude bust of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in its article: Sen. Clinton busts out at Museum of Sex.

A "presidential bust" of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton was unveiled Wednesday at New York's Museum of Sex, where sculptor Daniel Edwards hopes it will spark discussion about sex, politics and celebrity.

While Clinton's office currently has no comment, surely many others do.

What it made me think of is how in America, we associate nudity with sex. Furthermore, how that nudity is also often thought to be disgusting, particularly when it is photographed for the express purpose of showing that beauty.

There's a wonderful quote from the Playboy Philosophy written by Hugh Hefner that applies here: "If the human body - far and away the most remarkable, the most complicated, the most perfect and the most beautiful creation on this earth - can become objectionable, obscene or abhorrent when purposely posed and photographed to capture that remarkable perfection and beauty, then the world is a far more cockeyed place than we are willing to admit."

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 11:27 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

GameDaily.biz: What the ESA Told The Little Guys About E3's Demise

Though it still seems unreal, E3 is indeed changing. In this article on GameDaily.biz, What the ESA Told The Little Guys About E3's Demise, writer James Brightman explores the potential fallout for the little guy.

The biggest losers in the fall of E3 will likely be the lesser known companies, those with niche products often found in Kentia Hall. How will they now generate buzz? A letter sent by the ESA to a Kentia Hall exhibitor reveals what they were told.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 11:25 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

August 08, 2006

GamePolitics.com

Reading the drafts of bills and legislation isn't exactly riveting, but reading GamePolitics.com is. This site covers all things game and politics and is a must read for developers of sexual content in video games.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 12:12 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

XBiz: Congress Proposes Video Game Ratings Changes

Xbiz has an article up regarding legislation that proposes to alter the video game rating system: Congress Proposes Video Game Ratings Changes.

Proposed federal legislation called the Truth in Video Games Act, or H.R. 5912, would fundamentally alter the way the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) assigns ratings to computer and video games, and contains language that gives the Federal Trade Commission oversight of the ratings system.

Thanks Lawrence G. Walters, Esq (GameAttorneys.com).

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 12:08 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Porn Stars Love Video Games

Porn Stars Love Video Games at least according to this article on GameDaily.

For once, I'd like to see this industry from a different perspective, which is why I dressed all pretty, put on a smile and hit up the Adult Entertainment Expo in beautiful Las Vegas... these lovely ladies were more than willing to provide this young videogame journalist…with information.

Thanks, I.Lykin.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 12:10 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

August 07, 2006

Red Light Center Sex Set on Flicker

Apogeevr.com has posted an image set over on Flicker covering sex and the interface of sex in Red Light Center.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:48 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

What a facelift! Apogeevr gets a makeover!

Apogeevr.com, which I regularly link to, got a nice facelift while I was on vacation/traveling back from SIGGRAPH. The site looks great. Those of you not familiar with the site are encouraged to visit. Noche, the site's writer, explores sex and sexuality in virtual worlds, most notably Second Life.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:44 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

DVD - Pornography - The Secret History of Civilisation

I'm currently watching a good 2-disc DVD set - Pornography - The Secret History of Civilisation.

Amazon lists it as "A serious, non-titillating history of pornography, from the earliest days of erotic art right up to the present day's multimedia.".

Specifically, the movie looks at how porn and technology came together, going back to the Victorian era ("Pornography is an invention of Victorian science.")

You can also rent this from Netflix.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:36 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

August 03, 2006

Reuters: Gamers bend gender for a winning edge

There's a story up on Reuters that features a couple members of the IGDA Sex SIG: Gamers bend gender for a winning edge.

LOS ANGELES, July 28 (Reuters) - When men appear as buxom, scantily clad females in video games like "World of Warcraft," it is more about winning than finding an outlet for a real-world affinity for gender bending.

For more info on gender bending in virtual worlds, there are some good articles on this issue at Apogeevr.com.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 12:02 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

August 02, 2006

It works for Playboy, so maybe it'll work for IGN

Here's an interesting advertising campaign:

Subscribe to IGN Insider now and download Vol. #1 of Play magazine’s Girls of Gaming FREE! Get the best information about the summer’s hottest console games, and feast your eyes on 100 pages of the boldest, baddest and sexiest babes of gaming.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 07:27 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Utherverse.com Launched - An Adult Myspace

From the PR wire comes news of an adult version of MySpace - Utherverse.com. Congrats to the Red Light Center group on their continued success.

From the press release...

With mounting pressure from The House of Representatives for highly popular social networks including MySpace and Friendster to better police their members against sexual predators, the executives behind one new start-up company hope to avoid the matter altogether by launching a social network for adults only: Utherverse.com

“Our solution to providing adults with their own online venue was simply to prohibit anyone under eighteen,” said Brian Shuster, CEO of Utherverse.com, Inc. “Without children participating, the Deleting Online Predators Act (DOPA) is moot for us. Our users can feel safe and relaxed in the knowledge that they are dealing with other adults. As a purposely intended consequence, our users also get much more freedom to express themselves with their profiles, messages, pictures and movies.”

By eliminating the censorship component that other social networking sites currently impose, Utherverse.com has tapped into an explosive marketplace. According to research firm comScore Media Metrix, in May, 2006, the top ten social network sites were visited by 126,734,000 unique individuals. Experts estimate that 65% of that marketplace is at least 18 years old. Utherverse.com is projecting more than 1 million registered users by the end of this year.

“With minimal promotion, users have already begun flocking to Utherverse.com,” Shuster asserts. “It’s amazing how a little thing, like offering true freedom of _expression, changes the entire social networking online experience. Our users love it.”

Users of Utherverse.com are encouraged to upload everything from erotic photos of themselves, to completing fantasy profiles. The site also includes a software option that provides an elaborate interface whereby users can create a customized online persona of themselves as a 3D animated avatar, complete with a digital representation of themselves with their desired age, body, look and style.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 07:11 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Great Sex News Source

Just thought I'd share this link with those of you who are looking for news on all things sexual: World Sex News.

World Sex News also included Sex & Games in its World's Best Guides list. Thanks!

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 07:08 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

July 31, 2006

Call for Everything: New Sex & Tech Conference Announced (Sort of)

Word of a new conference that will focus on Sex & Technology is out and they're looking for speakers: Arse Electronica.

They've issued a "Call for Everything", reprinted below.

Pornography and Technological Innovation Conference and Exhibition

According to a study by Simon Smith, more than 800 items were registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office as sex toys between 1840 and 1997. Among them was a condom with a built-in computer chip that can play music. Progress?

From the depiction of a vulva in a cave painting to the newest internet porno, technology and sexuality have always been closely linked. No one can predict what the future will bring, but history indicates that sex will continue to play an essential role in technological development.

The porno effect accompanies every new technological development. Immediately after producing his famous bible, Gutenberg used his press to print erotica. Photography was utilized just as quickly. In 1874 the London police discovered 130,000 pornographic photos in the course of a single house search. The introduction of cinematic technology also confirmed the close relationship between pornography and technological innovation: in 1896 a pornographic film was shown publicly for the first time, two years after the premiere of the first films of any interest to the general public. Since then, more pornographic films than nonpornographic films have been produced. That in 1977 the first video cassettes to appear on the market featured pornographic content should come as no surprise. The development of the camcorder and the instamatic camera made it possible for anyone so inclined to produce porno in privacy at home. The fact that the first affordable Polaroid model was named “The Swinger” seems to indicate that the industry was well aware of this possible use.

All of these facts could be relegated to the status of curiosities were it not for the important role that pornography has played in the development of new technologies. New technologies are quick to appeal to pornography consumers, and thus these customers represent a profitable market segment for the suppliers of new products and services. Without telephone sex, a sector that has been yielding enormous profits since the 1980s, providers would have had no incentive to upgrade the communicational infrastructure. And of course one should not forget the internet, which is notorious for being flooded with pornography. Porno sites were the first to use technologies like audio and video streaming. They were also a driving force behind the spread of high-speed internet connections and made necessary the development of better data systems. Additionally, porno sites have promoted the development of new cultural technologies like (in)formal partnering, outsourcing, upselling and site tracking. Today a new technology’s success with porno consumers is a dependable indicator of the product’s overall market potential. Currently, all factors show that high-tech developments like virtual reality owe a great deal of their success to the need for further sexual stimulation. One could cite the example provided by the science-fiction concept of a full-body interface designed to produce sexual stimulation. But it isn’t science fiction anymore.

Is it going too far to assume that research in nanotechnology and genetic engineering will be influenced by our sexual needs. The surgical modification of sexual organs is no longer something very unusual.

The question is not whether these technologies alter humanity, but how they do so.

Planned: an international conference with experts from the fields of science, economics, art and technology; an exhibition featuring international artists and designers; in 2007 or 2008.

We are looking for: speakers, designers, artists, funding, location (probably on the West Coast of the US?).

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:45 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Enough Vacation for Me. Back to the Sex Stuff

323 Messages.

That's what my email said tonight when I returned from my Internet-free vacation. It was still worth it. Those of you waiting to hear from me now know how long the line is before you get your reply.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:36 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

July 22, 2006

MMO Market Share

Ever wonder how much of the market World of Warcraft has? 52.9% according to this handy piechart over on MMOGChart.com.

What does this have to do with sex and games? Well, aside from the emergent sex that's going on in these various worlds, notice that there are zero sexually themed MMOs up there. At this point, there are only a few such games around, including Sociolotron and Red Light Center, but at least 5 are in development. Will these games ever rank, even as a sliver on the pie chart? Hard to say. We'll see in a few years, I suppose.

Theoretically, they have a chance of getting at least a sliver. While unlikely to gain massive market share at this point, consider that sexual-social networking spaces AdultFriendFinder.com and those like it bring multi-millions of visitors - more than all the MMOs on the chart combined. If an adult MMO leveraged that market, who knows? A sliver - at least a sliver - is possible.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:29 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

July 21, 2006

Porn Epidemic?

Caught this article Violet Blue's blog, TinyNibbles.com.

From Porn epidemic? comes this beginning:

Watch enough pornography, critics say, and ideas about sex and sexuality, and even relationships, will mirror pornography's sinister carnival, on display on television and computer screens everywhere.

Sinister carnival?

What a phenomenal and lopsided generalization of the adult content that's available today.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:44 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Austin Game Developers Conference Coming Up

The Austin Game Conference is coming up September 6-8.

Looks like a good line up this year. Of particular note is Rob Pardo, VP of Game Design at Blizzard Entertainment and the lead designer on World of Warcraft.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 02:03 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

July 17, 2006

Random Trivia - First US Hentai Game

Far as I can tell, the first hentai game to be released in the US is 1992's Cobra Mission.

Some hentai games did show up here prior to this, but never as a commercial release.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:45 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

July 16, 2006

Glu Mobile Launches Sexy Babes: Wild Waterslides

Hot off the PR wire...

Glu Mobile today announced the launch the cheeky mobile title, Sexy Babes: Wild Waterslides. Sexy Babes: Wild Waterslides will be available from major UK network operators from July 2006.

See expanded entry for complete release details.

Using timing, skill and coordination players must help their chosen babe as she flies through the twisting turns and splashing spirals on her way to the bottom of the waterslide. The better the timing, the faster she goes as she races against the clock.

Players can create their own personal photo album by taking pictures of their chosen babe as she flies down the slide. The wetter the better is the motto of the game as players create more revealing and hotter pictures.

With a choice of three sexy babes and up to nine slides there's enough here to keep even the keenest water slider coming back for more.

* Simple reaction-based controls make the game easy to pick up and play
* Play through up to nine increasingly challenging waterslides
* As a cheeky twist, players can photograph girls along the ride
* The wetter she is, the more revealing the picture will be!
* Collect the best snaps in a photo album
* Playful dialogue provides for sexy summer fun

"This game captures the speed and excitement of a water park and gives mobile gamers a fun adventure made for just for mobile," said Kristian Segerstråle, Managing Director, EMEA, Glu Mobile. "With great graphics, simple-but-addictive gameplay and intuitive controls, Sexy Babes: Wild Waterslides will be bringing a bit of sunshine to mobile gamers' screens this summer."

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 01:18 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Sony Kills UMD

In a shocking development that surprises no one, Sony pulls the plug on PSP movies. Strangely, no mention of PSP-porn as a scapegoat.

In related news, Sony announces ability to play movies off of memory stick instead. Why Sony believes this will be more popular than the UMD is unclear.

Get details here on Gamespot: Sony Intros Memory Stick.

Thanks, Ian.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 12:52 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Book Release: Nine Parts of Desire: The New Female Sexuality

Hot off the PR wire comes news of a new book release, Nine Parts of Desire: The New Female Sexuality.

The aim of Nine Parts of Desire is to understand why women report greater pleasure with other women, and to use this information to help all couples, gay / straight / bisexual to enhance a woman’s experience and satisfaction.

The complete press release is available in the expanded entry.

The All You’ll Ever Need Sex Guide From a Bisexual Woman

Ancient Eastern texts have declared that sexual desire is 1/10th the man’s, and 9/10ths the woman’s. This profound statement has been used to illustrate a woman’s intense desire to gain pleasure and enjoyment through sensual awareness and stimulation. Unfortunately, social conditioning, especially recently, has encouraged women to stifle their desires and energy, to dislike their bodies, and to dull the senses through the disregard of their minds, bodies and spirit. The Kama Sutra, Ananga Ranga, The Perfumed Garden, and The Tao have all touched upon these areas, but none have fully explored the process and learning to be gained by women who love women.

From a Western perspective, one of the most influential books has been the Shere Hite report, a compilation and analysis of a series of questions posed to women about their lives, sexuality, preferences, etc. Through it all, one truth has remained – women inherently know how to please and satisfy women in a way that, until now, has received little recognition. According to the groundbreaking Shere Hite report on Female Sexuality (described as one of the 100 key books of our time by the Times) 52% of women in the UK ALWAYS orgasm when with a woman!! In Australia and New Zealand that’s even higher! 60 % and 61% respectively. Furthermore when asked “are you curious or would you like to try a sexual relationship with a woman”…..71% of UK women said yes! And in Australia and New Zealand its 78% and 80%.

Most sex books have been written in a way that fails to capture the essence of female satisfaction, reducing it to foreplay ‘technique’ and a series of positions, i.e. to appeal to men. But to achieve true and deep satisfaction for a woman, the mind must be ready as well as the body. Seduction and mood are as much parts of intimacy as the act itself, and to be able to please a woman completely, you must first seduce her mind.

Based on discussions with a number of bisexual and lesbian women, the keys to satisfying a women are far more intricate that a mere instruction guide, but involve creating a sense of relaxation in order to heighten sensation and bring awareness to the body, body language and verbal nuances which increase sexual responsiveness, a layering of sensations which results in an intense crescendo of arousal, positions which stimulate the mind, body and soul, and maintaining excitement and tension which magnetizes the whole experience.

The aim of Nine Parts of Desire is to understand why women report greater pleasure with other women, and to use this information to help all couples, gay / straight / bisexual to enhance a woman’s experience and satisfaction.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 12:34 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

July 15, 2006

Thomas Edison, Sexual Revolutionary

From Dr. Susan Block's site comes this article: Sex & Technology.

Not many folks would call Thomas Edison a sexual revolutionary. But it was the advent of electricity, which lit up the nightclubs and dancehalls after dark, and introduced us to our endless romances with the movies, the radio and the amusement park, not to mention the electric vibrator, that ignited the fuse of sex at the very start of the 20th century.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 11:11 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Book Release: The Smart Girl's Guide to Porn

Violet Blue's latest book is out: The Smart Girl's Guide to Porn.

Congrats, Violet!

Regina Lynn has written about the book over on Wired, and Violet herself also has some commentary on her blog, TinyNibbles.com.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 01:26 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

July 13, 2006

Happy Birthday Apogeevr!

Apogeevr.com, a blog that covers sexual content in MMOs, has just turned a year old and simultaneously announced that it will expand its coverage to include sex in virtual worlds other than Second Life.

Now with 12 months under its belt, this site will expand its coverage of simulated sex and computer-mediated adult relationships to include other MMOs and 3-D synthetic spaces besides the virtual world of Second Life. That’s right! I have officially gone off the deep end, as I am already busy as hell, but am now going to be doing even more!

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 11:06 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

July 12, 2006

Link of the Day - Spike TV - Sex in Video Games

Today's link

Game Head's Sex in Games Special

Check it out now while the link lasts.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:09 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

July 11, 2006

166 Ideas for a Sex Game

LovingYou.com asked its readers for game ideas. They came up with 166 of 'em.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:18 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Gamespot: The Most Romantic Moments in Gaming

This feature's about a year old, but still interesting and relevant. It's Gamespot's coverage of The Most Romantic Moments in Gaming.

In some sense it's understandable that we have a hard time coming up with good examples of romance in games, because love is not a topic that has been covered to much of a degree in most of them. While many classic games have included a love interest, usually the treatment of the relationship is token, consisting of a conquering warrior rescuing a hapless damsel in distress.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:14 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

July 09, 2006

Interview with Lovechess Programmer

Over on the Lovechess site, there's an
interview with Steven Manschot, a programmer on adult video games.

From origin you’re a programmer in the ‘normal’ field, how does it feel to end up in the Adult gaming industry?
You make it almost sound negative :-) I think everybody who works in this industry has to overcome the initial hurdle of sexual taboo. Once you got that behind you it's a fun industry, I sometimes really laugh my socks of when i see what people invent around sex. As a programmer I also have a very different, less distracting, view on the content.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:39 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Link of the Day - House of Renders

Today's link

House of Renders

Bell's House of Renders features women from a great many video games including Final Fantasy, Anarchy Online, Virtua Fighter and more.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 11:05 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

July 08, 2006

MMOrgy: Women/Women Love in Sociolotron

There's an article up on MMOrgy.com called Tasting the Sweet Nectar of Life that covers w/w sex in Sociolotron.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:50 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Gamasutra: Sex, Ethics, and Video Games

Ren Reynolds has a new article up in his continuing coverage of the Sex in Video Games Conference - Sex, Ethics & Video Games.

Much of the popular debate about the goods and ills of video games center on children, so let's jump into the deep end and consider issue of children and sex. The position that seemed to be put to the panel at the recent Sex in Video Games conference was that: just so long as we keep kids out of adult games and keep government out of regulating them, there are no real moral issues to consider.

This is wrong on all counts.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 12:08 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

July 07, 2006

Do Sex Games Have a Responsibility to Promote Safe Sex?

Okay, so it's not actually the question raised over in this article on Heroine-Sheik, Oh Right, Real Life, but it makes me ask the question nonetheless.

They had come to the conference to learn about using sex games to educate players about STD’s. But what really got them talking was the fact that nowhere in any of these sexy games (save Sociolotron) was there any mention of real-life safety.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:25 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

How Pixels Stir Passion

Apogeevr has a continuation up of a previous entry: How Pixels Stir Passion.

But regardless of whether they’re shallow one-night stands or encounters inspired by deeper feelings, what is it that hooks us in from the outset? For me personally, a variety of factors come into play, including behavior, as portrayed through means such as avatar body language.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:18 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

July 05, 2006

Wired's Regina Lynn has a look at Real Sex

Regina has a new article up: Real Sex, Virtual Worlds.

Online sex has always been about real connection in a virtual environment, despite unflattering stereotypes about who has cybersex and why.

But it seems to me that bringing sex out of chat rooms and into animated platforms is also lifting some of the shame and secrecy that has historically shrouded cybersex.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 11:48 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

July 04, 2006

Sex & The CD-ROM

While doing research for my book (which, speaking of Independence Day, is finally done), I came across this site, ChipRowe.com, that features small reviews on lots of old titles from Man Enough to Penthouse Virtual Photoshoot.

All the titles here were created during the FMV craze. It seemed like a natural pairing for porn and games, but ultimately FMV proved one of gaming's low points. For adult content, FMV was even less attractive. Turns out that players/watchers didn't like to interrupt their porn to choose the character's path. They just want to let the ol' movie roll.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 11:33 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

What Turns Us On About an Avatar?

That's a good question being asked over at Apogeevr.com. Writer Noche Kandora is soliciting opinions from Second Life residents.

I’ve got a question that I’ve been thinking about for a while now: What makes an avatar sexually compelling or attractive to us as flesh-and-blood users?

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 11:22 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

July 03, 2006

Interview with Patric Lagny from Sociolotron

Found this piece over on 1UP while doing some research for my book. Thought some of you might find it interesting: SPOTLIGHT: Sociolotron, the Sex MMO

Sociolotron, on the other hand, an MMO more aptly described as a massively multiplayer cyber sex simulation. Its origins lie in text-based fantasy role-playing with an emphasis on sexual interaction, before the creators moved into an Ultima Online-esque 2D environment where players could customize more imaginative avatars for their sexual escapades.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 04:28 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

June 26, 2006

Sex & Games - Working Vacation

While I finish up my book [plug] Sex in Video Games [/plug] this week, Sex & Games is going on vacation.

During this time, feel free to play through the 300+ previous Link of the Day postings.

Back soon!

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 04:36 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

June 25, 2006

Link of the Day - Game Attorneys

Today's link:

GameAttorneys.com.

When you're considering getting into adult content development, having a laywer that understands this market as well as the First Amendment issues that it faces is critical.

Lawrence G. Walters, Esq. is likely the best in the business.

His firm, Weston, Garrou, DeWitt & Walters, has existed for over 40 years and has handled some of the most important First Amendment cases in American jurisprudence, including 7 cases at the U.S. Supreme Court. Mr. Walters has earned a national reputation for representing the interests of new media companies, particularly those involved with controversial issues such as erotica, violence, drugs, gambling, and similar themes.

Larry has practiced for over 17 years, during which time he has handled numerous obscenity cases brought against websites, bookstores, performers and content producers, and his cases are often followed by the national media. He regularly appears as a commentator on television news networks such as CNBC, MSNBC, Fox News, CNN and ESPN. His articles appear on countless websites, and his own site, www.GameAttorneys.com, is frequently accessed as a legal resource on Free Speech and Internet law issues.

Mr. Walters often speaks at industry conferences on issues pertaining to government censorship, and a recent speech was published in the Representative American Speeches of 2003, along with those of George Bush, Dr. Condoleezza Rice, and Hillary Clinton. In 2005, Mr. Walters was appointed to the Board of Officers of the First Amendment Lawyers Association, a national group of First Amendment law practitioners, for which he regularly presents lectures on Free Speech and the Internet.

For more information, contact: Attorney@FirstAmendment.com

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 11:05 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

June 23, 2006

Porn Star: The Day Job

There's an article up on Good Vibrations that interviews a porn star about her day job: The Porn Star's Day Job.

When you're watching an adult flick and your co-worker is one of the stars... yeah, it can be a little strange. But, it's also pretty interesting, as most folks don't have the opportunity to ask a bona-fide porn star questions like "what it's like to have sex with 10 people watching you?

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 05:25 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

PatrickW Named To Top 10 Influential Gamers of All Time

Modder PatrickW, creator of the infamous GTA Hot Coffee mod, was named one of the most influential gamers of all time by MTV.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" wasn't just Dutch gamer Patrick Wildenborg's favorite thing to play last year. It's also the game he inadvertently managed to get knocked from store shelves for a time after he discovered animations and controls for a half-cooked sex-game buried in the code.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 12:18 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Full text of the FTC Press Release on GTA:SA

Bit late in posting this, but better late than never. Here is the full text of the FTC's press release on the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Hot Coffee scandal.

“Parents have the right to rely on the accuracy of the entertainment rating system,” said Lydia Parnes, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “We allege that Take-Two and Rockstar’s actions undermined the industry’s own rating system and deceived consumers. This is a matter of serious concern to the Commission, and if they violate this order, they can be heavily fined.”

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 12:16 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Daily Show - Player Haters

Also from the Required Viewing Desk comes this piece from John Stuart's Daily Show: Player Haters.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 12:12 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

ABC News - Terrorist War Game or "Experts" Without a Clue

From the Required Viewing Desk comes this piece from ABC News: Nightline Online: Terrorist War Game? What does the government know about video games?

You'll have to sit through a short advertisement, but it's well work it. Kudos to Ian Bogost for great commentary.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 12:07 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

June 21, 2006

No sex please, robot, just clean the floor

With a headline like that, how could you not want to read it?

“Scientists must start analysing these kinds of questions and seeing if laws or regulations are needed to protect the citizen,” said Verruggio. “Robots will develop strong intelligence, and in some ways it will be better than human intelligence."

Via Cory Silverberg's regular column on About.com.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:54 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

ESRB Launches Great New Initiative

Major retailers accounting for approximately 80% of computer and video game sales today joined with the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) in announcing their adoption of an unprecedented commitment aimed at enhancing compliance with store enforcement policies regarding the sale of Mature-rated video games, providing parents with the ability to return or exchange games sold to their children in violation of those policies, and educating customers about ESRB video game ratings. The commitment was announced at a press conference on Capitol Hill with Senators Rick Santorum (R-PA), George Allen (R-VA) and Mark Pryor (D-AR), ESRB president Patricia Vance, National PTA deputy executive director Kimberly Barnes-O’Connor, Entertainment Merchants Association (EMA) president Bo Andersen and Entertainment Software Association (ESA) president Doug Lowenstein.

“The ESRB Retail Council’s ‘Commitment to Parents’ represents a tremendous and concrete step forward by retailers to vigorously enforce their store policies, address customer complaints and help ensure that consumers, especially parents, make informed purchase decisions for their families,” said ESRB president Patricia E. Vance. “While retailers have individually made great and laudable strides in both store policy enforcement and consumer education, the ERC enables leading retailers to work together to improve compliance and better serve their customers.”

“National PTA commends the ESRB for joining forces with major video game retailers to continue improving the enforcement of ESRB ratings. National PTA supports the ‘Commitment to Parents’ and feels it will help parents monitor children’s exposure to electronic media,” said Anna Weselak, National PTA president. “The goal is for parents to make informed decisions on media and technology for their children and families.”
The ESRB Retail Council (ERC) includes video game retailers Best Buy, Blockbuster, Circuit City, GameStop/EB Games, Movie Gallery/Hollywood Video/Game Crazy, Target, and Wal-Mart, representing over 20,000 retail locations. In addition to enforcing store policies and implementing ratings education programs and in-store signage, ERC members have agreed to:
􀂃 participate in two “mystery shopper” audits each year to measure and track the level of sales policy enforcement;
􀂃 train store associates about ESRB ratings and game sales procedures/policies;
􀂃 provide ESRB ratings in circulars, on websites and in other promotional vehicles;
􀂃 establish a mechanism for consumer redress for non-compliance with sales procedures/policies; and
􀂃 share best practices with other members.
-more-
“We’re deeply proud of the dedication and enthusiasm with which the ERC member retailers continue to work toward ensuring that video game rentals and sales are conducted responsibly,” said Bo Andersen, president of the Entertainment Merchants Association. “This comprehensive program demonstrates in the most tangible way how truly genuine their commitment is, and parents will recognize benefit from it.”
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently reported that retailers are increasingly enforcing their voluntary restriction of M-rated games sales. In its most recent mystery shopper study, the FTC found that national retailers refused to sell M-rated games to minors 65% of the time, which closely matches the level of restriction for movie theatres, which has been considered the “gold standard.”
"We are very pleased that so many retailers have signed on to the 'Commitment to Parents' initiative, which represents an important pledge on their part to ensure that their voluntary systems to restrict sales of Mature games to minors are as effective as possible, ” said Doug Lowenstein, president of the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the trade group representing U.S. computer and video game publishers. “We are also deeply thankful to Senators Santorum, Allen and Pryor for their long-standing efforts to ensure that when it comes to video games, a combination of credible ratings, retailer enforcement, and parental control technology will make parents the ultimate winners.”

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:46 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

June 19, 2006

Red Herring Interviews Red Light Center Execs

There's an interview up on Red Herring: Q&A: Red Light Center Execs

Mr. Schwartz: We’re finding the [most popular] aspect of RedLightCenter.com is not the adult movies or pictures… the majority of people are there to socialize. We live in a world where people aren’t socializing as much as they used to. This affords the opportunity for people to get back that social connection. You really do have a feeling of being in the presence of others, more so than any other electronic means.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 04:02 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

June 18, 2006

Game makers might face broadcaster fines

According to this article on Broadcasting Cable:

Videogame companies could face the same kind of hefty fines for their suggestive content that broadcasters now face for theirs.

House Telecommunications Subcommittee Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) told B&C Wednesday he is preparing a bill to give the Federal Trade Commission greater authority to fine video game manufacturers.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 01:03 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

June 17, 2006

Kelly Rued Featured in Minnesota Women's Press

Sex SIG Leadership Council Member and developer Kelly Rued from Blacklove Interactive and Iser Games is featured in Minnesota Women's Press for her new sexual education game: Cyber Sex Ed

Many parents find it difficult to talk to their kids about sex, so they avoid the topic. Teens are often left to rely on their friends, movies and magazines to answer their questions. Unfortunately, the information they find isn�t always accurate.

A St. Paul mom and computer game designer is working to change that by putting a new twist on the old talk about the birds and the bees.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 01:40 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

June 16, 2006

Porn makers distance themselves from some... porn makers?

It's true... it's true, and it's detailed here in Porn Webmasters Bush-Whacked?

The annual Cybernet Expo on Sunday here was overshadowed by a big question: Whether to stand united with producers of "extreme" material bearing the brunt of the assault in order to preempt attacks on milder content, or get some distance and hope to avoid being targeted?

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 07:37 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

June 15, 2006

Josey Vogels: My Messy Bedroom - Second Life

Josey Vogel's new column is up: Are You Game?

I logged on to Second Life looking for some kinky fun.

From everything I’d heard about the massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), it was a virtual world whose 200,000 inhabitants were not only busy getting to other levels, they were just plain getting busy. Let’s see, how did one article describe it: “a gender-bending, fetish fantasy free-for-all,” I believe it was.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:47 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

WSJ: To Find a Mate, Raid a Dungeon or Speak Like an Elf

Imagine this on the front page of the Wall Street Journal: To Find a Mate, Raid a Dungeon Or Speak Like an Elf (Flirting in Online Games Can Lead to Offline Love).

What's interesting to note is this: the WSJ is the premiere newspaper for making money.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 01:23 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Still more press coverage

More press coverage on the Sex in Video Games Conference...

TinyNibbles.com (Violet Blue): Sex In Video Games = The Rant
DigitalJournal.com: First Conference on Sex in Video Games Titillates Fans and Developers
GameDaily.com: SystemAddict: Rated AO

But if we are living in a time where the majority of customers are adults, shouldn't there be more products that appeal specifically to that audience? - GameDaily.com

Guardian Unlimited: Mating games arouse wrath of 'moral majority'

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 01:01 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

June 14, 2006

Toward Two Industries?

On GamePolitics.com today, I read with great dismay that the adult/sex game industry was being used as a club against the mainstream video game industry. The two industries are really quite different, much like Hollywood and the porn industry. To use one to level an accusation at another is simply not fair.

Our target market, our goals, our means of selling games, our content - all radically different. To force the mainstream video game industry to defend the actions of a very small subsection of adult content developers is unrealistic.

In the interest of taking incoming where incoming is due, I believe that it's time to consider a formal separation of the mainstream video game industry and the adult video game industry.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:44 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

1983 - Are Adult Video Games Ruining for the Rest of Us

What's old is new again. I found this article, Uncensored Videogames: Are Adults Ruining it for the Rest of us?, by Tim Moriarty from the October 1983 issue of Videogaming and Computergaming Illustrated.

The article largely chronicles the horrible experience that was Custer's Revenge.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:12 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Sex in Games Conference - Continued Coverage

On Gamasutra.com, Ren Reynolds has point by point coverage of my morning talk at the Sex in Video Games conference: Sex in Videogames Conference: Organizer Brenda Brathwaite's Opening Keynote.

There are also two articles over on Wired, one by Annalee Newitz, Scoring with XXX Games, and another by Bonnie Ruberg, Sex in Games: It's a Turn On.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:28 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

June 12, 2006

Oklahoma Games as Porn Bill Signed into Law

GamePolitics is reporting that Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry has signed the Games as Porn bill into law. Effective as of November (The same time that the recently passed tattooing legality bill goes into effect. Just weird timing on all this, I suppose), games defined as violent and "harmful to minors" will be illegal to sell or rent to anyone under 18.

The bill also included a rider to "prohibit sexually-oriented businesses from advertising on billboards within one mile of any state highway unless the business is located within two miles of the state highway." Oklahoma's offramps are about to become a LOT more interesting.

Posted by KyleMachulis at 02:52 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Atlus picks up Rule of Rose for US Release

After Sony dropped the option to publish Rule of Rose, a game involving disturbing themes including erotic situations with underaged characters, publisher Atlus today annouced that they would be bringing the game stateside. With all of the press about Sony rejecting this, it should definitely produce some raised eyebrows in the media.

Posted by KyleMachulis at 02:45 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

June 10, 2006

No, Really, More Conference Press - Day 2

*sigh* I go out to get some sushi and make myself feel better for just being on blog duty while the conference rages on in SF (BTW, thanks for all the phone calls about the awesomeness, Brenda, it's really doing tons for my self esteem), and here's what I've come back to:

ApogeeVR - A Blond Bombshell and The Ren Renyolds Bomb (Not that Ren isn't a bomb in and of himself. British accent powers activate! Rawr!)
CNet Video - Sex, Games, and Videotape
Fleshbot
XBiz - Porn Meets Games at 1st Sex in Video Games Conference
1Up.com - Sex and Video Games Conference, Day 1
Flicker Gaming - One conference we should have been attending
Destructoid.com - Sex video game conference messy cleanup - God, if only headlines were really that entertaining.
Sex Drive Daily - SiVG: Food for thought

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go curl up on my bed and weep quietly while everyone celebrates a conference well done, 1600 miles away

Posted by KyleMachulis at 12:20 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

June 09, 2006

More Conference Press - Day 2

Yeah, you know the drill. Under your desk, duck and cover, here comes the press.

Whiggles - Sex in Games? Never!
ApogeeVR - SL Interface Upgrades
Game Girl Advance - How Can You Make Sex Boring?
SFGate - Morning Edition

Posted by KyleMachulis at 04:53 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Conference Press - Day 2

Ah, nothing like waking up to a net full of press from the Sex in Video Games Conference.

ApogeeVR - A Networking Nirvana
CNet - Sex, Schmoozing and Video Games
Damon Brown - If I smoked, I'd have a cigarette right now
Red Herring - Sex and Games Settle In

Posted by KyleMachulis at 02:44 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

June 08, 2006

More Conference Press

Here's more press from today on the Sex in Video Games Conference

MTV
Sex Drive Daily
ApogeeVR Live Blogging - At least, as much as she can with no wireless in the conference room
Game Girl Advance - Post 1 - Post 2

Posted by KyleMachulis at 08:21 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Early Registration Deadline Approaching for European Women in Games

The early registration deadline for the European Women in Games Conference is fast approaching! The last date to get in on the 100 pounds early price is June 14th. This conference will feature talks on Quality of Life issues, Alternate Reality Gaming, and a keynote on Sex in Video Games given by Kyle Machulis.

Posted by KyleMachulis at 08:20 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Sex Panel at Second Life Community Convention

The Second Life Community Convention will be featuring a panel on Sex in Virtual Worlds. The panel will include Kyle Machulis (aka qDot from slashdong.org/mmorgy.com), Regina Lynn (of the Wired Sex Drive Column), and Stroker Serpentine (of Strokerz Toyz). Registration is payable in either US dollars or Linden Dollars.

Posted by KyleMachulis at 08:08 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

FTC Hands Down Ruling on Take Two/Hot Coffee

The FTC has issued a press release with the final verdict on their investigation of Take Two in relation of the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Hot Coffee Scandal. While no monetary fine was ruled in the punishment, the release set out the rules for future development processes for the company.

[the company now must] clearly and prominently disclose on product packaging and in any promotion or advertisement for electronic games, content relevant to the rating, unless that content had been disclosed sufficiently in prior submissions to the rating authority. In addition, the companies cannot misrepresent the rating or content descriptors for an electronic game. Finally, the companies must establish, implement, and maintain a comprehensive system reasonably designed to ensure that all content in an electronic game is considered and reviewed in preparing submissions to a rating authority.

via Game Politics

Posted by KyleMachulis at 05:21 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Rule of Rose Interview on Gamasutra

Gamasutra has an interview with the creators of Rule of Rose, what is sure to be a Japan only release due to the difficult topics it deals with, having underaged characters and some disturbing adult situations. Sony of America has already rejected it for American release due to the themes in the game.

Posted by KyleMachulis at 05:07 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Conference Press Begins

Here's a quick rundown of articles about the Sex in Video Games Conference from this morning:

Reuters - Online video games set to get X-Rated
Gamer Andy @ The Sex in Games Conference
Stripped Daily - Digtial Erotica

More as I find it.

Posted by KyleMachulis at 02:01 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Sex in Games Conference Liveblogging at ApogeeVR

The Sex in Games Conference starts in 9 hours from now. If, like me, you can't be there, you can hopefully follow the coverage thanks to Noche Kandora at ApogeeVR.com, who will be doing her best to liveblog the conference.

Watch the IGDA SiG Blog here, where I'll be posting links to media coverage as I find it, while everyone else is busy having a wonderful time shaping the future of Sex in Games.

Posted by KyleMachulis at 02:07 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

June 07, 2006

VirtuallyJenna Launches New Site

Check out the new VirtuallyJenna.com with its new design!

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 01:28 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

June 06, 2006

GTA: HC Traffic Graph

This graph represents the gtagarage.com site traffic before and after the media announcement.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 11:27 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

June 05, 2006

Washington Post Article on Sex, Games & Conference

The Washington Post has an article up on the mature themes in video games as well as a small piece on the upcoming Sex in Games conference: To Broaden Fan Base, Game Creators Consider New Genres.

Brathwaite isn't breaking ground on romance titles -- but she has put together a first-of-its kind video game summit, which will be held in San Francisco next week.

The subject matter: sex.

It's still a squeamish topic for many, including parents as well as the retailers that strategically stock video games. The problem is that video games are still seen as a pastime for kids, even though the Entertainment Software Association puts the average age of gamers at 33, a number that goes up every year.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:44 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

June 03, 2006

Virtual Hottie 2 Screenshots

Sex & Games has several screenshots of the upcoming Virtual Hottie 2 game. Safe for work one is here. See the expanded post for the NSFW ones.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:04 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

June 02, 2006

Regina Lynn: Sex Trumps Game

Check out Regina Lynn's new column, Sex Trumps Game, over on Wired.

Next week, I'm speaking at the Sex in Video Games Conference in San Francisco. But unlike the other speakers, I'm not going to talk about games.

I'm going to talk about sex and the activities that surround it online -- flirtation, courtship, rules, jealousy, attachment, love and breaking up, not necessarily in that order.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 07:54 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

F X Interactive to make Sex Game Announcement

F X Interactive, a game development company, will be announcing a new product on June 7th at the First Annual Sex in Video Games Conference being held in San Francisco. To help kick off our marketing campaign, we will be having a "Greeter Girl" or "Booth Babe" at the Conference distributing special VIP passes during registration. Soon you can be a guest at the most fantastic virtual paradise ever built without ever leaving your home or office! Don't miss this exciting new product announcement at the First Annual Sex in Video Games Conference by registering at www.sexinvideogames.com.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 07:50 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Virtual Hottie 2 software at the Sex in Video Games Conference

Off the PR wire...

SAN FRANCISCO, California - June 1, 2006 - Virtual Hottie will be the first game to be able to interface with the Virtual Sex Machine, an interactive device designed to physically stimulate the user while watching videos or in this case, the Virtual Hottie Game. While they will not be showing the machine at the convention, the update will be released shortly after the games new release, July 25th, 2006.

Many new features will be on display at the convention, including touch mode - where users will be able to use a touch screen to virtually fondle the female characters in the game.

Graphical enhancements have been also added to the game, which take virtual sex to the next level. Features such as Real-time soft body dynamics which for simulating soft moving skin tissue, and multiple texture levels on the characters which enable the viewer to see all the way down to the follicle level of the skin!

One handed operation allows the user to have his second hand free to do other things....

Some of the newer features that are in development for the game are networked Multiplayer orgy, and one on one over the Internet 3d sex. These will be seen in Version 2.5 of the product.

On display especially for SiVG will be a tantalizing trailer for V2 featuring the miami vice music and some killer animation.

Be sure to stop by and test out the touch screen at our booth! We won't arrest you, but maybe the virtual Gestapo will!

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 07:42 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

June 01, 2006

Virtual Hottie 2 Trailer

Sex in Games received this link to the new Virtual Hottie 2 trailer. Have a look for yourself.

You can check out the original Virtual Hottie, too.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:16 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Wonder Woman's Super Powers No Match for E3 Security

Kotaku has a video up of a woman dressed up as Wonder Woman getting tossed out of E3: E3's Random Half-Naked Woman: The Video.

Thanks, illspirit.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:06 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Second Life: Virtual World, Real Emotions

Eyder Peralta has written an article for the Houston Chronicle about relationships in Second Life: In Second Life, the world is virtual. But the emotions are real.

But "in world" nobody calls Second Life a game. The emotional connections you make are real. If you offend someone, they'll remember. If you flirt or make a romantic gesture, it doesn't just disappear into a black hole; it's received by a human being on the other side.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:21 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

May 30, 2006

Sexy Soccer Launches

Off the PR wire...

As World Cup Looms InfoSpace kicks off Sexy SoccerTM across Europe

London, UK, May 30, 2006 InfoSpace, Inc. (NASDAQ: INSP) a leader in mobile media, today announced the pan-European launch of its football themed mobile game, Sexy Soccer. The title, which features a compelling mix of soccer skills training and good looking girls, will be available in all European countries from the beginning of June 2006 through a number of mobile network operators for consumers with JAVA enabled handsets at a recommended retail price (RRP) of 3.00.*

The game offers a light-hearted take on the world's favourite sport, differentiates itself from the standard 'football match' titles which have flooded the market by combining football mini games with scantily clad football trainers. Sexy Soccer offers three mini-games based upon spot kick, dribbling and keepy up skills. Players achieving a high score in each mini game see their female football trainer remove an item of clothing, providing an instant incentive to replay the game to earn an even higher score.

The launch of Sexy Soccer coincides with the FIFA World Cup 2006 Tournament and provides a saucy and enjoyable alternative to the many serious football games available on mobiles,� said Alan Welsman, Vice President of Marketing Infospace Inc. Europe. Girls and gaming are two of the most established revenue generators within the mobile entertainment sector. By combining the two within a simple, accessible, fast and fun title, weve created a fresh approach to the football games genre for mobile.

Sexy Soccer will be available to mobile operator networks throughout Europe and is supported on handsets from all major handset manufactures including Sony Ericsson, Nokia, Motorola and Samsung. The game is one of eight titles slated for release in Europe over the next six months including Trickshot Pool, MTV Pimp My Ride, Le Mans 2006, Cubis, Take Yer Meds!, Aquastax and Back Attack.

About Sexy Soccer

Each of the three Sexy Soccer mini games tests the player's skill, control, agility and confidence. There are three different mini games in Sexy Soccer:

Goal Wall A spot kick special requiring pinpoint accuracy and fast fingers. Kick the ball through the holes in the wall. Every second counts and the more goals, the more impressed the girls get.

Slalom Excellent training for would be strikers, needing both agility and stamina. Dribble the ball through the slalom. Each gate increases the score and it's all against the clock. The fastest, most precise players will sweep the girls off their feet.

Footbag Keep the ball in the air for as long as possible using feet, knees, legs and head. Bonus points are awarded for style and variation. There are three very strict and very pretty judges watching, so players must move fast and keep their eye on the ball to succeed.

Players who score highly on each game will see one of the girls take off an item of their kit.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 12:14 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Still time to register for the Sex in Video Games Conference!

There's still time to register for the Sex in Video Games Conference to be held June 8-9 in San Francisco. Check out the conference agenda here.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:05 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

May 29, 2006

Sex drive is in your genes: study

A new study has recently been released that suggests that the variations in people's sex drives is actually in their genes.

Until now, scientists haven't been able to explain why individual sex drives vary so much. Conventional theory says your environment as well as learned behaviours dictate your sexual prowess and/or problems. But, this latest research suggests that nature and hard science may trump how you were raised.

Check out the story on the Discovery Channel: Sex Drive is in your genes.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 06:40 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

May 27, 2006

Fetish Map

Ever wonder how fetishes map out in relationship to each other? Neither have I, but it made this map no less interesting: Fetish Map.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 11:33 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Porn Blog Awards

No category (yet) for sex and tech, but nominees are currently being solicited for the upcoming Porn Blog Awards. If you're a developer, don't be shy. Nominate yourself.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:59 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

May 26, 2006

Sexploration: When society gets in the way of sexuality

Interesting article up on MSNBC's Sexploration column: When society gets in the way of sexuality.

But our cultural influences are not always good for us. That’s part of the “moral values” debate we’ve been having in this country for 20 years or so. The question is, what can we do to keep the culture from harming us? How can we resist the worst bits of it, and embrace the best?

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 12:05 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

May 25, 2006

You may collar the submissive

Noche Kandora has a new article up on a collaring ceremony in Second Life: You may collar the submissive.

“I accept your submission to me in front of the witnesses that have gathered here today,” Kasmodian said, “and let it be known on this day that I have accepted you as mine, that I will honor the gift you have given to me and fulfill all your needs."

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:07 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

May 24, 2006

The World of Digital Sex Games

Sci-Tech Today has a huge feature on MMOEGs - The World of Digital Sex Games.

Billed as the "evolution of online dating," a new game is hoping to hook players eager for a different kind of action -- the kind that involves thumping music and bumping bodies. Suddenly, in the genre known as massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), clothing is optional.

The article prominently features the upcoming MMOEG, Naughty America: The Game.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:00 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

May 22, 2006

Game Set Watch: Rumble Roses XX Gets Raunchy On Xbox 360 Live

Game Set Watch has a review up of the photo mode in Rumble Roses XX.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 07:11 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Communication is the Key to Satisfying Sex

"Talk Dirty to Me", an article over on MSNBC, got me thinking about text-based games and games where couples can cyber.

There you are, in all your naked glory, standing before another person with whom you have decided to be intimate, and you cannot work up the courage to say, “You know what I would really like? I’d like _______ (state favorite sex act here).

I've been doing a lot of research on text-based worlds recently. Could such worlds offer an alternative therapy to couples or individuals who have such issues? Could they use these worlds - or graphical ones with chat interfaces - to play with the concept and become comfortable discussing their sexual needs?

Related: She's satisfied, he wants more — and different. Elle/MSNBC.com sex survey reveals a big disconnect in the bedroom.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 06:56 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

IGDA: Protecting Your Design Ideas at Pitch (May 2006)

If you have a great idea for a game, how do you pitch that to a publisher? Can you? Should you?

Attorney Jim Charne answers these questions in his May edition of Famous Last Words on the IGDA site. The IGDA site also offers a Game Submission Guide for members. If you're not one, join.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 06:45 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

May 20, 2006

Regina Lynn: Happy Sex is Healthy Sex

Regina's regular Friday column is out: Happy Sex is Healthy Sex. In it, she interviews Deborah Levine.

"I still struggle with the word 'cybersex' because of all the negative connotations that surround it, the image of lewd loners in a corner," she says. "I get tired of fighting that, so in the classes I teach at San Francisco State University (about sexuality and the internet), I say right up front that I'm a 'happy sex' person."

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:49 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

May 19, 2006

Link of the Day - Secret Desires

Today's link

Secret Couples

Secret Desires is a sex game for couples and offers a free demo download.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 01:24 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Booth Beef of E3

The Wonderland blog has a feature up on the Booth Boys of E3.

On the shallow side, I can't say that I'm terribly impressed with the choices, but then again, I'm impressed that there were choices at all. Adam West, though?

In the interest of fairness, E3 Girls also has its new feature up.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:43 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

World's first sex 'theme park' to open in London

The world's first sex 'theme park' is set to open in London, according to this article on 24Dash.com.

Wonder what games they'll have in the virtual arcade?

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:31 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Working With the System

In this article, Vibrators Off, writer William Dean Hinton of the Nashville Scene discusses how a sex toy company found a way to advertise itself coast to coast on bulletin boards without offending half the country.

The ad the company decided to place on the billboards shows the seven senior managers—all of them dressed in pink except Rhea, who dons white—somehow managing to look maternal and professional at the same time. On one side of the ad is a gift bag loaded with containers suggesting softness and sweetness.

It's an interesting tactic, and ultimately, they acheive the same end - they sell their products and increase awareness of the brand.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:24 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

May 18, 2006

Top 10 Best Love Scenes in Films

If we included everything found in Japanese RPGs, we might be able to get a top 5 for games.

Anyway, here's a top 10 list presented by Cory Silverberg on About.com:

Europe’s top DVD rental service, Lovefilm, recently surveyed 120,000 of its members on what they thought was the greatest sex scene in film. On the one hand, the absence of “9 ½ Weeks” (which is ubiquitous on U.S. movie-goer top ten sex scene lists) indicates a superior European taste in sex scenes. On the other hand, the car wash scene from “Wild Things” appears five spots above “The Hunger” which I just can’t understand.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 07:35 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Can online gambling and adult entertainment hit the jackpot?

AVN's Kathee Brewer asks that question in her article over on AVN Online.

If there’s one worldwide industry that rakes in more cash online than adult entertainment, it’s gambling. The two virtual industries represent powerful economic engines for very similar reasons: Consumers can get the entertainment of their choice online quickly, conveniently, and discreetly.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 07:23 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

May 17, 2006

Red Light Center Integrates Sexual Exploration

According to a press release received by Sex & Games, RedLightCenter.com has incorporated lesbian sexuality into their game.

RedLightCenter.com "is introducing a whole new twist to the community's 'Adult's-Only' area today with the introduction of motion-capture, photo-realistic [women-on-women] avatar intimacy.'"

According to the release, "RedLightCenter.com is an online 3D virtual reality space in which users are represented by lifelike avatars," and "is an adult-themed space where nudity and sex are not only permitted, but represent a primary entertainment aspect."

With today's introduction of lesbian sex (where users can try everything from simple romantic kissing to elaborate sex toys,) the community producers hope to provide a safe space for women to be able to explore their sexuality.

Ray Schwartz, President of RedLightCenter.com, said, "This isn't a simple chat room, and it doesn't require a woman to commit to a live in-the-flesh sexual encounter. It's a very lifelike way to allow any woman who might be curious about being with other women to try out the fantasy from the safety of her own home, but with a surprisingly real sensation of actually performing and engaging in the intimate act."

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:21 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Vivid Video Allows for Downloads

In Porn Maker Allows Downloads for TV Viewing, ABC News is reporting that Vivid Video has partnered with CinemaNow to allow users to download movies and burn them to a DVD that can be played on their computer or their big screen.

The story has implications for adult game developers who also need to develop a strong distribution network to draw the interest, investment and sales products need.

"Leave it to the porn industry once again to take the lead on this stuff," said Michael Greeson, founder of The Diffusion Group, a consumer electronics think tank in Plano, Texas.

"The rest of Hollywood stands back and watches and lets the pornography industry work out all the bugs," he said.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:38 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

May 16, 2006

How Many Points is That Worth? A Scrabble Nude

Sex SIG Leadership Council member Ian Schreiber said it well in an email to me: "Proving once again that you add sex to ANY game, an artist creates 8' female nude sculpture entirely out of Scrabble tiles."

See the article on the Sunday Mirror: Scrabble to Look at 8ft Nude.

Artist David Mach has created an 8ft tall sculpture of a nude woman made from 4,200 Scrabble tiles - worth more than 76,000 points.

A good article on the artist himself is available on The Scotsman.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:31 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Barbie Embraces Her Inner Sexpot

The Denver Post has an article on the new line of Barbie Dolls that are coming out. Oddly enough, this sort of returns Barbie to her roots. Check out Barbie Embraces Her Inner Sexpot.

Designed to be peered at rather than played with, the WOW gal is the first in a series of Barbie "Pin-Up Girls," modeled after the now-kitschy images that embodied the idea of sex and romance in the 1950s, when many of today's baby-boomer buyers were growing up.

Thanks, Ian.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:25 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

May 15, 2006

Dead or Alive®: Xtreme 2 Fact Sheet

From the PR wire...

Get wet with Team Ninja’s newest graphical masterpiece, the Xbox 360 exclusive, Dead or Alive: Xtreme 2! All your favorite DOA girls are back and ready to battle it out in the tropical waters of Zack’s Island. Race high performance personal watercrafts, compete in assorted and alluring activities, sunbathe on white sand beaches, and go all-in at Zack’s Casino. Choose your own adventure on Zack’s Island and play at your own leisure in this non-linear, incredibly beautiful, sequel of life in paradise.

Feature list is available in the continued entry.

Features:
• An Island of Adventure Awaits: Zack’s Island boasts a plethora of activities including:
o Personal Water Craft (PWC) Races: Race around Zack’s Island for the best times or compete against others on your high performance PWC.
o Beach Volleyball: Dig in and battle it out against your opponents in the sand as you revisit this retooled volleyball favorite.
o Water Slider: Grab your tube and hang on tight as you careen down this wild water slide.
o Rope Pulling: Create a splash as you balance precariously on a floating platform in the pool while playing tug-of-war with your opponent.
o Hip Wrestling: Face back-to-back and cheek-to-cheek with your opponent as you attempt to bump each other off of the platform and into the pool using only your hips.
o Hopping Game: Return to the pool in this Xtreme favorite as you nimbly hop from one end of the pool to the other across the wobbly, floating platforms.
o Beach Flag: Race your opponent across the white sand beaches and be the first to capture the flag.
o Zack’s Casino: Don your evening attire and revisit Zack’s Casino which now features even more games.

• Numerous Swimsuits and Accessories: Deck out the DOA girls in an abundance of all new swimsuits and accessories. Collect all the swimsuits and items to fully customize your island experience.

• Breathtakingly Beautiful Graphics: Team Ninja has once again set the standard for beautifully rendered graphics in this sequel, showcasing the power and potential of the Xbox 360.

• Online Play: Compete on Xbox Live in some hardcore versus action! It just wouldn’t be DOA if you couldn’t play with each other!

About Tecmo:
Tecmo®, Inc., located in Torrance, California, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tokyo based Tecmo, LTD. Tecmo, Inc. is a leading publisher of video games for next generation consoles, handheld hardware, and mobile devices including those manufactured by Microsoft, Sony Computer Entertainment America, and Nintendo. Tecmo has gained worldwide recognition with product lines such as Tecmo Bowl®, Ninja Gaiden®, Dead or Alive®, Fatal Frame®, Monster Rancher®, and Gallop Racer®. More information on Tecmo can be found at www.tecmogames.com

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:03 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Hello Birmingham (and Germany)!

According to the BBC, people in Birmingham are more likely to search for porn than anywhere else in the world.

Manchester came second, followed by Brisbane, Perth, Sydney and Melbourne. Brentford, in Middlesex, was seventh.

This month, the bulk of our readers are German, judging from this reader graph.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:38 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

May 14, 2006

SexPloration: What's the thrill of tiny porn?

Brian Alexander asks this question in his article, With commuter porn, anyone can get an eyeful, on MSNBC.com.

According to New Scientist magazine, an analysis by two computer researchers from Google showed that a higher percentage of Web searches from cell phones were for adult material than were searches launched from desktop computers.

The market for DVD systems in cars is growing every year, too, and not only because mom wants to keep the kids amused with "Dora the Explorer." Video systems in low-riders and tricked-out SUVs often have an X-rated video playing in them as part of the bad-ass atmosphere.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:08 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

May 12, 2006

Computer Games Magazines Covers Sex on the PC

There are two excellent articles in this month's Computer Games Magazine that cover sex in video games. I recommend picking up a copy if the issue interests you.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:43 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Regina Lynn: The Myth of Cybersexual Losers

Thank you, Regina! In her article, The Myth of Cybersexual Loses, Regina puts her cards on the table:

Yet almost every interviewer asks me something like, "Aren't there millions of people spending their entire sexual/social lives online? Isn't there a danger that all this technological whiz-bang sex stuff will replace real sex, and worse, real relationships?"

I get asked this all the time, too. I sometimes use lasagna (one of my favorite foods) as an example. I can look at it all day online, talk about it, read about it, and write to others about it, but man, there's no replacing the real thing.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:31 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Moral Panic on the Cell Phones

When the government tries to dictate what can and cannot be shown, it's censorship. When a company goes beyond those regulations and clamps down even tighter, that's moral panic... as illustrated in this article by the Wall Street Journal: Wireless Carriers Set Strict Decency Standards for Content.

As music and video programming becomes widely available for cellphones, major U.S. wireless carriers are quietly setting strict decency standards for their content partners in an effort to stave off criticism from customers and regulators. Many of the rules go far beyond those set by federal regulators for television and radio.

The rules, which bar sexually explicit or graphic content, have sparked concern among media providers. Some have already been forced to alter or remove hip-hop ringtones, video clips or other material that wireless operators considered offensive, people familiar with the situation say. The wireless industry trade group, CTIA-The Wireless Association, issued broad content guidelines in November, but largely left it to the carriers to implement their own policies.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:25 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

May 11, 2006

XXX Domain name rejected by Internet Regulator

IT Vibe is reporting that the ICANN rejected the .xxx domain. Whie it may seem that this domain would be one of the few points that the adult entertainment industry and its opponents would agree upon, it's actually not the case.

According to the article, "Opponents of the plan felt it would endorse pornography, while porn industry opponents expressed concern over the level of state control."

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:20 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

May 10, 2006

Al Lowe's Back with Sam Suede

Al Lowe, the creator of the original Leisure Suit Larry series, is back with a new game, Sam Suede™ in Undercover Exposure®.

According to Al's site, "Sam Suede™ in Undercover Exposure® is the first 'action comedy' video game. Set in contemporary times, Sam Suede combines humor, action, stealth, …and more humor. It's not an adventure game, but it will appeal to all those who played my games in the past."

Thanks, Oded.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:16 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

May 09, 2006

Marketing to Women: Romance Novels Get Nastier

AVN is reporting that romance novels are much steamier than they used to be in their article, Romance Novels Get Nastier.

Romance novels that hinted at eroticism are now getting spicier and are no longer called romantic, but erotic say their authors who are ratcheting up the heat with sex scenes that would make some readers blush.

The market for women is there, though it remains largely untapped in the erotic game space. Games like Naughty America The Game are targeting women as their primary market, and recently, I've heard news about another MMO that plans to do the same, though its release is still two-three years out. In the meantime, there's always Second Life.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 07:42 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

May 08, 2006

Regina Lynn: Different Drums, But in EHarmony

Regina Lynn's new column shows an interesting innovation in the online dating space, a market that's bringing in big, big bucks.

In Different Drums, But in EHarmony, Regina explores EHarmony Marriage, an online program designed to help couples improve their relationship.

I believe this program will be joined by many others in the future as sexologists and marriage therapists accept and begin to recommend software and games for facilitated therapy for couples.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:47 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Apogeevr: Even Better Than the Real Thing?

Continuing her thoughts on the realism vs. abstraction debate, Noche over at Apogeevr wonders if abstraction is Even Better Than the Real Thing?

Kelly asks, Are toons sexier than the real thing? That’s a good question to throw out there. I suppose there is a pretty significant degree of appeal to a graphically rendered person who’s so recognizably made of pixels, perhaps partially due to the fact that real-life bodily imperfections are banished in favor of idealized physical traits.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:35 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Sex.net sold for $450,000

From the PR wire...

The largest live Internet domain name auction ever held produced nearly $2.1 million in sales in just 3 hours Thursday, May 4 in the main event at the T.R.A.F.F.I.C. WEST Conference at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Another piece of domain history was made during the auction when Sex.net sold for $450,000 in the largest .net sale ever reported.

The gavel also dropped on two other six-figure sales during the bidding in front of a standing room only crowd. A rare two-letter .com, CD.COM attracted $275,000 and a three-letter gem, POS.COM commanded $250,000. There were dozens of other sales in the five-figure range.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:19 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

May 07, 2006

Kotaku: PSP Porn Gets In-Game Advertising

Kotaku reports that in-game advertising is coming to the PSP: PSP Porn Gets In-Game Advertising.

A game called Jo & the 7 Babes will allow adult companies to advertise within the game. "Moreover, players will eventually be able to send personalized porn greeting to mobile phones."

But... but... I'm not so sure I want a personalized porn greeting on my phone.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:32 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

AVN's Sex in Games Issue

The May issue of Adult Video News contains numerous features on adult video games and the adult video game market. Check out the whole table of contents.

Game On!: Gaming Grows Up in the Most Delightful Ways.

Adult-themed computer games have been around since the early 1980s, when Strip Poker became one of the first games to use the then-revolutionary VGA graphics capability. But only in the past two years have computer graphics advanced to the point where sex can be simulated with the degree of realism that forces a consumer to reach for the Astroglide.

Sex, Commerce and Videogames: The Beginning of a Beautiful (and Prosperous) Friendship

While many in the videogame and movie industries tout the marriage of Hollywood and games, in some respects, the videogame industry and adult entertainment aren’t always compatible. For developers of adult content, the mantra is “fast and cheap.” In videogames, it’s “time-consuming and expensive.” This summer at the Sex in Video Games Conference, to be held June 8 and 9 in San Francisco, developers of adult content and mature videogames will search for that lucrative middle ground.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 12:13 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

May 06, 2006

Sex & Games Welcomes 1,000,000 Visitors!

Sometime today, we welcomed our 1,000,000th visitor (see Sitemeter details here).

Thank you everyone for your continued support, visits, links and contributions.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:34 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

The Escapist: Youthful Indiscretions

Charles Wheeler has written Youthful Indiscretions for the Escapist.

".. the sex that games do have is shallow, unsatisfying and ultimately more trouble than it's worth." Charles Wheeler looks at the limited sexual content that even the most talked about games offer, and why it's inneffectual.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 03:36 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

"Man X" Speaks Out on Oblivion Rerating

A respected industry figure sent this comment to Sex & Games regarding the rerating of Oblivion and raises some very interesting points about the ESRB's most recent action. The 'figure' has requested anonymity.

"This is my ten second thought conveyance, but I would love to discuss it. With Hot Coffee, and now Oblivion, the ESRB has made it clear that hackers are the ones that determine ratings, not the game developers or a proper panel review. This implies a new, and tremendous burden on game developers, and is something I would identify as a gigantic risk for *all* game developers (not just T2 published titles, which the ESRB appears to be targeting).

"We (the development industry) need to apply significant pressure on the ESRB to get it right. This is an organization that is funded by the game industry and should be an advocate for the industry, but so far it has failed to get anything right, including the ratings system itself (IMO as a parent). The constant pressure from state and national governments further reinforce the conclusion that the ESRB is not living up to its goals."

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 07:54 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

AOL Games: Interview with Brenda Brathwaite

There's an interview with me and other mothers up on AOL Games in honor of Mother's Day: Mom's Got Game. The full piece on all the different moms is located here.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 07:46 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

May 05, 2006

Apogeevr: DreamStripper & Second Life Comparison

Are you artistically challenged? (Yes.) Ever try to improve your avatar's looks in Second Life? (Yes.) Have you turned your av into a monster? (Yes, but then I bought a face.)

Apogeevr admires the phenomenal model in DreamStripper and wonders how her av can get to that level of detail.

In A stripper that struts with such good skin, Apogeevr notes:

Would ya look at her? What I want to know is, why can’t I get my Second Life avatar to have an appearance like that? I mean, photorealistically speaking. The obvious answer is, different clients: the redhead above was rendered with DreamStripper, created by Ensign Games, versus the redhead that is my alter ego (Cheri Horton) inside Second Life.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 07:36 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

GamePolitics: Leland Yee on Oblivion Rerating

You knew this was coming: GamePolitics reports that "California's Leland Yee Trashes ESRB, Take-Two Over Oblivion.

Moments ago, the office of California Assembly Speaker pro Tem Leland Yee (D) issued a press release in which Yee savages both the ESRB and Take Two Interactive, co-publisher of Oblivion.

"Take Two Interactive just doesn't learn," said Yee. "It was only ten months ago that this same publisher deceived parents by first putting hidden sex scenes into their already ultra-violent video game and then lying about the fact that they allowed the content to be included."

GamePolitics also has other stories on the controversy, including What Its Creator Has to Say About Oblivion Topless Mod and Bethesda Responds to Oblivion Rating Change.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 07:27 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

May 04, 2006

IEMA Statement on Oblivion Re-Rating

Hal Halpin, president of the IEMA, has issued a statement on the ESRB's recent re-rating of Oblivion:

The pace at which the IEMA retailers reacted to the change in the ESRB rating for The Elder Scrolls(r) IV: Oblivion(tm) today stands as
testament to the effectiveness and commitment to the industry's self-regulatory efforts. As evidenced by the most recent FTC study, the nation's leading retailers now require identification for the purchase of Mature-rated games at approximately the same rate as the movie theatres do for R-rated film admission. When we were notified of the game's ratings change today, we alerted our member company representatives who communicated to their stores the change in the game's rating. The effective change in sales policy was immediate. In fact, several major retailers changed the cash register prompt tied to the bar code of the game (a technology which prompts cashiers to ask for ID). Of note in this matter is the speed at which retailers reacted and parents were empowered-- ultimately that is what makes any ratings system effective in the end.

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Phoenix Linden to appear at Sex in Video Games Conference

Second Life's Phoenix Linden (Aaron Brashears) will speak on three separate panels at the upcoming Sex in Video Games Conference June 8-9 in San Francisco, CA.

Aaron has been a sex educator with San Francisco Sex Information for the last 7 years to provide free, non-judgmental, accurate sex information and train supervisors on the phone and email switchboard. For the last 4 years, he has helped shaped the vision of ownership, privacy, and security in Second Life, Linden Lab's award-winning, user-created digital world.

Aaron will appear on the following panels:

Panel: Pleasing the Player: What Emergent Sex Can Teach Developers
Panel: Creating Successful Games with Erotic Content
MMOEG Panel

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 07:31 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

May 03, 2006

More on Alleged E3 Censorship of Adult Game

Wayne Teats of Gonzo Communications, the PR firm that represents Naughty America The Game (NA:TG), contacted Sex & Games to clarify the issue of NA:TG's alleged banning from E3.

NA:TG had requested a meeting space for the game at the show. Teats provided this email that they received from Linda Clinton at E3 in response:

"Thanks for your email. I actually spoke with a representative from Naughty America quite some time ago and after discussing their product offerings it was determined they do not qualify to participate as adult content is prohibited at E3Expo."

By "adult", they obviously mean games with sexual content since violent games with M ratings will be on the show floor.

As noted in our previous entry, E3 officials had previously noted that they would not be censoring content at the show. In previous years, games such as The Singles, Playboy: The Mansion and Leisure Suit Larry had all been shown at the show.

Gonzo Communications also issued a press release on the matter. In the release, Noah Dudley was quoted as saying:

"We were very disappointed to learn of E3's stance toward Naughty America: The Game," stated Noah Dudley, President of Eight Legs, Inc., the corporate entity overseeing the design and development of the title. "It's the next step in social networking and online matchmaking. It's certainly not intended for everyone, but then again neither are a number of the titles featured at the show."

As of this point, the ESA has not commented to Sex & Games on the issue. Ehrin Cummings, a representative of E3 has responded, and referred Sex & Games to the ESA.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 11:17 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Kotaku: Oblivion Gets Re-Rated & Retail Reaction

According to gaming blog Kotaku, the ESRB has rerated the video game Oblivion from T to M.

"...you’d think that game developers would have the sense to make sure erotic Easter eggs get pulled before gold, no matter how obscured they are. Of course, this won’t hurt sales. Release to a wide audience with a T rating, then get a publicity boost when the nipple textures are discovered. Nobody’s head is going to roll over this."

Kotaku also has coverage of the media reaction to the re-rating.

Thanks, Joe.

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ESRB Statement on Re-rating of Oblivion

The ESRB issued the following statement on the re-rating of Oblivion.

The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) announced today that it has officially changed the rating assigned to the game The Elder Scrolls® IV: Oblivion™ from T (Teen 13+) to M (Mature 17+) due to the presence of content that was not fully disclosed when the game was originally submitted to ESRB for rating. Bethesda Softworks, the developer and co-publisher of the game, will be taking immediate actions to correct the rating information on all unsold inventory, future shipments and marketing materials.

“This proactive move to change the rating once again confirms that ESRB’s first priority is to ensure that consumers have reliable, accurate information with which to make educated decisions about the games they or their children play,” said ESRB president Patricia Vance.

The pertinent content causing the change in the ESRB rating involves more detailed depictions of blood and gore than were considered in the original rating of the game (the game already carried a Blood and Gore content descriptor), as well as the presence in the PC version of the game of a locked-out art file that, if accessed by using an apparently unauthorized third party tool, allows the user to play the game with topless versions of female characters.

The locked-out topless skin was found by ESRB to exist in a fully rendered form on the game disc, but is not accessible in the Xbox 360™ version of the game. Upon confirmation of the presence of the previously undisclosed content through its post-release monitoring and play-testing activities, the ESRB expeditiously conducted an internal investigation and review of the original rating assigned to Oblivion. This process involved ESRB raters evaluating the original video materials submitted to the ESRB by Bethesda Softworks along with the newly disclosed content, resulting in the assignment of an M (Mature) rating.

This discrepancy indicated that the intensity of the depictions were more consistent with a Mature rated game than one rated Teen. Among the corrective actions that Bethesda Softworks will be promptly undertaking are: 􀂃 Immediate notification to all retailers of the change in rating, along with a request to adhere to their respective store policies not to sell the newly rated M (Mature) game to those under the age of 17, and explaining how to address consumer concerns;
Issuance of stickers with the new rating information to all retailers and distributors to affix on the packaging of all existing unsold inventory; Display of the newly assigned M (Mature) rating in all future product shipments and marketing materials; Creation and posting of a downloadable patch that will modify the art archive, rendering the topless skin inaccessible on the PC version of the game.

“Consumers, especially parents, depend on the ESRB ratings each day, and our actions in this instance serve to demonstrate how immensely we value their trust,” continued Ms. Vance. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion was initially assigned a rating of T (Teen) with content descriptors for Violence, Blood and Gore, Sexual Themes, Language and Use of Alcohol. The game now carries an ESRB rating of M (Mature), and the existing PC version has an additional content descriptor for Nudity. In the near future, Bethesda Softworks intends to release a modified version of the PC game with the topless skin removed, which will not carry the Nudity content descriptor on the package.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:45 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Al Lowe Returns to Gaming?

Al Lowe, creator of the original Leisure Suit Larry series, is apparently making a comeback. According to an article on Gamasutra:

A press conference invitation sent out to select members of the press, bearing a logo reading "Ecstasy Island Mystery Week," suggests that Lowe may be heading a new development studio.

"Alloweha," says the invitation. "A new company with a new game is Launching at E3 under the watch of a Legendary game designer known for creating Outrageously fun games that feature hi-Larry-ous characters With an undeniable knack for Entertaining millions of people," it continues, emphasized letters included.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:21 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Escapist Magazine Sex Issue Out

The Escapist has released their sex in games issue with some interesting articles. Check it out.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:29 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

May 02, 2006

Wired: The 'Sex in Games Lady' Is In

Wired has an interview up with me by Kathleen Craig: The Sex in Games Lady Is In.

It covers some of my favorite subjects: sex in games and, of course, censorship of sex in games.

Thanks, Kathleen.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:10 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

May 01, 2006

Is Cyberprostitution prostitution?

Interesting question, no? Brooke Campbell asks that very question in her paper, "Is Cyberprostitution Prostitution? New Paradigm, Old Crime." The abstract is below, and here's a link to the PDF of the paper.

In this paper, I examine the way in which cyberprostitution--a new advance in the technology of communication sine qua non—disturbs the status quo heretofore considered the conceptual terrain of prostitution under the Law. First, I map out the “early, clumsy form”
of cyberprostitution today— - the practices and possibilities which threaten to serve as “an incubus on later understanding” of this new technology. Next, I explore the way in which such technical laymen as judges (and lawyers) have begun to apply familiar analogies from
the past in their attempts to assimilate cyberprostitution into some semblance of a structure of rights and obligations. Finally, I suggest that the interface produced by the analogizing of
prostitution to today’s lay image of cyberprostitution provides an important and likely shortlived window of opportunity for an honest moment of reckoning with a naked emperor previously and pervasively dressed up and trotted out as “Prostitution” by our courts and
regulatory agencies.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:48 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Censorship Alive & Well on Mobiles

In a preport on Joystiq, censorship is alive and well: Verizon, Cingular whitewash mobile content.

If you were hoping to download saucy content (games, ringtones, music, videos, text) of any sort from Verizon, forget about it. The company has created ultra-conservative new internal guidelines that ban a variety of edgy content, most of it having to do with sinful body parts or sinful acts of human procreation, according to The Wall Street Journal...

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April 29, 2006

New Video Game Risk Factor: Kids Could Go to MIT

According to Professor Henry Jenkins of MIT, five years ago, the institution polled its incoming freshman class and discovered that fully 100% of them had played video games. Jenkins noted the results were somewhat surprising in that they cut across lines of gender, culture and nationality.

Clearly, and using logic we've all seen before, going to MIT is a risk factor one takes on when they get into video games. This is something parents should carefully consider before they pick up that new console.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 06:16 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Hotel info for Sex in Video Game Conference

Conference officials have passed along word that those of you attending (or planning to attend) the Sex in Video Games Conference, June 8-9 in San Fran, can take advantage of a special hotel rates they've arranged. Not surprisingly, hotels fill up fast in San Francisco, so make your reservations as soon as you're able to.

From Evergreen Events:

Fortunately for you, we have blocked out rooms at a special rate for the event at the historic Ramada Plaza Downtown. This hotel is just four blocks from the venue.

Single and double rooms are $119 if you use discount code SIVG when making your reservation.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:27 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

April 28, 2006

Dr. Patti Britton to speak at Sex in Video Games Conference

Dr. Patti Britton will be speaking at the Sex in Video Games Conference on June 8-9th in San Francisco. Dr. Patti Britton holds an amazing pedigree as a nationally board-certified clinical sexologist/sex coach, including: over 30 years’ experience as a sexologist; national board member of American Association for Sex Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT)---President-Elect (AASECT President as of July 2006 for a 2-year term); clinical Fellow, American Academy of Clinical Sexologists; diplomate, American Board of Sexology; Certified Sexuality Educator, American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT; Member of the American College of Sexologists; Member of the Society for Scientific Study of Sexuality; Associate Professor of Sexology, for the Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Sexuality; and Past-President of the Foundation for Scientific Study of Sexuality.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:51 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Regina Lynn is All Woman

Still more gender issues over on Wired today. Apparently a reader wrote in to suggest that Sex Drive columnist Regina Lynn is not a woman due to the way in which her last column was worded. Regina Lynn is all woman.

Before the internet, the question of whether a writer was male or female didn't matter as much. We usually knew right from the start. Most articles were bylined, columnists said "my husband" or "my wife" instead of "my partner," and we weren't reading other people's diaries.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:12 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

April 27, 2006

Dr. Marty Klein To Speak at Sex in Video Games Conference

Dr. Marty Klein has been announced as a speaker at the upcoming Sex in Video Games conference (June 8-9 in San Fran).

Dr. Klein has been a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and Certified Sex Therapist for 25 years. He has aimed his entire career toward a single set of goals: telling the truth about sexuality, helping people feel sexually adequate & powerful, and supporting the healthy sexual expression and exploration of women and men. Marty has written five books on sexuality, acclaimed by everyone from USA Today to The California Therapist to the Playboy Advisor.

Dr. Klein publishes Sexual Intelligence, the monthly online newsletter about culture, politics, the media, and sex. Dr. Klein has been honored by both the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality and the California Association of Marriage & Family Therapists.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:42 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

April 26, 2006

Free Speech Coalition Rep to Speak at Sex in Video Games Conference

The Free Speech Coalition, the trade organization of the adult industry, is pleased to announce that one of its staff members, Communications Director Tom Hymes, will speak on a seminar panel during the upcoming Sex in Video Games Conference, being held June 8-9, 2006, at The Lodge at Union Square, located on the 3rd floor of the Kensington Park Hotel.

The first annual Sex in Video Games Conference is organized by Evergreen Events, and will focus on the design, development, and technology of sex in video games, with additional spotlight on issues regarding business matchmaking and networking.

Tom Hymes will speak on the “Morals & Ethics & Sex & Games” panel, scheduled for Friday, June 9, at 3:15 p.m., one of about a dozen seminars addressing the business and cultural issues surrounding the controversial subject. Other seminars on the schedule include, “Pleasing the Player: What Emergent Sex Can Teach Developers,” “Sex, Law and the First Amendment,” and “Integrating the Adult & Game Markets,” to name a few.

The Free Speech Coalition's mission is to safeguard the industry from oppressive governmental regulation and to promote good business practices within the industry.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:38 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

April 25, 2006

Jack Thompson Challenged

Attention Jack "Cowardly Lion" Thompson. You'll need to read the whole piece to understand its nuances, but in a nutshell:

So, yea, here's my challenge. If you're really out to stop all media which promotes this type of behavior, and not just after games for a quick buck. Prove it. Put your money where your mouth is (after taking your foot out, naturally), and try to sue Bill and Necro. If you don't, I'll take this as admission that you don't care one bit about the kids, that you're only chasing ambulances, and generally just whoring yourself out for the media spotlight.

Courtesy of illspirit.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 06:59 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Sex in Video Games Conference Posts Full Agenda

The full conference agenda has been posted for the upcoming Sex in Video Games Conference to be held June 8-9 in San Francisco. Early bird registration ends April 27. So, if you're hoping to save $100, get your registration in now. Academic registrations save $200 (for educators).

The event is open to all interested in adult content development.

The panel I am most looking forward to at present is this one:

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Wired: How Lara Croft Steals Hearts

Clive Thompson has an interesting piece up on Wired.com: How Lara Croft Steals Hearts.

Instead of just looking at Lara as "cheesecake," Thompson suggests there's something more behind her popularity:

I think young boy gamers loved Lara for reasons that were considerably stranger. They weren't just ogling her: They were identifying with her. Playing the role of a hot, sexy woman in peril -- surrounded by violence on all sides -- was, unexpectedly, a totally electric experience for young guys.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:50 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

April 24, 2006

Nerve: Sex Advice from Photographers

Hey, if scientists can give it, why not these guys/gals? Sex Advice from Photographers.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:40 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Joystiq: Girl gaming clans as next-gen booth babes

Now that E3 is clamping down on the amount of flesh on the show floor, will we see an evolution of the booth babe? This article on Joystiq, Girl gaming clans as next-gen booth babes, suggests we will.

An interesting marriage of ideas is to employ girl gaming clans as "totty with triggers" -- a booth attraction that appeals on multiple levels. Arguably, that's what Ubisoft's "Frag Dolls" team is all about, but the Dolls won't be alone at E3 this year. g0d (girlz of destruction) will be bringing their VIA-sponsored "home of chrome" to the show floor, and the PMS clan will also be sending members to E3 to work for various sponsors.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:31 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

April 23, 2006

Online Porn: A new expression of sexual behaviour?

At the CHI2006 in Montreal this week, Antonella de Angeli is presenting an interesting paper "Seduced by computers! Sexual conversations with artificial partners" (link to PDF file).

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:08 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Failure to Communicate

There's an article by Matthew Sakey over on the main IGDA site that covers the GDC "Murder, Sex & Censorship" debate between Jason Della Rocca, Leland Yee and Prof. James Paul Gee: Failure to Communicate.

It's been said before, but it bears repeating and was pointed out early in the panel by Jason: “in a way, politicans are really helping the industry sell a lot of crap games.” By hyping so-called “ultra violent” games in the mainstream media, the opposition is largely responsible for the rise of violence in gaming. The thing is, the opposition doesn't take the time to check and see if the games they oppose are any good. Postal 2 came up during the debate, as it always does. Yee mentioned it, as an example of how games (apparently all games as far as he knows) allow you to “behead people and urinate on their corpses.” But Postal 2 is an execrable game. It is derivative, unstable, buggy, sophomoric, funless, dull and ultimately forgettable in every way. And it would have been forgotten – long ago – if Yee and others would stop yammering about it. The same is true of 25 to Life , 50 Cent: Bulletproof and other such games. They're only made because they're guaranteed free advertising; they would not sell otherwise.

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April 21, 2006

LA Times: Porn Industry at Tech Forefront

There's an article on the LA Times site, Porn Industry Again at the Tech Forefront, describing Vivid Video's plans to offer downloadable movies. Hollywood's watching it, and the games industry should be, too.

Adult entertainment - whether TV or game - has long had to create its own distribution model. With AO games shut out at retail, Vivid's move may be setting an example for other games. Bigger distribution for games means bigger revenue. Bigger revenue leads to bigger budgets, and bigger budgets leads to better games.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:44 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Bay Area Reporter: Sex researchers predict the future

The Bay Area Reporter has an article up in which Sex researchers predict the future.

The program, sponsored by the Social Science Research Council and funded in part by the Ford Foundation, has provided support for more than 200 fellows and claims to have "cultivated new generations of scholars who address the complex nature of human sexuality and make contributions to a more thorough understanding of human sexuality."

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:40 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

April 20, 2006

Gameloft Signs Deal with Paris Hilton

From the PR wire...

NEW YORK – Gameloft, a leading developer and publisher of mobile games, is delighted to announce a long term licensing agreement with Paris Hilton Entertainment Inc. to develop, publish and distribute mobile games based on heiress and pop culture icon, Paris Hilton.

As part of this agreement, Gameloft will develop and produce a series of mobile games featuring Paris Hilton and her likeness. The first title in the series will be geared to tweens/teens and fans of Paris Hilton. Additional games scheduled for production will be aimed at both male and female fans of Ms. Hilton whose diverse fan base complements Gameloft’s catalogue of wide ranging games.

“Gameloft is dedicated to increasing mobile game offerings to female and casual gamers and we are thrilled to have Paris Hilton on board,” said Michel Guillemot, president, Gameloft. “She is a model, a fashionista, an actress, an entrepreneur and a pop culture force of nature whose appeal is recognized the world over. Mobile games based on such a significant personality as Paris Hilton will be an excellent addition to our diverse slate of games,” added Guillemot. “She is a universal brand that surpasses all boundaries.”

“I’m excited to collaborate with Gameloft to bring the Paris Hilton brand and the glamour of young Hollywood to the cell phones of all my fans around the world,” said Paris Hilton. “My phone has become an all in one entertainment device and mobile games are an integral part of that. Mobile gaming is really hot right now and I’m excited to be part of this project.”

Gameloft’s experience in bringing branded entertainment personalities to the mobile space includes baseball star Derek Jeter, golf pro Vijay Singh and European soccer star Djibril Cisse.

The first mobile game based on Paris Hilton is scheduled for release worldwide in summer of 2006.

About Gameloft

Gameloft is a leading international publisher and developer of video games for mobile phones. Established in 1999, it has emerged as one of the top innovators in its field. The company creates games for mobile handsets equipped with Java, Brew or Symbian technology. The total number of games-enabled handsets is anticipated to exceed two billion units in 2008.

Partnership agreements with leading licensors and sports personalities such as Ubisoft Entertainment, Universal Pictures, Viacom, Warner Bros., FifPro, Lamborghini, Vans, Derek Jeter, Vijay Singh and Geoff Rowley allow Gameloft to form strong relationships with international brands. In addition to the partnerships, Gameloft owns and operates titles such as Block Breaker Deluxe, Asphalt: Urban GT and New York Nights.

Through agreements with major telephone wireless carriers, handset manufacturers, specialized distributors and its online shop, Gameloft has a distribution network in over 65 countries.

Gameloft has worldwide offices in New York, San Francisco, Montreal, Buenos Aires, Paris, London, Duesseldorf, Milan, Barcelona, New Delhi, Seoul, Beijing, Hong Kong and Tokyo. Gameloft is listed on Euronext Paris (ISIN: FR0000079600, Bloomberg: GFT FP, Reuters: GLFT.PA)

For more information visit www.gameloft.com.

About Paris Hilton
Paris Hilton can next be seen starring in “The Simple Life 4,” which will air on E! Entertainment. The show also stars Nicole Ritchie, and follows the girls as they leave behind the comforts of life in Beverly Hills and hit the road working odd jobs along the way. Paris’ other television credits include: “The O.C.,” “Las Vegas,” “Veronica Mars,” and “The George Lopez Show.”

Segueing between the big and small screen, Paris was last seen on the big screen the Warner Bros. film “The House of Wax,” starring alongside Chad Michael Murray for producer Joel Silver. Additional film credits include: “Raising Helen,” “Zoolander,” “The Cat in the Hat,” and “Wonderland.”

Paris’ career continues to evolve with exciting and challenging projects. This fall Paris will release her first untitled album produced by Scott Storche for Warner Bros. Records. Her first single is set to be released In early June. She just released her second book, “Confess it all to Me,” following her New York Best Seller, “Confessions of an Heiress,” for Simon and Shuster in September 2004. She is currently at work on her third fragrance under the Paris Hilton Brand.

Paris enjoys spending time with her family, friends and pets and is actively involved in numerous and various animal advocacy organizations.

Paris resides in Los Angeles.

###

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:03 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Game Cloud: Outsourcing Website Launched

Game Cloud reports on the launch of a website devoted to those interested in making outsourcing connections: Game Development Project Outsourcing and Bidding Website Launched.

Companies looking to outsource parts or entire gaming projects and Developers looking for work may now find help at http://www.project247.com . The site is targeted to the game development community.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:36 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

April 19, 2006

Silverberg: Improving reporting on sex

What a brilliant article over on About.com by Cory Silverberg: What's Wrong with Reporting on Sex?

What's infuriating and depressing about all this is that there is great writing and research being done not only in the area of sexuality and technology but also on almost every other facet of sexual experience. But instead of actually picking up a journal, or taking the time to ask a sex research something other than what they think of Jenna Jameson, we get this terrible "dumbing down" of public sexual discussion. By printing these non-stories, and not expecting more than lazy journalism, outlets like Reuters (and it is definitely not the only one to do this) are confirming that when it comes to sex, as long as we see some skin, that's good enough. Just throw a few titillating stories about porn stars and a future where we're all hooked up to machines for our orgasms, and we'll call it a day.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:30 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

April 18, 2006

Regina Lynn: Why is anyone surprised by this?

On the Sex Drive Daily blog over at Wired.com, Regina Lynn comments on recent news that "growth has slowed dramatically for online dating websites, down to about 9 percent a year." Check out her post here:Why is anyone surprised by this?

Social networking sites are siphoning off folks from online dating sites, and of course the younger people never needed to bother with dating services because they knew all along that dating is silly and social networking is smart.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:22 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

OpEd on Sex in Games

Is the industry ready for sex in games? Not yet, according to this editorial on TG Daily.

Personally I'm of the opinion that the industry is not yet mature enough to deal with sex in any serious way, shape or form. I think this is regrettable, as for one this will leave us with only the rather stereotypical Lula's and Larry's of this world to play with, and secondly because it says a lot about us in that we can deal with severed limbs, flame throwers and sawn-off shotguns but not sex.

Interesting editorial. As an industry, we have to start somewhere, and our starts may be faulting, sensational or silly. At the roundtables at GDC, developers discussed a lot of serious issues - realism vs. abstraction, what turns the players on, keeping kids out, etc. Every year, we make progress. This year, noted sexologists are getting involved. The field is in its formative stages (as are many other forms of video games). It'll be interesting to see where we go from here.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:15 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

April 17, 2006

BBC: Being Lara Croft

Via ActionTrip comes this story from the BBC about the models behind the Lara Croft games: Being Lara Croft.

It talks about how and why Eidos is spending so much attention and dollars in turning her into a mainstream celebrity.

One of the big problems with the games industry is that whilst it has icons, it does not have many celebrities.

Hardly any in fact. It is one of the reasons why, for the moment, video games will continue to struggle against the movie and music stars for newspaper column inches.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:49 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Kotaku: Girls of CS Comments & Responses

Perhaps you're familiar with the GirlsofCS?

Kotaku has some great commentary up on the issue right now:

I don’t mind that a site like GirlsofCS exists, but I do mind that they try to hide behind the whole “tearing down stereotypes.” If you want to have hot gamers post nude on the site, go for it, just don’t tell us it’s about empowerment.

Girls of CS has such a mixed controversial message that smacks of sensationalism for marketing's sake. Like Kotaku says, nude gamers? Fine. But when you say it's to prove that women play games (by having them pose nude to prove they're women?) and to tear down stereotypes, it just sounds moronic. As a woman who's been in the industry 24 years now, I'm not exactly sure what stereotypes you're talking about (and with my experience and my obvious area of interest - sexuality in games - you'd think I would).

* Women play games? No kidding. This is not news.
* That attractive women play games? See FragDolls, et al.
* Women can pose nude? See Hefner, 1950's.
* Women who play games can pose nude? Also see Hefner, 1990's.

From Kotaku:

Seriously, how can someone not get it THIS much. Girls of CS owner Dan Matthews emailed me again to tell me that if I don’t believe that his bevy of naked hot women-folk play CS I should go to some net cafe to see for myself. I believe, I BELIEVE, mother of god, I believe.

Now that we got that over with, why are they posing naked?

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:27 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

April 16, 2006

Kotaku: Simple 2000 Vol. 101 The Oneechanpon

Kotaku's article, More Budget Blood Soaked Bikinis, talks about a third game in the upcoming Oneechanbara series.

If you aren’t familiar with the Oneechanbara series (and really, at this point, who isn’t?) it’s a Japanese action game involving nearly naked girls slicing up zombies, who shower them with blood in the traditional Japanese fashion.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:05 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Burn the Books!

According to this article in ICV2, Suburban LA County Pulls Manga Text from Libraries, Bill Postmus, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors of suburban San Bernadino County, California, ordered "Manga: Sixty Years of Japanese Comics" off the shelves of the county libraries.

He proudly announced the move, calling the book "obscene comics," on the county's Website, saying, "That book is absolutely inappropriate for a public library and as soon as I was made aware of it yesterday, I ordered it to be removed immediately."

The video game industry and comics have long had a political pairing. Both games and comics are believed to be "for kids" (note that the average gamer is a 30-year-old male according to the Entertainment Software Association). With this popular, but false, perception, the "obscene" barometer often much lower than one would otherwise expect. Back in the 1950's, the Comics Code was created to protect people from the menace that was comics.

What Postmus did, unfortunately, was to protect people from art.

To save Postmus some time, he might also want to consider getting rid of these other books also available in the same library system: the Kama Sutra, Orgasms for Two and the ultra violence & sex extravaganza, A Clockwork Orange.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:14 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

April 15, 2006

Regina Lynn: From Spam to Porn to Art

Regina Lynn's latest column on Wired is a well-written, reflective piece: From Spam to Porn to Art.

Adam spent about a year developing a script that pulls text strings from the subject lines of spam e-mails and maps them to the colors in a pornographic image. It then layers thousands upon thousands of the newly colorful text strings to create a stylized version of the original image.

It's like those advertisements that create a picture out of a million small pictures, except that you can't tell it's text unless you take the final image apart.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:30 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Join the IGDA!

The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) sponsors this blog, the Sex SIG mailing list and a host of other special interests groups.

As an IGDA member, you are part of the worldwide community of game developers who share their knowledge, insight, and connections that help to develop your career and personal status within the community. From local chapter meetings, to online discussions, to committee and SIG output, the IGDA provides invaluable information and resources to learn from and to contribute to.

Join here!

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:10 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Apogeevr: Feminization and the intersexual order

Apogeevr's had a lot of interesting articles recently, this one no different: Feminization and the intersexual order.

I’m here because over the past several days, I’ve been directing most, if not all, of my in-world time toward trying to come into contact with SL inhabitants who profess to being transgendered, particularly androgynes or those who are bigendered like yours truly.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:08 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

April 14, 2006

Second Life Herald: Genital Review

As you may know, in the world of Second Life, characters begin the game as the virtual equivalent of dolls with no naughty bits to speak of. You can purchase the naughty bits in question within the world from various venders and attach them to your avatar.

In this review, the Second Life Herald rates the Play Sexy "Commander" penis. This review is not even close to safe for work.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:42 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Joystiq: Lara's Booty

In a regular feature, Joystiq readers are asked to comment on a video game advertisement. Next up? Lara Croft. In perhaps the most colorful sentence ever posted on a video game site, they note: "There are actually several variations of this same ad in gaming magazines, but all of them feature Laura Croft's ample posterior, a bootylicious bundle of badonka-donk so large it serves as a friggin' grenade shelf."

Check out the article and comment for yourself here: Lara's Booty to Big to Believe?

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:25 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Girls of Counterstrike

Wonderland had a story up earlier this week, Girl gamers.. in the nuddy?, in which they revealed a new gaming group called Girls of Counterstrike (you need an invite code, and no, I don't have one). They do have a myspace.com page, however.

As Wonderland points out:

You read it right. Nude pinups of female gamers hoping to "eliminate negative online stereotypes"? Does anyone really subscribe to the "all girls who play games are fat and ugly" belief any more?

Sadly, the site's not launched -- must be in the hype phase -- so no nuddy pictures to ogle just yet.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:19 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

April 13, 2006

Della Rocca: Immature Production Practices and Poor QOL

Jason Della Rocca, executive director of the IGDA, has written an article in the latest issue of the Escapist titled Friction Costs. In the article, he explores how poor production practices and poor quality of life are holding the industry back.

Countless studies performed over decades and across many business sectors have proven time and again that mature project management practices and an emphasis on keeping workers happy can net massive returns. And, we're talking 1,000%-plus massive.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:09 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Researcher Looking For Second Life Players

Over on Terra Nova, there's news of a researcher looking for people to take part in a study on social mapping in Second Life.

Who controls information in Second Life? Is it the Lindens or the Land Barons? The Feted Inner Core or the Furries?

How do fads and trends spread around the Grid?

And how important are chance encounters at Tringo parlours or dance clubs?

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:51 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

April 11, 2006

Link of the Day: Soma Vision

Today's link

Adult link

SomaVision

SomaVision is a pay for play site. The SomaVision site asks: "Is it your dream to be the director of your very own porn movie? At SomaVision you'll get your chance behind the camera as our parade of playmate centerfolds will clammer for their chance to be a love doll in your next sex opus."

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:50 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Nerve: Sex Advice from Scientists

Check out Nerve's new feature: Sex Advice from Scientists.

What sex act is the most negotiable?

A lot of men think the clitoris is a magic button that needs to be over-pressed. I've run across so many guys who think they know how to give great head, but sometimes they're not doing it right because of this. That is definitely not a necessary step.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:42 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

1Up: Call Girl Character Class

1Up has an article up: MMO Games Get a New Character Class - Call Girl.

Taboo Heart (who'd rather CGW not reveal her real name) is on the job, along with the many other working women milling around here, making bedroom eyes at browsing passersby. "I enjoy standing on the corner, meeting people who might walk past," she confides. "I talk to them about anything, although I won't approach someone and ask them if they want my services. Other escorts do. When someone is interested, they normally send me an IM and request a price or my note card, which has relevant information about me on it."

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:31 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

April 10, 2006

LSJ.com: Erotic Goes Mainstream

According to this story on LSJ's the Hub, sales and popularity of erotica are climbing: Erotica goes mainstream after lengthy run underground. We ran a similar story on the trend earlier this year.

For years, Tina Engler was just another frustrated erotica writer, shunned by publishers and literary agents who told her that women would not buy her stories of female sexual desire. Engler, however, wasn't convinced. She figured that if she liked sensual reads, there had to be other women who did as well.

"Erotica legitimizes the female sexual experience," Engler says. "Women read these books and it makes them feel normal about their own fantasies."

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:19 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

TerraNova: Say Please and Thank You

Writer Bonnie Ruberg has a piece up on TerraNova, Say Please and Thank You, on matters in virtual worlds, particularly when it comes to asking someone their real gender.

In a virtual community like Second Life, however, the rules of politeness are often quite different. How could they be the same? Here, personal information is hardly ever personal, and private encounters rarely stay private. So – in a world where public nudity, open solicitations, and gropings between strangers are all run of the mill – what determines "rude"?

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:10 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

April 09, 2006

University Student Looking for Interview Subjects

Just in from a student...

As part of an ongoing research project, I would like to talk to players about their sexual experiences within virtual environments such as Everquest II, Second Life and Sociolotron. I plan on conducting these interviews via e-mail, online forums, instant messages and in-game interactions.

I realize that this is a sensitive subject. I have no ulterior motives to this study except to learn about people and their in-game sexual practices. If you decide to participate, your anonymity and confidentiality will be assured. The study will only mention the subjects' genders and ages.

You must be at least 18 to participate. If you are willing to be interviewed, please contact me here.

I have also created an online forum for the study. If you would like to establish a dialogue via a password-protected forum thread, please set up an account by going to the forum and clicking on the "register" button. Setting up an account requires e-mail verification.

I understand that the gaming community is bombarded with survey requests that never lead anywhere. This request is different. Our class is committed to sharing its research findings. At the end of the semester, all student papers and presentations will be linked to the course web site and made available to anyone with an Internet connection.

For more details about our course and the research project, visit this site: http://www.trinity.edu/adelwich/worlds/faq.html

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 06:32 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

CNN: Hefner says "80 is the new 40"

CNN has an article up on Playboy's Hugh Hefner's 80th birthday: Playboy's Hefner: '80 is the new 40'.

... Playboy with its mission of sexual liberation is as relevant as ever in these days of federal government crackdowns on television content that some consider indecent.

"Attitudes toward nudity and Playboy have changed, in many ways, very little," says the man who gave the world the centerfold. "In some ways it is even more political than it was in the '50s and '60s."

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 01:17 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Game Set Watch: Sexy Soccer Sets Infospace's Agenda

There's an article on Game Set Watch about a new soccer game set to come out this year no mobile phones in advance of the big World Cup: Sexy Soccer Sets InfoSpace's Agenda.

However, mobile trade site MoCoNews.net did bother to grab a picture of "a full page cover ad in the latest issue of a trade magazine" from mobile game firm Infospace, featuring, uhh, Sexy Soccer ("3 challenging tasks... 3 beautiful girls"), particularly relevant because of this year's soccer World Cup.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:45 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

April 08, 2006

MMOrgy: Interview with Kelly Rued of Blacklove Interactive

Over on MMOrgy, the site that covers sex in online worlds both emergent and by design, there's a link to an interview with Kelly Rued of Blacklove Interactive and makers up of the upcoming MMOEG, Rapture Online.

MMOrgy's just done a massive update with lots of new content, so even if this article doesn't interest you, be sure to go take a look anyway.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:16 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

April 07, 2006

Revolution Advanced: E3 Through the Eyes of a Booth Babe

Revolution Advanced has an article up by model and booth babe, Yvonna Lynn: E3 Through the Eyes of a Booth Babe

My goal for E3 2005 was simple…I wanted to find a way in. You see, I am both a gamer and a girl, so when the ‘Christmas Holiday’ of gaming came up, I had to be there. Luckily for me, I had the chance to be a booth babe. I found that getting a way in wasn’t difficult through being a booth babe, but securing the best booth placement was a bit of luck.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:00 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Murder Mystery Theaters Must Be Stopped

With all the talk of the interactive nature of violent video games and the effect this has on children, another form of entertainment continues to cruise under the radar affecting untold thousands of innocent victims.

The Murder Mystery Theater.
It's violent. It's interactive. It's entertainment. And it must be stopped.

All across America, our citizens are being exposed to this industry that obviously does not care about the average citizen, its consumer. While they can argue that it's just entertainment, such an argument will fall on deaf ears. We all know that its interactive nature makes it different. This practice must be controlled before someone gets hurt and a real murder occurs.

More than one murder mystery theater even admits its seedy and inappropriate interactivity. Murder Mystery Texas calls itself "Ultra Interactive" on its blood-soaked site. More terrifying still is that some Murder Mystery theaters are even advertising themselves as perfect for the whole family! And interactivity is their sinister goal: "We emphasize audience participation from the moment our guests arrive until our actors bid them adieu -- you can actively participate!"

Won't someone think of the kids? If not, I will. I'd like to offer the following suggestions:

1. That a ratings body be formed to provide parents the information they need to make informed decisions. If the industry is unwilling to do so, I call upon government to force it upon them.

2. That these "murder simulator" shows be rated M and carry the rating on the dinner menu, all advertising posters and on the door of the establishment where the activity will be carried out. In the state of Virgina, this rating label is to be no smaller than 3" per side.

3. That Congress and the FTC investigate these theaters and study how the nature of their interactivity affects the participants.

4. That politicians prohibit the sale of tickets to these shows to anyone under the age of 18 where they are deemed to be "ultra" interactive.

Please, contact your representative in Congress, in the Senate, in your local Legislatures and Assemblies before someone gets hurt. This horrible interactive entertainment must be controlled.

Thanks, Mr. Swift.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 06:08 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Sheri Graner Ray Keynoting Sex in Video Games Conference

Sheri Graner Ray has been announced as the keynote for Friday, June 9 of the Sex in Video Games Conference.

Ms. Graner Ray is an accomplished game designer with 16 years experience in the video game industry and is the author of “Gender Inclusive Game Design: Expanding the Market.” She will be speaking on how to make adult games that appeal to women, using her research on creating games that appeal to women to specifically discuss what women would want to see within the adult game space.

Early Registration ends April 7. To register for the conference visit www.sexinvideogames.com.

According to Brenda Brathwaite, Game Designer and Chairperson of the Sex in Video Games Conference, “everyone knows Sheri as the expert on gender issues in video games. I'm really looking forward to how she applies that body of knowledge to adult games. The same lessons she teaches mainstream developers will apply to adult content developers, too. Who doesn't want a bigger audience?”

Suzanne Freyjadis-Chuberka, President of Evergreen Events, agrees that, “Sheri Graner Ray is a well respected authority on the issues of what attracts women to games and her insight into this area will be invaluable for developers of adult oriented games.”

Evergreen Events is dedicated to the enrichment of the games industry through innovative, high-quality conferences that are both informative as well as connective. Our directors have over 7 years of conference experience, including the creation of the first Casual Games Conference as well as organizing and presenting the Women's Game Conference.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 01:36 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Kids Getting M-Rated Games: What's the Issue?

FTC press releases. ESRB testimony before the Senate Subcommittee. Harvard studies. Politician statements.

For the oldtimers in our industry, it's 1993 again. Academics, politicians, industry people - we're reduced to rendezvous on the floor of the Senate. Sadly, all this information does relatively little to address the true issue that's causing our industry so much trouble: some kids (a declining number according to this FTC press release) are still getting their hands on M-rated video games.

The real issue here - and the real answer - is at least two-fold.

1. We, as an industry, need to work with other interested parties to make our rating system as strong as it can be. As a game designer, I know iterative design works, not just in games, but in all kinds of systems. Refine. Improve.

2. Someone needs to turn the spotlight on parental responsiblity, too. As noted yesterday, parents are present a not-so-surprising 92% of the time video games are purchased (source The ESA pdf file). These games cost $50-60 each. Again and again, when I talk with parents, I hear absurd reasons they let their kids play M-Rated games. The top two? "It's just a game" and "He plays it at his friend's house, but not here." If he watched porn at his friend's house, would parents be all right with that, too? Of course, not. While politicians say that their laws are designed to step in when parents step out, that's simply not true. Those neglected kids you're trying to target? C'mon! I'm not buying it. Those kids don't have a PS2 or an Xbox or a GameCube. They're in need electricity and food and rehab for their parents. I do believe that politicians' hearts are in the right place. However, the laws they pass will still allow a parent to purchase an M-Rated game for their child, and that doesn't change things at all.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:15 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Harvard Researcher on Movies

As a follow up post to my Ratings Deathmatch yesterday, we're pleased to present some information from the same Harvard researchers on movies.

From the site KidsRisk come the following:

Violence, Sex, and Profanity in Films: Correlation of Movie Ratings With Content
Depiction of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Substances in G-Rated Animated Feature Films
Violence in G-Rated Movies

The challenge here, of course, is that defending yourself by pointing the finger at someone else is a terrible strategy. I provide the info just to balance out yesterday's Deathmatch.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:04 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

In Newsweekly: GLBT gaming developers organize

In a truly historic moment, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) individuals met as an organized group at the Game Developers Conference last month. This article by Alexander Sliwinski, the same reporter who brought the WoW LGBT controvery to light, covers the various gatherings: GLBT gaming developers organize

At the Game Developers Conference held this year in San Jose, Calif., members of the video game industry "came out" professionally as a group for the first time. Over three separate official gatherings during two days members of the GLBT community shared stories about the industry as it is now and discussed tackling issues in the future.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:33 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Washington Post: Online Games Replace Monsters With Sex

AP Writer Peter Svennson has a great article up on the current state of MMOEGs in the Washington Post and other AP papers: Online Games Replace Monsters With Sex

Online games have so far mainly revolved around the killing of fantasy monsters. The occasional fight with a Stormtrooper provides some variety.

Companies are now developing a handful of games — though calling them that is a stretch — designed to give players a very different option: making love, not war.

Thanks to Peter for the coverage.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:12 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

April 06, 2006

1Up: Topless Women in Oblivion

1Up has a NSFW video of the topless Oblivion mod: Oblivion Women Go Topless.

The mod author took the release and made it a platform for his own thoughts on the game industry: "Please note, this is a realistic nudity mod, not a pornographic one. The file included removes the bra welded to the skin of females of all races, showing things as most people know they are in the real world after removing upper body clothing. It will not show every female in the game as topless. I do this because I hate government/society/whatever forcing companies to 'protect our innocent population from seeing those evil dirty things 50% of them posess personally anyways' not because I'm trying to turn it into a porn game."

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:10 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Link of the Day: VirtuaGirls

Today's link:

Adult Link

VirtuaGirls 2

In the event your desktop was not cluttered enough, Virtua Girls 2 puts a stripper right on your desktop. A free demo is available on their site.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:09 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

April 05, 2006

IGDA Members: VOTE! Board of Director Elections

The IGDA is currently holding elections for its board of directors. We need you as IGDA members to get in there and vote!

Who's running? Check it out here.

Ready to vote? Go here.

Not an IGDA member? Join! They sponsor this blog and support developers all over the world.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:41 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Clean Sheets: Interview with Violet Blue

Cleansheets has an interview with Violet Blue up on its site: Future Fucks: Are You Ready for Your Close-up?

The closest a consumer might get in the near future to immersion cybersex with strangers (or computer generated porn performers) is the very possible mix of something like the visual online game Second Life coupled with teledildonics (remote control of sex toys over the Web) and force-feedback sensory technology. It's all out there, but no one's put it together...yet.

In the interview, she references a site of fellow Sex SIG member: www.slashdong.org.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:11 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

GamePolitics: Harvard vs. ESRB

Over at GamePolitics, there's an interesting interview brawl going on between the ESRB and Harvard researchers.

Harvard released a study whose results showed the following:

Although the Entertainment Software Rating Board content descriptors for violence and blood provide a good indication of such content in the game, we identified 45 observations of content that could warrant a content descriptor in 29 games (81%) that lacked these content descriptors. M-rated video games are significantly more likely to contain blood, profanity, and substances; depict more severe injuries to human and nonhuman characters; and have a higher rate of human deaths than video games rated T (for "teen").

This didn't sit well with the ESRB who fired off a statement:

The study released today by Harvard's School of Public Health and Associate Professor Kimberly M. Thompson simply confirms what most parents and gamers already know - that games rated M (Mature 17+) have content that is not suitable for younger players.

There's tons more on GamePolitics...

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:45 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

April 04, 2006

1Up: Sex Sells in Second Life

1Up has a story on escort services and more: Sex Sells in Second Life.

Just because these escort girls are e-only doesn't make them any less real. One girl, Taboo Heart, injects some serious reality into her performances in Second Life's red light district: "I recorded myself masturbating and cropped that into bits I could bring into Second Life.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:29 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Open Source Sex with Violet Blue

The RU Serious show featured Violet Blue as a guest on a recent program: Open Source Sex with Violet Blue.

Violet Blue, writer and famed podcast host of “Open Source Sex”, joined us in the studio today for a good time.

Violet Blue will also be appearing at the Sex in Video Games conference on June 8-9 in California.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:25 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Brenda Brathwaite on All Games Radio Tonight to Talk about Sex in Games

I'll be on All Games Radio at 8:30 tonight. It's a live radio call in show available over the internet.

The topic for discussion (not surprisingly) will be sex and video games.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:22 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

April 03, 2006

Won't Someone Think of the Grown ups?

Sex is a natural part of our lives, our art and our cultural identity. Yet, in today's atmosphere of moral panic, appropriately labeled games and even online erotic worlds are constantly under the gun from legislators and others with misguided fears.

In other forms of media, people are actually thinking about adults and sexuality in ways that can be beneficial - such as the Better Sex series of DVDs.

This article on FortWayne.com discusses sex education for adults: Sex Education Fit for Grown Ups.

Aimed at middle-American, middle-aged couples, the Better Sex series advertises widely in mainstream magazines and newspapers, using photos of attractive couples to draw readers' attention. "It's never too late to learn something new," one recent example proclaims, promising "real people demonstrating real sexual techniques."

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:40 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

The Escapist: Won't Someone Think of the Children

Bonnie Ruberg has a new article up on the Escapist: Won't Someone Think of the Children?

Sex in videogames: Is it corrupting our youth? Politicians and parents across the country have certainly voiced their resounding "Yes." After all, what's the world coming to when teens, lured in by the simple promise of a cup of coffee, can find themselves simulating intercourse?

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:29 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

March 31, 2006

Republik Games Suspends Production on Spend the Night MMOEG

Republik Games sends sad news...

HOLLYWOOD—March 31, 2006 — Republik Games announced today that the company had not completed an anticipated round of equity financing and as a result, would be suspending production on its flagship game, Spend the Night. The company had previously raised an undisclosed sum in two funding rounds and was well into production of the erotically-charged game.

“The past few weeks have been a rollercoaster for the company” said
CEO, Robert Coshland. “We had a single day record of 1.8 million hits on our website, we’re being included in a documentary on the future of video games, and we have over 100 people join our mailing list everyday. Unfortunately game development is expensive and attention doesn't translate into operational funds.” Coshland indicated that 12 people were affected by the shut down. “Republik Games intends to focus on raising new capital. It’s not just an incredible product—it’s a solid business proposition and we have the research, the materials, and the numbers to back it up.”

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 06:11 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

TalkSexRadio launched

From the PR wire comes this news. Hopefully they will give some coverage to sex & games.

Humorous Adult Talk Programming Comes to the Podcasting Generation

TalkingSexRadio.com, the Internet's premiere destination for adult talk, humor, advice and commentary, has thrust itself into the new podcasting craze with content for anyone who enjoys what consenting adult do, and is not afraid to talk about it.

Launched this week, the site's original programming merges the (factuality) of the Kinsey report with the straightforward advice of Dr. Phil and the irreverence of South Park. Its unique breed of adult talk radio explores the fun, indulgent world of privet pleasures that helps make life worth living.

Programming includes:
" The Mel & Phil Show - a weekly hour-long program in which real people talk about private pleasures and expose their most intimate thoughts
" Phil's P-List - a daily list of adult pet peeves
" EC Theater - vignettes of erotic expression
" TSR Skits - improve sketch comedy with an erotic twist,
" Irottik Pin-Ups- pin-ups for today's generation

"We take listeners on a fun and erotic journey the helps them explore their intimate core," said Reverend Mel, co-founder of TalkingSexRadio.com and an ordained female minister who firmly believes that religion and what goes on in the bedroom go hand-in-hand. "TalkingSex-Radio.com isn't about porn stars and celebrity sex gossip… it's about helping real singles and couples explore their private moments. It's definitely not your grandmother's radio."

Visitors to TalkingSexRadio.com can access samples all of the site's programs, while subscribers can access full-length versions of the entire lineup via streaming audio or podcasting. Plans are underway to add more audio as well as video programming.

Reverend Mel notes that the Internet, and the podcasting revolution in particular, makes TalkingSexRadio.com's unique kind of adult-themed radio possible. "Internet radio is a godsend given that it's becoming almost impossible for traditional broadcasters to talk about private moments without suffering the FCC's wrath."

Reverend Mel and her partner, Deacon Phil, previously aired The Mel & Phil Show on Internet radio from 2004-2005. Building on the show's successful formula, they teamed up to create TalkingSexRadio.com.

"We're a bit different than your average 'mom and pop' Internet radio entrepreneur," said Deacon Phil. "TalkingSexRadio.com brings adult-themed talk radio to the podcasting generation."

Phil proudly proclaims that "If you're not having fun during private times, you must be doing it wrong," he adds.

More information about the site is available at TalkingSexRadio.com

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 07:03 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

The Register: XXX Domain Delayed

The Register is reporting that the .xxx domain name may be delayed yet again: Another delay for .xxx domain.

United Press International says the US Commerce Department has raised objections to the domain, expressing concerns about the mechanisms for running the domain put forward by the domain’s proposed operator, ICM Registry. The Dominion Post first reported the story.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 07:00 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

March 30, 2006

Link of the Day - Second Life

Today's link:

Second Life

In a first for Sex & Games, I'm repeating a previous Link of the Day on purpose. After discussions with lots of people at GDC, I found that some sex content developers weren't aware of all the funkiness in Second Life. So, this is your chance and your reminder to check it out. If you're interested in sex, sex in games, emergent sex in games and you haven't played Second Life, go sign up now. It's free and fast: www.secondlife.com.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:10 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

GameDaily.BIZ: ESRB Ratings Awareness at "Historical High Point"

GameDaily.biz is reporting that awareness of video game ratings is up in its article ESRB Ratings Awareness at "Historical High Point".

The video game industry's ratings board has released new research indicating that awareness and use of ESRB ratings by parents continues to rise. This news comes not long after the launch of the Video Game Voters Network, which encourages grassroots efforts and spreading ratings awareness.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:04 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Digital Playground Registers 'Virtual Sex' as Trademark

From the "how on earth did this happen" department in conjunction with the "why didn't I think of that first" desk comes news that Digital Playground has trademarked the term "virtual sex."

Check out the AVN report here: Digital Playground Registers 'Virtual Sex' as Trademark

The trademark registration (#3014320) became official on November 15, 2005. The Virtual Sex trademark is protected against its unfair and illegal use to sell products not emanating from Digital Playground.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:01 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

March 29, 2006

How silly is this?

Legislation currently in the works in the state of Virgina (Senate Bill #368) requires that ESRB ratings be:

a square with sides not less than three inches long

Which looks like this:

Of course, this will be phenomenal for games named "M" or "Mature", but for other games, it will certainly create some incredible packaging issues. Beyond that though, such a bill is feel-good legislation.

* Mature games only account for 16% of games sold.
* 92% of the time, parents are present when video games are purchased.

(Source: The ESA's 2005 Essential Facts pdf file)

Is a silly, enormous rating sticker likely to make parents more responsible in their purchases? Unlikely.

Thanks, illspirit.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:59 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Link of the Day: Jill

Today's link:

Adult Link

TURN YOUR SPEAKERS DOWN
Jill

Jill is part American-hentai/part cartoon/part interactive porn. It's one of the more hardcore "games" I've found. In traditional hentai, there's a lead up to scenes like this. Not so here.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:52 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

GamePolitics: Exclusive Interview with Leland Yee

GamePolitics has an exclusive interview with Assemblymember Leland Yee up on their site:

"All in all," Yee continued, "I thought it was a good opportunity for me to at least correct some of the misunderstandings and put a face behind this Assemblyman Leland Yee. He's clearly not a crazy radical anti-video game [person]... What I'm trying to do is be reasonable and protective of kids... I thoroughly enjoyed the time I had on the podium at the Game Developers Conference."

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:01 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Joystiq: Leland Yee: A Missed Opportunity

Joystiq has coverage of the Murder, Sex and Censorship debate up on their site: Leland Yee @ GDC: A Missed Opportunity.

This panel should have been constructed as a one-on-one debate between Dr. James Paul Gee and Leland Yee. Gee's calm, logical arguments and professional debate style would have been more effective at eviscerating Leland Yee's ridiculous position on games.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:57 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

March 28, 2006

Gamasutra: Second Life Developer Gains New Funding

Second Life has gained new funding according to this report from Gamasutra.

Massively multiplayer online (MMO) game Second Life is free to play and allows users to create any kind of personalized clothing, vehicles, buildings and other objects, with the real-life equivalent costs being for virtual plots of land within the game or for buying in-game items and services. The game currently only has around 165,000 users, far less than the 6 million currently boosted by market leader World of WarCraft, which is a much more hardcore-style monthly subscription title, compared to Second Life's wider-aimed 'virtual world' setup.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 01:08 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

A Conversation with Mike Saenz

Who?

Mike Saenz is the designer/producer/programmer/creator of the legendary (in this field anyway) Virtual Valerie and Mac Playmate games. I found this interview with him from several years ago: A Conversation with Mike Saenz.

LG: Yes, could you give us more details as to the responses you have received from _Virtual Valerie_?

MS: It's irregular. Occasionaly we get an odd response, but on the whole it's very positive. People like the notion. It's important to look at Valerie as a conceptual piece, maybe conceptual humor? The content of the product in and of itself is not that humorous, but the notion of its existence is like a big joke. When _Virtual Valerie_ first came out people were looking at it and laughing so hard they were crying. Just the concept of an adult CD-ROM title was outrageous. That's my style of humor. I guess you would call it art-world pranksterism, which are sort of like my roots. I used to be a painter, so it's just a goofy prank, but one that got a little out of control when it became a popular product. And now people are starting to put demands on it that they don't normally put on other products.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:44 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

March 25, 2006

Link of the Day: Nude Patches

Today's link:

Adult Game Review's Nude Patches

Adult Game Reviews hosts a whole page that details patches available for games as diverse as the Sims 1 & 2 and, more recently, Oblivion.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 11:02 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

MTV: More coverage of GDC Murder, Sex & Censorship panel

MTV has an article up on the Murder, Sex and Censorship panel held at GDC: GDC panel takes "hot coffee" break.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:58 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Coverage of Murder, Sex & Censorship Panel

My "Murder, Sex and Censorship" panel brought together Prof. James Paul Gee, Assemblymember Pro Tem Leland Yee and IGDA Executive Director Jason Della Rocca.

Check out the coverage here on Game Politics, IGN, Gamasutra, Gamespot and GameIndustry Biz.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 01:27 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

GDC Wrap Up

Busy week at GDC. Mature content developers were represented in four sessions - two roundtables to discuss adult content development, a lecture on sex in games and a panel discussion between Jason Della Rocca, Assemblymember Pro Tem Leland Yee and James Paul Gee.

Look for more info here as I complete the write ups.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 01:25 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

March 23, 2006

The Escapist: Warren Spector's Gaming at the Margins

Check out Gaming at the Margins by Warren Spector on The Escapist.

Unfortunately, despite my hopes and our medium's potential, I have to be honest with you: I often find myself despairing, these days. For all the good, positive signs I see, there are an equal number of problems and pitfalls before u

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:31 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Sex SIG Dinner at GDC

Members of the IGDA Sex SIG are invited to a BYO$ dinner at:

Where: BoTown Chinese Restaurant
Address: 409 S. 2cd Street, San Jose
When: Thursday, March 23rd 6:30 to 8:00 PM

A map is provided here.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:19 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

March 22, 2006

GDC: Sex in Games Hardcore Roundtable & Sex in Games Lecture

Members of the IGDA's Sex SIG, sex content developers and those interested in what they do will be gathering today at GDC for the first and second in a series of discussions on sexual content development in video games.

9am - 10am: Sex in Games Hardcore Roundtable

12 noon - 1pm: Sex in Games Lecture

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:37 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Heroine Sheik: Learning How to Fake it

Heroine Sheik has a piece up on Orgasm Girl - Learning How to Fake It.

Some games allow us to vent our frustrations; others offer us the chance to meet new people. Still others teach us life skills… like how to share, how to manage money, or how to fake an orgasm.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:34 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

March 21, 2006

Gamasutra: SXSW Secret Sex Lives of Gamers Panel coverage

Gamasutra has coverage of the Secret Sex Lives of Gamers Panel held recently: Feature: 'SXSW: My Blue World: Game Experts Give Red Light Talk'.

Kyle is on the leadership council of the IGDA's Sex in Games SIG, where they discuss issues of sex in games, and foster new ideas for the game industry. “You don't have to be Hot Coffee, you don't have to be BMX XXX. You can be Indigo Prophecy, or Fahrenheit, or God of War, and actually have the sex fit your games and be part of the plot without seeming seedy.” And, as he points out, “We're moving towards being able to have sex in virtual worlds.”

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:21 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

March 20, 2006

Joystiq: Putting the Hardcore into Hardcore Gamer

You can't make this up: Putting the 'hardcore' into 'hardcore gamer'.

...the creators of Consolevania are offering a prize to gamers willing to bare all (literally) for their new show.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:20 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

March 19, 2006

IGDA Sex SIG passes 1/2 Million Visitors!

Thank you to all of you who have made this site a regular browsing stop. It's much appreciated. Sometime this past week, we passed our 500,000 visitor.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 05:32 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Regina Lynn: Best Way to Date: Collaborate

Check out Regina Lynn's new article, Best Way to Date: Collaborate?, on Wired.com.

Collaboradate does for online dating what Trillian does for instant messaging: It combines multiple services so you can manage everything from one place.

Whether or not this technology will eventually incorporate players in MMOEGs remains to be seen. If those worlds persist and thrive, it seems likely.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 11:39 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Game Developers Conference

Lots of members of the IGDA Sex SIG will be in San Jose this week for the Game Developers Conference. There are three different sexually themed discussions that will be taking place, Sex in Games Hardcore roundtable, Sex in Games lecture and a Murder Sex and Censorship panel. Please click here for a detailed listing. Please come by and introduce yourself!

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 11:21 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Game Daily: Spend the Night In Depth

Game Daily has a piece up on Spend the Night: In Depth.

Coshland said Spend the Night will support multiplayer gameplay for both competitive and cooperative play. The exact number of players that can enter into a game space together is still being determined. And Coshland is keeping mum on exact specifics of the gameplay. He compared the competitive gameplay to a fighting or wrestling game, minus the fighting or wrestling. Coshland promised that gameplay will make this experience much more than a giant chat world. The game will support both text and voice-over-IP chat.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 11:09 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

March 17, 2006

St. Patrick's Day & Sex

Not shockingly, I couldn't find a single sex game that featured an Irish theme. The best I could do was this e-card template. Turn your speakers down first.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:34 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

March 16, 2006

CNet: Sex Alive and Well In Video Games

CNet writer Daniel Terdiman has an article up covering the Secret Sex Lives of Video Gamers panel recently held at SXSW in Austin Texas: Sex Alive & Well in Video Games.

The panel featured the Sex SIG's Kyle Machulis.

But today, people are expressing their festishes left and right with no compunctions about letting the world know, for example, that those fetishes can be satisfied in even the most unexpected games.

While not related to sex, Terdiman also has another article up on Roomba Frogger that's well worth the read.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 06:00 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

March 15, 2006

Heroine-Sheik: Manliness Without the Muscle

Heroine-Sheik has a piece up on Manliness without the Muscle that explores an article on masculinity in an online gaming site.

It’s all about how male players in one Quake server (largely young, white males) recreate traditional expectations of masculinity in an online space. It also focuses on the performance of gender in a non-physical environment, and the construction of aggressiveness, not through muscle, but through text.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:53 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

GamePolitics: Thompson Threatens Wikipedia; Says GamePolitics Editor is "Next"

GamePolitics is a favorite site of mine - its editor, Dennis McCauley, provides consistently great coverage of legislation and censorship efforts that target video games. I check it frequently and reference it often here.

Today, I was surprised to find this on GamePolitics:

From: Jack Thompson [mailto:xxxxxxxxx@comcast.net]
Sent: Friday, March 10, 2006 1:25 PM
To: dennis@gamepolitics.com; Aaron McKenna; Curt Feldman; Tor
Thorsen; Brendan Sinclair; mattsaunderson

Subject: Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. You're next,
Mr. McCauley

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Thompson_(attorney)

Jack Thompson, Attorney
Land line: 305-xxx-xxxx, Cell: 305-xxx-xxxx
xxxx South Dixie Hwy, Suite 111
Coral Gables, FL USA 33146 xxxxxxxxx@comcast.net

One might expect this on April fools, but it seems this is real. Check out the whole story here: Thompson Threatens Wikipedia; Says GamePolitics Editor is "Next"

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 07:54 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

March 14, 2006

Update to Boston Romantic Partners of Gamers Study

A request for volunteers to participate in a study about the relationship between gamers and their romantic partners was posted here earlier this week.

The professor conducting the study wishes to clarify her intentions:

Though the current call is for the wives and girlfriends of male gamers, my full research project will also include the husbands and boyfriends of female gamers, as well as the partners of gay couples. Furthermore, I will also request participation from male and female gamers to talk directly to them about how they negotiate gaming with a relationship. Since this study is (as of yet) unfunded and I have to conduct all the interviews personally, I have to start with one demographic group before I move on to the next. I was concerned that if I put a call out to all the folks I'm interested in interviewing, I'd have to put many of them on hold until the first group was completed, which might be this summer or even fall. If, however, male gamer partners would like to email me now, I am more than happy to hold on to their contact information until I am prepared to speak with them.

Thanks to the gaming community for your interest in my research!

Send email inquiries to comm-141137828@craigslist.org

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 03:34 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

"Video Game Voters Network" Grassroots Group Launched

Just in off the PR wire...

Grassroots Group Makes Gamers' Voices Heard on Policy Issues

Washington, D.C. (March 13, 2006) – The "Video Game Voters Network", a new grassroots political network for gamers, officially launched today at www.videogamevoters.org. The website was created as a means for American adults who play computer and video games to organize and take action on important policy issues affecting the computer and video game industry.

"Computer and video games represent one of the most important new media developments of this generation. Unlike many other forms of entertainment they offer players the opportunity to explore, be creative, learn through interaction and express themselves to others," said Will Wright, Chief Designer at Maxis. "It is vitally important that we protect and nurture this new art form so that it can reach its full potential. Like most new forms of artistic expression that have come before (music, novels, movies), the primary critics of video games are the people that do not play them."

The Video Game Voters Network opposes efforts to regulate the content of entertainment media, including proposals to criminalize the sale of certain games to minors, or regulate video games differently than movies, music, books, and other media. The site, a project of the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), enables gamers to stay updated about these and other game industry related issues, to register to vote, and to take action by contacting federal, state, and local officials to express their views. Gamers over 18 years old can join the Network and/or send a letter to policymakers at www.videogamevoters.org.

"With over seventy bills to restrict game sales to minors already pending in state legislatures across the country this year, it's time for gamers to make their voices heard loudly and clearly, to let politicians know that they will no longer stand by and let games be the scapegoat for larger social problems," said ESA president Doug Lowenstein. "Gamers can join together through the Video Game Voters Network to send a strong message to politicians to let them know that gamers care, that they vote, and that they will no longer tolerate these unconstitutional, unnecessary, and uninformed attacks on this important form of entertainment."

The ESA is the U.S. association dedicated to serving the business and public affairs needs of the companies publishing interactive games for video game consoles, handheld devices, personal computers, and the Internet. ESA members collectively account for more than 90 percent of the $7 billion in entertainment software sales in the U.S. in 2005, and billions more in export sales of entertainment software. For more information about the ESA, please visit www.theESA.com.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:48 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Tracking the Growth of MMOGs

Over at MMOG Chart, there's extensive data tracking the growth of Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs). This link might be of interest to those developing or thinking of developing MMOs with social or erotic spins.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:45 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

March 13, 2006

Regina Lynn: Secrets to Cybersex Success

Wired's Regina Lynn has a new column up: Secrets to Cybersex Success.

One of the most common questions in my e-mail is some variation on this: "How do I find women to have cybersex with?"

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:26 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Heroine-Sheik: Cybersex, Genitalia and Second Life

Heroine Sheik has a new article up, If this Clit Could Talk, about purchasing naughty bits in Second Life.

When I first heard about Xcite!, I was playing SL as Velouria Collingwood, a nice girl with red hair and cool gloves, who was, boringly enough, fashioned after myself. At the time, Velouria wasn’t doing much cybering, and Bonnie thought Xcite! sounded cool.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:17 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

March 12, 2006

Wanted: Boston Area Gamer Wives & Girlfriends (for a study)

A Boston-area college professor is seeking women and girlfriends for an upcoming study:

I'm a college professor (and avid gamer :-) in the Boston-area starting a research project about the wives and girlfriends of male gamers, particularly (but not exclusively) MMORPG gamers. I'm interested in how the romantic partners of gamers negotiate/tolerate/cope with the time their husbands/boyfriends spend gaming. This spring I hope to conduct several group interviews during which I can listen to 4-5 women talk/rant/bitch about life with a gamer. Interviewees will remain anonymous in the final project and participants will be fed well for a couple hours of their time. Any leads are greatly appreciated, and my credentials will be sent to serious inquires. Thanks!

Send an email to: comm-141137828@craigslist.org

Original craigslist posting is here.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 06:02 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Lack of Funding for Schools Hurts our Children

Oh, wait... wrong headline. It's actually:

Senate panel OKs video game study

... because that's what might be hurting our kids. Video games.

Democrats Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, Hillary Clinton of New York and Dick Durbin of Illinois persuaded a Senate committee to approve a sweeping study of the "impact of electronic media use" to be organized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 01:12 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

March 11, 2006

Joystiq: Lara in Eveningwear

The original femme fatale of video games, Lara Croft, has 43 new screenshots available which show her in all kinds of attire. Joystiq carries the story: Lara models eveningwear in 43 new screenshots.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:28 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Blizzard CEO Comments on GLBT Issue

Edge Online is carrying an article on Blizzard CEO's comments on the GLBT issue which recently affected players in World of Warcraft: Blizzard CEO Responds to GLBT Issue.

"Blizzard has provided additional training to its game masters," the letter continues, "in order to give them a greater level of sensitivity when responding to similar situations in the future. Blizzard has specifically instructed its game masters that mentioning or discussing sexual orientation or gender identity in a non-insulting fashion is not a violation of the anti-harassment policy and does not constitute grounds for a warning or any other disciplinary action."

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:23 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

AZCentral.com: Sexy Female Avatars

Trevor Stokes has written an article for Columbia news service: The good news: She's sexy. The bad news: She's pixelated.

The article explores sexy females in video games.

Leather swatches decorate Whittmore's alter ego's tiny waist and torpedo-shaped breasts, hardly enough to protect her from her opponents' enormous weapons. With Whittmore at the controls, Ivy's favorite move is to smash her opponent with a head-splitting lift kick. "She knocks herself around the character with her legs," he explained, "and then cuts them with her sword."

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 12:13 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

March 10, 2006

Call for Submissions: Sex in Video Games Machinima Art Show

Submissions are now being accepted for the Machinima Art Show at the Sex in Video Games Conference

The Sex in Video Games Conference: Exploring the Business of Digital Erotic Entertainment to be held June 8 and 9, 2006 at the Lodge at Union Square, Kensington Park Hotel in San Francisco, California is now accepting submissions for the Machinima Art Show. Ten submissions will be chosen and viewed over the course of the two day event.

The machinima show will highlight the wide variety of artistic endeavors where the film makers use game engines to create unique film pieces that showcase the melding of sex with games. Please send submissions to: sfc@evergreenevents.org

Only one month left to take advantage of the Early Bird Registration! To register for the conference visit www.sexinvideogames.com.

Evergreen Events is dedicated to the enrichment of the games industry through innovative, high-quality conferences that are both informative as well as connective. Our directors have over 7 years of conference experience, including the creation of the first Casual Games Conference as well as organizing and presenting the Women's Game Conference.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:54 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Spend the Night - Screenshots released

The upcoming MMOEG, Spend the Night, has released gameplay screenshots -

Click on the shots to see larger images:

According to its site, "Spend the Night is a 3D multiplayer game where players create characters, build custom levels, and then go on erotic virtual dates. A sophisticated matching system and a robust community will keep players immersed in the action as they play cooperatively for points, upgrades, and bonus levels!"

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 07:58 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Pornography The Secret History of Civilization DVD released

A review of the new documentary, Pornography: The Secret History of Civilization DVD, is up at Digitally Obsessed.

You might expect a documentary about pornography would be a lurid, sleazy and titillating journey, using the concept as nothing more than an excuse for frivolous nudity and rampant sexuality. Perhaps if this were an MTV production, that would be the case, but here it's a smart, six-part documentary from Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato, the directors of Inside Deep Throat, a doc that explored what is probably the most famous adult film of all time.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 07:54 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

March 09, 2006

Second Life Herald: Interview with a Playboy

Second Life Herald has an interview up with MrC, "The Playboy of the Online World."

"I think he is one of the most amazing, intuitive lovers I've ever had in either world," SL escort Skittles Lollipop admitted. "He goes out of his way to learn a girl's secret desires and unfulfilled needs, and he spends all his time on satisfying her completely. His vivid descriptive skills are a rare thing in SL these days," the popular courtesan said. "Only a small handful of the men I choose to be with put that much effort and imagination into their cyber."

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:31 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Free Porn... compliments of the Church

According to this news story, Clermont Fellowship Church in Florida is hosting a "free porn weekend" this weekend to raise awareness of porn.

Unlike a similar event hosted by XXXChurch last year, this event makes its intent far more clear: the organizers feel porn is a problem that must be addressed, and they are willing to talk about it openly.

• Number of pornographic web sites: 280 Million
• People who regularly visit Internet porn web sites daily: 40 million
• Breakdown of male/female visitors to pornography sites: 65% male - 35% female
• 30% of unsolicited e-mails contain pornographic materials
• Porn revenue is larger than all combined revenues of all professional football, baseball and basketball franchises.
• US porn revenue exceeds the combined revenues of ABC, CBS, and NBC at $6.2 billion.

Posted by IanSchreiber at 09:14 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

March 08, 2006

Nerve: The Bawdiest Places Online

Sometimes, we miss an article. Here's a case in point: Nerve's A Tour of the Bawdiest Places Online.

But I easily found the best value for anyone looking for an online game, adult or otherwise: Linden Research's Second Life (http://www.secondlife.com, free basic membership). In fact, Second Life isn't really a game: you don't score points, and you literally have no goals. Your only mission is to explore a kind of lucid dream where, through 3-D modeling and animation support, you can create any world you want and just hang out in it.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:21 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

March 07, 2006

Comic Books and Murder

According to this news story, a murder suspect has used a number of aliases with ties to comics.

What's interesting is that the news story doesn't even attempt to pin the killing itself on the comic book industry; it merely points out that the connection is a strange one.

If our sister industry can get some slack from the media after so many years of vilification, perhaps there is a light at the end of the tunnel for us as well. How many years before we see news stories saying how weird it is that some murdering kid happened to be emulating a video game, rather than a headline proclaiming that games cause murder?

Posted by IanSchreiber at 09:29 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

March 06, 2006

How Men & Women Look for Things

Having made the decision to come up with a sex in games link of the day every day, you can imagine that I'd do a serious amount of surfing for such things.

What I've discovered is that sex games targeted toward women are grouped under"romantic games." These games target the woman as the purchaser and are almost exclusively couples based games. Most times, such games are designed to spice up your marriage or teach women and their partners how to expand their sexual horizons. So far, none of the games I've found are for use by the woman alone, as many of games targeted at men are. Furthermore, they are mostly board games.

With men, games are marked as "sex games". A great many of you probably already know this since that's precisely the search that got you here in the first place.

Somewhere in between this search are "erotic games".

The subtle distinction in wording is a powerful one. "Sex" implies a quick connection that goes straight for physical gratification. "Romantic" implies a connection between people and the development of a relationship of some sort.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:33 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Gamasutra: Team & Corporate Structure

This feature, Team and Corporate Structure: Is The Standard Way, The Best Way?, on Gamasutra takes a look at the traditional ways in which games are made and the structure of the companies that make them.

In a typical business market that stimulates growth in the same way as the games industry has, the number of companies seeing increasing success rises in correlation. However, although the games industry has this outstanding growth, the amount of companies failing, filing for bankruptcy and closing down is shocking in comparison to any other industry on record

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:20 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

March 05, 2006

Got Game? - Playing Around with Sex

Clean Sheets has a good article up by writer William Dean. Got Game? - Playing Around with Sex gives a good overview of the state of the nation's sex play in games, and it's an excellent read.

Synaethesia is a psych term for what happens when a person's sensual wires get crossed. You hear colors, taste feelings, see music. It's not uncommon, but until Rez it hadn't really been applied as both a sexual stimulus and an aphrodisiac. Reverse-engineering efforts to allow the trance vibrator to attach to, and be controlled by, a PC have been successful in Japan, eventually resulting in a device driver for Microsoft Windows 2000 and Windows XP. In Cyberland, you can always have your cake and eat it, too.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:39 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

March 04, 2006

Tonight: Slashdong.org Birthday Bash in Second Life

Slashdong.org, makers of the infamous SeXbox among other funky game-sex things, are hosting a birthday bash in Second Life to celebrate the blog's first bday.

World: Second Life (accounts are free at secondlife.com)

Where: Nonpolynomial Labs, Deneb (222,190). If you can't figure out how to get there, send a message to qDot Bunnyhug in world and he'll get you set up with a teleport.

When: Saturday, March 4th. Party starts at 5PM PST/Second Life World Time.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 12:10 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Kotaku: A Kinder, Gentler, De-Bustified Lara Croft

Kotaku has a report up on Lara Croft's recent mental/physical makeover: A Kinder, Gentler, De-Bustified Lara Croft (though she's still looking pretty D-cup to me).

It seems Lara is now really into nature (“She would be interested in joining the Sierra Club.” Okay…) and animals and less so into killing people (and the aforementioned wildlife). She’s also snobbier, more fashion conscious, and decidedly less chesty.

Lara's been undergoing a transformation as we reported in this item, Lara Croft: The Restoration of an Icon.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 07:59 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Voodoo Extreme: Lara's Latest Nemesis

Voodoo Extreme has screens of Lara Croft's Latest Nemesis, Amanda Evert.

Amanda Evert is an old friend of Lara Croft who was thought to be killed while excavating a tomb while back in graduate school. Little did she know that she would come back from the dead, and let's just say that the friendship isn't what it used to be...

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 07:52 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

March 03, 2006

EA: The Future is Digital

1Up is carrying a story about EA's plans for game distribution, Digital Is The Future, says EA.

Companies like Valve have spearheaded the effort to remove middlemen retailers with their Steam service, and Electronic Arts European VP of sales Dr. Jens Uwe Intat has told GamesIndustry.Biz that within the next ten years, "all entertainment media will be downloaded to a device."

While this sort of comment has been made sporadically for the last 10 years, when a giant like EA says it, it makes one take notice. Digital distribution is an important thing for makers of adult content in games who have been shut out at traditional big box retail stores.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 07:01 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

March 02, 2006

GameOn Opens Call for Papers

Anyone interested in submitting a paper on sexual content/simulation in MMOEGs?

GameOn, the 2nd annual North American Game-On Conference to be held September 19-21, 2006 at the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, USA, is accepting abstracts.

GameOn'NA 2006 is to bring together academics, researchers and games people from North America in order to exchange ideas on higher-level concepts that contribute to the field of computer gaming research.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:42 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Lara Croft: The Restoration of an Icon

For many, she was the first video vixen, the first super babe in video games. Now, Eidos is bringing her back with high hopes. While her looks never faded, her gameplay sure did.

In this article on Next Generation, Bob Lindsey talks about her comeback.

"Eidos has learned in spades that just because we make it, does not means they will come," he says. "Users are very discerning about what is a good experience and what is not. If you create a big franchise like Tomb Raider, one that has sold more than 30 million units globally, you can't afford to burn it with something that does not deliver.

"So this version is not about the launch of Tomb Raider Legend. This version is the relaunch of the franchise and Lara Croft for the next generation for a global business that includes licenses and movies."

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:36 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Violet Blue: Teledildonics Debunking

Violet Blue, author of The Ultimate Guide to Cunnilingus and The Ultimate Guide to Fellatio among others, has taken issue with a recent Wired article, Games that Get Your Groove On.

It's funny to me that the writer states these "game-related toys" are "teledildonics". Um, *wrong*. "Teledildonics" refers to sexual encounters via a web interface with a virtual partner.

Read all about it here, teledildonics debunking.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:27 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Kotaku: Documentary Maker Looking for Gamers

According to this Kotaku article, Documentary Maker Looking for Gamers, an upcoming documentary is looking for all kinds of gamers to interview. Of interest to Sex & Games readers is this piece:

• Gamers who have found love or friendship while gaming online
• Anyone with an interesting story involving video games which they would like to share with us

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:11 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

March 01, 2006

The Escapist: After Sex

The Escapist has a new column up, After Sex, by writer Bonnie Ruberg. The article explores the future of MMOEGs (massively multiplayer erotic games).

These MMOEGs are both reacting to, and taking part in, an upswing of interest in adult videogames. While they're catering to a wide-spread love of sex, they're also testing new territory, and they may be walking a delicate line. When sex is no longer a challenge or a taboo, will it still pique our interest? Will these games satiate or spoil our sexual hunger?

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:29 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

GameDaily Biz Coverage of the latest moral panic

GameDaily.biz has coverage of NIMF's recent parental warning over the adult content in the advergame for Running Scared.

Not only are video games routinely scrutinized by watch groups, but it would seem that even makers of advergames will come under fire for explicit content. New Line Cinema recently removed sexual content from a promotional game that was put together for their film Running Scared. The advergame gave "Flash player" a whole new meaning...

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:59 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Gamecloud: IEMA & VSDA Lobbyist Interview

Gamecloud is carrying an interview with the lobbyist representing the the Interative Entertainment Merchants Association (the group that represents retailers of games) as well as the Video Software Dealers Association (the group that represents video retailers/renters like Blockbuster).

Gamecloud - What will your primary mission be for those two groups?

Stuart Spencer - Overall, I am here to ensure that retailers have a voice in the debate and a place at the table. Numerous issues are hitting them at once-- piracy, restrictions on marketing, calls for censorship. Attacks on the industry, especially during an election year, will likely increase. IEMA and VSDA are sending a clear signal to lawmakers that they intend to be engaged at every level, state and federal.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:19 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

February 28, 2006

Wired: Games that Get Your Groove On

Wired's just re-published an article on teledildonics and gaming: Games that Get Your Groove On. The article features the Sex SIG's own Kyle Machulis of Slashdong.org and MMOrgy.com fame.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 12:32 PM | Discuss this post on our forums

Porn Defends Itself: Sex Shatters Minds?

In a debate between Ron Jeremy and NOW magazine editor and playwright Susan Cole discussing the effects of porn upon women, the Columbia Missourian (article link) offers this:

Most R-rated films sport images far more violent than those found in porn, [Jeremy] added, and video games bring even more violent content to an audience younger than his. He demonstrated this with a video game ad featuring a naked woman skewered by a metal pole.

Well, this is true. I was surprised to see a reference to violent video games in my porn article, but yes, it's true that some video games do contain more violence than some porn. Bear in mind that only 12% of games rated by the ESRB are rated "M", so games like this aren't a majority. (Of course, there are violent porn videos out there and un-rated violent sex games, too.) If anyone knows the advertisement Jeremy's refering to, please contact us.

Here's the interesting takeaway from it, though. I see articles like this all the time: someone pointing out that sex will eventually cause violence or shatter minds. Therefore, sexual content should be suppressed and censored. Seeing violence, however, is much more socially acceptable in our society. Consider the recent NIMF parental warning which went on about the sexual content minors were exposed to in the Running Scared game, but failed to mention anything about violence at all. If sex causes violence, what does violence cause?

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 07:47 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

February 27, 2006

GamePolitics.com Launches Video Game Legislation Tracker

From the PR wire...

GamePolitics.com launches first-ever Video Game Legislation Tracker

More than three dozen pieces of video game legislation are now pending in the United States alone! How can you juggle so much information? Not to worry - GamePolitics.com has simplified the task.

GamePolitics.com, the popular website which tracks hot-button political issues in the video game space, has launched the Video Game Legislation Tracker at http://www.gamepolitics.com/legislation.htm

This totally unique, totally free visual resource, built on the Google Maps platform, will help members of the media, elected officials, activists and gamers follow what's happening with current video game legislation.

ABOUT GamePolitics.com:

Yhe site "where politics and video games collide," GamePolitics tracks political, cultural and economic issues as they relate to video games. Launched in March, 2005 by video game journalist Dennis McCauley, GamePolitics quickly earned its place at the forefront of video game news sites by breaking the so-called "Hot Coffee" story concerning hidden sex animations in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

In addition to hard-hitting daily new stories, GamePolitics offers a podcast, issue-oriented reader polls, RSS news feed, as well as an opportunity for readers to comment on the news of the day.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 10:15 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Heroine Sheik: The Persistence of Body

Bonnie Ruberg over at Heroine Sheik raises an interesting question:

In a place where body is utterly meaningless — where, in my opinion, watching avatars fuck on poseballs isn’t sexy, it’s hilarious –, why is body so important?

Check it out: The Persistence of Body

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:23 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

More on the PSP & Porn

Desire for adult content can hasten the acceptance or development of technology, as we've seen in the past again and again. While the PSP hasn't really taken off as a gaming platform, news that it's found another purpose, well, isn't really news.

Nonetheless, I was still surprised to see that this new site, GoXPSP.com, currently has 1800 movies available for the PSP.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:14 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Kotaku: Mai Shurinai Renders

Kotaku has info and links to what new renders of video game vixen Mai Shurinai: Steamy Late Night Game Girl Renders.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:10 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

More Running Scared News...

Despite the publicity generated by the Running Scared adult game and the NIMF's subsequent sensationalism, the movie has not sent any box office records. According to Gamecloud:

...Running Scared, the R rated crime film from New Line Cinema, bombed in its first box office weekend...

See story here: Sexy Movie Promo Game Fails To Pump Box Office.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:01 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

February 26, 2006

Joystiq: "Disturbing" New PSP Ad

Joystiq has an article up this morning on a new series of "disruptive" advertisements for the PSP: Disturbing "disruptive" PS2 ad.

Sure, the male/female electrical outlet faces are pretty creepy, but the shirtless dude "watching" them is what really pushes this one over the creepy cliff.

Via Sexblo.gs.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:59 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

New Line Cinema Caves & Removes Sex Scene from Game

Gamecloud reports that the sex scene has been removed from the Running Scared movie game. The game was developed by Heavenspot.

The game was clearly labeled as being for adults and even required people to sign in using their driver's license or other government issued ID.

For a screenshot of said game, see continued post.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:28 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

February 25, 2006

Arizona Republic: Era of Erotica

The Arizonia Republic is carrying a story on how erotica is increasingly coming into the mainstream: Era of Erotica.

In the past five years, perhaps while we were all watching Sex and the City, sexuality and erotica went mainstream, creeping out of the bedroom and onto billboards, escaping the sex shop for shelves at Target. There has never before been a time in America, experts say, when sex has been this in-your-face, this gratuitous in our culture.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:50 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Regina Lynn Announced as Keynote / Other Speakers Announced - Sex in Video Games Conference

From the PR wire...

Regina Lynn, the weekly Sex Drive columnist at Wired News and the author of The Sexual Revolution 2.0 (Ulysses Press) has been announced as a Keynote for the June 8-9 Sex in Video Games Conference. A second Keynote speaker will be announced in early March.

Ms. Lynn will discuss how people interact in adult communities and why it's important for designers to think outside the game when developing user interfaces, input/output devices and in-world functionality. She draws from her own cybersex experiences as well as research into how sex in virtual spaces has evolved since the first telegraph operators fell in love over the wires.

Additional speakers include (see continued post):

* Brad Abram, the president of xStream3D Multimedia Inc, developers of the commercially successful VirtuallyJenna game, will participate in a panel about creating successful games with erotic content.

* Peter Payne, the president of Peach Princess, a company dedicated to bringing the best of bishoujo/hentai games to the United States, will speak on a panel about selling adult games.

* Phoenix Linden the lead designer for Second Life, the MMO where anything can happen and emergent sex often does, will speak on panels that explore creating successful games with erotic content and what emergent sex can teach developers.

* Dr. P. Gandor Sandos, the Sex Expert from Mypleasure.com, will speak on panels about integrating the adult and game markets and selling adult games

* Tom Hymes, the communications director for the Free Speech Coalition, the trade association for the adult entertainment industry, will participate on a panel about the morals and ethics of sex and games.

* Violet Blue, best selling sex writer, Fleshbot.com assistant editor and writer of the popular blog tinynibbles.com, will participate in a panel about turning on the player.

* Larry Walters, a prominent attorney who has developed a national reputation as a First Amendment and media lawyer who handling cases involving censorship, Free Speech and the Internet, will be appearing on a panel to discuss morals, sex, ethics and games.

* Kelly Rued from Rapture Online, Noah Dudley from Naughty America: the Game, and Robert Coshland from Spend the Night will all discuss the new trends in Massively Multiplayer Erotic Games.

According to Brenda Brathwaite, Game Designer and Chairperson of the Sex in Video Games Conference, "in selecting the speakers for this conference, we wanted to include the top figures in the industry - the real experts on the adult market, digital distribution and sex and games and we've done exactly that. The speakers are as excited about the conference as we are."

Cynthia Freese, CEO of Evergreen Events, agrees that, "this is a wonderful selection of speakers from a cross section of industries that will be able to explore the issues currently present in the evolving sex in games genre."

Attendees include members of the games industry, as well as members of the adult entertainment industry. To register for the conference visit www.evergreenevents.org.

Evergreen Events is dedicated to the enrichment of the games industry through innovative, high-quality conferences that are both informative as well as connective. www.evergreenevents.org Our directors have over 7 years of conference experience, including the creation of the first Casual Games Conference as well as organizing and presenting the Women's Game Conference.

To inquire about sponsorships contact:
Cynthia Freese
cynthia@evergreenevents.org

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:45 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

February 24, 2006

USAToday: Romance novels for women get frankly sexual

Caught this article in USA Today while traveling: Romance novels for women get frankly sexual.

"If you had said five years ago, 'erotic, hot, sexy romances,' people would have said 'What, are you crazy?' " says Kensington editor in chief John Scognamiglio. "Publishing goes in cycles. Erotica now seems to be the new hot thing."

Will this 'hot new thing' translate to games? Has it already? Some may think so given that many women are behind the MMOEGs currently in development. Nonetheless, it show once again that the market is there.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:00 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

February 23, 2006

Link of the Day: Orgasm Girl

Today's link:

Adult link

Orgasm Girl

Orgasm Girl is a classic among flash sex games and one of the most popular.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 09:08 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

MMOrgy.com: Sex in Eve Online

MMOrgy.com has a story up on sex in Eve Online, and they're also looking for a writer to cover that world.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 08:56 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

Gamasutra: Games to Get Lobbyist

In the "Finally" category comes this news from Gamasutra: IEMA/VSDA Hire Spencer As Federal Game Lobbyist

The Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association and Video Software Dealers Association, the two main trade groups of the retail side of the video game industry, have contracted Stuart Spencer as a lobbyist to represent their interests before Congress and other federal agencies.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 07:18 AM | Discuss this post on our forums

February 22, 2006

NIMF's Release & A Response

Here's the text of the National Institute on Media & Family Release: Pornographic content found in Running Scared game by New Line Cinema

"It is clear to everyone that this content shouldn't be accessible to children," said Dr. David Walsh. "New Line Cinema, should be ashamed that it thought it could get away with this tactic, without being held accountable."

1. Pornography is on the internet. If parents don't know it yet, they need to learn. The labeled "R" and labeled "mature" content found in Running Scared is the least of their proverbial worries. This game is no more accessible - far less so, in fact - than most adult content on the internet.

2. Sometimes people embellish the truth. This game is not targeted at children.

3. Being a parent comes with responsibility. Know what your kid is doing. Don't rely on movie companies and game developers to do it for you. The fact of the matter is that most everything on the internet is easily accessible to everyone. We label the content we make.

4. Sensationalism has a cost. Today, you needlessly notified about 200,000 people who would never have seen this game and to whom no one had sent a single marketing message that this game was out there. Well done. A helpful agency that wants to protect the welfare of your children decides to sensationalize it and give it as much media attention as possible. I have no problem with parental warnings when they are actually warranted. Telling me that an R-rated movie also has a mature-labeled game targeted at adults with adult content? What's next? A parental warning that there's nudity on the internet? As a friend said to me, "...they may as well be screaming about a droplet of water they found in the ocean."

5. Be balanced. Sex need not be the target of choice, but it often is.

To lift the quote from above, NIMF should be ashamed that it thought it could get away with this tactic without being held accountable.

Posted by BrendaBrathwaite at 05:37 PM | Discuss this post on our forums</