Dragon Age - Why is Sex in Games Bad ? Editorial at Inc Gamers

I agree that sex, when done badly in games, suck. No big deal though. A bigger problem for me would be a badly done romance. Love is hard to portray and most of the time it ends up being cliché and more or less sexist (Madonna/whore and White knight/bad-guy).

I could see having that in a game, Anderson, but I hope it's not in a crpg. Some type of advanced SIMS game, maybe. I really want the focus in crpgs to be on the stats/exploration/combat. Others would prefer more of a storybook game where you are one of the stories' characters. That type of roleplaying holds zero interest for me, but some here like the Planescape type of games and this sounds like where you might be headed. A story-driven game about finding someone and falling in love. It makes me want to puke

As D-gan pointed out, I'm much more likely to read Penthouse than Harlequin romances. I'm male. To me, romances in crpgs are like having to read a badly written Harlequin romance. I'd rather just have a real sex scene, or much much preferably, just skip the whole idea. Leave sex AND romance for the Sims, I'd rather take down a dragon or find a dusty old tome with a forgotten spell in it.

It's funny how the word 'sex' means so many different things to everyone. To some it means sex acts to others it means romance, no wonder it's hard to get people to agree.
I don't favor sex acts in rpgs because that makes them sex games, not rpgs. That being said, I don't find realistic nudity offensive. Like in Risen, the prostitute bathed fully clothed in her dancing costume.. doh! That was anti-immersive. The 'date' with the prostitute was handled fine though, with a little 'blackout' and some light conversation afterwards. Some of you will say there was 'sex' in the game and some will say there wasn't , we just need to define our limits a little better and producers of rpgs can and will listen. I hope.

Originally Posted by SveNitoR
A bigger problem for me would be a badly done romance. Love is hard to portray and most of the time it ends up being cliché and more or less sexist (Madonna/whore and White knight/bad-guy).

Absolutely true. Videogames have a looooong way to go when it comes to creating believable characters/personalities and interactions. Mostly, the writers rely on stereotypes and archetypes.

Originally Posted by crpgnut
I really want the focus in crpgs to be on the stats/exploration/combat. Others would prefer more of a storybook game where you are one of the stories' characters. That type of roleplaying holds zero interest for me, but some here like the Planescape type of games and this sounds like where you might be headed. A story-driven game about finding someone and falling in love. It makes me want to puke

No no, I didn't mean that. I just meant that a lot of interesting dynamics can occur — a lot of storytelling possibilities open up — when you have characters who have a love relationship (e.g., trust, competition for affection, cheating, conflicts, revelations, heroic sacrifice, etc.). I have zero interest in the kind of story you described.

But you're right: I am more interested in the storytelling aspects of RPGs than you are. It's one of the reasons I like RPGs. I've got an English major background and now work in the psychology field, and I've always loved interesting characters and a good story. I like the other aspects as well, of course (exploration, stat progression, combat).

I support anything that makes my society less puritanical.

It's just so dumb, and it's just not hot. Not ever. I know there's going to be more and more, but that doesn't change the fact that it sucks. It just sucks.

Ironically, sex in video games makes me feel embarrassed for playing them. And I watch a lot of internet p0rn without feelings of shame. The irony stems from the fact that this sex and romance is held up as a maturing of our beloved gaming art form. But it's not. I cringed and felt self-conscious watching my ridiculous half-dwarven coupling with Morrigan, despite the fact that I was the only one in my apartment. I'm embarrassed for all of us.

You're all intelligent people and I like you. But if you have anything good to say about sex and romance in mainstream video games, I'm afraid you're wrong. So wrong. It may be inevitable, but it still sucks.

There are some games I'd really like to be able to share with my kids but can't because of sex and language. Wouldn't have mind playing Fable 2 with my kid, but there's sex and homosexuality in that game, not suitable for my kid at his age. Risen would have been fun to play with him, but again sex and language prevent it.

Wish some of these sex and language 'features' could be filtered out totally via in-game menu options. That way people who want it can have it and those of us who don't want it for any of the given reasons can turn it off.

Originally Posted by TheMadGamer
There are some games I'd really like to be able to share with my kids but can't because of sex and language. Wouldn't have mind playing Fable 2 with my kid, but there's sex and homosexuality in that game, not suitable for my kid at his age. Risen would have been fun to play with him, but again sex and language prevent it.

Wish some of these sex and language 'features' could be filtered out totally via in-game menu options. That way people who want it can have it and those of us who don't want it for any of the given reasons can turn it off.

Think about your statement in the context of movies and you see how ridiculous it is …

Not really, I dont know why you'd want a kid watching a movie w/ ojectionable content any more than youd want them playing a game that had it.

While not sexual in nature, I have to say that Leilana breaking out in song at the campfire the other night was kinda cringeworthy too. Wtf was that? I was half expecting to turn around and see the whole crew playing instruments or something!

Originally Posted by xSamhainx
I have to say that Leilana breaking out in song at the campfire the other night was kinda cringeworthy too. Wtf was that? I was half expecting to turn around and see the whole crew playing instruments or something!

lol, I kinda liked that, partly because it was unexpected, and partly just because I like the woman's voice. The singer, I mean, not Leliana. Leliana was clearly lip-synching.

I found it sort of soothing, or at least pleasant. I probably would've been embarrassed, had I been watching in front of others, but it was just me and my dog. Nice thing about dogs, you know -- you can do just about anything around them, and you're never embarrassed.

I hope that games, including role playing games, will eventually diversify in their forms of expression and the topics they treat. Sex and relationship is certainly an area that has seen little skillfull treatment - if what was done made you cringe it's a sign that it was badly done, not a sign that it shouldn't been done. When you get down to it, video 'games' are just an interactive entertainment medium. No reason why it should be less able to treat sexual (but also political, philosophical, sociological) themes adequately than traditional media - it just hasn't matured in that way yet. I guess we are still in the 'silent movie' phase of the medium - if I look at the overacted love scenes in many of those, they also make me cringe…

MadGamer: I find it questionable that you would play a violent game like Risen with your kids except for the sexual themes. I would not play these with kids either, but I consider the violence to be the far more objectionable part of these games.

Sexual cutscenes are generally boring , i can not sit and watch 2' of non interactive digital sex . I did like romancing characters in DAO tho (and the boost in skills was super ). DAO is a mature game by picturing racism & fundamentalism maybe those who complaint about the "nudity" didn't play the game and failed to notice what really makes it adult .

I believe that all this noise starts from the general idea that PC games are for kids , the public must be informed that the average age of gamers is like +25 years and usually adults do not want to be told what is right to play and what is not.

Originally Posted by Yeesh
Ironically, sex in video games makes me feel embarrassed for playing them. And I watch a lot of internet p0rn without feelings of shame.

I have exactly the shame feelings although i do watch a lot of decapitation/execution clips too and in game violence does not embarrass me at all , i do agree tho with GhanBuriGhan , violence is wrong and sex is right.

Originally Posted by Yeesh
You're all intelligent people and I like you. But if you have anything good to say about sex and romance in mainstream video games, I'm afraid you're wrong. So wrong.

You're welcome to your opinion, even if your hardline stance seems a bit close-minded imo.

I want to bring up the japanese games again, there are some games which does relationships and sex really well, better than movies and better than novells, if a mainstream RPG game could reach those levels that would be super…

It is plain out pathetic in dragon age and all the other games I've seen so far from none japanese countries.

Originally Posted by GothicGothicness
It is plain out pathetic in dragon age and all the other games I've seen so far from none japanese countries.

Most japanese games with sex in them are very exploitative towards women….they have the largest adult game industry in the worlds, titles featuring rape/sex dolls etc.

I think it should be in games that are attempting to add another element of realism. I thought Gothic 2 pulled it off quite well, sex - weed - drinking etc, it suited the setting very well.

Most japanese games with sex in them are very exploitative towards women….they have the largest adult game industry in the worlds, titles featuring rape/sex dolls etc.

I am not talking about those games. I know they have a bunch of those too though.

In many japanese games the main point is the character and their development / story and their interaction… instead of an overall save the world plot….

Originally Posted by JDR13
You're welcome to your opinion, even if your hardline stance seems a bit close-minded imo.

Agreed - while I agree that most of the implementation work to date has been pretty lousy, so has it been in the majority of movies … we just forgive it more because of the titillation factor …

I'm a little puzzled as to why games should be any different from any other mainstream media. I mean, romance/sex is hardly portrayed "realistically" in movies or television where everyone is drop dead beautiful and the whimpy geek always gets the hot cheerleader eventually.

Why should games aspire to a higher standard than all the rest?

*edit* Dang, Mike beat me to it.

Originally Posted by GothicGothicness
I want to bring up the japanese games again, there are some games which does relationships and sex really well, better than movies and better than novells, if a mainstream RPG game could reach those levels that would be super…

It is plain out pathetic in dragon age and all the other games I've seen so far from none japanese countries.

Could you name/link to a few specific examples? I have absolutely no clue about the japanese gaming scene.

The article has the wrong conversation.

I don't want them in movies OR games because they're nearly universally done badly. The fun of sex is in NOT portraying it (just like anticipation and insinuation is most of the fun in a good horror film). I'd much rather see Lauren Bacall talk steamy than actually see bump and grind. Shoot, it's usually more of an embarrassed turnoff than a turn on since writers, directors, designers, and especially studios just use it as a cheap device for titillation's sake. It's the easy way out to develop tension in a story and I don't think I've ever "graded up" because of its inclusion.