How SHOULD sex scenes in games work?

[Shirokurou]

1) Sexual tension is needed. Leading up to it or something. I don't think games have ever depicted it properly. Need to think.

2) Nudity would be friggin' appreciated. But if you can't then at least use lighting and poses to obscure the horror of the naked body. Bioware clothed sex is too hilarious for words.

3) Connection to the plot or dare I say... character development. Nah scratch that one, not necessarily needed. Awesome when present but not necessary.

4) A scene, not a mini-game.

With Tali. The cameras fade out before any actual action, and it was natural that she had so much clothes because of her biology. Also, it was funny/cute. Too many sex scenes forget that sex can be just that, funny. The dialogue and situation made me laugh, instead of being just cheesy

+1

5) Humor can help. You're sort of lamp-shading that these are sex-scenes in a video-game. Also post-sex dialogue with a character is always fun, and when played nicely can be really arousing in itself.

 

[Brandon Lum]

Hmm. In Fallout 3, there was no interaction. It was just sleeping, and then when you woke up, there was someone laying there next to you.

In Fallout New Vegas, the screen goes black, and then you get some rather humorous audio.

Seeing as in Fallout, it was a little challenging to get engaged with characters, I don't really care what they do, as long as it doesn't wreck the game.

 

[Alandoril]

It shouldn't be in games, the medium can't really handle it.

 

[blaize2010]

Sex shouldn't be in games to begin with.

It's an embarrassment to society that needs to be corrected.

but its a natural thing, a thing that happens in real life. videogames are supposed to be virtual lives basically, and you can't tell me you'd have, say, a bunch of adults hanging around for five years and no relashionships. duke nukem sex though, yes, should probably go away. makes us look like a bunch of prepubescent boys

 

[blaize2010]

1) Sexual tension is needed. Leading up to it or something. I don't think games have ever depicted it properly. Need to think.

2) Nudity would be friggin' appreciated. But if you can't then at least use lighting and poses to obscure the horror of the naked body. Bioware clothed sex is too hilarious for words.

3) Connection to the plot or dare I say... character development. Nah scratch that one, not necessarily needed. Awesome when present but not necessary.

4) A scene, not a mini-game.

With Tali. The cameras fade out before any actual action, and it was natural that she had so much clothes because of her biology. Also, it was funny/cute. Too many sex scenes forget that sex can be just that, funny. The dialogue and situation made me laugh, instead of being just cheesy

+1

5) Humor can help. You're sort of lamp-shading that these are sex-scenes in a video-game. Also post-sex dialogue with a character is always fun, and when played nicely can be really arousing in itself.

example, warden commander to morrigan: must you talk?

 

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

Well when a man pixel and a woman pixel love each very much... Seriously it shouldn't matter unless it is shown penetration or nudity. Even the latter is not that bad.

 

[Bara_no_Hime]

In Bioware games we have odd looking groping. In some games like Fahrenheit their might be odd zombie sex or steamy shower scenes. But what actually should work? Oh, and this is meant to be a question for 'games that have some sex' as opposed to 'games about sex'. You?

Mass Effect 1 did it well - artsy, with a bit of nudity, but faded to black almost immediately thereafter. Lots of classy implications without the "dry humping" of later games, which is both silly and overly explicit at the same time.

What I'd like to see is more relationship build-up when appropriate, or less as appropriate.

For example:
In ME2, Jack will sleep without you almost immediately. I like that - the scene isn't well done, but the story is. It is in character for that to occur.

On the other hand, Garrus, who just wants to have sex for fun, makes you wait until the "romance" scene. I wouldn't mind a romance with Garrus, but that doesn't feel like romance as much as it does like sex with benefits.

Liara (in one) felt rushed. You meet her, kill a few geth, and suddenly she's got feelings for you. It's a bit odd.

Actually, I liked the development of Tali in ME2. It takes time, builds, there's a test of trust followed by a deeper relationship. Good stuff. The scene, while a bit "eh", was one of the most artsy and tasteful of any of the scenes in ME2.

Not that I would have minded seeing some skin. Or her face.

Also, I didn't mind Heavy Rain that much - yes, there were some clipping issues, but the story was good enough that I ignored the technical errors. Same for Indigo Prophesy (even if the story turned the bend towards crazy street right after the first scene).

 

[zehydra]

what is the point of scenes that aren't part of the game? To further the story? Story is meant to accompany games, not gameplay to accompany the story!

if you want sex scenes, play a sex game.

I can just imagine someone walking into a convenience store in Japan, marching up to the counter, slamming down the porn game, and looking the cashier straight in the eye.

Anyways, I think that implying is enough.

People don't buy sex games in retail stores.

 

[Shirokurou]

example, warden commander to morrigan: must you talk?

I assume you mean example of sexual tension?
Didn't play Dragon Age (I think you meant DA Morrigan) or darkstalkers (In case you meant Aensland)
So... a vid would be nice. Cause as we know the Devil lies in execution.

 

[Housebroken Lunatic]

Simple implication is just fine, honestly.

Anything else just either seems gratuitous or humorous.

You mean kind of like the VIOLENCE?

I mean, how many games did the game developers of the world need to go through before they hit that "magic mark" that DIDN'T land the violence in their videogames in the land of the gratutious and/or humourous?

Come to think of it, only a depressingly few game titles actually nails it when it comes to violence that doesn't strike people as gratitous or humourous (as most of you probably know, videogames still can't get enough of exploding heads, torrential rain of blood and bisected human bodies about as durable as wet toilet paper).

But hey, at least some developers are TRYING with MULTIPLE EFFORTS to make it all realistic right?

The question is; why not experiment more with sexual content? Despite the plethora of cheesy pornographic games that most people could even barely get ahold of, the matter is pretty unexplored (for your typical hypocritical reasons in a "violence making Peter Jacksons Braindead look tame in front of "the children" is okay, but an exposed female nipple will scar them for life"-kind of way).

It could probably be done in a variety of ways, if the censors weren't being so uptight when it comes to sex. I mean game developers would probably LOVE to put games on the more "mainstream" market featuring both romantic and sexual content (according to the laws of the average corporate drone brain, money can be made of things that feature sex in one way or another).

But due to restrictions from obnoxious moralists and "holier than thou"-idiots (along with incompetent parents who simply can't be bothered to control what kind of games their underage children purchase), any exploration in the realm of "sex in games" is being pretty hampered in the mainstream market.

Which is kind of a shame really. I mean, what happened to this lovely yearning for exploration? That drive that make men paint paintigs or sculpt statues never made before? Or making people ask what's beyond the horizon and actually getting their arses out of their seats and explore for themselves?

Of course it's difficult, but it sure as hell won't get any easier when moralist scumbags constantly try to spoil our adult fun by yelling "SOMEBODY PLEASE THINK OF THE CHILDREN!" in our ears all the fucking time.

My suggestion? A reasonable compromise! Let game developers go nuts with sexual content (hurr, hurr "nuts") and maybe succeed in nailing that "magic mark" that makes it all seem realistic. But! Make sure the game comes with some kind of code-lock that requires the player to be of appropriate age in order to placate the moralist parents with their "impressionable children" of the world.

That way Mr. and Mrs. Stephens won't have to worry that little Timmy (age: 10) is going to be "exposed" to any digitally rendered nipples on that digital prostitute he's in the process of gleefully cutting to pieces with a chainsaw in your average Grand Theft Auto title.

So to all you doubters out there: I know that it might seem cheesy right now with sex in games, but you have to understand that there's a reason behind the cheesyness, and that is coming from outside pressure from moralists who make it difficult for game developers to market games that feature sexual content in the mainstream arena of business.

 

[SageRuffin]

Like another said, I think implications work best. Gives the imagination a workout. Also, sometimes the most minute detail is the most telling one.

I say the kiss in Jade Empire had far more impact than any scene in BioWare's later ventures (save perhaps Dragon Age, but the fact that the characters' underwear was left on made the scenes look really awkward).

 

[Zechnophobe]

So, I guess the bottom line for me:

"Clothed Sex" is stupid looking. I'd rather fade to black than obvious insanity
"Nude Sex" is fine, but not necessary
"Romantic Activities" other than sex would make everything a bit more believable.
Sex in the context of the actual game would be nice.
Relationships that are deeper than 'sex + flirting' would also be awesome.

 

[Rockchimp69]

Sex shouldn't be in games to begin with.

It's an embarrassment to society that needs to be corrected.

Let me guess, your someone who has rejected sex either because you think it's animalistic and don't see the appeal or you associate it with whoever in your life has been getting it while you haven't (Jocks or whatever). So you've come up with some feeling of superiority about not being "driven by it".

Please don't take this as me being intolerant or confrontational.

 

[razelas]

what is the point of scenes that aren't part of the game? To further the story? Story is meant to accompany games, not gameplay to accompany the story!

if you want sex scenes, play a sex game.

I can just imagine someone walking into a convenience store in Japan, marching up to the counter, slamming down the porn game, and looking the cashier straight in the eye.

Anyways, I think that implying is enough.

People don't buy sex games in retail stores.

Apparently you don't know Japan. [http://www.moeside.net/weblog/2007/12/01/inside-akihabaras-ero-stores/] [PG-13, No nudity]

 

[Sovereignty]

I can't tell you how many times innocent flirting has in one random instance turned into sex in my real life.

As such I don't feel it's too odd for that to be the way it happens in games. Spontaneous and random. It's much better then flirting with a character, holding their hand for a week, and planning to screw on Thursday of next week.

 

[Je Suis Ubermonkey]

Tali.

Not just ME2, but with the ME1 stuff as well. If you have to make an effort or at least wait through two good length games it helps negate the
"hello"
"hello"
"wanna hump?"
"OK"
effect. Yes that is the technical name for it.

 

[zehydra]

what is the point of scenes that aren't part of the game? To further the story? Story is meant to accompany games, not gameplay to accompany the story!

if you want sex scenes, play a sex game.

I can just imagine someone walking into a convenience store in Japan, marching up to the counter, slamming down the porn game, and looking the cashier straight in the eye.

Anyways, I think that implying is enough.

People don't buy sex games in retail stores.

Apparently you don't know Japan. [http://www.moeside.net/weblog/2007/12/01/inside-akihabaras-ero-stores/] [PG-13, No nudity]

my bad, I realize they have those in Japan. I meant here.

 

[Housebroken Lunatic]

Important is that it should be sensual and gentle.
Not erotic, because....well it just looks like porn.

... Well, speaking from real life experience here, "sensual and gentle" might be the realistic way the first time you have it with a brand new partner. (mostly due to the fact that it's a pretty scary boundary to cross, especially with someone that you truly care about etc. etc.)

But after those first few times, sex tend to be more like it is in porn (in my experience at least).

So if the goal is to emulate realism here, then omitting the "porn-like" stuff wouldn't exactly be the correct way of doing it.

Just sayin'

 

[pulse2]

I don't mind sex scenes in games if they bear relevance, if two characters are in love and the the developers want to drive the story to the most intimate of moments with the inclusion of sex, I say go for it. I don't mind, makes a nice change from the brainless toads killing and swearing in the likes of Killzone and Gears 'because it's cool' ¬_¬. No it isn't, swaering does not make the character cooler, just reinforces the notion that games are for the immature.

Without digressing, sex mini games aren't required, I feel like that pulls away from the intimacy, God of war didn't really need it, and it was actually quite annoying, I don't mind it restoring health and all, but it just didnt seem necessary.

So yeah, it can be done, just has to be appropriate.

 

[quantumsoul]

I like the way Dragon Age: Origins did it. As more the character like you the more you could do and not just once as specific intervals. I could kiss Morrigan whenever, blood splatter face and all, while other teammates made snarky comments.

It does depend on the style of the game. If a game is really linear and scripted then so should the sex scene. A game that is more of a sandbox should allow more freedom with NPC interaction within reason.