How Star Wars: The Old Republic Handles Sex

[Keane Ng]

How Star Wars: The Old Republic Handles Sex

Though BioWare made a name for itself in the videogame sex field with Mass Effect, the studio's upcoming Star Wars MMOG will keep things mostly PG, though it'll still have moments with a "romantic feel and vibe," whatever that means.

Now that BioWare has established that gay people don't exist [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/91299-Do-Gays-Not-Exist-in-Biowares-Star-Wars] in Star Wars: The Old Republic (or at leas the word "gay" doesn't), they can feel free to just ruin the party for everyone altogether. Despite having something of a reputation for being frank and forward-thinking about sex in games, BioWare will keep it clean in their Star Wars MMOG.

Apparently BioWare's not creating this world on its own terms so much as it is on the terms of the Star Wars universe and sort of franchise vibe as a whole. Since sex is never really explicit in the movies or the stories from which the movies take their inspiration (1940's serials), it will never have an explicit presence in The Old Republic.

Lead writer Daniel Erickson gives the example of Han and Leia's romance in the original trilogy, which he says is "always very implied," as a good example. "Even when they're being flirty, even when [Han's] being a complete scoundrel, he's doing it very understated," Erickson explained.

So BioWare's looking at classic Humphrey Bogart-Lauren Bacall movies, in which witty quips with sexual undertones do more rubbing up against each other than physical bodies, for some of their inspiration in "how you get sexual tension and romantic feel and vibe in the air without being explicit about anything." That, Erickson said, is "really staying true to the Star Wars feel."

I'm not so sure about this. I know they're making a T game here and sex in an MMOG is completely out of the question, but still, you either have it explicit or completely clean. A "feel and vibe" is just teasing.

Consider that Bogie-Bacall movies are pretty sultry (at least to me) in that what they don't say is always more scintillating than what they do. Which brings up the idea that what you keep silent always ends up manifesting itself in some way or another. This is especially true when it comes to fantasy settings where people can play out their desires. No doubt in my mind, somewhere in The Old Republic, there'll be wookie sex happening. It won't be actual, literal wookie nookie programmed by BioWare, but it'll be real enough for the people doing it. There is no escaping this.

[Via MTV [http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2009/06/05/sex-in-star-wars-the-old-republic/]]


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[Anachronism]

As much as I praise BioWare for the way they handled sex in Mass Effect, I can't say I have any problem with this. I know that in ME they handled it more tastefully and maturely than almost any other studio could have done, but I completely agree with them that it would be somewhat out of place in a Star Wars game.

They've done romantic subplots without sex in plenty of games before ME; they've proved that they can do romance very well regardless of whether or not there is sex. In this case, I think sticking to the tone of the original movies is definitely the best decision to make. This is, after all, a Star Wars game.

Of course, I still question the "gay people don't exist" idea, but that's a different issue.

 

[PhoenixFlame]

Moves like this are the result of Bioware's relative newbishness to the MMO world. I can get behind it being T for Teen and setting their expectations accordingly because of the mass appeal of the audience, but, the OP is right, some kind of sexualization will happen as the result of the players' rather, well, "unique" take on online interaction.

In a supposedly story-driven game, omitting the opportunity for players to have the freedom they had in Mass Effect of KOTOR will only mean they'll find a way to get what they want in other ways. Take from that what you will.

Gotta love MMOs. Admittedly though, this isn't a big deal.

 

[Cuniculus]

Just because they had sex in one game, doesn't mean they are obligated to have it in every game to follow. They did fine without sex up until Mass Effect came out, so I see no reason why they can't just decide not to have it at all in the next upcoming game. The fact that they are staying true to the Star Wars universe by not including any sex is just a good reason behind what they would have most likely chosen to do anyway.

 

[NeedAUserName]

Its not like all MMOs have sex in them anyway...

 

[IrrelevantTangent]

Damn it! I wanted to have my Sith Bounty Hunter have a threesome with two twi'lek dancing girls! DAMN YOU, BIOWARE! FRAK YOU ALL TO HELL!


(Seriously, though, how much innuendo d'you think we can expect?....)

 

[HobbesMkii]

"We think we've come up with a pleasant way to refer to sex in a way as to leave no doubt about the meaning, but without actually saying it: from now on, characters in-game will simply refer to having sex as 'making whoopie.' It should give core gamers and Sinatra fans alike a common ground in which to celebrate the merits of Star Wars: The Old Republic."

 

[skcseth]

Why do people have to insert sex into EVERYTHING in one way or another? Can't we just have one MMO without weird, "acts" between dwarfs (or I guess in this case, Wookies)

 

[soaringbiscuit]

I can see it now:

"FOX News Channel 10 with Laura Schneider. The newest Video Game console to be released from outlaw developer, maker of the perverted sex simulator, Mass Effect, has recently released a new game with the same concepts. This game is apparently based in the Star Trek universe. That's right folks, gamers who play this game have sex with Wookies and a variety of other races from Steven Spielberg's famous film. Bioware's Greg Muyzka could not be reached for comment, because right after he saw this broadcast, he killed himself."

 

[psijac]

They NEVER said gays don't exist in the Star Wars Universe. They said the labels for gay people don't exist.

During a press conference for Star Trek: TNG Someone once asked "Surely by the 24th Century they would have found a cure for male pattern baldness" Gene Roddenberry replied, "No, by the 24th Century no one will care"

although on the other hand if space is our Manifest destiny Gays have no place there. We need settlers and squatters to build lands, have kids and generally settle a place down. Even if a gay couple wanted to have kids I don't they will have room for an invitro clinic when settling a wild planet

 

[T'Generalissimo]

Why do people have to insert sex into EVERYTHING in one way or another? Can't we just have one MMO without weird, "acts" between dwarfs (or I guess in this case, Wookies)

Mostly because of that. People just like sex.

 

[BlueInkAlchemist]

They NEVER said gays don't exist in the Star Wars Universe. They said the labels for gay people don't exist.

During a press conference for Star Trek: TNG Someone once asked "Surely by the 24th Century they would have found a cure for male pattern baldness" Gene Roddenberry replied, "No, by the 24th Century no one will care"

Thank you for clearing this up. I was a little confused on the issue.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

No doubt in my mind, somewhere in The Old Republic, there'll be wookie sex happening. It won't be actual, literal wookie sex programmed by BioWare, but it'll be real enough for the people doing it. There is no escaping this.

C'mon Keane, I expected at least some mention of wookie nookie

 

[soaringbiscuit]

No doubt in my mind, somewhere in The Old Republic, there'll be wookie sex happening. It won't be actual, literal wookie sex programmed by BioWare, but it'll be real enough for the people doing it. There is no escaping this.

C'mon Keane, I expected at least some mention of wookie nookie

Or some wookie cookies

 

[APPCRASH]

I doubt they would put sex in an MMO. The next thing you hear would be "virtual rape," of a fourteen year old by some guy in his thirties.

 

[Keane Ng]

No doubt in my mind, somewhere in The Old Republic, there'll be wookie sex happening. It won't be actual, literal wookie sex programmed by BioWare, but it'll be real enough for the people doing it. There is no escaping this.

C'mon Keane, I expected at least some mention of wookie nookie

How did I not think of that.

 

[Xaositect]

Oh come on, this is Star Wars! Outside of the continual musical chairs between the Sith/Empire and the Jedi/Republic its a wonder they bother with anything else.

I grew tired of all the banality that infests Star Wars long ago, and Im surprised things like these are even a concern. I mean you only have to look at its approach to morality. Aside from a few glimmers of hope, for the longest time it has been "DONT DO THAT!!! It makes you turn evil!" and "Im evil because I like the sound of my villainous laughter as I burn down orphanages! No other explanation is needed!"

 

[samsonguy920]

Annnd thank you for that mental image of wookienookie.

"DONT DO THAT!!! It makes you turn evil!" and "Im evil because I like the sound of my villainous laughter as I burn down orphanages! No other explanation is needed!"

And you know quite well that orphanage attacked me!