Poll: Do people even WANT sex in their video games?
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I think it all comes down to the talent and attitude of the developers. If they can animate the characters so the "action" is believable, and it serves a narrative purpose, sure, go for it. Just because some games might be poorly animated and gratuitous doesn't mean ALL games should avoid it. I mean, I wouldn't expect to see hardcore penetration, but games should be able to do whatever the other entertainment media does. Films contain sex. TV shows contain sex. Books contain sex. Musicians sing about sex. Why shouldn't games also show sex, where appropriate?
I think Witcher 2 and 3 are two games that did a good job, maybe not with the random prostitutes, but scenes with Triss, Yennefer and Keira. [Spoilers] For example, in TW2 there are two potential sex scenes with Triss in act 1 (the first is mandatory, the second depends on dialogue choices). When Triss gets kidnapped at the end of act 1, and Geralt spends the rest of the game risking his life to save her, the player understands why because those scenes have helped to establish the depth of their relationship.
I think Witcher 2 and 3 are two games that did a good job, maybe not with the random prostitutes, but scenes with Triss, Yennefer and Keira. [Spoilers] For example, in TW2 there are two potential sex scenes with Triss in act 1 (the first is mandatory, the second depends on dialogue choices). When Triss gets kidnapped at the end of act 1, and Geralt spends the rest of the game risking his life to save her, the player understands why because those scenes have helped to establish the depth of their relationship.
It's a puzzle in HuniePop, and it's genius. Basically, you're frantically matching shapes on a grid to create a chain reaction of collapsing tiles symbolic of your lady partner's pleasure. If you fail and lose momentum, you can just keep trying... but it's awkward. So you keep your head down and work at it, with no time to gaze upon the erotic image of your lover presented alongside the puzzle. Really captures a particular type of sexual encounter.veloper said:
I'm not unreservedly recommending the game though, on account of a particular hidden character. Because it can get a little uncomfortable.
Wait, somebody seriously said that? Woah.Zhukov said:
So, it's a strong male who is all muscly, is really good at fighting, knows magic, but is (almost) emotionless also happens to have a no nonsense attitude, gets laid all the time with women and apparently he's pretty much a chick magnet. But he isn't, at all, a wish fulfillment. Sure...yeah.
I'm going with the fade to black, primarily because I know some people like it. I honestly could care less, and find the romance system more interesting in most games than the actually "romance" itself. The acting and dialog are typically horrible, but can be good from time to time (as in very rarely). That said, even though I don't enjoy it, I know others do so why nix it all together. Perhaps make it an option you can toggle on or off for the fade to black for people who want to see it?
Thanks everyone for the input.
The reason there isn't an "all of the above" option, is because if I included it, I thought everyone would choose that option. I think we would all like to see a hardcore AAA sex scene for the novelty of it, if it doesn't already exist. Also everyone would see that option and go "choosing one is hard, you know, I can watch all of them" which doesn't tell me anything. What I wanted to know what kind of sex did people most prefer, what were they comfortable with, or what did they consider optimal for enjoyment. Might have been a bad idea, I thought it was a great idea.
Well I tried. The reason is because I wrote this at 5 in the morning because of another thread about sex games, and wrote that tl;dr as the best witty conclusion I could come up with, so I could go to sleep. To rephrase that for better or for worse, I wouldn't call a sex scene mature to justify its existence, at the end of the day it's "high-brow pornography" or something.CaitSeith said:
The reason there isn't an "all of the above" option, is because if I included it, I thought everyone would choose that option. I think we would all like to see a hardcore AAA sex scene for the novelty of it, if it doesn't already exist. Also everyone would see that option and go "choosing one is hard, you know, I can watch all of them" which doesn't tell me anything. What I wanted to know what kind of sex did people most prefer, what were they comfortable with, or what did they consider optimal for enjoyment. Might have been a bad idea, I thought it was a great idea.
I like my games to have as much sex as my real life, none. I'm against all romance in my games, much more fun to just have violence without any of that strange stuff. I'm saying this as a 26 year old male virgin who never had a sex ed course.
Well, the best kind of sex scene is the one that fits the best to the narrative. The real problem with games is that developers aren't good at representing it as something meaningful (or even visually appealing when using 3D models). So while they manage to pull the authenticity of sex correctly, I think something indirect (more implied than exposed) will be better.A Fork said:
I've read a number of the books as well as played the games and this is the first I'm hearing about some sort of Witcher pheromone thing. The wiki also mentions nothing of the sort.DoPo said:
Incidentally if you want I can go into why I don't consider Geralt a 'Mary Sue', but perhaps that's better left for another thread if you're genuinely interested.
Wait, what? No.Jute88 said:
Triss has a thing for Geralt because, as childish as it seems, she's envious of Geralts relationship with her bf Yennefer, something she's never had. As for why Geralt would have a thing for Yennefer and other sorceress, it's because they're similarly sterile and long lived in the Witcher setting giving both something to commiserate over. Also he just likes Yennefer, and through her was introduced to a number of other sorceress who regard him as a bit of a novelty.
No magical aphrodisiacs or drugs or anything of the sort.
Oh, I wouldn't actually think he is a Mary (or Marty) Stu. He does happen to have way more agency than them for one and actual flaws. He can still be portrayed as wish fulfilment, though. At least by the games - I've not read the books.The Madman said:
Different strokes for different folks. I'm the kind of person who is very comfortable with all manner of displays of sexuality, and actually enjoy them in many instances (I'm currently really digging Senran Kagura Shinovi Versus which is ALL about dat fanservice).
I think by and large, it all comes down to intended audience. If the intended audience is one who appreciates sex in video games, then by all means, give them sex in video games. The issue lies in games where the intended audience may be more broad, not necessarily in age or maturity, but in sensibilities and draw.
If we look at games like Mass Effect or The Witcher series, which have a lot of sex, ranging from underwear barbies humping to softcore porn. Many cases can be made that there is a sizable audience for both games in terms of gameplay, story, setting, etc. that may not be comfortable with that level of sexuality. I actually think it's a mistake for game companies to attempt compromise in this case, because while I still believe the best way to include sex in video games is to make it optional (ala romance subplots), ultimately if you try to appeal to the "sex is awesome" crowd while still keeping things tame enough to not offend the other side, you ultimately end up with a product that alienates both. In the case of The Witcher 3, many longtime fans of the series "mature elements" were letdown by the tameness of the sex scenes present, and likewise the more reserved fans felt it was much too much. Granted it certainly didn't hurt the game overall, as it won many awards and sold very well, and I'm sure there were some who were perfectly satisfied with the level of sexuality presented in the game, but it ultimately felt like an unnecessary sacrifice, especially since all the sex scenes in the game were optional (though an argument could be made for blindly stumbling into one or two of them)
I think sex in games is fine, but I wouldn't try to convince those who dislike them for whatever reason to play the games where that is present, nor do I feel that sex should ever be shoehorned into a game to try and appeal to that "crowd" (though having sexy characters is another story). There's a diverse and wide enough games market out there to clearly allow for everyone to have their cake and eat it too.
I do admit to frequently being disheartened however by my fellow gamers who take their distaste for sex in video games into the realm of slander against those who do enjoy it. I know I can't really change anyone's opinion of course, but I think it's worth mentioning that there's a common stereotype I see where fans of such content are considered "horny losers who can't get any in real life" or some common variant, and while it's clearly offensive, I think it does a great disservice to such discussions about sex in video games when one side is left completely unrepresented for fear of ridicule and mockery rather than attempt at rational understanding.
I think by and large, it all comes down to intended audience. If the intended audience is one who appreciates sex in video games, then by all means, give them sex in video games. The issue lies in games where the intended audience may be more broad, not necessarily in age or maturity, but in sensibilities and draw.
If we look at games like Mass Effect or The Witcher series, which have a lot of sex, ranging from underwear barbies humping to softcore porn. Many cases can be made that there is a sizable audience for both games in terms of gameplay, story, setting, etc. that may not be comfortable with that level of sexuality. I actually think it's a mistake for game companies to attempt compromise in this case, because while I still believe the best way to include sex in video games is to make it optional (ala romance subplots), ultimately if you try to appeal to the "sex is awesome" crowd while still keeping things tame enough to not offend the other side, you ultimately end up with a product that alienates both. In the case of The Witcher 3, many longtime fans of the series "mature elements" were letdown by the tameness of the sex scenes present, and likewise the more reserved fans felt it was much too much. Granted it certainly didn't hurt the game overall, as it won many awards and sold very well, and I'm sure there were some who were perfectly satisfied with the level of sexuality presented in the game, but it ultimately felt like an unnecessary sacrifice, especially since all the sex scenes in the game were optional (though an argument could be made for blindly stumbling into one or two of them)
I think sex in games is fine, but I wouldn't try to convince those who dislike them for whatever reason to play the games where that is present, nor do I feel that sex should ever be shoehorned into a game to try and appeal to that "crowd" (though having sexy characters is another story). There's a diverse and wide enough games market out there to clearly allow for everyone to have their cake and eat it too.
I do admit to frequently being disheartened however by my fellow gamers who take their distaste for sex in video games into the realm of slander against those who do enjoy it. I know I can't really change anyone's opinion of course, but I think it's worth mentioning that there's a common stereotype I see where fans of such content are considered "horny losers who can't get any in real life" or some common variant, and while it's clearly offensive, I think it does a great disservice to such discussions about sex in video games when one side is left completely unrepresented for fear of ridicule and mockery rather than attempt at rational understanding.
I would actually agree with that.DoPo said:
Witcher 3 does a pretty good job of portraying Geralt personality wise, but definitely ramp up his badassness compared to the books while also toning down some of his shortcomings for obvious gameplay reasons. As an example in the books his magic is pretty shitty, especially compared to any actual mages from the setting who tend to regard Wither signs as a bit of a joke. Meanwhile he's also a bit less of a playboy in the books since he tends to spend more time moping over Yennefer than the 'pick a waifu' the games provide.
In the books he also gets his ass kicked a fair bit, but for some reason spending weeks in recovery after a nasty wound gained trying to fight some random swamp monster for barely enough coin to pay the hospital bill is seen as a poor gameplay decision.
Really, it's all about context.
Does it serve a purpose? Does it develop the characters? Does it advance the plot? Is it more meaningful than some cheap fanservice?
It definitely has a place in story-driven games, but it still has to be handled carefully. Otherwise, it just turns into GoT-level fanservice and is only there to drive the M Rating home.
Good example: Katawa Shoujo. It might be a visual novel, but as far as the sex goes, it's handled quite nicely, fits the characters, and isn't overdone. After all, sex is a healthy part of a romantic relationship, so it'd be a little weird if it were absent completely. Still, the sex isn't there for its own sake; it truly does help to develop the characters.
Bad example: The God of War series in general. Although that might stem from that one time a student came into the Tech Center on campus, brought his own copy of GoW 3, and just played the sex scene over and over until we told him to leave. Still...it just kinda felt like it was there for its own sake, and didn't really do anything to develop the characters or advance the plot.
Does it serve a purpose? Does it develop the characters? Does it advance the plot? Is it more meaningful than some cheap fanservice?
It definitely has a place in story-driven games, but it still has to be handled carefully. Otherwise, it just turns into GoT-level fanservice and is only there to drive the M Rating home.
Good example: Katawa Shoujo. It might be a visual novel, but as far as the sex goes, it's handled quite nicely, fits the characters, and isn't overdone. After all, sex is a healthy part of a romantic relationship, so it'd be a little weird if it were absent completely. Still, the sex isn't there for its own sake; it truly does help to develop the characters.
Bad example: The God of War series in general. Although that might stem from that one time a student came into the Tech Center on campus, brought his own copy of GoW 3, and just played the sex scene over and over until we told him to leave. Still...it just kinda felt like it was there for its own sake, and didn't really do anything to develop the characters or advance the plot.
I agree with most of what you said, but there is clearly something in witchers that witches find attractive instinctively, or atleast Triss does. In the book Blood of the Elves Triss avoids one of the witchers (can't remember his name, Co?n, Lambert?), but she senses that, whatever Geralt has that gives her this wonderful feeling, this other witcher has a lot more of it, and Triss doesn't want to ruin this special thing she and Geralt may have.The Madman said: