There’s a lot to be said about sex in video games these days. Most of it being guys shouting “FAKE”. Still, the subject of polygons getting intimate is a taboo in the western side of the industry, thanks to a combination of cultural norms and an interest in thinking about the children. And that’s something that Killer Is Dead staffer Suda 51 thinks shouldn’t be a big deal at all.
“I don’t really use [sex] as something full frontal, but sexuality is a good way to express a certain element in the game,” Suda 51 said to Eurogamer.
Maybe sexuality in games shouldn’t be as big a taboo, but at the same time I live in a country where sexuality is pretty crazy.
I think Western publishers do similar things, like with [Grand Theft Auto], going out to a strip club and other things. But I do understand that if a Western developer was to create something like [Gigolo mode] it could backfire.
Gigolo mode? Oh right, that’s the section of Killer Is Dead where you can try your luck at picking a date at various points in the game, using charm, grace and lingerie-revealing shades.
We’re at a point in western games where fan service such as this is frowned upon now. We’ve got a 50/50 skew between the genders of gamers, and it’s becoming more than obvious that this kind of content is starting to make audiences feel uncomfortable.
But it’s not something that is going to disappear over night. Like Suda 51 mentions, sexuality in games is also a result of the culture of the developing nation. Stuff like this is acceptable in Japan. But this content will most likely get its fair share of criticism this side.
Still, hopefully it won’t detract from a game that for all intents and purposes, looks characteristically crazy and fun.
Last Updated: April 17, 2013
Yolanda Green
April 17, 2013 at 12:41
Once again not something that can be judged as a whole, there are so many different factors to it and different degrees to which it gets used. At the end of the day it’s not what is being put in the game, but how it’s being put there (for the most part anyway).
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
April 17, 2013 at 12:49
If it truly drives the story then sure. By that I can then chose whether I want to play the game or not.
It’s when it gets put in to games for no reason other than just to get kicks out of it… Then it’s not cool
Yolanda Green
April 17, 2013 at 13:22
Can’t say that it really bothered me that much in games like Mass effect or The Witcher, even though my fiance and I were sitting right next to each other when the scenes occurred in both our games. Not like I was going to blame him or shout at him for it being there and vice verse. But yes, some games take it to extremes and that I am extremely uncomfortable with as a person.
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
April 17, 2013 at 12:43
It’s a sign of just how out of touch developers have become with their consumers.
Some people don’t mind. Yet others do. With things like this developers need to really be a little bit more sensitive to how they could make others uncomfortable.
Some gamers are married and don’t want these kind of things in their games because they feel it’s wrong. Others find it removes from the gameplay and is used as a distraction from the main purpose of gaming.
Other gamers don’t mind and are pretty much unphased.
There’s no real answer here as to what is ok and what isn’t.
My personal opinion? Sexuality has no place in games. That’s for real life. Just make my games fun
Admiral Chief Erwin
April 17, 2013 at 12:46
Yes, I did not buy a porn “simulator”, I bought a shooter/pilot/driving “simulator”
Andre116
April 17, 2013 at 13:08
“Porn Simulator”. Out on Kinect and PS move soon.
Rincethis: Spellalicious
April 17, 2013 at 13:11
You said, OUT, hehe hehe hehe
Andre116
April 17, 2013 at 13:15
Wonder if you’ll get points subtracted if it is out?
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
April 17, 2013 at 12:43
This
Sir Oldfart
April 17, 2013 at 12:48
that 🙂
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
April 17, 2013 at 12:50
there
Admiral Chief Erwin
April 17, 2013 at 12:53
Here
AndriyP
April 17, 2013 at 13:22
Where?!?!?!?!
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
April 17, 2013 at 13:25
Everywhere!
Admiral Chief Erwin
April 17, 2013 at 13:42
Plus somewhere else
Rincethis: Spellalicious
April 17, 2013 at 12:51
So… If that is the logic, you act out murdering people NOT in your games but in real life? 🙂
Admiral Chief Erwin
April 17, 2013 at 12:54
Yes, beware, for I am coming for you! 😛
umar bastra
April 17, 2013 at 12:52
As long as it serves a purpose, it is all good ..I Just hope it isn’t Farenheit sex scene bad
matthurstrsa
April 17, 2013 at 13:05
Nudity is natural. Violence is not.
Having said that, there are very few games where an actual sex scene is needed. You can elude to the fact that they’re going to have sex now, but why show it?
Rincethis: Spellalicious
April 17, 2013 at 13:07
I agree with 50% of this statement! hahahaha
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
April 17, 2013 at 13:17
Yes yes yes! Having the idea that you know what just happened when the screen faded to black is much more compelling than actually seeing the act.
I don’t want to see pixels knocking eachother up man!
Tauriq Moosa
April 18, 2013 at 11:05
Natural is a useless term, though, it doesn’t tell us anything. We’re as much a part of the “natural” world as plants and other animals. Secondly, even this is not true if you watch any hour of documentaries showing animal predation, cannibalism and rape. Violence does occur “in nature”.
matthurstrsa
April 18, 2013 at 11:10
A good point. What I should’ve said is that as long as the sex is consensual and practised safely, no one gets hurt (or the point is not to hurt someone). Whereas with violence, you are purposefully trying to hurt someone.
Slade Boender
April 17, 2013 at 13:17
TABOOBOO hahahaha #win
Anon A Mouse
April 17, 2013 at 13:19
Anything that drives a story or is truly essential for the gamer to be able to relate to the character is fine by me. But if something is added to the game just as an after thought or because the developer ran out of ideas then heck no. This goes for everything not just nudity and sex. I played Leisure Suit Larry even when I wasn’t supposed to (being far to young) but I played it for the laughs of him failing rather than the sex. Sure without the sex the game will not exist but if the developer decided he should go all violent on the poor woman afterwards will I still have enjoyed it? Don’t think so because that’s not what the game or story was about. The same with violent games, you know there will be violence but will sex be justified? Take Spec Ops: The Line for instance, lots of violence no place for sex. Compare that to sat Mass Effect, I feel sex and nudity will not have been just another add on since the story is about building relationships as well as killing everything in front of you, so for me it really do depend.
Sir Oldfart
April 17, 2013 at 14:22
Nice to see Suda 51 has not giving up on us yet after we bombed his last game because the gun touting West thought it was sexist. CHAINSAW LOLLIPOP FOR THE WIN!!!
Wtf101
April 17, 2013 at 14:52
Er… It is Lollipop Chainsaw
Cody
November 24, 2013 at 07:57
Story is story games game.Its gonna has the stuff.I wants the stuff.Any stuff.I don’t give a rats ass why YOU play a game but if the game tells you it has sex or violence in it YOU FUCKING KNOW whats going to be in it and if you feel icky because the sex didn’t happen just the way you wanted it to go well then thats still your problem.It sucks that 1 your not psychic and 2 theres no fucking way anyone can ever know EXACTLY whats going to happen in a game before they play it unless they watch it happen.If a game is SIMPLY about banging i honestly don’t give a shit.Fuck i don’t give a shit if someone wants to play bonetown.Not my problem.Its no ones problem and i don’t want art or entertainment possibilities to be ruined by asshats.Sir rants a lot liew your ignoring something very important.Your acting like you own the fucking world and thats simply not true.