Live Magazine February Issue February 2014 | Page 16

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Sex in video games. A topic that has
caused many a debate between
gamers, non-gamers, parents and
politicians alike. But what is it about
the presence of sex in a video game
that causes such a stir? While there
have been numerous occasions
where a game developer has used
sex in a video game in a completely
tactful way, when has a developer
crossed the line? And what is it about
sex in video games that causes such
a stir?
Almost every single civilization, both
ancient and modern, has depicted
acts of sexuality in their respective
works of art. From dramatic performances, to pottery, paintings and
even songs, sex has been a widely

stream Hollywood movie was in
Humphrey Bogart’s The Big Sleep,
although the sex in question was
inferred, instead of actually shown.
While this paved the way for more
raunchy depictions of sex in later
films, sex has been approached
in earlier (but lesser known) films
such as Flesh and the Devil (1926)
and Hell’s Angels (1930), and pornographic films have in fact, been
around since 1897. If film has been
depicting sex since before video
games, then why have so few video
game developers approac hed the
subject of sex, and why have so few
been able to pull it off?
There are a number of things that
make sex in a video game a chal-

sible on older consoles and PCs.
In fact, there was really only one
video game series that successfully
depicted sex in a DOS-era adventure game in 1987, the Leisure Suit
Larry games from Al Lowe and Sierra Games. A clever mix of comedy,
puzzles and racy adult content, Leisure Suit Larry is one of adventure
gamings beloved classics.
Graphics have come a long way
since 1987, and while a more realistic and adult depiction of sex
has been possible, it hasn’t always
been accepted from a number of
different people. There is a stigma
that haunts gaming to this day that
began in the early arcade-era of
videogames. Due to the popularity

“QUITE OFTEN, PEOPLE THINK THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE AN R18+ RATING (FINALLY!)
IN AUSTRALIA, THAT EVERY SINGLE GAME WILL SEE A LOCAL RELEASE.”
accepted topic in many creative
works for thousands of years.
The first depiction of sex in a main-

lenge for any developer, seasoned or
inexperienced. For one thing, hardware limitations (and in particular,
graphics) made sex almost impos-

of Japanese video games such as
Pac-Man and Donkey Kong, many
non-gamers and mainstream media
outlets concocted and supported