Feature: 'Developing Sex In Games'

In today's main Gamasutra feature, journalist Bonnie Ruberg talks to 23-year game industry veteran Brenda Brathwaite about developing sex in games, working on Cyberlore's Playboy: The Mansion, and the International Game Developers Association's Sex Special Interest Group. In this extract, Brathwaite discusses some of the issues around including sexual content in video games during this highly charged period where "issues make developing [games that include] sex, and publicizing it, tricky business": "Indeed, in many ways sexual content and its development are not unique, despite commonly-held misconceptions. “There is this natural assumption that sexual content equals hardcore and that's not the case at all. Like anything else, there is a range... from kissing and flirting to hardcore sex, and developers don't need to have the whole range in their games.” Continued Brathwaite, “Like any other form of content,” there's a time and a place; “it works best where it naturally fits.” As with many other types of gaming, “the key to a good sexual game... is allowing the player freedom of choice and expression.” Adult content in and of itself is nothing new. “Sexually graphic game content is just the latest expression in a long, long, long line of such expressions. Every new technology – printing press, photographs, telephone, television, computer, Internet, VCR, video game – has become a means of showing sexual content. Though the technology has changed again and again, the sexual content is pretty much the same as it's always been.” " You can now read the full Gamasutra feature on the subject, including more information on the Sex SIG, issues in creating controversial content for games, and possible ways to overcome that stigma (no registration required, please feel free to link to the article from external websites).