Sex in Video Games
• Amorous Web, Cyber Sex
Sex in games has been around almost as long as the medium itself. With the release of games like Playboy: The Mansion, Leisure Suit Larry, and The Singles, sexual content gained a firm foothold and for the first time, ventured into the mainstream. Even casual games like the Sims started to rev things up a bit, and in on-line games, tales of “cybering” have become common place. Seeking to understand this emerging trend, developers, publishers, retailers and consumers are asking themselves: when is sex appropriate in a game? how far is too far? what will it mean for the product? for its distribution? for my company? for me? do sexual content games sell better? are they generally profitable? So far, there are no definitive answers to these questions. Sex in Video Games seeks to provide insight into this issue and provide guidelines and answers by studying the history of sexual content in games and the games industry, as well as the public and political reaction to it. In addition, the book considers ethical issues, parental and retailer responsibility, and explores the industry attempts at self-regulation and the growing issue of censorship.