Romance, Sex and Sexy Games

I’ve been thinking about sex (and romance) this week…in relation to gaming. I know sexy is in the eye of the beholder and what you find sexy, may be totally different from me. That’s okay. We all have something that just makes us smile. For this post I want to clarify: I don’t mean “hentai”, the more explicit vein of "dating simulators,” or straight-up porn. Some of these games or games that feature/incorporate these elements as part of the gaming action have their own appeal if you are open to them. I’m not throwing any stones, it’s just not what I’m after in this topic.

How to explain? What I mean is the difference between watching “Girls (or Guys) Gone Wild” and reading some passionate classic literature or poetry. It’s NIN Closer versus Tom Jones coyly singing, “What’s New Pussycat?” It’s the difference between going to a bar for a semi-anonymous hook-up versus a random moment, when maybe you are out walking and pass by someone who smiles or says hello in a way that is just sexy and feels like a bonus to your day. Perhaps sexy would be a better operative word for this post.

I’ve been thinking about games that have sexy elements, either intentionally or unintentionally. I’ve been wondering if games can ever reliably be sexy or if games can only have “sex” or “romance” as viable gameplay options. Would a sexy game be purely incidental?

I think an added “spice” of sexiness in a game isn’t a bad thing, so long as it is not the only thing a game offers. Sexy elements should not override good game mechanics, gameplay, or story as appropriate. It strikes me that most of the time game designers cover the “sexy” quotient by having their lead characters dress provocatively. While I think sexy can encapsulate this, there could be other ways to do this, while not crossing any lines inappropriate for the game’s tone or audience (The assumption here is that the game is for mature customers. I do not EVER want a sexy Mario. EVER.) I propose there are different means to show sexiness: voices, character dialogue, flirty dialogue, character movement, provocative dress and of course characters with great intellect to name a few (Intellect is ridiculously sexy, by the way). There are many ways to express it without escalating to a Not Safe For Work level.

Often, I see sex portrayed in games in a very obvious push of “pron” aspects (God of War’s hot tub scene and the Playboy: The Mansion games come to mind, though there are plenty of others). Depending on the nature of the game this may be appropriate, but it’s not necessarily sexy, just sexual. I also come across games with romance tracks. I think romance is harder to pull off successfully for designers. I also note there seems to be some unevenness about offering romance options to male and female player characters. Yet again romance may be appropriate, but it may not necessarily be sexy.

For one example, in the RPG “Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn” players who choose a male character have a selection of women to pursue, all with various personalities, voices and temperaments. Female characters have one choice - a paladin who is at points whiney, arrogant, repulsed by you but “just can’t help himself.” I found him neither particularly romantic nor sexy…but he did get 2 points for being persistent.

Another example from discussions with friends seems to get it partially right. Female characters can get to know Carth, from Star Wars: Knights of The Old Republic. Overall in my opinion, he made a better romance track character than in my prior example. Carth is a “nice guy with a troubled past type," romantic. Male characters can finesse a romance with the sultry-voiced and petulant Bastila. I remember many of my male gaming friends talking about how sexy this character became for them as they played and listened to her speak. It appears there was more effort to let Bastila bring " the sexy" while Carth brought…"the nice." Nothing wrong with nice. Nice can be sexy...though not so much here.

But there are some games that seem to be closer to the mark. Mass Effect did a solid job with the romance for both sexes and really did try to work the sexy angles by adding some flirty dialogue with more depth than usually offered in such games. Certainly, when you and your intended finally decide to cross that line, the game designers did their best to portray sexy without crossing visual lines toward straight-up sex. I thought they did pretty well, even if some people were all up in arms (for erroneous reasons too, as it was reported later). Fable 2 I hear continues its tradition of letting you choose to be a horn-dog, family man (or woman), or someone in between. Even with the fun of choices or a solid sexy execution ina cut scene ( and some dialogue must give credit), sexy still seems more incidental than intended.

In the end, a game really doesn’t have to feature sexy elements to be wonderful. Game designer's won't lose money and players won't miss out on fun. Still, I am a fan for encouraging sexy in games geared toward mature players where it’s appropriate….I'd just like to see more diverse creative expressions of sexy. It certainly couldn’t hurt. It would be like french vanilla ice cream on a hot apple pie. Just a little something extra, to make you smile.

Am I missing out on some games? Can you name a sexy game that isn’t all romance but isn’t all “bow-chicka-bow-bow” either? When was the last time you played a game and experienced a moment that struck you as sexy? Is it a recent or an older game and do you think it was intentional? Do you think sexy there should be more sexy games? Are sexy elements something programmers can ever knowingly incorporate into a game or is it just too personal a choice to code?

Thanks for looking!