Yesterday’s post is well and good, but it’s all just sexy hot air if it can’t deliver. Translation: the real test of the (humble) Sex and New Games Journalism theory is whether or not it’ll hold up in an actual review. And the thing about actual reviews is, well, you need something to review. So then the question at hand becomes: what game would be right for a pioneer Sex & NGJ experiment? Anything blatantly sexual would be too… obvious. Then again, something really G-rated (I’m thinking puzzle games) would probably be a bit of a stretch - though it might be downright funny. Frankly, the whole thing isn’t that serious; I mean, I’m serious about the ideas behind it, but there’s no reason not to have fun with it, and this thing could turn out pee-in-your-pants funny. Maybe something more action/adventure based, with a little survival horror mixed in for good measure, an Eternal Darkness type title. Or perhaps, to be able to clearly see the effects the game, I’d have to review a new release, something I’m playing for the first time, instead of after the second or third semi-numb run-through. Anyways, the point is, I’m open to suggestions.
Then it’s off to find a site that actually wants to publish a Sex & NGJ review. Hmm, that’ll make for some interesting pitch letters, and even more interesting responses. “Dear Ms. Ruberg, we thank you for your interest, but currently IGN does not consider “sexiness” as an appropriate category by which to judge our games. We are very glad to hear that [insert title here] has inspired you to learn how to manipulate a controller one-handed, but we are not sure that our younger readers would appreciate hearing this story as much as we have…”
In other news, check out some colorful new pics from our trip to the Nintendo World Store, either by clicking “images” above, or using the flickr tag link on the left hand side of the site below.
August 20th, 2005 at 9:27 pm
Horribly enough, I can think of two options:
1. Go with an actual porn game. I actually reviewed one once (all screenshots were “safe for work” kind - I’ll leave off the link so I don’t seem like a karma whore), and it was a weird experience. Mainly because the company requested we try out two of their games (Peach Princess), I figured “What the hell”, and gave it a shot.
Man, what an uncomfortable experience. “Hey, honey, I’m writing a review about a porn game!” Yeah. My wife understood, and the company complained a bit when I mentioned what a niche product it was, but it was done. But it was about as far from arousing as I thought a game could get.
2. You know, I actually found myself a litle aroused by Jill Valentine in the Gamecube remake of “Resident Evil” (which was the first time I ever played the game). I have a thing for either women in glasses, plaid skirts - or women who can probably kick my ass. And in the game, she was attractive without being a D-cup standard gaming bimbo (a la “BloodRayne” or some other kind of drivel). I didn’t have a problem watching her backside jogging up the stairs, even if those pesky zombies kept getting in the way of potential fantasies.
OK, probably TMI already. Good luck on the project, and let us know when it’s done :).
August 21st, 2005 at 2:29 am
Sexy games…interesting. Probably the single most “arousing” game I’ve played in recent memory would be Vampire: the Masquerade Bloodlines. There were numerous characters in the game that made roleplaying a “sexy” vampire more appealing. Did I play the game one-handed? No :) But I did replay several scenes, and visit several areas more than once because of the sex factor. Vampires in and of themselves have a seductive and dangerously sexual overtone.
As an aside, I found Bloodlines to be a whole lot better than reviews might have made it out to be.
August 21st, 2005 at 7:06 am
Thanks for the suggestions, guys!