At the Sex in Games Conference a few months back, one of the big points that got stressed about sex-based games was that interactivity gives games a sexy edge over straight pornography. It seems a title like VirtuallyJenna should be a prime example of that: porn 2.0, thanks to interactivity.
We’ve talked a lot about what exactly interactivity is–and one of the definitions that comes up again and again is the ability to impose your will on an environment. But I never expected a game to take things quite so literally.
VirtuallyJenna isn’t about what you can do with a famous porn star, it’s about what you can do to her–or, moreover, what you can make her do. (”How would YOU fuck Jenna?… Make her do whatever you want!”) Being part of the action is secondary at best. Theoretical turn-on number one: your ability to control.
Bonnie Ruberg is a sex, technology, and video games journalist who contributes regularly to publications like The Economist, Forbes, and The Village Voice. By day she's also a comparative literature PhD student at UC Berkeley, where she studies French, English, gender, sexuality, surrealism and perversion. You can reach her at [her first name and last name, all one big word] AT gmail DOT com.
August 9th, 2006 at 5:00 pm
There’s a 2 page spread *ahem* (sorry) in one of the biggest Australian national newspapers on sex in gaming – not bad coverage from the mainstream press.
http://www.theage.com.au/news/games/adults-only/2006/08/08/1154802893878.html
But it’s still lightweight and pushing all the usual buttons.
“But shameless flesh-flashing, as in the abominable BMX XXX, which featured topless bicycle riders and strippers, is not going to earn the industry respect. Nor is the tacky voyeurism of games such as Dead or Alive: Xtreme Beach Volleyball, Rumble Roses or Playboy: The Mansion – titles all designed to titillate, with game and story elements almost secondary to the objectification of female characters.”
They do use the term “Poke-the-doll”, which I think is hilarious and should have the usual conservative groups spluttering into their coffee. especially if their daughter or son has one of these: http://www.plushfriends.com/g20090.html.
August 10th, 2006 at 5:52 pm
Maybe we need to have “sex” with AI characters that aren’t such passive fuck dolls.
August 11th, 2006 at 12:36 am
Agreed, and we also need to celebrate my birthday – today!
Yes, I know this is off-topic. I just wanted to post something cheerful here, for once, instead of my usual crankiness.
August 11th, 2006 at 10:40 am
Hooray for birthdays! Eat cake; be merry; jump around like a weirdo because no one can stop you because it’s your fucking birthday!
In France, they mostly celebrate saints’ days instead of birthdays–the holiday of the saint that has your name. But I’m not sure about a St. BrainFromArous… :-).
August 12th, 2006 at 1:27 pm
BrainFromArous was the patron saint of the Merovingians.
It didn’t work out.