Tetsuya Takahashi, the head of Xenoblade Chronicles ‘ Monolith Soft, has stated that he wants to create a video game with erotic and heavy themes. It reminded me of another recent confession from NieR mastermind, Yoko Taro. He told an interviewer that he wanted to make an adult video sometime during his career. It would seem that designers are becoming more open about sex in video games.
Sex, or at the very least, sex appeal, has been a part of video games from extremely early on. You hear the phrase “sex sells” over and over again, but that’s because it does. It’s one of the most fundamental desires of any living species. So when we include sex in popular media, it’s either welcomed with open arms or consumed in the privacy of our own homes. No matter how you view it, people want it and will buy it.
I think it’s crucial in society in general, but also in video games, that we accept that sex is a natural thing. There’s nothing abnormal about someone wanting to have sex, and enjoying it. So why shouldn’t we want it in our video games as well? It’s great to see that some creators are coming to the same conclusion. If Takahashi makes a new IP through Monolith Soft that features sex in the forefront, it’ll help people start to normalize it. If Yoko Taro creates an adult video, it will almost appeal to some of his gaming fans. Perhaps he’ll bring some of what he learned back to his games.
If we continue to think of sex as a terrible taboo subject, it will always be difficult to include it in video games. For the creators who are deciding they’re brave enough to integrate it, I salute you. It’s because of people like Takahashi and Taro that video games will be able to enjoy something of a sexual renaissance in the next few years, hopefully. There’s even light in the darkest of places. Take Valve cracking down on games with adult and sexual themes. Because of their stricter rules, these games are finding other platforms to call home. Once those become more popular, it will be much easier to support the adult video game industry.
I recognize that there are still people who have no interest in games that involve sex. For those gamers, there are plenty of tags, ratings, and descriptions to keep you from downloading something you don’t want. If a racy game is not your scene, you can just go on your merry way. There’s no reason to try to stop a movement within the entire industry, just because you don’t enjoy it. I’m not a huge fan of sports games, but you won’t see me standing on a soap box telling developers they need to stop making them. Other gamers love sports games, and who am I to stop their happiness? Same goes for those who frown on games with sexual content. No one is telling you to buy them, and you shouldn’t prevent others.
What do you think about sex in video games? Are we reaching a new era where it will be more commonplace? Or are we bound to backslide into a darker age of sexless games? Let me know in the comments!