any problems with erotica in games?

[neighbour]

hi. i'm making a game that's got quite a few erotic scenes. would it affect my AGS membership to complete it?

and if you want to add something to add something, or ask me a question about my upcoming game, feel free.

[Eggie]

There's nothing wrong with sex and nudity.

It's when it becomes porn that most people have a problem with it.

But you wouldn't let that happen, right?

I mean...Who would be stupid to enough to make sex the object of an adventure game...No-one would want that.
*Chuckles in a blissfully ignorant way*

[neighbour]

but how about "porn" in a larry's leisure something kinda way?
(can't remember the name of the game. there are eight of them)

[scotch]

Leisure Suit Larry are classic adventure games, you'd be praised for making games like those..

As long as you put a waring on you can have sex or nudity in games.  That's why theres a Sex/Nudity rating thing above each game on the games page.

[neighbour]

hell, I'll need like four warning-signs just to cover the first part!
no, just kidding.

[Evil]

Intreging to some, offencive to others...

[Shattered Sponge]

Leisure Suit Larry are classic adventure games, you'd be praised for making games like those..

That's a matter of opinion.  True, pretty much everything is a matter of opinion, but, you know... yeah.

[scotch]

Well I don't like Larry games personally.. I am currently lost in LSL 6.. but, I don't think it's a matter of opinion that they are well regarded among lots of adventure gamers.

[Ghostmaker]

The LSL series is a classic one, the reason, it manages to keep the actual pornorgaphic images down to a minimum, while the dialog, while mostly consisting of sexual terms, is what was so great. Make your game, put a few warnings in it, if its to graphic, only horny men will download it, thats most of the people here (joke).

[DGMacphee]

I think there's a distinction between porn and erotica.

Porn is basically very explict, exploitive, and used only for purposes of gratification.

Erotica, on the other hand, serves more of contribution to narrative.

I use Seasons of Sakura as an example (Yes, I'm bringing up that bloody game again).

What differs between this game and other "hentai" games is that the few sex scene within the game contribute to the story.

For example, the scene where your teacher "teaches" you about sex serves as a turning point in the story -- Your character matures at this point and begins to see things differently.

I use this example in juxtaposition to other hentai games because the other games seem to be a series of overly-gratuitous sex scenes connected with a waffer thin plot.

It's similar to comparing "Blue Velvet" to "Debbie Does Dallas" -- The former is an erotic drama, and the latter is porn.

I'm okay with erotic games, but pornographic games are quite pointless.

[GarageGothic]

Personally, I never liked the "erotic" parts of the Larry games, in fact the only Larry game I really like is LSL3 and that's because of the puzzles (in parts LSL3 seemed more like Space Quest than Larry, exploring the jungle and all).

It's not that I find nudity or sex offensive, but it's so obviously only being used to sell the games. And any hint of eroticism is diluted by Al Lowe's questinable sense of humor (sure, innuendo might  be funny... for the first three minutes or so). I doubt that anyone above the age of 12 found the Larry games even vaguely erotic. It's like those teen titty flicks of the 80's, "Porky's" and whatnot, trying to be raunchy and failing in every other respect.
I think eroticism COULD be done well in games, but it would have to be treated matter-of-factly, without the  self-consciousness that you're doing anything controversial, without self-censorship (the Larry games have an Austin Powers-like approach to nudity) or without turning it into a joke for fear of offending people. And of course it would have to be justified by the story, not the other way around as seems to be Al Lowe's approach.

If you want to do it Larry-style, I doubt anyone will feel offended. If you want to do it properly, I think it'll be a difficult task, but if you succeed it'll be worth the trouble. Good luck.

[Eero]

Actually, every new part of Larry had more "erotic" parts than the last... Now if I think about that, I'd better dig out LSL7...

[Las Naranjas]

The distinction is easy.

Erotica has French dialogue.

[Igor]

Well, what i like about Larry games, is the comic edge. As a matter of fact i always found it intriguing, how some people can find a few lines/pixels that form a naked character with over-sized heads even remotely offensive/tasteless. It's a cartoon for christ sake
The funny thing is, those same people won't even blink with their eyes when they'll see some gore-violent image or game... even less if it will be a cartoon version of it.
Eh, the only thing that comes to mind is: social programming. Some things are more acceptable than the others... even though it should have been the other way around. Kind of creepy actually

Anyway, to answer Neighboor's question: go for it!

[neighbour]

i bet many of those who read this topic thinks i'm a pervert and a sexist. that's wrong. i think sex is a beautyful thing (as long as it isn't the kind were people are having sex with a random person on a public bathroom(porn)). I am not a womanizer, and i do not objectify them.

people shouldn't be offended by it just because they aren't getting any! (joke)

sex is just our way (hell. everyone's way) of showing we love eachother.

[DGMacphee]

We're probably more perverted.

"W0w! A p0st @b0ut 3r0tic@!! M@y83 th3r3 15 s0m3 pr0n!!!11!!"

[m0ds]

Oooookie doke Can we round this up now then?

m0ds

[Vel]

By the way, what happened to Kinky island?

[DGMacphee]

mods:
Oooookie doke  Can we round this up now then?

Vel:
By the way, what happened to Kinky island?  

Irony is so sweet!

No wait -- it's bitter with a twist of lime!  

[Eggie]

Neighbor: Why are you so desperate to offend us? I'm very sorry, none of us hate you and none of us think your game will be perverted or sexist.

...

pr0n!