Nudity in Games

[RedBlob]

What are your opinions about nudity in games? Meaning, PG13 type of nudity -- maybe characters shown from the back, or topless? Seeing as how games with some degree of nudity get 10x the downloads, its very tempting to add something!

We were thinking of adding something to game that is in production. It would be optional, so the player would get a warning before entering the scene, and would have an option of not viewing anything objectionable. Optionally, we could have two builds -- one censored, one not. The storyline is designed for adults anyway.

I don't feeling like sorting through 10,000 emails of complaint either, which is my concern.

[ManicMatt]

Would these characters look like those 3D models seen in your previous games? Erm.. how can I put this? They don't look attractive enough that I'd want to see any nudity on them. 

[ThreeOhFour]

Hahahaha @ ManicMatt!!!!

I would probably say that if it was done in a mature manner, with an actual reason behind doing it for reasons other than getting more downloads, I'd be fine with it.

If it was done in an immature manner, for comedy, probably would still be fine with it. Depending on whether it suits the game or not.

[RedBlob]

LOL, we've improved them substantially. They look a lot less stiff -- not perfect, but much less "zombie," kwim. Lemme see if I can dig up a clothed sample.

[RedBlob]

Jake, plus one of the dancers in a club scene. The second isn't really ready yet, but you get the idea.





This is such a conservative group. Not something I would have expected from most gamers. Keeping that in mind, I tread carefully!

[Dualnames]

Hey I liked Jacking off with zombies.
Damn, guess I'llhave to play Res4

[jetxl]

That's the weirdest rendered tutu I've ever seen.

[Radiant]

Just adding nudity to a game in order to increase the amount downloads is a very cheap shot and superficial game design - it's on the level with adding pixel hunts to artificially increase play time - and like most cheap shots, it works.

Read this article for a good example.

Also, Dutch movie producers generally add a nude scene or sex scene in the middle of the film that has no relevance to the plot. Once you get past the level of "he heh, boobies", you realize what a lousy film it actually was to need this kind of trick.

[Gilbert]

Just adding nudity to a game in order to increase the amount downloads is a very cheap shot.

And the word "rape". (Sorry AGA)

[RedBlob]

True, but its mostly Americans that are so hung up on nudity. If you speak with a lot of Europeans, its not a big deal.

I live in Africa, and there are traditional topless woman on tv all the time. Here it's not really considered nudity at all, depending on where you live.

[GarageGothic]

I don't really mind nudity, but I'm certainly not going to waste time on a crap game just because it has tits and ass (I recently had to watch Basic Instinct 2 and the only moderately interesting thing about the bloody movie was its use of that wonderfully phallic gherkin-building in London's financial district). On the other hand, if you're making an otherwise solid game where nudity has a natural part in the plot - I assume that the "club" you're referring to is a strip club? - I say go for it. I doubt it will lose you many players, and possibly gain you a few... If there's male nudity, I do hope that it will be from other character than that Jake guy though, 'cause I'm really not sure I want to see his boney white ass.

[RedBlob]

The game has a strip club in it, because Part I involves Jake working as a private detective, mostly on infidelity cases. I could put the girls in bikinis, and it wouldn't hurt the story any. I am not sexist -- it there's female nudity, there will be male nudity too. Only fair! But, we're talking very tame stuff, seriously.

[vertigoaddict]

I actually wanted to make a game about a guy who aspired to become a porn star and had to go through these 'scenes' with various characters. And it mattered on if you would go through with it as it will determine your title as a straight, gay, bi pornstar or the ULTIMATE pornstar (A title which aquires you to do something that is illegal in most parts of the world; I'm not even talking about S&M here)

But then I settled for Project Hecka, much easier to make.

I think the 3D models are good (I'd like to see Jake...ahem) anyways you can cencor it if you want, in fact it could be part of he game as a joke.

[EldKatt]

Well, this should go through the same filter as any other potentially meaningless detail in a game, movie, novel or whatever. Does it serve a purpose for the narrative or the game mechanics?

[Radiant]

True, but its mostly Americans that are so hung up on nudity.

Well, yeah. To appease those, you could add an option that creates black bars over the naughty bits, so that concerned people can turn that on.

Viz. the Spellcasting text adventures, where you would actually visit a nude love goddess in her bedroom to do crossword puzzles, unless you turned the "naughty" option on.

[Seleceus]

...but its mostly Americans that are so hung up on nudity...

As an American, I can agree with this statement, even if I don't happen to fit this particular stereotype.  We're still working on breaking through the puritanical origins of our country, and the fundamental Christian sects that have since maintained the majority of our voting population.  But consider that the largest grossing industry in the US happens to be adult entertainment.  So the closet liberals are out there, just not in charge yet!

Personally, I must reiterate the sentiments of the previous posters.  If graphics (no matter how graphic) support the story, or the purpose of the game (which may indeed be purely sexual), I see no reason omit them, as long as there's sufficient warning of the content prior to game play, or even download (that's what meta-data if for). 

As a parent, I admit to a bit of concern for what my kids are exposed to, but I take that responsibility.  I don't agree with the mass censorship of ANYTHING.  Subject matter is a personal decision, as much as faith or philosophy is, so don't let 'moral majority' dictate what you produce.  Just take responsibility for a little bit of forewarning.

[Tuomas]

Nudity is favorable and most wanted, so why not, I wouldn't mind might even go as far as playing it.

[InCreator]

It would be optional, so the player would get a warning before entering the scene, and would have an option of not viewing anything objectionable. Optionally, we could have two builds -- one censored, one not.

What a sick amount of political correctness. Hell, spoils all the fun.

If you want some tits and ass in your game, go ahead! It's your game!
I don't see much point in warning and doubting to the left and right because of this.
Frontal nudity isn't much of a shock to any sane person, especially a kid, everyone has a TV.

Dreamweb had a full sex scene in it. So did Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy
Both are superb games and scene didn't either add or remove anything significant.

But like everything, nudity should have a point in the game. Not just to be there...

[LimpingFish]

Sex in AGS games has a mixed history:

"Alien Rape Escape" was a intricate, multi-layered experiment in how anything that sounds remotely sexual will get hits*. The only nudity it contains is a blink-and-you'll-miss-it shot of a pair of pixel-ified nipples.

"Flashbax" contains a short scene of old-man masturbation, complete with animated ejaculation, which caused a lot of people to get very indignant.

"The Forgotten Element" came in for a lot of flak, because its female lead had large (clothed) breasts, something that a lot of people objected to.

Personally, I feel that nudity/sexual content can have a place in games beyond commercial toss such as
Lula 3D or Magna Cum Laude or various Hentai games.

There are half-arsed attempts to include sexual content in "mainstream" games; God of War 2, on PS2, features topless women, in a sex-based minigame that doesn't show actual intercourse, but rather a purile attempt at mis-direction (the stream of water from a nearby fountain becomes more pronounced the closer the women come to orgasm) complete with "Ooh!'s and Ahh!'s" from off-camera.

The "Hot Coffee" debacle, on the other hand, shows how adding such content can backfire, resulting in completely overblown knee-jerk reactions.

How does all of this relate to a quick shot of a topless dancer? Well, in my opinion, games that contain even remotely sexual content are prone to be lumped together with purely "pornographic" videogames.

Personally, if you feel that the nudity has a point, then I don't see any reason not to include it. Hell, even if it doesn't have a point, you are free to produce your game as you see fit, something that I wholeheartedly support.

People will react as people are prone to react in these situations, but it's their problem. Unless you want to start making games you think people will want to play, instead of the games you want them to play, I'd stick with your original plan.

*At least AGA swears that's what it was.

EDIT: Using nudity to generate hits is, to me, counter-productive. It's not something I would personally do, but it's a free world.

[GarageGothic]

"Flashbax" contains a short scene of old-man masturbation, complete with animated ejaculation, which caused a lot of people to get very indignant.

Wasn't it just Vel making so much fuss about it that it seemed like a lot of people?