BioWare writer David Gaider plans to tackle the issues of sex in video games at this year’s Games Developers Conference (GDC). He will be holding a talk called “Sex in Video Games”, which is explained below:
Games have reached the point where realistic portrayals of sex and adult relationships are possible, but what does this mean to us as developers? How much responsibility do we have in addressing issues of sexism and sexuality, and are we inadvertently making statements about what is acceptable, even when we don’t mean to say anything at all? Our industry is struggling with a conflict between the desire to be taken seriously as an art form, and the desire to avoid addressing social issues because what we make are “just games.” These things have implications on our sales, and while they can be addressed, it can only happen if we are willing to acknowledge that greater discussion of the topic within the industry is merited.
It’s really a very important topic and one that we have discussed here regarding SWTOR and BioWare before. It’s a touchy subject with a lot of misconceptions and honestly, it’s time everyone involved starts being more open about it and just discussing how we feel about the issue and the boundaries that should be in place when it comes to sex in video games. How much is too much? When is it ok? When is it part of the storyline and when is it being done purely as a means to build controversy?
Gaider is hoping this talk at GDC will help build a better understanding of all the difficulties surround sex in video games- the risks and benefits – as well as how all of this affects the developer community. If developers are not talking about these things, how can we see any change?
The exact date for this talk has not yet been set. GDC will take place from March 25th to 29th at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, CA.
