Future of Sex
tagline
  • Remote Sex
  • Virtual Sex & Entertainment
  • Robots
  • Human Augmentation
  • Sex Tech
  • Dating & Relationships
  • Bizarre Bazaar 18+
  • Future of Sex Community
  • Remote Sex
  • Virtual Sex & Entertainment
  • Robots
  • Human Augmentation
  • Sex Tech
  • Dating & Relationships
  • Bizarre Bazaar 18+
  • Future of Sex Community
  • Machinery of Joy: Is AI Already Making Sexwork Obsolete?

  • Tomorrow’s Programmable Matter Sextoys Will Be Everything We Want—Whenever We Want It

  • Men’s Only Club: Does the Synthetic Companion Industry Really Have a Sexism Problem?

  • Red States, Risqué Secrets: Who’s Really Obsessing Over Sex?

  • No Hentai, Please: Japan Prosecutes AI Porn Prompters

  • Out of Sight, Out of Touch? Sweden Moves to Ban Adult Cam Performers

  • Spin Me Right Round: Cupsland’s Twirl Does Everything A Stroker Should—And More

  • We-Vibe Sextech Report: Talk, Grab a Toy, and Enjoy

Future of Sex is supported by our readers. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Home > Virtual Sex > Sex in Video Games: Landmark Moments

Sex TechVirtual Sex & EntertainmentVirtual Sex
Home›Sex Tech›Sex in Video Games: Landmark Moments

Sex in Video Games: Landmark Moments

By Future of Sex
December 17, 2016
7987
1

The progression of adult content in the gaming industry.

A steamy scene for the video game The Witches

By Tom Woodley

We stand at the edge of a new era when it comes to adult content in video games. In recent years, it has become increasingly common for games aimed at mature audiences to include nudity, sex scenes, and romance options covering a range of preferences and orientations.

But this wasn’t always the case. In previous decades, the inclusion of any sexual content provoked strong reactions from critics, consumers, and rating boards. Even today, sexual themes can attract more prohibitive age and content classifications than portrayals of criminal activities or graphic violence.

Times are changing fast, however. Every year, developers break new taboos in gaming. We’ve come a long way.

How did we get here?

Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards

A screenshot from Leisure Suite Larry, the video game.

Sierra’s smash hit was one of the earliest graphic adventure games to feature adult themes. Players took control of 38-year-old Larry Laffer on a quest to lose his virginity in the city of Lost Wages (a parody of Las Vegas).

Adapted from the first ever adult-oriented game, the text-based Softporn Adventure (1981), LSL managed to be brash, bold, and risqué, while including only brief, partial, and heavily pixelated nudity. In spite of complaints about its adult content, the game was a huge commercial success and launched a long line of sequels and spin-offs. LSL showed the world that there was a market for adult content in video games.

Dōkyūsei

Meanwhile, in Japan, an entire genre of adult video games emerged called “eroge.” In 1992, ELF Corporation introduced Dōkyūsei, the world’s first dating sim.

screen-shot-2016-12-14-at-8-59-27-pm

Following the adventures of a male high-school student, the game allowed players multiple romantic options that culminated in unabashed cartoon nudity. To progress, players needed to capture the heart of each chosen girl.

Inspiring countless imitators, Dōkyūsei changed the face of the industry, inventing at the same time the influential interactive romance novel. It thus paved the way for future and even more popular titles such as To Heart (1997) and Kanon (1999). Click here for a demo[NSFW].

Nude Raider

A nearly-nude Lara Croft lies provocatively on a bed.

While Japan forged ahead, past controversies left developers reluctant to risk incorporating adult content into new titles. So gamers made their own.

In 1996, Core Design’s bold and buxom adventurer Lara Croft captured gamers’ hearts and minds. Soon, false rumors about a built-in “nude code” for the game began to circulate. It wasn’t long before naked pictures of Lara, and the infamous “Nude Raider” patch, which rendered her naked in the game, appeared online.

Already under fire for what some perceived as the hypersexualization of their heroine, publisher Eidos Interative succeeded in limiting distribution of the patch. But Nude Raider established a tradition of gamer-developed patches and mods that continues today.

Second Life

cmtnwrkweaaxpn2

Build it, and they will come. That was the philosophy behind Linden Lab’s Second Life, which launched in 2003. SL is a massively multiplayer and three-dimensional online world emphasizing user-generated content.After its release, its player base soon grew to approximately a million members.

Users quickly discovered that, besides allowing quotidian activities such as socializing, trading goods, or even attending virtual concerts, SL was also ideal for virtual sex and provided a safe space for exploring various fetishes and fantasies.

Although avatars don’t come “equipped,” genital packs can be purchased from third parties, some of which are compatible with teledildonic sex toys—ones that can send and receive sexy transmissions over the Internet so you can feel the erotic action between avatars. SL paved the way for more adult-oriented virtual worlds, such as Red Light Center [NSFW], which debuted in 2006.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Hot Coffee mod

gta-date-adjusted

If these previous titles sparked heated controversies, the GTA Hot Coffee mod ignited a bonfire. When GTA San Andreas (2004) shipped, it included an inaccessible, interactive sex mini-game. Normally, when a player’s – avatar girlfriend invited him inside for “coffee,” sex was only implied. But once the game had been hacked, players could watch and control the action.

This was not the first appearance of interactive sex mini-games. For example, in the eroge Cobra Mission (1992,) players had to select different methods of stimulating a woman’s body to max out a pleasure meter. Just a few months before the mod was discovered, God of War also incorporated controllable sex, but left the action off-screen; players saw only a candle shaking on a bedside table.

The sight of polygonal bodies in GTA mashing together drove critics into a frenzy. The game’s rating was changed from M (17+) in the US to Adult’s Only, and refused classification altogether in Australia. Nonetheless, the episode went down in video game infamy. Another taboo had been broken.

In an expansion pack to the sequel (The Lost and the Damned, 2010), GTA would also be the first series to show realistic full-frontal male nudity.

Mass Effect series

screen-shot-2016-12-14-at-9-39-03-pm

BioWare had incorporated romantic subplots into their acclaimed RPG Knights of the Old Republic (2003) and introduced same-sex romances in Jade Empire (2005). But the Mass Effect series took things to a new level, integrating coy but cinematic sex scenes and allowing players to romance alien races.

This ruffled not a few feathers, and in the sequels BioWare removed all nudity, while eventually adding same-sex romances for male as well as female protagonists. Such a strong emphasis on player choice continued in its other RPG franchise, Dragon Age, which expanded these options to include various fantasy races.

Such games integrated elements of dating sims, originating in Japanese eroge, into much broader genres. To see the scenes in Mass Effect that caused all the fuss,  click here [NSFW].

The Witcher series

Video game The Witcher features sizzling sex scenes.

Monster hunters, sorceresses, and unicorns: The Witcher series has it all—and somehow manages to fit all three of these aforementioned elements into probably the most graphic sex scenes to date.

In CD Projekt’s trilogy, based on the novels of Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, players take control of professional monster slayer Geralt of Rivia in a massive open-world RPG. Using a fixed player-character, The Witcher excluded female protagonists and same-sex romances. But the cinematic sex scenes broke new ground. Those featuring the sorceress Triss Merigold in the ruined elven baths and Geralt’s other love-interest Yennefer riding her unicorn (not what it sounds like) set new standards for what developers could include in their games. While there was no male nudity, there was a heck of a lot of skin all round.

Although nudity was removed from the Australian version of The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, and censored in the Japanese and Middle Eastern versions of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, it’s a sign of how far we’ve come that the series’ fairly explicit sex scenes (see here [NSFW]) were given a pass in North American and European markets. Games are moving forward – in adult content just as much as in other areas.

Image sources: The Witcher’s Lair, InPixelation, たかみたくろう, Game Trailers, Dutchie Furniture Second Life Marketplace, SniperTech07, Xisildor, kinderstrudel

Future of Sex

Launched in 2011, Future of Sex has grown to become the world’s leading publication on how technology is changing human sexuality, today and tomorrow. It provides deep, insightful coverage of the edge of sex technologies and possibilities, including sex robots, remote sex, immersive adult entertainment, human augmentation, virtual sex, as well as dating and relationships.
Previous Article

Are We Finally Getting Sexy Holograms?

Next Article

Finding the Pulse of Penis Pleasure

Related articles More from author

  • Remote SexSex Tech

    Sexologist Turns Techno Beats into Sex Toy Pleasure Pulses

    October 6, 2019
    By M. Christian
  • A couple embrace in 3DX Chat, an online sex game that supports Oculus Rift.
    Remote SexVirtual Sex & EntertainmentImmersive Entertainment

    Review: The Best VR Online Sex Games for Oculus Rift

    July 16, 2015
    By Future of Sex
  • Sex TechImmersive Entertainment

    Spice Up Your Ears: Diving Into AI-Enhanced Audio Erotica

    March 4, 2024
    By A.R. Marsh, Ed.D.
  • A barely clothed woman wears a head-mounted display VR headset.
    VR PornVirtual Sex & Entertainment

    A New Contender for the ‘Netflix of VR Porn’ Title Enters the Ring

    March 20, 2018
    By Future of Sex
  • RobotsSex Tech

    Love Begins at Home: How Open Source Technology Could Give Us Build-It-Yourself Sexbots

    January 20, 2024
    By M. Christian
  • Dating & RelationshipsSex TechVirtual Sex & EntertainmentImmersive Entertainment

    Beta Phase Contenders for the Newest Erotic Chatbot Crown: Nomi & Kindroid

    August 28, 2023
    By A.R. Marsh, Ed.D.

1 comment

  1. Dave VR 17 February, 2017 at 00:52 Log in to Reply

    Hi Tom! Congrats on that post, it’s really interesting. Anyway, I think you’ll also have to mention adult virtual reality games. It’s definitely rising niche. We’re trying to create kind of Steam VR for NSFW titles, please check it out: http://gamevirt.com

Leave a reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

  • Sex Tech

    Talk Dirty to Me: Slutbot Will Teach You How to Sext

  • Sex Tech

    Self-lubricating Condom Could Be a Safe-Sex Gamechanger

  • Sex Science FictionDating & RelationshipsVirtual Sex & Entertainment

    “Sexy Action at a Distance”—an Erotic Speculative Fiction Story

Virtual Lust is a 3D interactive sex game.
3DXChat
Discover the best virtual sex parties and 3D sex worlds.
  • TOP REVIEWS

  • Project QT is the most popular RPG sex game at hentai sex game portal Nutaku.

    The Best RPG Sex Games [UPDATED]

  • Multiplayer Online Sex Games

    Review of the Best Massively Multiplayer Online Sex Games

    0
  • Harmony ai sex doll from RealDoll

    State of the Sexbot Market: The World’s Best Sex Robot and AI Sex Doll Companies ...

  • Realistic Sex Games

    Review of the Best Sex Games and Most Realistic Sex Simulators [UPDATED]

    0
  • Screenshot of a sexbot from adult entertainment game

    The Best Adult Games on Steam [UPDATED]

Fantasy sex game Dream Sex World lets you explore your wildest desires.
Multiplayer sex world Red Light Center continues to impress with its massive userbase and incredible sex graphics.
A blonde and light-skinned love doll face sppears next to the text Go now realdollxthe future is real.

Like Us on Facebook

Newsletter Subscription

Sign up for our monthly newsletter sharing the very best of the future of sex from our publication and others across the web.

DreamSexWorld offers a stunning XXX 3D world filled with incredibly interactive erotic experiences.

Like Us On Facebook

Facebook Pagelike Widget

RLC_ad_v2

Tweets by @FutureofSex
Future of Sex Report

Follow us

  • Home
  • About
  • ADVERTISE
  • Contribute
  • Story Ideas
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
© 2011 - 2022 Future Exploration Network
This website or its third-party tools use cookies to improve user experience and track affiliate sales. To learn more about why we need to use cookies, please refer to the Privacy Policy.

By clicking the agree button or continuing to browse through the website, you agree to the use of cookies. Accept Privacy Policy
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
SAVE & ACCEPT