Coast2Coast Swingers Blog

Sexuality in gaming
Sex is not new in video games, but perhaps something can be learnt from their portrayal in the movies

Sex, sexuality, and gender in gaming are hot button issues: even people who like to complain about the topics coming up can't resist weighing in. Gender history is one area I'm usually working on in some capacity or another, in addition to topics that are heavier on blood, guts, and political intrigue, so I always read discussions on sexuality and gender in one of my other pet subjects with interest. Beyond that, there is an expectation that - being one of those girl gamer types - I will write about gender issues, at least occasionally.

The recent kerfluffle over Leigh Alexander's article on mature versus juvenile sexuality in games reinforced some observations I've been making for the past few years, and highlighted a few more problems I have with the way the discussion tends to turn. Sometimes, I think it just highlights how immature the gaming community can be that we can't discuss the issue of cleavage without resorting to name-calling. Still, sex and visual culture has been on my mind recently thanks to my current research - and if being submersed in films and film culture will do anything, it will dredge up plenty of examples of good depictions of sex, bad depictions of sex, and everything in between. And to be honest, I think the gaming industry by and large has a lot to learn from the older medium of film: from the good, the bad, and the ugly.