The year is 2012.
Square Enix revealsa gameplay trailerof its upcoming action-adventure title,Tomb Raider,at E3.
And when one does include it, how far is too far?
That game ends with the player attempting to kindly the blonde woman by wiggling the Ataris joystick.
Sex-as-gameplay-reward remained a staple that cropped up in games well into the 21st century.
40% off TNW Conference!
The player controls the character on the way there, but doesnt take part in the activity.
How much is too much?
Two games were at the epicenter:Mortal KombatandNight Trap.
Senator Joseph Lieberman in particularclaimed it wouldteach a child to enjoy inflicting torture.
But thats not to say gamers themselves are immune to this sort of knee-jerk disgust over sex in games.
They thought it was a sex simulator go in and do whatever you want, no repercussions.
But Ricci said giving gamers the option to attempt to pursue those interactions was part of the point.
He said theHouse Partydevelopers themselves werent sure where the line was.
I dont see a difference between grotesque violence and sex.
I thought, Well, if this was okay, then this must be okay.
The first roadblock to answering the question, How far is too far?
is the bias of personal taste.
Too far means different things to different people.
The question of rape
All of the above covers the use of consensual sexual encounters in games.
As you might expect, the water gets ten times muddier when the topic is sexualviolencein games.
Sexual assault has, unfortunately, been in games for just as long as sex itself.
In many cases, for many publishers and platforms, lack of consentisthe line, the bridge too far.
They are unaffected by context or consumer demand.
When violence is acceptable
Theres also the aforementionedTomb Raidercontroversy.
Theres this sort of dynamic of Im going to this adventure with her and trying to protect her.
This was in response to a question about what its like developing a game with a female protagonist.
Instead shell only (only) be throttled.
The only hint left in the game is the uncomfortable groping seen in the original trailer.
For example, theres a scene at the end ofF.E.A.R.
This is an instance of non-censensual sex being used in a game without raising a general outcry.
But again, context is a hugely important factor in determining a rating assignment.
The line is still ephemeral enough that game developers can cross it without realizing they have done so.
Story byRachel Kaser
Rachel is a writer and former game critic from Central Texas.
She enjoys gaming, writing mystery stories, streaming on Twitch, and horseback riding.
Check her Twitter for curmudgeonly criticisms.
