Dragon Age: Origins to Feature Controversial Sexual Content

Despite the numerous controversies that resulted from Mass Effect, Bioware is planning to up the ante in terms of sex in video games with their upcoming title, Dragon Age: Origins. Mass Effect was released for the Xbox 360 on November 20, 2007 and later ported to the PC on May 28, 2008. It marked the beginning of a new franchise from Bioware, a development company best known for RPGs like Baldur's Gate and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.

Mass Effect is the spiritual successor to Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. In the science-fiction RPG, there is an optional segment where the player can engage a sexual encounter with one of the main characters of the opposite sex in the story. While nothing graphic was shown, many were upset with the suggestive content.

The video game industry has grown significantly in recent years. Once thought to be only for kids, the gaming population now contains women and the elderly. However, a vast majority of the mass media still treats video games as a kid's activity. As a result, sex has become a taboo subject for video games. Even though when nothing is often showed, even the slightest hint of a sexual encounter is enough to send sparks flying.

Even after all the controversy, Bioware decided to keep these situations in Dragon Age: Origins for the PC, Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. In fact, they are going the extra mile with sexual encounters.

Like Mass Effect, Dragon Age: Origins features a scenario where the player can trigger a sexual encounter with one of the main characters in the game. This time, the partner can be from the same or opposite sex. Furthermore, a brothel is also present within the world of Dragon Age: Origins. When visiting this place, you have a chance to spend the night with a woman, man, transsexual or even an animal.

Nothing graphics will be shown in either of the two scenarios. For the first one, the game will only show the two characters caressing each other. Everything is left to the player's imagination in the second scenario. In fact, Dragon Age: Origins has no nudity whatsoever aside from a demon with breasts exposed.

Dragon Age: Origins will be released for the PC, Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 on October 20, 2009. Partly due to the sexual content, the game is rated M for mature audience only by the ESRB. With or without these sexual encounters, Dragon Age: Origins will certainly be one of the best RPG released this year.