The Likely Future of Sex in Video Game Consoles

Ever since people first conceived of using computers to play video games, they have been figuring out ways to incorporate sex into the gameplay. From Custer's Revenge, the 1982 Atari 2600 game that features the ill-fated general doing it with a Native American woman, to Manhunt 2, which was initially rated "Adults Only" and had more kink and violence than Custer could have ever imagined, sex has made its way into video games with varying degrees of success.

As technology improves, what will be the fate of games with strong sexual content? Will they replace online porn as the electronic medium of choice for those looking for some voyeuristic excitement, or will it stay only a marginal niche, popular among hormonally-charged-but-socially-inept teens and pictophiliacs?

First, let's examine the wide disparity between consoles and computers. Consoles have traditionally been targeted at youth, while PC games have much more software catering to adults. Why is this? There are many reasons, but I think the most obvious is that computers have always been more private.

Having a cartridge or disc labeled "Sex-crazed Invaders from Pluto" lying next to a console will give pause to mom, dad, or anybody who finds it. Computers allow for password-protected content, hidden files, and privacy protection. Features like these let the adult game player download and play adult video games without anybody but the extremely computer-savvy ever knowing they are even on the hard drive. Consoles simply have not traditionally been able to keep sex-themed games secret.

Things are changing, however. With downloadable content that can be saved to rewritable media like memory cards, password-protected security settings, and the ability to play some games over the internet, consoles are slowly catching up to their privacy-friendly counterparts.

It is quite possible the next generation of consoles will have more advanced privacy features, allowing for multiple password-protected user files the way a computer does, massive storage capability that will allow for plenty of privacy-protected downloadable games, and graphics that will be so lifelike as to be difficult to discern from movies.

Add in the fact that the next generation of consoles may not be media-dependent(i.e., not require a disc or cartridge to play games), and you will wind up with a system that has every bit as much potential for adult gameplay as a computer at a fraction of the price.

Once manufacturers realize the potential, I believe more sexually explicit games will come. Depending on your point of view, this could be either a very bad or a very good thing. Regardless, I'm betting sex-themed games will be coming to consoles en masse within the next 10 years.

As with every genre, expect a breakthrough sex-themed game. For platformers there was Mario, for first-person shooters there was Doom, and for role-playing games there was World of Warcraft. Perhaps this new generation of adult games will use some sort of erotic peripheral like the SOM(a USB peripheral that masturbates gamers in synchronization with certain games) for computers? Personally, I hope not, but it wouldn't surprise me.

So, if you're a concerned parent, watch out! If you're a console fan who thinks game companies need to be less uptight about sexual content, the future seems bright. Either way, consoles are going to become more adult-friendly sooner than you think.