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[IbizaPocholo]

Video games are all about agency; players having the ability to enact their will within virtual worlds… often without any constraints, at least, as long as you’re willing to grind hard enough. Speaking of grinding - sex!

Agency also has a big part to play in that, particularly in relation to consent. Games create interesting questions around consent, mainly because a group of people sets the rules and defines the extent of agency the player has, whether for the wild freedom of sex on demand in the open world of CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077 or more linear, directed experiences like Double Fine’s Psychonauts 2. So let's get sexy and talk about consent in video games and look at whether we can do it better.

 

[ByWatterson]

No

 

[TintoConCasera]

Imagine THAT scene in Resident Evil 3 remake, but with the thing gently asking for consent.

 

[Skifi28]

Scraping the bottom of the barrel as far as topics for discussion go.

 

[Wildebeest]

About the only thing I know about the story of last of us 2 is people whining about a mandatory sex scene.

 

[Hexxus]

 

[Filben]

So I watched this rather descriptive video and wondered what their point was. Surprise at the end: "there is no clear answer." apart from: "it's complicated" and: consent is about to respect someone else's wishes and body. You don't 37min for that.

I mean, it describes a lot of sex scenes and talking about consent without ever pointing out that lack of consent can also be the point in some stories. In fact, rather many stories as far as the ultimate form of non-consent goes (something that is rarely depicted in video games, but often in books and movies).

Some consent is often (probably) given off screen and should be more on screen. And kissing in Heavy Rain leads automatically to sex. Okay, valid points and could be better. But that's pretty much it in 37min video.

Then they show games with lack of player consent in games were your agency is rather how much kills do I want and with what weapon? It would have been awkward in an Uncharted game to be given the choice whether to engage sexual or not. Also, it's not Cloe's character to ask, she just takes. And yes, certainly fewer guys would have a problem with that than women (not everyone of course, but let's be real here of how many guys would seriously taking issues with her behaviour in that particular scene).

The rather poor implementation of a romantic relationship in the Mass Effect games are already known and was often discussed already.

The comparison between the Sims update and Hogwarts Legacy felt off. Sims devs were being asked directly towards a game feature being able to toggled off or not. Hogwarts Legacy devs were being asked "what's your stance on JKR?" which they answered with "we support all people". Okay, not what a specific group wanted to hear because they didn't hear their call-sign in that statement but that's what you get for the most generic and unspecific question.

Also, the reason they give for LGBTQA+ not being toggled off as "fact of life" is well-meant but still falls short. Sex (the act) or genitals are also a "fact of life" and is forced-toggled off yet and is often censored, especially in the USA where a lot games are developed and/or being published; it goes so far you aren't allowed to even see females nipples (also on Instagram and the like) . We should normalise this, too. Because only ultraconservatives would happen to have an issue with that and those are the same taking issues with gay and trans people.

But maybe that's just me growing up in a country where it was normal to go butt-naked on the beach. Well, facts of life for me it is.

 

[vodka-bull]

About the only thing I know about the story of last of us 2 is people whining about a mandatory sex scene.

Mandatory means skippable but adding to the storytelling.

 

[names are for friends]

Why would the character ask ME to give their consent though. That almost seems like rape? Ummmmmmmmmmmmm

while we're at it can we fuck off with the content warnings that waste probably hundreds of man hours (the only kind of hours that matter imo jk jk) in aggregate to appease two or three permanently histrionic people

 

[Buggy Loop]

Have these motherfuckers ever opened a book?

 

[Skifi28]

Have these motherfuckers ever opened a book?

Do you need consent from the book in order to open it?

 

[Wildebeest]

Mandatory means skippable but adding to the storytelling.

The drift of the essay is that players should not have options to control the "message" of the games because players are scum who need to be educated, but developers also should not be putting in "ethically questionable" content.

 

[Jennings]

I don't want to read about people talking about sex in video games. Just make it explicit when context demands, and optional.

 

[Madflavor]

I fucking hate this timeline.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

 

[lughnasadh123]

I don't consent to watching that video.

 

[Lunarorbit]

About the only thing I know about the story of last of us 2 is people whining about a mandatory sex scene.

Here I'll tell you more.

There's a boning scene in the basement of a weed growing operation.

 

[jaysius]

Asking the hard hitting important questions!

Have they ever seen a movie?

 

[NickFire]

Lets pretend to be smart while intentionally minimizing web traffic to our site because we aren’t so smart.

 

[Magic Carpet]

Tim Shaffer? What was his part in this video?

 

[Ezekiel_]

Edit : Needlessly mean