This is why we cant have nice things. (Oculus Rift Sex Game)

http://uk.ign.com/articles/2013/06/17/oculus-rift-erotic-adventure-game-announced

Hi Duders, The above link is to a short IGN article about an erotic adventure game for the oculus rift. What do we think about this here at Giantbomb? Personally I think its an embarrassing headline for the games industry. I recognise that the crossover between "gamer" and "horny fucking bastard" is probably quite large but It is a shame that when our industry has so many things to get excited about something like this rears it's ugly head.

Sex sells, everyone knows and the internet lives off it, so something like this is inevitable but this particular quote is infuriating, "veteran game designers who worked on the likes of Rage, the Call of Duty series, Lost Planet, Madden and Planetside 2 are working on an "Erotic Adventure" game for Oculus Rift." Whatever your views on said games, why are talented and experienced developers wasting their time on making a cheap thrill? We have the Wii U, the PS4, the Xbox One and the potential behind the Oculus rift itself! It is a shame that such talent is going to waste.

Thoughts community?!

EDIT: I've replied to a few people in a comment below but I don't think many people have seen it. So I've put it here as well.

wow didn't expect such a strong reaction from so many! Although from most people's replies I think I was not clear about why I was frustrated. Whilst I have no problem with eroticism in whatever form I do consider it to be "easy" in that it's designed to titillate and little more. I was frustrated that a group of developers who have made well known titles were making this game when they could be coming up with really interesting story/gameplay ideas.

This duder: @winternet: made a really good reply by saying that "a) veteran game designers doesn't mean good game designers" and I cant disagree with him.

And in response to the arguments about sex in video games (summed up best by @jouseldelka) "the problem is people like you who perpetuate this ridiculous belief that sexuality is disgraceful and exclusive to gamers and 'nerds.'" - I repeat, In no way do I think that sexuality is disgraceful or exclusive to gamers and nerd, buts I do think it's an easy medium and a waste of talent for an experienced developer to spend time working on.

I'd be interested to hear an argument that Sex games serve a purpose beyond "boobs" and that we should get more talented game devs on them! Some duder below posted about a spy game where you have to seduce your targets or whatever to get info, I think that would be awesome because it's got a point beyond "look tits".

THIS IS THE NICE THINGS.

a) veteran game designers doesn't mean good game designers

b) Leisure Suit Larry style game doesn't mean sex game

c) why is an erotic adventure game a bad thing?

I'm not gonna lie. I like smut stories sometimes. Don't really see why it's so bad to have games based around sex seeing as it's a natural part of our nature. Better than murder simulators right?

Here I am trying to blast some guy's brains out in my video games, and somebody comes in and whips their dick out. Keep it in your pants, pervert.

Is the fact that porn exists some kind of stain on the entire movie industry? I don't think many would say so.

Games are a medium. There are games aimed at children. Games aimed towards women. Games aimed towards sports aficionados. Games feared toward teenagers. Games about gambling, gore, religion. So why not sex?

I don't think this is something to get particularly upset about. It really isn't (or at least shouldn't be) a big deal. Sounds like some dumb idea somebody had and why not capitalise on that idea instead of just sitting on it because people will be offended, or think it's stupid? Who cares? It might actually be a bit of dumb (and sexy) fun, at least for a little while.

I like to play serious meaningful games. I like them very much. But I also like to have fun and sometimes dumb fun. Why can't I have both. Why does everybody have to jump on games that are intentionally stupid? I liked Duke Nukem Forever, it wasn't a great game by any means, but I had a good time playing it. I think Saints Row 4 looks great. Reading comments on a Gamespot video for it earlier today got on my nerves. Why can't games go all out and be wacky all of a sudden? Why does everything have to be serious?

There are alternatives for everything people. Don't want to play an erotic adventure? Don't. Play the countless other serious games that come out every year.

Erotic Adventure is a lot better than Shoot-1000-dudes-in-the-head-adventure in my books.

That's what I was thinking. I would love a new, good, Leisure Suit Larry game but since that's never gonna happen I want someone to make something similar to it because I like to have fun when I'm playing games.
You forgot the condom, you're dead

And really, is anyone shocked that a new device offering unprecedented immersion into a virtual world is having some kind of sex related thing brought to it?

I'd like to see a spy game where seducing characters was an actual mechanic in game...

what reason does the rift exist for other than virtual sex games?

Alright. First of all, butt tumblrs. Second of all. They don't even have anything to show for themselves on their website. I would have at least held off on all the doom and gloom until there's some actual proof that these people can even work a computer beyond buying a website domain. But who knows. It could be fun.

I'm pretty excited. As other people have said it's a bit odd that a solid 40% of games have us maiming and murdering people, yet the prospect of an "erotic adventure" shocks and disgusts you. In fact, I'm disgusted by your reaction.

eSTDs?

Actually they already confirmed that they will be working on a complete new larry game in the near future when the reload version is done^^

Yeah yeah, they can say that all they want.
What if it turns out to be like Magna Cum-Laude or something again.. ugh :(

I don't see what the issue is. If I can play a game where I rampage through a Somali village killing each and every single person, along with their animals, a game about sex seems tame.

Violence is worse than a set of tits. Get over it.

As long as there's an option to be the woman, or gay.

Equality, people.

You do realize sex is a universal thing right? It's not the concern of only gamers and horny bastards?

You do realize that non-gaming people watch certain movies just to see a good sex scene? Or listen to Rihanna just to get a hard on from her erotic lyrics?

The problem here isn't that this industry has an 'ugly head' that disgraces it, the problem is people like you who perpetuate this ridiculous belief that sexuality is disgraceful and exclusive to gamers and 'nerds.'

I would enjoy a sex game as much as I like seeing Monica Belluci's tits or listen to cheap pop stars talk about their pussy. Sex is fucking great, most people love it, in any form possible.

It never will be. It will be an Al lowe game not the junk they did after Love for Sail.

Would there be even a market for this? Only because it means they could do it doesn't mean it will sell.

porn drives innovation, to stifle porn is to stifle creativity,look at DVD's and the internet.

If ever there was a game with the potential for a robust modding community. Oh just think of the possible cease and desists...

This was bound to happen. I'm only surprised it didn't come out of Japan, first.

I would be interested in playing an erotic game, but as long as its something more down the lines of Catherine, instead of Leisure Suit Larry or a terrible Japanese dating simulator. If these guys have got actual ideas to make a decent erotic game, then I'd much rather play that then trying to adapt them into another genre of games.

And I wouldn't say just because it's an erotic game, doesn't mean its going to be a 'cheap thrill.' Sex can be shown tastefully, without it being reduced to mere titillation, or even not at all and just being about sex.

That being said, I don't think any great film that focused on sex marketed itself as a 'erotic adventure.'

This is just bringing us one step closer to the holosuites from DS9, take that how you will. It was bound to happen sooner or later.

I am actually glad to hear that gaming FINALLY branching out instead of triple A shooters all the time.

It's a weird North American thing to shame sex and pornography... I think it's perfectly acceptable to have this happen. But fucking imagine the Fox News fallout that would surely follow.

So it's like that thing from Demolition Man?

Eh, considering the UK is moving toward forcing ISPs to block porn by default, this might be the best I can get without phoning up (the somewhat ironically named in this case...) Virgin Media and admitting that I'm a huge pervert.

I'm glad because this image came form the comments in that article and i appreciate it more than anything else

It was bound to happen sooner or later.

Scat DLC confirmed

Eroticism ruining everyone's day, the validity of an immature medium and the children. Prudes.

gaygamer.net

Just another step closer to our Demolition Man future.

Is anyone here even remotely surprised?

Time till porn is pretty much zero for every new form of technology nowadays

I'm fine with a VR porn game.

That being said, I'm not getting the impression that's completely what this is, but the way its going to make people talk I don't suspect the developers will correct anyone anytime soon.

Then again it could be and I'm not against it.

You'd probably get a better rise out of people on the Fox News forums, bro.

I've played enough creative erotic adventure games to be okay with this. It doesn't sound great but it can be interesting -- who knows? PLAY THE GAME

Ok, now I'm on board with this rift thing.

Restaurant Wars is the next step right? Every eatery will be a Taco Bell.

@zeforgotten: I've played the Alpha and Beta of the new Leisure Suit Larry.

It's nothing like Magna Cum Laude.

It's like a reboot of the original Leisure Larry with tweaks to the dialogue and game play so it's not completely the same game, but it has all the same locations and beats the original game had. It's also written by Al Lowe and Josh Mandel, the original guys, so it's better.

That's my take on that.

I don't think this is going to be reflect that badly on the industry, even if this was made by people who've worked on big games I doubt it's going to be a big game. In itself I don't think an erotic adventure game is a bad thing, pornography seems like a perfectly valid form of entertainment to me, but on top of the industry's existing overabundance of women in games who exist to be little more than eye candy, it does make me sigh.

Meh. What about this is upsetting?

I like how their website is just text on a mediocre background. Then they go for the cheap name association with a bunch of games that people have heard of.

I think it's funny that people won't bat an eye about killing thousands of people (even innocent people), but then someone mentions the slightest TnA and people lose their shit.

People's moral compasses are so messed up in this regard it's laughable. It's sexuality duder--something that we're all equipped from square 1 with. Embrace it.

When you say "new" do you mean Reloaded? Because I know that's gonna be good but that's not exactly "new".
I want a new one, new locations, new story, new everything! .. and not terrible :P