Why do main characters always have sex in films and books, but never in games?

[Maria Caliban]

Adventure games tend to have relationships in them. Indigo Prophecy springs to mind as does Dreamfall. I don't think a relationship needs to be deep and complex to qualify, but it needs to be more than window dressing. That would mean that there's:

 

1) A strong, central protagonist (or main characters)

2) That do more than kill and destroy everything in their path

 

In general, strategy games are out, as are many shooters and action titles. It

[Musopticon?]

From the top of my head I can think of only a few games not already mentioned, such as Mafia(full monty there) Max Payne 2 and Silent Hill 2.

 

Then some random ones with severe hinting, like Freelancer and Chrome. Truth to be told, those two did have more characterization that action titles usually get. Freelancer especially had a very strong cast and Trent and Jun'Ko are easy to like and honestly down to earth.

[Maria Caliban]

I don't know if I'd count Silent Hill 2. It doesn't so much have a relationship in it, as it does a main character fixated on his dead wife.

 

Hmm, then again, there was that thing with Maria. That was creepy though so I blocked it.

 

The Japanese have a whole genre of games devoted to romantic relationships.

[Bokishi]

I was playing Fear 2 and there is a female officer by the name of Stokes involved. Now if human logic would apply to games, she and the main character Beckett would definently get something going. But I a sneaking suspicion that this will never happen, which is a shame. They could at the very least share an MRE together after having blown the villains to smithereens.

 

Did you beat fear 2 yet? You will eat your words

Edited February 15, 2009 by Bokishi

[Calax]

2 things

 

One Project Origin wouldn't exactly make sense if two of the delta operatives just abandoned their mission to rut in a destroyed building like a couple of animals, that said I think kaftan will be oddly surprised when he sees the ending

 

Two, I think the major reason has been mentioned. Usually the characters are in situations where it wouldn't make sense if they had sex. I mean we point out that uncharted and it's ilk but usually the games are placing character in such situations that they wouldn't have the opportunity much less the inclination to stop in the middle of a dangerous situation and start going at it. Maybe after they were done and safe they'd do it because of the combat letdown (it's proven that when the adrenalin gets out of your system you get really really ... lustful), but during a situation where the world/whatever is at stake people usually don't stop for a moment to make sweet sweet love. Add to that the fact that most women in action games are very very shallow in terms of characterization (even if they weren't a woman in the military would probably be a complete alpha who fights with the men over the "pecking order" in terms of social status and who's best at what etc), and thus they would probably butt heads with their male counterparts rather than get along.

 

 

All in all I'd probably think it'd make sense IF they had stronger characterization and the situation made more sense. I will however give that the relationship between Tidus and Yuna in FFX (don't tell me you didn't think they were in love) probably should have been consummated. It would have made sense if they at least tried a little teenage fumbling right before heading into the fight with Sin (mainly because teens aren't exactly paragons of self control when it comes to sleeping together), even if the rest of their party figured it out, they'd be embarrassed sure but probably wouldn't regret doing it (I would wonder if a dream could reproduce )

[Tigranes]

I think a better question is, why do main characters always have sex in films and books, because it is retarded?

 

FINE I WELCOME THE INEVITABLE FACEPALM

[Rosbjerg]

^ I was wondering that too..

 

Isn't it really mirroring life more correctly that true romance is hard to achieve - talking for 4 hours straight, eating candlelight dinner in the moonlight etc etc.. would be horribly boring in a game..

 

Does a man and a woman always have to get it on, just because they've gone through alot together.. Like they do in films..

[Hell Kitty]

Does a man and a woman always have to get it on, just because they've gone through alot together.. Like they do in films..

 

The obvious answer to that is no, being that main characters don't always "get it on" in books or films.

[Monte Carlo]

Are people, honestly, asking for a romance simulator CRPG?

 

In real-life, most people have romances. However, very few people in real-life cast spells, command vast armies, fight dragons, storm the beaches of Normandy, become axe-wielding barbarians, run crime syndicates, fly spacecraft...

 

Do you get my drift? For me, this is not a million miles away from asking "why can't you enjoy a four course meal in a CRPG?" or "Why can't my character have a scented bath with candles while reading a book?" in a CRPG. It's stuff you can do in your home prior to starting your 'puter.

 

I'm not being sexist, but I'd like to ask the female gamers if their expectations of thematic content are radically different from the guys? Am genuinely interested. Maybe in time, as gaming becomes even more mainstream than it already is, games that concentrate on relationships will find a niche but credible market. As it is, I don't think the core demographic is ready for what is being mooted here.

 

To reiterate - I want to build empires, fight battles, create powerful characters and have fun. Romance doesn't figure. I am almost certainly in the majority.

 

Cheers

MC

[Hell Kitty]

Are people, honestly, asking for a romance simulator CRPG?

 

No.

 

The Computer and Console forum isn't strictly for RPGs. The only specific title the OP mentions is an FPS.

 

Romance doesn't figure.

 

It certainly does for some, every time Bioware announces a new RPG one of the first questions is "Will there be romances?". People seem to like that stuff, even if you don't understand it.

 

In real-life, most people have romances. However, very few people in real-life cast spells, command vast armies, fight dragons, storm the beaches of Normandy, become axe-wielding barbarians, run crime syndicates, fly spacecraft...

 

Did you play LEGO as a kid? If so, were you confused by kids playing with the town theme sets instead of the space and castle themes? Do you only watch movies or read books that take place in fantasy worlds? If so, you're definitely in the minority.

 

The Sims is far more popular, more mainstream, than any RPG or wargame could hope to be.

Edited February 15, 2009 by Hell Kitty

[mkreku]

However, very few people in real-life cast spells, command vast armies, fight dragons, storm the beaches of Normandy, become axe-wielding barbarians, run crime syndicates, fly spacecraft...

Speak for yourself!

[Zoma]

To express the reaction to Fear 2's ending, I will simply quote Neogaf posters:

 

UHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[Maria Caliban]

I think a better question is, why do main characters always have sex in films and books, because it is retarded?

 

Main characters always have sex in film and books because humans like to watch and read about sex.

 

Are people, honestly, asking for a romance simulator CRPG?

 

In real-life, most people have romances. However, very few people in real-life cast spells, command vast armies, fight dragons, storm the beaches of Normandy, become axe-wielding barbarians, run crime syndicates, fly spacecraft...

 

I can

[Purkake]

To express the reaction to Fear 2's ending, I will simply quote Neogaf posters:

 

UHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

 

I wasn't going to play the game, so I read the end on Wikipedia.

 

 

First reaction: WTF?

 

Second reaction: What were they thinking?

 

Somehow I don't really want to see the ending on youtube anymore...

 

Edited February 15, 2009 by Purkake

[Monte Carlo]

@ Maria: Thanks, that all makes sense. Like I say, as the gaming market changes I suspect this type of content will happen. I imagine it would work better in some genres rather than others.

 

As for Hell kitty's point about immense popularity of Bioware's romances, I'll admit to being totally baffled about the appeal. I just am, I find them risible and unappealing. As long as they are (a) optional and (b) not detracting significant resources from crunchy content then I can co-exist with them.

 

I'm at the point in my life where I know what I like and will lobby for it given the chance. Am certainly no social conservative, but I find a lot of sexual content and themes in popular culture dull. I appreciate that this issue is different from one of relationships - for example I'm sure there's room for a meaningful, platonic relationship in a CRPG too. As it is, the issue is just too off the radar for me personally.

 

Cheers

MC

Edited February 15, 2009 by Monte Carlo

[Killian Kalthorne]

The only game that Bioware did romance anywhere near being right and even that was a bit off kilter was in Mass Effect. Jade Empire wasn't bad but still far from being up to par. All others stunk to high heaven. If I want to rip open the rib cage of the romance option and play with the gooey bits then you are doing romance wrong, Bioware. Bastilla, Carth, Aerie, Viconia, Jaheira, what's her face in NWN1, and yes, even Carth's reincarnation in ME I all wanted to rip open their rib cage and replace the lungs, heart, spleen, stomach, and whatnot with cute kittens, then sow it shut.

[Deadly_Nightshade]

Americans in general have tons of books and movies about relationships. It just hasn't filtered into our games.

 

Because the kiddies "don't" read or watch TV, they play games!

[Amentep]

I’m sure there are men who think that… Actually, the current EIC at Marvel had Spider-Man make a deal with the devil, just so he could make Peter a swinging bachelor because he didn’t think young men could relate to someone in a long-term relationship. So there’s one there!

 

I'm getting a bit off the point, but Joe Quesada changed the marriage of Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson because he had never liked it. His basic position was that Peter Parker is supposed to be the guy who things never quite work out right with (having his friends become his enemies, having a boss who hates his alter-ego, being poor and having to scrape by).

 

He felt that having Peter Parker marry Mary Jane - a high paid supermodel - that Marvel had essentitally taken away the things that made Peter Parker who he was.

 

I don't think it had anything to do with relating to the relationship per se, but the concluding success of the relationship that bugged him.

 

I still think it was a stupid thing to do (and a stupider way to do it).

[Spider]

I just find the reasoning that Spider-Man isn't a guy who would get divorced, so we'll have to separate them some other way is completely moronic. I haven't read an Amazing Spider-Man issue since, after 22 years of loyalty (well I tried a couple of issues, but just got pissed, so I gave up on it).

[Kaftan Barlast]

Super heroes arent supposed to be married and settled, it just kills the drama. You can have two characters pining for eachother for years, but as soon as you seal the deal, you kill it.

 

 

Are people, honestly, asking for a romance simulator CRPG?

 

 

No. I have never seen romance convincingly integrated into the gameplay* in any game regardless of genre. The storyline is where relationships, romance and sex belong.

 

 

 

 

* I dont count dialogue, interactive or not, as part of the gameplay.

[Amentep]

Super heroes arent supposed to be married and settled, it just kills the drama. You can have two characters pining for eachother for years, but as soon as you seal the deal, you kill it.

 

I think it depends on the hero in question, to be honest.

 

I don't think it matters too much if Clark marries Lois because there was never another romantic interest in the series so commiting the two doesn't change much.

[Deadly_Nightshade]

Somehow I don't really want to see the ending on youtube anymore...

 

I watched it before I read about it and you don't... You really don't...

[Aram]

I can think of many, many games with sex in them--some in the usual fade to black way and some very explicit. In some of them, it's even well done and adds to the story or gameplay experience. It's obviously very possible to do. I can't, however, think of many games that would be made better by adding sex where sex is absent. The medium is probably better off for the fact that developers don't have someone insisting they add sex and romance for no reason.

 

They say that when a movie producer reads a script, if there isn't sex or at least a love interest by the tenth page, he throws it out. It's one of those great stupidities of the medium. I shudder to think of the horribly written, embarrassing to sit through bull**** we'd have to suffer if game studios demanded the same thing. If there's some very good reason for a love scene to be in a game, there's nothing stopping a developer from putting one in. If there's no good reason, there's nothing forcing a developer to include one. It's fine the way it is.

[Tigranes]

To clarify: romance can be an excellent part of a film, book or game... but there are so many cases, also/especially in games, where it's just there for the target audience. Which cheapens it, and makes it boring.

 

So I have to say I'm *happy* the epidemic of 1 ROMANCE IN EVERY PRODUCT syndrome hasn't yet spread (completely) to the medium.

[Purkake]

Somehow I don't really want to see the ending on youtube anymore...

 

I watched it before I read about it and you don't... You really don't...

 

Too late

 

What has been seen/heard( ) cannot be unseen/unheard. Hmm how did that pencil lobotomy work again...