Video games and pornography have always been more closely associated with men than women. While there are plenty of talented female gamers and women who love watching porn, they’re still seen as part of a Man’s World. Over the years, companies have tried to bring the two worlds together to create a video game that stimulates men in more than one way. But there’s never been a real breakthrough moment that took the Adults Only video game model into the mainstream.
When personal computers and video game systems were first introduced in the 1970s and 1980s, games were made by big companies. It was pretty much impossible for the average guy to create his own video game at that point so there wasn’t much to choose from in terms of adult oriented video games.
Still, there were game publishers who knew there was a market for games and so a few titles were released. Mystique, a game development company that developed as part of a larger company that produced adult films, released several titles in the early 1980s. The games Beat ‘Em & Eat ‘Em, Bachelor Party and Custer’s Revenge all featured sex prominently. Custer’s Revenge is particularly notable for the controversy it sparked at the time. The aim of the game was to help a well-endowed General Custer find and have sex with large-breasted Native American women who were tied to cactus plants. The premise of the game, the depiction of women and the overall level of gameplay managed to spark protests from a variety of women’s groups, Native American advocates and video game critics alike.
Other titles from other companies would occasionally develop a cult following. The Leisure Suit Larry series, for example, was originally published in 1987 and continued producing more games until 2013. The premise of the entire franchise is the classic tale of a man batting out of his league and occasionally hitting a home run. Players help direct Larry as he tries to pick up women in bars, swinging with couples on a tropical island and in a secluded health spa among other places. The series combines erotic and graphic sex scenes with campy humour which lends to its popularity.
Today, adult themed video games are much more common thanks to how easy it has become for armchair developers to make any kind of game they want. Some modern games combine strategy with adult themes as a way to make the game more appealing. Lula: The Sexy Empire is an adult version of the popular Tycoon games where players manage their empire – in this case a porn empire – by managing costs, putting together story boards, editing film and doing other business transactions.
In terms of finding mainstream appeal and success Singles perhaps comes the closest. Ad adult version of the popular Sims game, Singles gives users the chance to live out any virtual sex life they choose. Always wanted to be a dominatrix? Fantasised about being a high end escort? Thought about simply being promiscuous without having to worry about the real life consequences? Whatever turns you on, Singles allowed you to live it out. Ultimately, however, users wanted more and while the graphic sex of Singles made it somewhat popular, the fact that sex was literally the only activity you could engage in left players wanting more.
Video game developers know there’s a huge market for adult video games – the trick appears to be finding the right mix of game play and sex. No doubt someone will crack the code soon and Candy Crush will be replaced by Boob Bombs but, until then, we’ll have to stay satisfied with keeping our gaming separate from our sex games.
