BioWare Wants More Sex in Games

Dragon Age lead designer Mike Laidlaw wants to see more sex in videgames.

Does BioWare want to see more sex in games? Perhaps not the company as a whole, however Dragon Age Lead Designer Mike Laidlaw expressed his need for more virtual skin trades in a short interview with Destructoid. Basically, he was asked if sex will ever be acceptable in videogames, and if the mainstream media will stop whining over the idea. The question stems from "erotic chicanery" found in the upcoming game Dragon Age as well as the sex scandal surrounding Mass Effect.

"Well I think what we're seeing is an evolution of the age of gamer, the mainstream kind of impact that games are having, and we're still battling the last of the perception that games are for kids," he said. "So if games are for kids and sex is not for kids, why is sex in games? To my mind, the hurdle to cross is to say, 'You know, games are not for kids.' I'm not a kid, I probably burn a good three hours a night playing games, married, comfortably happy, definitely not a child."

He hopes that "news anchors," those that are actually gamers, will eventually step in and sweep away the current prejudices by getting the mainstream media to understand that there are adult games just like there are rated-R movies. Until the media understands that gaming now has a wide ranging spectrum rather than the narrow focus of the early years, there will be "hissy fits" in regards to gaming violence and sex. However, despite the scandals and complaints, the industry will keep evolving, possibly bringing more adult-oriented situations.

"Will we see more of [sex in games]? I hope so, I really do," he admits. "I mean, it's not a mandatory part of any experience, but is it something we should shy away from? I don't think so, it's part of the human experience, so why not? Does a game have to be about sex? No. Can it be in there? Sure. Why not?"