Pornography, Smut and A Money Back Guaruntee

[Sunshine]

I was recently reading over diffrent sites while I was making a list of game 'types' [shumups,rts,fps, etc] and ran across a list called 'Top 10 Dead Game Genres' [please excuse the spelling] and anyway ALL the game types I had come up with were on that list...which got me thinking...What could I do that is outside the norm, that could get the attention of some potential customers....


Then I envisioned a game, totally pornographic in nature, devoid of any redeeming value at all, and blatently offensive to anyone that can possibly be offended[straight up, Emenim style! ]. A game with strong sexual content and marketed only for adults.

I remember some games kinda like this in the past, such as 'Leasure Suit Larry' in some ways. And also that game Sex-Olympics on the C64. Also on the C64, 'Farmer's Daughter' was somewhat sexual.

What do you guys think, Think there's room on the market for this type of game?

[oNyx]

Of course there is room for those games and the game itself can be also rather bad/boring and still sell pretty well.

However, things you need to think about:
-Piracy will be *much* higher.
-Does your host allow such stuff? (mine doesn't)
-You need content. If you know someone who runs some of those pages, it will be easier. Rendering is also fine. If hand drawn, pick manga style (hentai).
-Your image. Create a spin off company and/or (at least) a new site. Y'know Pulp Fiction? It's technically from *gasp* Disney.

Uh... and no, I don't have any experience with that stuff

[Pyabo]

Uh... and no, I don't have any experience with that stuff

But someone on this board does... which begs the question: Not-So-Anonymous Smut Peddler, why haven't you done a game like this? (or have you?) Seems like it would be right up your alley... And the marketing venues are dead obvious.

[Jack Norton]

I've thought about that. The best choice would be making a hentai game, with a plot, etc.
The problem: you need LOT of manga drawings, and they're expensive, unless you can draw them yourself (anyway take LONG time).

Seems not a viable solution for a shareware dev...

[formfarbeminze]

Seems not a viable solution for a shareware dev...

that's the point: shareware is not the right business model for those productions, even if it's game-like.

[EpicBoy]

I was recently reading over diffrent sites while I was making a list of game 'types' [shumups,rts,fps, etc] and ran across a list called 'Top 10 Dead Game Genres' [please excuse the spelling] and anyway ALL the game types I had come up with were on that list...which got me thinking...What could I do that is outside the norm, that could get the attention of some potential customers....

Well, for starters, who wrote this list? Was it someone credible, a journalist looking to fill his monthly writing quota, or a forum fanboy looking to complain about "games these days"?

[papillon]

There are plenty of adult games on the market, and plenty of not-entirely-adult games with adult content available ('nude patches')

We have the recent Singles (which apparently wasn't that good). We have the upcoming Playboy game. There's a new Leisure Suit Larry coming out, not in the genre of the original games but full of crude humor and, assumably, breasts.

There are a million Jiggly Breast hakpaks for Neverwinter Nights (and a few with male nudity geometry added as well, but jiggly breasts are more popular). I haven't played the Sims, but I get the impression there are nude skins for it.

There are countless numbers of small porny Flash/Java games on websites, and a smaller number for download. Usually humorous/cartoony or VERY DULL... strip poker or "Breakout where the bricks cover a naked photo" are painfully common. Generally the user doesn't buy these games individually, but they pay access to a website where they can play them.

There are many 3d 'games' where the actual gameplay is incredibly limited and mostly involves you rotating a nude 3d model and putting her through a few basic animation loops.

And then there are the limited-but-growing number of hentai games translated into English.

So I'm not quite sure what the question is.

[papillon]

Titillating not-quite-porn is really more fun anyway, imo. I have a wonderful idea for a just-slightly-adult game, but it would need more time and art available than I really have to put into it at the moment. Maybe someday. As long as dl.com isn't offended enough to refuse to list it, it should get downloaded like crazy!

(Actually, I have a brilliant idea for a very, very adult game as well... but don't have the programming skills necessary to pull it off right now.)

If you're making a game that's purely about porn, though, then you need some porn to pull it off with. Do you have a good source of original legal attractive naughty images? In a format that will make good games? (Still photographs tend to lead to boring games, like the aforementioned breakout/strip-poker.) If the pictures are not h0+ then who's going to be interested? I don't sell original hentai games because my art is not good enough and I know it and I couldn't possibly afford to pay someone who IS good enough.

Now, one thing you could try to do for publicity is to release a normal shareware game... and then make an adult patch for it, and flood warez'n'porn sites with that adult patch, revving up their curiosity so they have to get the game so they can plug the porn into it! Doesn't matter then if the patched-porn is crap, because you won't be held responsible for it in the same way....

[GBGames]

Recently the one-handed keyboard was released, although there are no drivers currently.

[Chris Evans]

Well you need to be careful that you don't get type-casted with these type of games if you intend to develop games in other genres later. As someone else mentioned, you're better off doing these type of games under another name.

[Sunshine]

But where's your dignity?

Hehe, funny, I think it left with my bank balance

Titillating not-quite-porn is really more fun anyway, imo. I have a wonderful idea for a just-slightly-adult game, but it would need more time and art available than I really have to put into it at the moment. Maybe someday. As long as dl.com isn't offended enough to refuse to list it, it should get downloaded like crazy!

This is more like what I've seen in the past, and those titles were pretty popular.

However I was thinking of a game kinda like the Sims (the one player, the first one) Except called 'The Sins', in which you run a whore-house. Kinda like Grand Theft Auto was to car theft, this would be to prostitution. True though, I'm not sure if it could be done share-ware.

[Applewood]

(Actually, I have a brilliant idea for a very, very adult game as well... but don't have the programming skills necessary to pull it off right now.)

Sounds like the game I want to make, too. I've kb'd it for a while until I can get the mesh<->mesh collision and IK stuff sorted out

lmao

[mrFantasy]

Titillating not-quite-porn is really more fun anyway, imo. I have a wonderful idea for a just-slightly-adult game, but it would need more time and art available than I really have to put into it at the moment...

If you're making a game that's purely about porn, though, then you need some porn to pull it off with. Do you have a good source of original legal attractive naughty images? In a format that will make good games? (Still photographs tend to lead to boring games, like the aforementioned breakout/strip-poker.) If the pictures are not h0+ then who's going to be interested? ....

I have wanted to develop adult games for years. I have the exact opposite problem...I produce high quality original legal erotica in multiple formats (wma, mpeg, avi, jpg, DVD, VHS, etc...) but I do not have the programming skills to develop a game.

If this post sparks an interest, let me know.

[Jim Buck]

I've always had the feeling that a very well-done pornography game - something more pornographic than Leisure Suit Larry - would sell like hotcakes. There were a ton of "adult" games released when cd-roms came into their own, but they were always just pre-filmed movies with some UI on top of it. But I think a full-blown interactive (not pre-rendered/-filmed) game would at least get a ton more downloads than the average "normal" game.

There was a guy that posted on here that does a chess game with very explicit animations. (The chess pieces were naked people that would have sex as certain moves were combined.) I always wondered how well it sold.

[Ryan Clark]

I think the guys who made "Love Chess" are doing pretty well with it:

(EDIT: Link removed.)

It looks like it's a clone of the old "Battle Chess" but with more... err... interesting battles

[Coyote]

Well, moral considerations aside (and my own moral considerations would be considerable...)

There's a ton of smut available freely all over the web right now. Or for a small charge. So what was once kinda secret, controversial and tantalizing is now all over the place. So what would a game offer over all that? With a zillion naughty Flash games or whatnot... it's doubtful your game would generate any greater publicity.

So nowadays we have people making games where you get to play Lee Harvey Oswald to generate controversy.

I can't say I'm a fan.

[mrFantasy]

There's a ton of smut available freely all over the web right now. Or for a small charge. So what was once kinda secret, controversial and tantalizing is now all over the place. So what would a game offer over all that? With a zillion naughty Flash games or whatnot....

I don't know...possibly the same offered by another "space shoot 'em up"

it's doubtful your game would generate any greater publicity.

I'm not interested in publicity, just more and varied content to provide an ever growing, already large, loyal and hungry fan base.

So nowadays we have people making games where you get to play Lee Harvey Oswald to generate controversy.

I will use your comment:

I can't say I'm a fan.

Morality is a strange thing...I think a little eroticism is a much better thing than gun fights in dirty city streets.

Sorry if I offend.

[george]

We all must remember that there are children/teenagers on this forum also... The moderators are quick to lock threads about war, maybe they should do the same to threads about pornography... I suppose discussions about pornography in games are ok (but distasteful). However, I see a link to a website that contains some very graphic screenshots, thus directly exposing kids on this forum to sexual images... NOT ACCEPTABLE (IMHO).

[Jim Buck]

And what about the links to websites that have ultra-violent, bloody games?

(Just playing devil's advocate, really. )

[papillon]

Locking threads that are already en route to a flamewar is hardly the same thing as attempting to put ourselves in the place of internet censors. Should we lock all threads about programming because they MIGHT contain links to tools that kids MIGHT use to make viruses with?

This forum is not intended to be a babysitting pen. Obviously anyone linking to hardcore imagery with no warning as a prank would be trolling and would be appropriately deleted. But if you want to stop people from talking about games, then, well, what's the point of being here?

There's a ton of smut available freely all over the web right now. Or for a small charge. So what was once kinda secret, controversial and tantalizing is now all over the place. So what would a game offer over all that?

Well, a game that wasn't crap would be one thing. Most porn games are boring and not well made, because they can get away with it. And most porn games are, as mentioned, the same handful of dull flash poker/breakout/sliderpuzzle over and over again with slightly different pictures. There's quite a lot that hasn't been done.

How *did* that naked chicks on bikes game do?

Sadly, even the playboy game, which sounded like it was going to be an interesting simulation game with some boobies on top, supposedly turned out rather half-assed (from the reviews; I don't have a copy) and all the girls looked too much alike. If you're trying to sell a game on hot chicks, you need to HAVE HOT CHICKS! Silly people.

[Chris Evans]

We all must remember that there are children/teenagers on this forum also...

We have children reading this forum? I thought this was a forum for business-minded professionals. We're almost all adults here (with maybe a couple of teenagers here and there), so I don't think there's a need to "protect the children!!" with every topic we make. If a thread bothers you, just ignore it.

However, I see a link to a website that contains some very graphic screenshots, thus directly exposing kids on this forum to sexual images... NOT ACCEPTABLE (IMHO).

If you're referring to Love Chess, it's not just some random smut someone posted. It's a good example of an actual game with pornographic elements, so it's highly appropriate and perfectly relevant to this topic.

One of things I like about this forum is that we can for the most part discuss controversial topics in a mature manner with it spiraling into a flame war and personal insults (that war topic being one of the few exceptions).

[Chris Evans]

How *did* that naked chicks on bikes game do?

It did horrible. I think the name was BMX XXX?

The gameplay wasn't so hot and I think the naked girls on bikes just came off as a cheap gimmick. It got panned in reviews and it seems players didn't go for it much either.

Dead or Alive Volleyball (which actually doesn't contain any nudity) did much better. It actually appealed to women a little bit as well because of the Barbie "dress-up" element.

[Ricardo C]

We all must remember that there are children/teenagers on this forum also... The moderators are quick to lock threads about war, maybe they should do the same to threads about pornography... I suppose discussions about pornography in games are ok (but distasteful). However, I see a link to a website that contains some very graphic screenshots, thus directly exposing kids on this forum to sexual images... NOT ACCEPTABLE (IMHO).

Where are these children?

EDIT: Ah, crap. Chris beat me to it.

[Ryan Clark]

I apologize if my linking to Love Chess offended anyone, but I do feel that it was pretty on topic. If people want to avoid suggestive imagery, why would they read a thread with "pornography" in the title?

Anyway, I'll edit my post to remove the link; it's not worth arguing over.

[george]

wow you guys are really combative. if i insulted anyone, i apologize, it was not intentional. this wasn't directed to any single person, it was directed to all of us (including me). and i almost GUARANTEE you that there is a substantial amount of 12 and 13 year olds (maybe even younger) reading this forum. after all, it's the dream of many kids to make video games, as you all know, so don't be cynical about kids being on this forum.

and my point was that maybe we should have some sort of etiquette with this kind of material. for example, don't post direct links to adult or graphic material. when i clicked on the link and saw those screen shots, i was amazed by how graphic and sexual they were. i certainly wouldn't appreciate it if my kids were exposed to sexual images on a website that was about making games.

sure if it insults me i can ignore it, but a kid most likely won't ignore it. and these images aren't like explosions or bodies blowing up in a video game, they were detailed images of REAL sexual acts. even if they were cartoon-like (which they aren't), it is still very strong sexual imagery that is inappropriate for any kid...

there are lots of posts on this forum about legality, privacy, law, etc. when creating an account here, i never saw any warnings that there might be adult content here or anything of that sort (though there might have been a warning and i didn't see it).

i know my comments might be overkill, but i had to speak up, and believe there is at least some legitimate validity to them...

[Ryan Clark]

Nothing combative here, George. You made your point, link is removed, no harm done!

[Ricardo C]

wow you guys are really combative. if i insulted anyone, i apologize, it was not intentional. this wasn't directed to any single person, it was directed to all of us (including me). and i almost GUARANTEE you that there is a substantial amount of 12 and 13 year olds (maybe even younger) reading this forum. after all, it's the dream of many kids to make video games, as you all know, so don't be cynical about kids being on this forum.

You can "almost guarantee"? Sorry, not good enough. If I restricted my words and actions due to the POTENTIAL for someone being offended, I'd never even get out of bed in the morning.

Besides, this isn't a hobbyist site. Kids are not the target demographic, as far as I know. And I'd wager that any teen over the age of 15 has already seen worse than Love Chess' screenshots.

and my point was that maybe we should have some sort of etiquette with this kind of material. for example, don't post direct links to adult or graphic material.

How about "if you are offended by adult/sexual content, don't click on links that explicitly say 'hey, here's a look at an adult-themed game'"?

when i clicked on the link and saw those screen shots, i was amazed by how graphic and sexual they were. i certainly wouldn't appreciate it if my kids were exposed to sexual images on a website that was about making games.

1. It's your responsibility to exercise discretion when clicking links provided by third parties.

2. Why were your hypothetical kids surfing the internet unsupervised?

sure if it insults me i can ignore it, but a kid most likely won't ignore it. and these images aren't like explosions or bodies blowing up in a video game, they were detailed images of REAL sexual acts. even if they were cartoon-like (which they aren't), it is still very strong sexual imagery that is inappropriate for any kid...

Wait, wait, wait... So bodies blowing up are acceptable, but sexual acts aren't?

there are lots of posts on this forum about legality, privacy, law, etc. when creating an account here, i never saw any warnings that there might be adult content here or anything of that sort (though there might have been a warning and i didn't see it).

The warning was implicit in the title of the thread, and the text accompanying the link. Was further warning really needed???

i know my comments might be overkill, but i had to speak up, and believe there is at least some legitimate validity to them...

Jebus, George. No one posted a full frontal hardcore shot in the middle of the thread. A link was provided with sufficient warning as to the nature of the product in question.

[papillon]

... personally, I *do* feel that the level of violence in some video games is FAR more offensive and damaging to children than any amount of sexual content, which kids generally *will* ignore if they're not old enough to be interested... I'm not arguing that we should post links to every strip poker game on the net or anything, but I will protest if you try to tell me that shooting people in the head is better.

[Coyote]

Hey, I won't argue - I'm not a fan of the increased amount of gore and violence in videogames, either.

I'm not one of those folks who believes that playing GTA can turn you into a psychopathic prostitute-beating monster, but I don't believe that constant exposure to graphic, realistic violence is in any way healthy - especially for kids.

[Abscissa]

and these images aren't like explosions or bodies blowing up in a video game, they were detailed images of REAL sexual acts.

Oh my god! Someone replace the link to sexual acts with a link to disemberments! QUICK!