ABSTRACT

Scholars and professionals from all over the world, across experience levels and the gender and sexuality spectrum, share experiences and analysis of romance and sexuality in video games.

Whether discussing casual sex in the Star Wars universe; analyzing various Otome games; examining "the gaze" in various games; player romance behavior in games; or exploring the ethical ramifications of sexuality in virtual reality and other emerging technologies, this book discusses what players want in video game romance, and how developers can best deliver it.

Key Features:

  • Examines the past, present, and future of romance in single-player, role-playing games
  • Discusses common presentations of romance in single-player, role-playing games— both in the category and game mechanics that drive romance
  • Discusses research on how players define a satisfying game romance and what specific steps narrative designers can take to design satisfying games
  • Explains the notion of the empathic game and explores its importance in relation to romance in game design

section I|76 pages

Representations of Gender and Sexuality

chapter 1|34 pages

Sexualization, Shirtlessness, and Smoldering Gazes

Desire and the Male Character

chapter 2|22 pages

Making Love Not War

Female Power and the Emotional Labor of Peace in Code: Realize—The Guardian of Rebirth and Princess Arthur

chapter 4|8 pages

From Smoldering Justicar to Blue-Skinned Space Babe

Asari Sexuality in Mass Effect

section II|146 pages

Romance and Sexuality in Game Design

chapter 5|14 pages

Visualizing Data for Pleasure

Heather Kelley on Game Design, Sexuality, and User Interfaces

chapter 6|13 pages

Intimate Games

Facing Our Inner Predators

chapter 7|30 pages

It's Time for This Jedi to Get Laid

Casual Romance in Star Wars: The Old Republic

chapter 8|22 pages

Naughty Bytes

The Western Complications of Genitalia in Non-Porn Video Games

chapter 10|40 pages

Designing Video Game Characters for Romantic Attachment

Practical Application and Design Pitfalls

section III|41 pages

Otome: Romance and Sexuality in Game Design

chapter 11|20 pages

“Sweet Solutions for Female Gamers”

Cheritz, Korean Otome Games, and Global Otome Game Players

chapter 12|7 pages

Sadistic Lovers

Exploring Taboos in Otome Games

chapter 13|11 pages

Love Transcends All (Geographical) Boundaries

The Global Lure of Romance Historical Otome Games and the Shinsengumi

section IV|22 pages

The Future of Romance and Sexuality in Games

chapter 15|10 pages

Digital Love

Future Love—VR and the Future of Human Relationships and Sexuality