Description
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
Table of Contents
Representations of Gender and Sexuality
1.1 Sexualization, Shirtlessness, and Smouldering Gazes: Desire and the Male Character
Michelle Clough1.2 Making Love Not War: Female Power and the Emotional Labor of Peace in Code: Realize—The Guardian of Rebirth and Princess Arthur
Sarah Christina Ganzon1.3 Love on the Farm: Romance and Marriage in Stardew Valley
Amanda Lange1.4 From Smoldering Justicar to Blue-Skinned Space Babe: Asari Sexuality in Mass Effect
Alexandra M. LucasRomance and Sexuality in Game Design
2.1 Visualizing Data for Pleasure: Heather Kelley on Game Design, Sexuality, and User Interfaces
Diana Pozo2.2 Intimate Games: Facing Our Inner Predators
Sabine Harrer2.3 It's Time for This Jedi to Get Laid: Casual Romance in Star Wars: The Old Republic
Jessica Sliwinski2.4 Naughty Bytes: The Western Complications of Genitalia in Non-Porn Video Games
Heidi McDonald2.5 Invitation – Granting Emotional Access Through Romantic Choice
Leah Miller2.6 Designing Video Game Characters for Romantic Attachment: Practical Application and Design Pitfalls
Dr. Jennifer Killham, Claudia Osthof, and Jana StadelerOtome: Romance and Sexuality in Eastern Video Games
3.1 “Sweet Solutions for Female Gamers”: Cheritz, Korean Otome Games and Global Otome Game Players
Sarah Christina Ganzon3.2 Sadistic Lovers: Exploring Taboos in Otome
A.M. Cosmos3.3 Love Transcends All (Geographical) Boundaries: The Global Lure of Romance Historical Otome Games and the Shinsengumi
Lucy MorrisThe Future of Romance and Sexuality in Games
4.1 Do Androids Dream of Electric Consent?
Dr. Luke Dicken4.2 VR and the Future of Human Relationships and Sexuality
Moth Loths
