7 Times The Gaming Industry Fell To Lust

So as I've detailed, it's very clear that the gaming industry is more than aware of how to use sex within it's marketing, it's overall narrative and it's also apparent that some developers use their platform to push their fantasies whatever form they take, but what about when sexual gratification becomes intrinsically linked with game-play. You can read thousands of articles that claim video games have an influencing effect on its audience, and while it's a quagmire of an argument to sift through, some developers are exploring this relationship through their titles.

Take No More Heroes as a good example. On the surface this appears to be a loud, brash and overly aggressive game, showcasing an anime loving loser rising to the top of the world's ranked assassins for glory and honour. Except it's not glory or honour that Travis is actually after, he just wants to become the king of killers because then he will get to have sex with Sylvia.

Suda 51, the games mastermind therefore sets up a situation in which the player is driven towards this end goal and then immediately puts every obstacle in their path to make sure they become blatantly aware of what they are doing. By forcing the player to complete chores and boring side tasks in order to earn the right to fight the actually brilliant bosses, he's grabbing the player by the ear and shouting "this shouldn't be ok, is this what you're willing to do in order to have sex? are you ok with murdering for the sheer hell of it without conscience or worry?"

And yet, the boss battles are so purposefully brilliant that it truly is like a sexual release or at least an emotional one to finally best each and every one of them. Here Suda 51 is highlighting the perverse nature of violence, sex and desire prevalent within media and our own society, and makes us feel dirty each and every time we ask for more. And in this sense, he's made us aware of the cycle of gratification, and delivers a perfect example of anger and of course, lust.