Sex and Violence Take Center Stage

This chapter discusses who plays video games and provides the chronological history of video games that deal with sex and sexuality such as Softporn Adventure by On-Line Systems, Custer’s Revenge by Mystique, Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards , Night Trap , full motion video (FMV) games like The Guy Game , Grand Theft Auto , and mods in gaming. This chapter also covers gender and race portrayals in video games, including issues with oversexualized women and hyper-masculine men, LBGT underrepresentation, customizable characters, and gender and race inequities. Cover art comparisons reveal artwork that was censored for sexuality or violence when ported from Japan and Europe to the U.S. market. This chapter also reviews violence in video games, with coverage of Death Race , Mortal Kombat , regulation and the ESRB, a Pro File on Doug Lowenstein, Doom , and other first-person shooter (FPS) games. Congressional hearings are also discussed, involving Rockstar Games and congressional bills, the Family Entertainment Protection Act (FEPA), and California Bill AB1179. Studies on the effects of video game violence are also discussed, featuring the American Psychological Association on short-term aggression, DeCamp, Ferguson, and Lovell, catharsis theory and desensitization, and positive effects of video games. This chapter concludes with a video games debate activity and a quiz.