Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Free for All: Why you shouldn't be worried while playing Second Life]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/25/free-for-all-why-you-shouldnt-be-worried-while-playing-second/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/25/free-for-all-why-you-shouldnt-be-worried-while-playing-second/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/25/free-for-all-why-you-shouldnt-be-worried-while-playing-second/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Recently I've taken a great interest in Second Life. For the record, I've been interested in the game -- er, world -- for the past seven years. More specifically, my seventh "birthday" is coming up on May 26th, 2011, meaning that I have been exploring, building, discussing and watching Second Life for a long, long time. I truly enjoy wandering into groups of other players who seem to think that my fairly basic avatar means that I am either new or ignorant about the game. I love telling them that I have been playing a long time, probably longer than they have. I'm actually proud of it.

Still, in spite of my history with the game, I do miss major developments. I am not consumed with the politics and goings on at Linden Lab (maker of Second Life). So when I heard about the changes that were being made concerning adult content, I sort of tuned it out and continued to play off and on. I typically disliked -- no, hated is a better word -- the adult content I came across in Second Life, so I simply avoided it.

If there is one thing I am asked about Second Life, it's "aren't there orgies going on all the time?" Seriously. I get asked about orgies more than anything. I wanted to go over the official rules to reassure those curious and wary potential players that they will not be shot in the face with a sex toy -- unless they want to be.

Click past the cut and let's discuss.

Continue reading Free for All: Why you shouldn't be worried while playing Second Life

MassivelyFree for All: Why you shouldn't be worried while playing Second Life originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 25 May 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2ladultadult-contentadult-migrationadult-mmobeau-hindmancybercyber-sexf2pfeaturedfree-to-playftplinden-labLLmaturesecond-lifezindraWed, 25 May 2011 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Age of Conan GM fired amidst in-game sex scandal]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/14/age-of-conan-gm-fired-amidst-in-game-sex-scandal/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/14/age-of-conan-gm-fired-amidst-in-game-sex-scandal/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/14/age-of-conan-gm-fired-amidst-in-game-sex-scandal/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

An Age of Conan player tricked a naïve, Funcom-employed Game Master (an in-game customer service representative) into pursuing cybersex with him. The player posed as a female playing a male character and enticed the male GM with flirtatious remarks and innuendos. After the GM fully threw himself into the moment, the player revealed that he was male, and that the conversation had been a prank.

Friends of the player posted screenshots of the conversation on MMORPG's forums, and the ensuing controversy led Funcom to fire the GM for unacceptable behavior and violation of the customer service guidelines. Destructoid then interviewed the prankster and hosted the unedited version of the conversation screenshots.

Frankly, we're not sure who is the bigger jackass -- the GM for his unprofessional behavior, or the player for baiting him into it. Everyone seems to have his or her own unique interpretation of this fiasco.

[Via Big Download]

MassivelyAge of Conan GM fired amidst in-game sex scandal originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 14 Aug 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaoccontroversycscustomer-servicecyber-sexfiredflirtingfuncomgame-mastergmscandalscreenshotssexThu, 14 Aug 2008 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Player vs. Everything: Online Games and Sex]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/30/player-vs-everything-online-games-and-sex/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/30/player-vs-everything-online-games-and-sex/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/30/player-vs-everything-online-games-and-sex/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

As humans, sex is something that plays a very important role in our lives and personal experiences. It's a pretty universal and emotionally charged topic that can dramatically influence how we think of ourselves and how we view our relationships with other people. Even outside of the act itself, ideas about sex and human relationships shape the way we act, the way we dress, the way we live, and the people we associate with. Dealing with the complicated issues surrounding sex is part of the human condition. It's not at all surprising that sex is frequently portrayed in all forms of media which attempt to explore that human experience. However, are video games (and specifically online games) really ready to examine this topic?

There was a really interesting lecture posted by the videogame news blog Rock, Paper, Shotgun a few days ago in which Daniel Floyd discussed the topic of sex in video games. His key point is that if video games are going to attempt to explore the topic of sex effectively, they need to portray it in a way that ties it to relationships and intimacy. Watching the video made me start thinking about how sex is portrayed in MMOGs, especially with the recent launch of Age of Conan, a game that sold itself as a "mature title" with strong violence and sexuality. After a lot of reflection on the topic, I really don't think that mainstream online games are ready to explore sexuality, nor are they even capable of portraying it tastefully with their current limitations.

Continue reading Player vs. Everything: Online Games and Sex

MassivelyPlayer vs. Everything: Online Games and Sex originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 May 2008 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conancyber-sexfeaturedjoystiqfeaturesnarrativesecond-lifesexsexualsexualitystorystorytellingworld-of-warcraftFri, 30 May 2008 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Behind the Curtain: Sex sells]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/22/behind-the-curtain-sex-sells/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/22/behind-the-curtain-sex-sells/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/22/behind-the-curtain-sex-sells/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Sex sells. This is one of the most basic premises of advertising. Sex is used to sell a truly unbelievable amount of products. Sex is even used to sell computer games, so what would happen if we were able to sell sex?

Prostitution is called 'the oldest profession', so what if we treated it like any other profession in MMOs and started charging for it? The amount of people in MMOs today is truly mind-blowing. With a combined player-base of that size, you can be sure that a good few people are cybering in-game at any given time.

I'm not saying that everyone, or even most, of the people playing an MMO right now take part in cybering, because that's simply not true. Plenty of people rely on simple IM clients like AIM or Windows Messenger to find cyber-sex partners. But what if your game had licensed, regulated, well-run brothels staffed with reputable players? You might just find that people fall over themselves to start playing your game.

Continue reading Behind the Curtain: Sex sells

MassivelyBehind the Curtain: Sex sells originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Nov 2007 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cyber-sexfeaturedopinionsexworld-of-warcraftwowThu, 22 Nov 2007 11:30:00 EST