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Games Gone Wild - The Rise Of The Adult Title?

Posted by simoniker on from the shake-your-bon-mots dept.

Thanks to GameSpot for its article discussing the alleged rise of the adult videogame, despite recent statistics that revealed "sales of Mature-rated titles were on the decline." The writer notes that the ESA "may be spinning the market-share shift as an overall decline in M-rated games demand", but goes on to mention: "The same week the ESA was saying interest in M-rated games was waning, the most-searched-for game on GameSpot was [previously covered M-rated title] The Guy Game." Elsewhere, Game Girl Advance has an article talking about new German-developed PC title Singles: Flirt Up Your Life!, in which "2 out of 12 possible archetypal characters (the eponymous 'Singles') wind up living in the same apartment... Your job is to make them get it on."

2 of 37 comments (clear)

  1. Adult videogame definition by thesp · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's relly important, when talking about anything 'Adult', to really understand what you mean. Enjoyable by adult, adult themes, realism, complexity, or the usual 'undesirable content' label.

    Age-stratification is essential to product targetting, and as today's first few generations of 'adults' have grown up with the presence of videogames, we should expect this market to be on the increase.

  2. Looking vs. buying: buying loses by Mirkon · · Score: 5, Insightful
    ...the most-searched-for game on GameSpot was [previously covered M-rated title] The Guy Game.

    That's all well and good. I'm sure that when news of them first broke, and upon their releases, games like BMX XXX and DOA Xtreme Beach Volleyball were highly-searched items too. But to my recollection, it wasn't reflected in their sales figures.

    An actual adult doesn't have to worry about getting a ride to the store from his parents, or hiding a dubious game from them. Conversely, anyone of any age can (and usually will) snoop around for information, screenshots, and videos on said game.

    Plus, in many one-dimensional 'adult' games (like the ones mentioned above), the only motivation to buy or even see them is for the dirty bits. When you can find these online for free, why bother with the rest of the game?
    --
    Glog!