"For the record: I'm one of those people in the group that really wants the intimacy to be done well, because as it stands, I'm not likely to want to play the game at all if it's not. The game itself is not good enough, as it presently stands. It's not a game I'd really be interested in playing, in this state and in this style, unless there's something to keep me here, such as solid romance and intimacy as part of the game's story."
OK. I'm not trying to argue with you, so hopefully you won't think that. I totally get most of your points, but this quote above is what I'm really trying to get at. IF the game is good enough, sex is not needed in it for it to sell. People would still buy it and play it if sex was not included because the game is good. That is one of the main reasons I brought Skyrim into it as an example. That game sold incredibly well because it was a good game and it also sold incredibly well because it could reach a broader audience because it wasn't considered too mature for younger audiences. I know many prude American parents who even let their kids own Skyrim because the worst things in that game were heads getting lobbed off.
That, in and of itself, didn't make it necessarily okay for young viewers in my book, but my point is that a lot of parents and such felt that it was an okay game to let their kids own because it didn't have naughty sex bits. Therefore, a wider audience was reached and the game sold MORE because it was good enough without sex.
IF the game isn't good enough, and it is only selling because it has sex in it, then sex in the game is absolutely required. However, it will likely only sell to those who like sex in games and not as many copies to others. THAT was the point I was making even if my example was a terrible one.
All this to say:
Good Game = Sex not necessary in game
Not-so-good Game = Sex might be necessary in game to sell
THIS is not saying that just because sex is in a game that it isn't a good game. Games like Witcher 3 (never played it because of its content) are obviously good games as you've all pointed out. Otherwise, they wouldn't have sold so many copies. So I'm not saying because it has sex scenes or whatever that it isn't a good game and that it needed sex scenes to sell. However, my point is more that I wonder how sales would have done on Witcher 3 if it hadn't had sex scenes.
Who knows? Maybe you're right. Maybe Witcher 3 would have bombed without sex scenes. Maybe I'm totally off base. I've just observed that those movies and video games that sell more are ones that appeal to a wider audience. Star Wars sells more movie tickets because it is created as a mature series of movies, but the maturity level is tame enough for kids. Therefore, it isn't just mom and dad going to see Star Wars, but they take the whole family with them. Meanwhile, a movie series like John Wick (love this series btw) is extremely popular and is doing really well at like what, $580 million overall worldwide. Star Wars has been around for 40 years, mind you, but the point is that John Wick's sales are limited because it is for a specific audience only and not for a broader audience.
That's all I'm saying.
This is my final note on it, though. John Wick would not be John Wick without its full blown crazy mature content. Star Wars would not be Star Wars if it had a greater maturity level. Both would be ruined if they went their opposite directions.
Each has their place, and I get that.
But BG3 is kind of right on the border. It could be just a bit more mature and just reach the more limited mature audience, or it could be just a bit less mature and reach a broader, less mature audience as well.
Either way, they need to improve the game so that it IS good enough without sex to appeal to its audience. Don't you think it's sad that one of the only things keeping you playing the game is its intimacy content? Shouldn't they focus more on making the game more fun from every other aspect instead of focusing on making it more sex appealing? Am I really that far off base when I say that they could reach a greater audience with better gameplay and less sexual content?
I don't know. Maybe it's just me since I'm the only one out here saying it. Either way, it doesn't really matter what I think. They're going to do what they're going to do, and whatever their decision I have to live with it. If they go more sexual in content, I'll have to determine whether I'm still going to play it or not. If they go less sexual in content, I won't have to worry about making such a decision.
