Performers working in the games industry have spoken of their distress at being asked to work on explicit content without notice, including a scene featuring a sexual assault.
Sex scenes are common in modern games - and are often made by filming human actors who are then digitised into game characters.
But performers have told the BBC a culture of secrecy around projects - where scripts are often not shared until the last moment - means they frequently do not know in advance that scenes may involve intimate acts.
They describe feeling “shaken” and “upset” after acting them out.
Performing arts union Equity is demanding action from the industry - it has published guides on minimum pay, and working conditions in games, including on intimate or explicit scenes.
Not okay, not letting them know what they are signing up for… it’s like having them do stunts.
What game does sex scenes? Usually it just fades to black
They had a dedicated intimacy coordinator for those scenes who worked with the actors to make sure they were comfortable with it
What game does sex scenes? Usually it just fades to black
Witcher III is the only one I can think of off the top of my head. I vaguely recall Fable 1 doing the fade-to-black thing, but then staying black and playing out some cliche moaning, which is kind of the same thing from the voice actors’s perspective.
Whole category of dating sims and basically soft-core-porn games, which I’m sure have a high demand for acting out these kinda of scenes.
Bro what’s the point of being an actor if you get offended by playing a role.
If you genuinely don’t see that as a problem, I’m concerned for the safety of women around you.
Im more concerned that this people did not take the time to read their contracts or have their terms reviewed. Work for people you can trust or get a lawyer.
Ms Jefferies told the BBC she was once asked to act out a scene with a male performer involving a sexual assault with no prior warning. “I turned up and was told what I would be filming would be a graphic rape scene,” she said.
Imagine taking a role where nobody tells you there’s anything sexual about it and showing up one day and someone’s like “alright time for the rape scene.”
“The what?“
“The rape scene, you’re character is going to be raped and we need you to mocap it with this guy. Suit up!"
Taking a job doesn’t entitle the studio to do whatever they want to you or have you do whatever they want. Standard guild actors will almost always have a nudity and sex clause in their contract. The same doesnt seem to be happening in the gaming industry for VAs and mocap actors, with studios hiding the degree of work behind NDAs to protect their projects and their asses.
I’m not sure what industry you’re in, but most jobs include standards of what is generally included and expected. You can find unscrupulous people in any industry who will do the jobs that others reject, but they are not the norms.
If you are in a contract and the terms suddenly change to include something unexpected and outside the standard expectations, don’t you want someone in a decision making position to speak up? That’s all that’s going on here, at least from a labor perspective.
Easy. Just hire escorts. They will make the motions and take the money.
What makes you think an escort would like acting a rape scene more than anyone else?
I don’t. Just saying it’s an alternative option.
Honestly I’m confused on the issue here because so many people (maybe vocal minority?) show support for sex workers, yet it’s an issue to propose an option to hire them for a non sex role? Am I missing something on the “their body, their choice” thing? Like, if they don’t want to do the job they won’t do it, right? Just seemed like the way to go, idk.
Baldurs Gate 3 still getting praise long after release. Serious unicorn in the game industry!
Just to be a counterweight: I have ~15 hours in BG3. At some point I just realized it’s not for me. I can’t really put my finger on it, but it just doesn’t strike any nerve for what I enjoy in video games.
Skyrim, however was my favorite game through the 2010s, with probably north of 500 hours across multiple platforms.
Maybe it’s something about the pacing and freedom to disregard the story elements.
Oh I see where the controversy comes from. I’m not implying they are for the same people, although of course there is an overlap because they’re both fantasy.
All I’m saying is, within the fantasy genre, BG seems to be causing a similar impact as a game as Skyrim did in its time. Both give what their fandoms want, both feel fresh and innovative/creative enough at the time of release, both offer a lot in replay value. They are very different games though.
Sec scenes are common in modern games?
Y’all I’ve been big into Armored Core 6, Stardew Valley and Factorio lately what have you been up to?
Edit: I’m being flippant, the idea that an actor could have such a thing sprung on them is awful and I hope they get the protections they deserve.
For real, this. I’m playing everything from nice fluffy casual games to M rated horrorshows and I don’t remember the last game I played that had a voiced sex scene. A few horror titles or indie games have certainly included sex or even sexual assault, but not voiced.
BG3 is fine and good as noted by another commenter (haven’t actually played it myself), so what games are you guys playing?
Baldur’s Gate 3 immediately comes to mind. You can fuck bears and mindflayers in that game.
EDIT: Oh hey, they’re in the article in a good way!
Baldur’s Gate 3 addressed this by employing intimacy co-ordinators - dedicated members of staff tasked with ensuring the well-being of performers in explicit scenes.
Playing path of exile, I’m horrified at the idea of a sex scene
(maven feet though…)
I know you’re being flippant and it definitely is a real issue, but my first reaction was the same. I’ve played plenty of games with some sexual content in them, but never one with sexual violence other than implied, and usually even the consensual scenes were fade to black, or close to fading to black. I was a little surprised to hear that this is going on.
I’ve played GTA: San Andreas, and I don’t think there’s anything overtly sexually explicit in that one (besides the Hot Coffee thing, which still isn’t that bad? It’s simulated sex acts while the characters still wear their clothes). Even Cyberpunk has like two sex scenes (I never went to the joyous besides for that one mission) that you only really see tits from a first-person pov.
Though I realize that doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen.
Not to be that guy, but Stardew and Factorio both came out in 2016 (early access for Factorio). They’re nearly a decade old, so I’m not sure they qualify as modern.
Considering Factorio is still in development and has a major upcoming DLC release, I’d call it modern. Plus the modding scene is still pretty active.
The Skyrim modding scene is pretty damn active too. Yet I still wouldn’t consider it modern. Stellaris as well. Still receives DLC, modding scene is amazing. Still, nearly a decade old game, and it shows.
EU4 has received continuous updates and DLCs since it came out in 2013, but I wouldn’t call it modern (still love it though).
