David Cage: "Why are so many people obsessed with sex?"

You want to sell something? Then put sex in it; that's the society we live in today, shallow I might add, since life is way more than naked ladies strolling across your TV screen. Especially in video games, some developers carelessly plaster naked women at different points with no tie-in whatsoever as if to say, 'here, that's what you want, then here, indulge.' David Cage feels the same way, and in a recent interview with Eurogamer, he shared his thoughts.

Eurogamer: You said you were not afraid to show nipples. Does that mean you're confirming nipples in Heavy Rain?

"Haha. Why are so many people obsessed with sex? The rule I give myself is everything is allowed as long as it makes sense in context. As long as it is not gratuitous, as long as it tells something about the story or the characters," he said.

"Do you know in real life when two people fall in love they may end up making love? That's the kind of thing that happens. Why not in a game? Why should it be treated differently? I am doing a game that will be rated 18+. What should I hide when I'm rated that way?"

Eurogamer: Certainly not nipples.

"Certainly not nipples! Haha. That's a good answer," David said. "But again, it's not showing nipples for the sake of sex, it's just to say, "OK, does it tell you something about the character? Does it add to the experience?" It's not about creating this teenage feeling of "Oh look, she's naked! It's so funny! And then laugh like an idiot about it. It's really about her as a character: real, vulnerable. It tells you something about her."

See what I mean? Grown men understand that it's not about loosely adding sex in a game; such emptiness is for kids, if it's going to be there, then do it with meaning. You're dealing with adults here.

11/10/09 Ernice Gilbert