ABSTRACT
Scholars and professionals from all over the world, across experience levels and the gender and sexuality spectrum, share experiences and analysis of romance and sexuality in video games.
Whether discussing casual sex in the Star Wars universe; analyzing various Otome games; examining "the gaze" in various games; player romance behavior in games; or exploring the ethical ramifications of sexuality in virtual reality and other emerging technologies, this book discusses what players want in video game romance, and how developers can best deliver it.
Key Features:
- Examines the past, present, and future of romance in single-player, role-playing games
- Discusses common presentations of romance in single-player, role-playing games— both in the category and game mechanics that drive romance
- Discusses research on how players define a satisfying game romance and what specific steps narrative designers can take to design satisfying games
- Explains the notion of the empathic game and explores its importance in relation to romance in game design
TABLE OF CONTENTS
section I|76 pages
Representations of Gender and Sexuality
chapter 2|22 pages
Making Love Not War
Female Power and the Emotional Labor of Peace in Code: Realize—The Guardian of Rebirth and Princess Arthur
section II|146 pages
Romance and Sexuality in Game Design
chapter 5|14 pages
Visualizing Data for Pleasure
Heather Kelley on Game Design, Sexuality, and User Interfaces
chapter 10|40 pages
Designing Video Game Characters for Romantic Attachment
Practical Application and Design Pitfalls
section III|41 pages
Otome: Romance and Sexuality in Game Design
chapter 11|20 pages
“Sweet Solutions for Female Gamers”
Cheritz, Korean Otome Games, and Global Otome Game Players
chapter 13|11 pages
Love Transcends All (Geographical) Boundaries
The Global Lure of Romance Historical Otome Games and the Shinsengumi
section IV|22 pages
The Future of Romance and Sexuality in Games
