I'm sure many of your have heard of the MANY mods to games which override the existing graphics, adding nude skins mostly to female characters.  It seems that within a short time of the game's launch, file-sharing sites have one or more of these patches available.  Recent hits like Fallout 3, Mass Effect 2, and Dragon Age all have high-profile mods of this fashion.  As a matter of fact, the nudity mod for The Sims 3 is the most downloaded mod for that game.

Fallout 3                                                                                  Oblivion

These mods are typically made by other players, with an interest for nudity or other adult content.  Of course, if the game had included them as part of the standard package, they would likely get the rare "AO" adults only rating (that is for the United States; other countries have their own rating systems).  This rating can often lead to a lot of bad press, and ever getting black-listen from certain retailers who will refuse to carry the game.

However, with the increasing usage of online purchases and downloadable games, it's reasonable to think that this retail barrier may have less of an impact now.  So, will we start seeing more "adult" games, online games, and MMORPG's available for purchase and download?  This sort of thing isn't as commonplace here in the states as it is in parts of Asia, but that may simply be an issue of availability.  Currently, several companies in Korea have some of these games under development.

Now, we're not talking about violent games, which typically get rated "M" and require parents to purchase the game if a minor wishes to play it.  The games I'm referring to often have things like virtual dating, intimate character interactions, complete nudity, and even sexual content in some cases.  Some games of this type already exist, but could they start to become part of the mainstream?

Even your sims get naked (Sims 3)

Initially, there were rumors and suggestions that Age of Conan would have much more sexual content that what it currently does.  Even much of the nudity contained in that game was removed or otherwise censored to allow it to be available in more locales and retail stores.  Many rumors, some which seemed to begin with statements from the game's developers, indicated that sex would be an integral part of the game.  The idea was that sex would work as a "buff" or temporary enhancement for your character.  That of course IS NOT part of the current game, but many speculated it would be.

Here is how one of the current adult-themed online games describes itself.  I'm not going to use the name of the game, but you get the idea of what they're offering:

******** is the internet's most sophisticated and advanced adult virtual reality universe. The online erotic community site offers users virtual nightclubs, hotels, bars, movie theaters and stores.

In addition, the ******* offers Community Events, such as parties, classes, meeting rooms, live music with dancing and art-gallery openings. These events are broadcast within the online universe.

Now, a game that offers NOTHING but a "relationship" interaction will probably stay in the same sector it currently is: a little-known genre with a niche audience.  But what if more MMO's were to start incorporating more of this concept into their own games?  We already see a number of games which employ scantily clad characters, whose armor barely seems to cover half their body.  Some games have "marriages" within the game.  Will future MMO's start having more intimate purposes for in-game housing?

What do you think?  Will MMO's start to go in that direction?  Should they?  With internet purchases and online downloads, is there anything stopping future games from trying?

Give us your opinions on our forums, or feel free to leave a comment.