Trying to understand more the sexual thing in USA

[jack1974]

So I'm trying to understand again how it works there exactly
Let's say we have two pictures:
A) fully frontal nudity (like Chambara's, so no genitals shown)
B) two couples touching themselves in the genitals area, but COMPLETELY DRESSED. So like two women touching, one of them with a hand on the other legs, but covered by panties/fabric/whatever

which would be considered "worse" of the two ? more taboo, which would anger people more, etc

[SilverHyena]

A is considered worse. Full frontal nudity will automatically get you an a more adult rating (and set off more red flags with the moral police) whereas sexual situations with clothes on are more accepted. As long as they have some form of clothes on you can usually get away with most things (since that's the kind of stuff they put in ads and on magazine covers). We're weird I know, but that's how it goes. If you have nudity but no genitals show (like if it's blocked by an object or cut off by the picture's edges) it's alright too, but I'm pretty sure that's still considered worse than b. I'm just going by what I see around most though.

Anyway, hope this helps.

[jack1974]

Ah interesting! yes it's helping a lot, since I was thinking to have some of those B scenes in future games

[biscuit]

American prudery: the more 'explicit' (naked flesh!) there is, the 'worse' from a moral standpoint.

Fully clothed, even making out (as long as you are not doing anything super-explicit) you can get away with much more.

Both will be steamy, but there is less of a 'protect the children!' alarmist response.

[Lonestar51]

I would suggest take a few movies* from a videothek for research:
- something from Disney, who would never enrage the US moral guardians
- some other AAA title (teenager comedy)
- some AAA title aimed at adults
- an indie title

I suspect the adult titles will have at least one or two scenes "not fit for children" to avoid getting a 6+ years rating**, and the indies will be more daring in the display of romance than big producers. Oh, and take care to get the US versions, at least the german version are often cut (not sure about italian versions). That should get you better results than me speculating about a country I never visited.

* the object of the exercise is to see what is acceptable when portrayed in media, not what people privately do or think.
** the rating is used as marketing instrument

[at-a-glance]

I live in the Midwest but grew up in different homes, more often than not with complete strangers. Never had my own room growing up let along bathroom, and always stayed in a pacted house. Sharing a room with four other guys getting walked in on in the bathroom once or twice a week has given me the opinion that there is nothing inherently sexual about nudity, no matter the degree. Now, groping is sexual. I guess it’s a matter of intent for me (I work in a legal field).

In terms of censorship laws, yes you will get hit harder with actual nudity than with groping—because it is easier to pin point a naked body in a film than comb it over for ‘inappropriate touching’. And, @ biscuit, it has to do with the amount of work for censors (it is a government job . . .) rather than cultural prudery. And yes, that is a stupid reason

[jack1974]

Thanks, is very hard for me, even if luckily most of my writers are from USA so I can always ask them. But when you grow up in a country where they show naked women/men to advertise perfume...

[biscuit]

@at-a-glance: Yes, I know it's more of a ratings system than a cultural attitude, but it made for a funnier statement.

Side-note: I personally don't think nudity is a big deal, but have had past experiences to be wary with men who try the same claim as an excuse to see naked women. If it is not a big deal, why did they never bother asking/inviting the other people to get naked together? (Though that jumps more into specific social attitudes or individuals, instead of the broad cultural spectrum.)

[mainland]

Probably you would have less problems if you spice things up in the texts than in the images. But what you did with loren is great, you can choose to see the scenes or not. Maybe another option is to have two completely separated game versions, a censored and an uncensored one - then you could do as you want, naked romance scenes, etc.