Cybersex, Prostitution and Inevitability of Sex – The Dark Secrets of MMO
Some people maintain our entire culture, since it's derived from primal instincts, is determined by sex. We're not going to ponder over this question, but rather examine it's manifestations in MMO RPGs.
Table of Contents
- Cybersex, Prostitution and Inevitability of Sex – The Dark Secrets of MMO
- I like to move it in Azeroth!
- A matter of business
- Public houses and sponsors are the standard
- Will you marry me? It'll pay off!
A matter of business
Using the right emote can be profitable. The Sims Online, when it still existed, was famous for prostitution, which was a full-fledged profession there. At one point, even CNN was looking into cybersex and they investigated this particular game. It turned out that people were "selling their sims' bodies" for a handful of Simoleons.
It was no different when Second Life was riding a wave of popularity. Today, few people remember the game, but it used to be quite popular. Online business used to thrive, to the point where even real brands had official stores there. And so, inevitably, also bordellos appeared. It's worth remembering that Second Life could financially sustain the thriftiest players in reality – it was possible to exchange the in-game currency for actual money. It wasn't the kind of money that buy you a Merc, but it could be enough to pay the bills.
Since MMORPGs emulate real interactions, it's just a matter of time before players rearrange the mechanics to also include, and depict, sex. I mean, I remember walking the streets of the capital of my faction in World of Warcraft and meeting dozens of characters willing to strip and dance for a few coins of gold! But then, most of the time, you didn't even have to resort to strip-tease or selling the virtual body. Most of the time, all you had to do was kindly ask strangers to toss a coin your way, and they were usually happy to make the beginning of the journey a little easier. .
