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Actors demand action over 'disgusting' video game sex scenes (www.bbc.com)

submitted 10 months ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/world@lemmy.world

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Performers working in the games industry have spoken of their distress at being asked to work on explicit content without notice, including a scene featuring a sexual assault.

Sex scenes are common in modern games - and are often made by filming human actors who are then digitised into game characters.

But performers have told the BBC a culture of secrecy around projects - where scripts are often not shared until the last moment - means they frequently do not know in advance that scenes may involve intimate acts.

They describe feeling "shaken" and "upset" after acting them out.

Performing arts union Equity is demanding action from the industry - it has published guides on minimum pay, and working conditions in games, including on intimate or explicit scenes.

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[-] TheAlbatross 134 points 10 months ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

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[-] Zagorath@aussie.zone 30 points 10 months ago

I know you're being flippant and it definitely is a real issue, but my first reaction was the same. I've played plenty of games with some sexual content in them, but never one with sexual violence other than implied, and usually even the consensual scenes were fade to black, or close to fading to black. I was a little surprised to hear that this is going on.

[-] Zahille7@lemmy.world 6 points 10 months ago

I've played GTA: San Andreas, and I don't think there's anything overtly sexually explicit in that one (besides the Hot Coffee thing, which still isn't that bad? It's simulated sex acts while the characters still wear their clothes). Even Cyberpunk has like two sex scenes (I never went to the joyous besides for that one mission) that you only really see tits from a first-person pov.

Though I realize that doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

[-] flamingos@feddit.uk 19 points 10 months ago

Not to be that guy, but Stardew and Factorio both came out in 2016 (early access for Factorio). They're nearly a decade old, so I'm not sure they qualify as modern.

[-] Just_Pizza_Crust@lemmy.world 18 points 10 months ago

Considering Factorio is still in development and has a major upcoming DLC release, I'd call it modern. Plus the modding scene is still pretty active.

[-] SaltySalamander@fedia.io 11 points 10 months ago

The Skyrim modding scene is pretty damn active too. Yet I still wouldn't consider it modern. Stellaris as well. Still receives DLC, modding scene is amazing. Still, nearly a decade old game, and it shows.

[-] catloaf@lemm.ee 11 points 10 months ago

Skyrim was barely a modern game when it was new.

[-] cynar@lemmy.world 3 points 10 months ago

Most of the work on facturio has been on the underlying engine. Factories that would bring a high end PC to it's knees, at the start, now race along on a mediocre PC.

The factorio devs don't play factorio in the game anymore, they play it with the engine. By the results, they are both a team of geniouses and completely addicted.

[-] flamingos@feddit.uk 6 points 10 months ago

EU4 has received continuous updates and DLCs since it came out in 2013, but I wouldn't call it modern (still love it though).

[-] Just_Pizza_Crust@lemmy.world 6 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

I think "modern game" is really a semantics thing tbh. Like, is Age of Empires 2 a modern game, old game, or ancient game? I think it really comes down to how you're playing the game, rather than the year of original release.

Worms: Armageddon is another example. Is it an ancient game because of its release date, or is it a modern game because people are developing new rules and scripts to play the game by every year?

[-] Zagorath@aussie.zone 5 points 10 months ago

Aoe2 is a modern game. And it's the only modern game. Everything else is a distraction.

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[-] tiefling 9 points 10 months ago

You haven't lived if you haven't watched all four sex scenes in Splatoon

[-] vaionko@sopuli.xyz 7 points 10 months ago

If you don't have mods giving you graphical sex scenes os Stardew Valley, what have you been up to?

[-] Noodle07@lemmy.world 3 points 10 months ago

Playing path of exile, I'm horrified at the idea of a sex scene

(maven feet though...)

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[-] Eczpurt@lemmy.world 31 points 10 months ago

Baldurs Gate 3 still getting praise long after release. Serious unicorn in the game industry!

[-] Mothra@mander.xyz 20 points 10 months ago

I say BG3 is to the 2020s what Skyrim was to the 2010s

[-] prole 30 points 10 months ago

That's an insult to BG3 and Larian.

[-] Enoril@jlai.lu 6 points 10 months ago

agree.. let’s say "the skyrim we remember all, with all the beautiful mods fixing the outrageous real state of the game."

[-] dQw4w9WgXcQ@lemm.ee 6 points 10 months ago

Just to be a counterweight: I have ~15 hours in BG3. At some point I just realized it's not for me. I can't really put my finger on it, but it just doesn't strike any nerve for what I enjoy in video games.

Skyrim, however was my favorite game through the 2010s, with probably north of 500 hours across multiple platforms.

Maybe it's something about the pacing and freedom to disregard the story elements.

[-] Mothra@mander.xyz 2 points 10 months ago

Oh I see where the controversy comes from. I'm not implying they are for the same people, although of course there is an overlap because they're both fantasy.

All I'm saying is, within the fantasy genre, BG seems to be causing a similar impact as a game as Skyrim did in its time. Both give what their fandoms want, both feel fresh and innovative/creative enough at the time of release, both offer a lot in replay value. They are very different games though.

[-] cuchilloc@lemmy.world 16 points 10 months ago

Bro what’s the point of being an actor if you get offended by playing a role.

[-] capt_wolf@lemmy.world 60 points 10 months ago

Ms Jefferies told the BBC she was once asked to act out a scene with a male performer involving a sexual assault with no prior warning. "I turned up and was told what I would be filming would be a graphic rape scene," she said.

Imagine taking a role where nobody tells you there's anything sexual about it and showing up one day and someone's like "alright time for the rape scene."

“The what?“

“The rape scene, you're character is going to be raped and we need you to mocap it with this guy. Suit up!"

Taking a job doesn't entitle the studio to do whatever they want to you or have you do whatever they want. Standard guild actors will almost always have a nudity and sex clause in their contract. The same doesnt seem to be happening in the gaming industry for VAs and mocap actors, with studios hiding the degree of work behind NDAs to protect their projects and their asses.

[-] gedaliyah@lemmy.world 50 points 10 months ago

I'm not sure what industry you're in, but most jobs include standards of what is generally included and expected. You can find unscrupulous people in any industry who will do the jobs that others reject, but they are not the norms.

If you are in a contract and the terms suddenly change to include something unexpected and outside the standard expectations, don't you want someone in a decision making position to speak up? That's all that's going on here, at least from a labor perspective.

[-] koper@feddit.nl 19 points 10 months ago

If you genuinely don't see that as a problem, I'm concerned for the safety of women around you.

[-] cuchilloc@lemmy.world 3 points 10 months ago

Im more concerned that this people did not take the time to read their contracts or have their terms reviewed. Work for people you can trust or get a lawyer.

[-] cuchilloc@lemmy.world 5 points 10 months ago

time for the surprise sex scene
that’s not in my contract
then you’re fired
then you’ll be hearing from my lawyer

THE END

[-] pixeltree 18 points 10 months ago

Do people not have right to feel uncomfortable?

[-] hungryphrog 2 points 10 months ago

Most actors don't like having to have sex with someone they barely know without anyone warning them beforehand or making sure they aren't abused.

[-] SendMePhotos@lemmy.world 11 points 10 months ago

Easy. Just hire escorts. They will make the motions and take the money.

[-] fine_sandy_bottom@lemmy.federate.cc 26 points 10 months ago

What makes you think an escort would like acting a rape scene more than anyone else?

[-] SendMePhotos@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago

I don't. Just saying it's an alternative option.

Honestly I'm confused on the issue here because so many people (maybe vocal minority?) show support for sex workers, yet it's an issue to propose an option to hire them for a non sex role? Am I missing something on the "their body, their choice" thing? Like, if they don't want to do the job they won't do it, right? Just seemed like the way to go, idk.

[-] fine_sandy_bottom@lemmy.federate.cc 2 points 10 months ago

Why suggest sex workers to act a rape scene rather than plumbers or programmers though?

I suspect you think of escorts as people who will do anything for money.

[-] dQw4w9WgXcQ@lemm.ee 12 points 10 months ago

Or:

Easy. Just share the scripts in a reasonable advance to allow actors either withdraw from the project or brace/prepare themselves for the uncomfortable scenes.

[-] MediaBiasFactChecker@lemmy.world 8 points 10 months ago

BBC News - News Source Context (Click to view Full Report)

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this post was submitted on 17 Aug 2024

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