There used to be a time when sex was just a gimmick that was added to video games to spice them up a little. Game characters could engage in not so graphic sex acts as a way to advance the game, bring down an opponent or merely as a diversion. After all, when most people think of video games they think of kids as the primary players. But when game designers soon realized that adult players are more than half their business they started to listen to feedback about what they wanted in their video games, and of course they wanted more sex in their Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PSP and Nintendo Wii games. The game makers then began to give the game players what they wanted and that was more sex. Now there are entire games and websites designed around the concept of people having virtual sex.

When the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was recently given an Adults only 18+ rating a controversy was immediately created over sex in video games. The game was pulled from the shelves of retailers who do not sell sexually explicit content in their stores. Take Two Interactive Software Inc., the company that makes the game lost millions of dollars and a stern message was sent out to those who would try to market sexually explicit games to minors.

Gamers were outraged as conservative groups went even further and lobbied for new laws regarding explicit sex and violence in video games. The long arm of government regulation had finally put its heavy hand on the shoulder of the video game industry and they did not like it at all.

One of the responses by video game designers to the recent laws regarding sex in video games was to take their sexually explicit games to the Internet where they would be free from any kind of restrictions or regulations. On the worldwide web the potential customer base is huge and there is no viable way to regulate the content. It is much like the Wild West out there in cyberspace, and there will not be a Sheriff showing up any time soon.

Sony Corp., Microsoft Corp. and Nintendo Co. Ltd , the companies that make the hardware for Playstation 3, PSP, Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii games will not grant licensing to any software development companies who use sexually explicit material in their game content or titles. Critics have blasted them for allowing extremely violent content in their games for years while prohibiting graphic sex.

You may not be able to have virtual sex using Playstation 3, PSP, Xbox 360 or Nintendo Wii hardware, but there are plenty of companies that are willing to create sexually explicit video games that you can play on your PC while connected to the Internet.

A company called Utherverse Inc. created an internet game called Red Light Center that bases the entire game around having sex. This game can support thousands of users that can have virtual sex with each other in a virtual universe that is free of criticism and censorship.

Porn star Jenna Jameson has an online game titled Virtually Jenna that allows online users to have virtual sex with this world famous porn star.

Naughty America is a company that is breaking into the world of sexually explicit online video games. Already a major player in the world of online porn, they will soon also be grabbing a piece of the rapidly growing online video game industry. As far as they are concerned it is a match made in heaven. The video gaming industry in general grossed about 13 billion dollars last year and it is growing bigger every day. Two multi-billion dollar industries merging can only mean greater success for each party involved.

While sexual content has always been regulated on television and in films, with the Internet there is absolutely no oversight. The real question is how well can the video game designers regulate themselves so as not to fall too far down into the seedy world of online pornography. The bottom of the moral barrel is pretty low in that industry and it would be a shame to see the online video game industry turn away from creative characters, graphics and storyline in favor of sexual gratification as its primary purpose.