The new lineup for the board of directors of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) was recently revealed. Joining the 10-man team will be designer and professor Brenda Brathwaite, consultant Mark DeLoura, and THQ/Big Huge Games studio manager Tim Train. Other details regarding the new board of directors can be read in our full article.

Are video game developers afraid of including sex in their products? We do know that graphical sex scenes almost warrant an Adults Only (AO) rating from the ESRB, making it a no-no for titles that need to sell more than a few copies to earn profit. Veteran game designer Brenda Brathwaite, however, believes that there should be no discrimination against games that teach the art of making love. More of her insights are at the full article.

Playboy: The Mansion. Leisure Suit Larry. The Singles. See any connections?

Actually, it is more than obvious than even people outside the gaming arena can't help but notice as well. The so-called sexual revolution unfolding in video games today has been put under scrutiny by various conservative groups including political watchdogs. The industry face now serious questions of self-regulation and rating systems.

To actually understand this emerging trend, Brenda Brathwaite wrote a book dedicated to such pressing issues. Brathwaithe is no stranger to games as she was involved in the design and writing of Playboy: The Mansion, Wizardy 8 and even Dungeons and Dragons Heroes. The title of the book, Sex in Video Games, is simple, direct and appropriate.

Highlights of the book include a wide range of interviews with industry leaders and case studies on specific platforms. Other topics discussed include the ESRB Rating System and the history of games that feature sexual content on PC and console platforms.

Sex in Video Games costs $35.96 and is available online at the CourseTechnology link below.

We're pretty sure a lot of you have gone through the stage where your life revolved around online chatting. Sure, you've met some great people along the way, but admit it, you've had your share of weirdos and impersonators. Handles and avatars may have led you to believe that the person on the other end of the screen is a female, when in reality, she's a he. This practice is hardly new in online communities, and has since found its way into the online gaming scene. But unlike in online chats, "it has nothing to do with exploration of sexual identity," said Brenda Brathwaite, author of the soon to be released "Sex in Video Games." 

If it's not about sexual identity, then why come out of the MMORPG closet?  It's about capitalizing on the "damsel in distress" scenario. Having a scantily clad female as an avatar has it perks. Female avatars usually get more attention from male gamers. They're showered with gifts of sword and armor. Not surprising at all as mostly male gamers populate the expansive MMO universe.

While online games deal in fantasy, a lot of gamers tend to stick to their real-life persona, which explains why the male kind's first instinct upon seeing a female avatar is to assume that the operator is a female. According to Kathryn Wright, consulting psychologist at WomenGamers.com, 60% of male gamers don female avatars to gain an advatange in game play. It's best to keep that in mind, so you won't easily get smitten by a female avatar.