Post 12: Boy’s Dating Sims Vs. Girl’s Dating Sims

Did you ever experience dating? What is dating for you? For me dating is where you experience a private moment with your dating partner. Dating is the chance to know each other more, spend time together to strengthen your relationship and experience wonderful moment with him or her that you will never forget.

There are various way how we handle and prepare our date. A perfect date blooms passionate feeling in every relationship. How about in the virtual world what ways can we develop a romantic relationship in our chosen partner? Dating simulation games are the types of games created to developed a romantic relationship in a virtual world. There are different genres of dating simulation games that are popular for males and females.

Dating sims for girls and boys are different in many ways in its genres, story board, and art-style. But it also similar in some ways like the process of playing the game, choosing an answer and game application. The famous genres for males are the Bishojo and Eroge games. According to this research article by Patrick W. Galbraith called “Bishojo Games: ‘Techno-Intimacy’ and the Virtiually Human inJapan”, states that bishojo games became the source of intimate relationship and opens the possibilities of becoming with a technological “companions species.”  Just like eroge games, bishojo games also have pornographic contents that became popular for males.

“As machines become embedded ever more deeply into life and even flesh, the line between human and nonhuman increasingly blurs. So does that between material reality and the image making we rely upon to see, know, and interact with our world(s).”

- Anne Allison

As I searched for an example of popular bishojo game, I came across to an article written by Alex Mahan called “This Japanese Dating Sim Lets Players CreateTheir Ideal Wife” about a bishojo game where the players are allowed to choose their ideal wife and experience a real look of having a wife.

Girl’s game on other hand are more “pure” and light based on the content of the gameplay. The most popular dating sim for female is the otome game, where it composes in more romantic relationship rather than intimate relationship. The first ever otome game is the Angelique, according to this article written by Heidi Kemps called “Game for Girls”, Angelique is the first truly successful female-oriented game ever created. Composed of interesting gameplay, fantasy-based story line and gorgeous guys design by shojo artist.

From my own perspective each gender has their own perspective in choosing what genre they want to play. We can freely choose what kind of game we are going to play that provides satisfaction with our own needs.