A month ago, when I was at PAX, I picked up a fun little book entitled Porn & Pong: How Grand Theft Auto, Tomb Raider and Other Sexy Games Changed Our Culture By Damon Brown. As the title suggests, it was about how the game industry intertwines with the Larry Flint and Hugh Hefner’s naked utopia. The book talks about the significance of titles like Custer’s Revenge, Tomb Raider, and Grand Theft Auto 3. Brown does a great job covering what was in the game, where the controversy lies, and what it meant for both the video game and the porn industry.

Unfortunately, the book was completed before Mass Effect and its sex scene was released. This drove me to send the author an e-mail to see what he had to say about the thirteen seconds of side-boob in Bioware’s RPG. Brown replied Last weekend:

“Mass Effect didn’t change the industry, but it did show that video games have the capability to show sensuality in a respectful manner and equal to anything done in mainstream movies. I’m not sure if sexual situations in video games have vastly improved in the two years since Mass Effect, but for future game designers it did show what’s possible with our medium. In short, Mass Effect was a step in the right direction.”

Brown also spoke about the challenge of writing the book. He wrote about the difficult balance of blending highbrow and lowbrow culture, as well as writing for both the hardcore gamer and the Bejeweled-playing mother.

If you like video games and boobs, this book is sure hold your interest. It’s a great analysis about two industries that aren’t always held in high regard. If you aren’t into boobs, I’m frankly surprised you visit this site. I’m sure you’d enjoy the book though.