The porn game industry took a hit when independent game hosting platform, Game Jolt, announced they’d no longer allow adult games. Game Jolt’s approach to criticism has spawned some outrage online (you’ll see).
The Game Jolt porn game ban saga begins with developers taking to social media regarding emails they claim Game Jolt sent them. The emails announce that the Game Jolt platform will “no longer allow content that depicts, solicits, promotes, normalizes, or glorifies sexual acts, sexual solicitation, and sexual violence.” The developers’ games are culled from Game Jolt, but players get to use them for at least another year.
Some of this decision could be summed up as rational given the environment. But similarly, we should understand that Game Jolt began nearly 15 years ago as a place for odd games that were homeless.
Now, Game Jolt reasonably explains that their audience features a heavy amount of younger users.
For folks looking to host their porn games, we recommend @itchio or @Steam. Game Jolt is a platform with a large audience of 13-16 year olds. Our users asked us to clean up, so here we are. https://t.co/FgIVMqnNUS
— Game Jolt (@gamejolt) January 3, 2022
While this is more than a reasonable concern, it doesn’t mean there aren’t some lingering questions. Most obvious, why wouldn’t Game Jolt consider gating the more provocative content?
One of the controversial removed games is called Curtain, an adult game about a relationship that evolves from sweet and king to abusive. Curtain aims to help people better understand how abusive relationships happen. Many believe such a game shouldn’t be caught up in Game Jolt’s adult game culling.
?
I mean, I think there’s a difference between ‘curtain’, a game about abuse that talks about it indirectly in the hopes of helping people, and some porn game, but idk pic.twitter.com/RQrbMUgg24
— Llaura (@ldreamfeel) January 3, 2022
This move may affect users who previously paid for adult games thinking the games will be updated. Now, they won’t be updated. And that’s going to tick some folks off.
And yes, Steam has adult games. So there is that.
What we don’t seem to know at this time is how many games are affected by the Game Jolt decision. Game Jolt isn’t telling anyone. They did however release a statement to Vice regarding the matter.
“While the roots of Game Jolt have been around hosting games, the site has grown to become more of a social media platform for the next generation of gamers.
As such, Game Jolt recently implemented a policy that ensures games that feature explicit adult content will no longer be available. We are currently working with developers to make sure they have an opportunity to move their games to another platform, and are responding to any categorizations that may need to be reassessed.”
Another bizzare twist in this sultry tale is Game Jolt’s odd social media responses. Game Jolt has recently began posting animated gifs and other oddities, all seemingly aimed at the negativity.
— Game Jolt (@gamejolt) January 3, 2022
Game Jolt has a long history of allowing 18+ content so this latest move is certainly shocking. But they gotta do what they gotta do, am I right?