‘The Witcher 3’ Sex Scenes Required 16 Hours Of Motion Capture Acting


Sex scenes in The Witcher series are not new, and as fans of the game already know, the first two games in the role-playing game franchise featured them. However, an interesting piece of trivia for The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt cropped up in a Guardian preview on Wednesday. Namely, how long actors had to spend in motion capture suits to act out the sex scenes in the upcoming PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC title.

Following the release of the Guardian article, Twitter and game forums like NeoGAF blew up with the claim that The Witcher 3 has 16 hours of motion capture data for sex scenes. That appears to be a bit of a translation error. Here is the original quote.

“The game, due for release in May, contains 16 hours of sex scene motion capture data (used to animate the 3D mannequins into their various lifelike positions).”

CD Projekt Red’s Nikolas Kolm was quick to point out that does not mean the game contains 16 hours of sex scenes. It’s simply how long it took to record the sex scenes that are in the game using actors and motion capture.

The developer points out that these scenes are not gratuitous and fit in with the mature themes of the game. In fact, it’s a quick way to establish a relationship for Geralt that drives the plot of the game.

“People might think we’re putting sex into the opening scene for no good reason,” explains senior game designer Damien Monhier. “No, no, no. We are establishing that your character was intimate with this woman recently in order to plant in your mind that, at very least, he must enjoy her company.”

“Through sex we have shown that this is a person who Geralt would be compelled to chase after if she went missing,” says Monheir.

This is important since Yennifer disappears a short time later. His feelings toward the woman are what drives him to go on a personal mission to seek her out across the Skellige Islands with the help of an older witcher named Vesemir.

“Sex is the quickest way in which to establish the relationship and provide a justification for the player to pursue this woman,” he continues. “We couldn’t just tell you to go find someone you don’t know or care about. It wouldn’t work.”

Sex scenes in video games are still a very touchy subject, despite the fact that The Witcher 3 is far from the first to have them. The reaction to the “16 hours worth sex scene motion capture data” has been humorous, but not necessarily from CD Projekt Red’s perspective as it distracts from the game.

The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt is due out for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on May 19. The game is going through some final polishing after a delay. You can check out the latest gameplay footage for the title and make sure your PC is powerful enough to run it.

[Images via The Witcher 3]

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