Playing Dirty: Searching for sex in Club Penguin

by Bonnie Ruberg { Apr 12th 2007 at 1:29PM }

Every other week, Bonnie Ruberg contributes Playing Dirty, a column on sex and gender in video games:

Sex is everywhere. That's true in real life, that's true on the internet, and that's definitely true in online games. But whether we like it or not, sex doesn't always involve the people we think it should. I'm not just talking about the Second Life-er who tells you she's a twenty-five-year-old woman and turns out to be a forty-five-year-old man. I'm talking about kids. Specifically, I'm talking about sex in online games designed for children.

If you came within a fifty-feet radius of Raph Koster at GDC last month, you've probably heard his two cents on the how gaming is being taken over by companies from outside the industry who make games that don't even register on our radar. Koster did mention Korean MMOs, but what he really focused on were kids games. In particular, he pointed the wobbly finger of prediction a virtual world called Club Penguin. With 4.5 millions unique users in December, 2006 alone, Koster claims Club Penguin can rival the largest online games in the world. He seems to be right.

My question is, with that many people playing, there must be sex in Club Penguin, right?

We hear a lot about children having sex online. Usually though, its Dateline NBC's "To Catch a Predator," or something along those lines: tales of a middle-aged redneck with a handle-bar mustache aching to take advantage of PrettyPolly13. Are internet predators a problem? Sure. But that doesn't mean that kid aren't out there having cybersex between themselves. Just like adults, they're willing to be downright inventive to do it. Remember "the teen community" Habbo Hotel? Even though there's no currency and no sex words allowed, Habbo prostitution lives on.Talk about emergent behavior. Furniture is the new cash and sex becomes "bobba."

That said, Club Penguin doesn't seem like a particular sexy environment. The game is made up of arctic-themed social environments and mini-games. Everyone's a portly, adorable penguin. Plus, it's super "safe"–one might even be tempted to say "paranoid." Just look at all the warnings about inappropriate chat, not to mention the reminders that a moderator is always watching. You can even go into "ultimate safe-chat" mode, where chat is so restricted, no one could possibly say anything offensive (Then again, they found a way in Habbo Hotel). Still, safety is one of the game's selling points with parents. And while adults can come play, just being over eighteen in Club Penguin makes you feel a bit like a perv.

Not that Club Penguin doesn't have it's dark, more adult touches. But the problem with searching for sex in Club Penguin is that, even for the sake of research, I'm not going to go around trying to incite sexual encounters with what could well be children under the age of eight. And after numerous hours spent hanging out, skying, and playing Connect Four, no one seems to have made a pass at me. At least, not that I can tell. Maybe the "safe-chat" and the moderators and the paranoia really has weeded out all traces of sex in Club Penguin. Or maybe I just don't know where to look. But if those penguins really are getting it on, I guess I'll never know...

Bonnie Ruberg is a writer, researcher, and all around fangirl with a big crush on games. Find more of her work at Gamasutra, The Onion A. V. Club, or her blog, Heroine Sheik. She can be reached at .

Tags: Club Penguin, ClubPenguin, MMO, playingdirty, Raph Koster, RaphKoster, sex

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Paul R @ Apr 12th 2007 1:55PM

Both my kids use Club Penguin. And, like everything else, it's up to the parents to monitor it's use. Yes, CP does a pretty good job of trying to keep things clean, but noone or no company can achieve 100%. Parents need and should be vigilant. Most people forget to use one important feature today, COMMON SENSE!!!

Grimolfr @ Apr 12th 2007 2:04PM

Please stop writing these articles. This is awful. You write an article about looking for sex in a kids MMOG but it is you who is doing the searching. The conclusion is you don't find any. So, why write the article in the first place??

hvnlysoldr @ Apr 12th 2007 2:11PM

Common sense isn't common.

pete @ Apr 12th 2007 2:18PM

here here. i secong that. i cant recall the last playing dirty that was worth the time i spent to read it.

and you know what, its not that i mind the articles. but find something worth while to write about.

sheppy @ Apr 12th 2007 2:15PM

So I'm guessing... there is no grieving in this game? Damn, that kills 99% of all online fun.

Penguin 1: Wanna play connect four?
Penguin 2: Kinda busy watching my cat try and gnaw it's own leg out of a rat trap but sure...
*Penguin 1 estabishes game and goes. Time passes, Penguin 2 still doesn't move*
Penguin 1: Your move...
Penguin 2: Awesome, she's down to the bone. Huh? Oh, yeah... I move here.
*penguin 1 quickly replies but his patience drops sharply as Penguin 2 once again takes far too long to take his turn*
Penguin 2: Maybe I should take her to the vet... or at least free her from the trap. But I just can't look away. This is fascinating.
Penguin 1: YOUR MOVE!
Penguin 2: Say it, don't spray it. I want the news, not the weather.
Penguin 1: Just take your turn, nOOb!
Penguin 2: Fine, I shall have to employ the Mario Strategem. I go here!
Penguin 1: Mario wha?
Penguin 2: I'll run, jump, kick my turtle, and hit the pipe. OH CRAP! She actually gnawed through. Look, I gotta take her to the vet but stay right here and I'll take my turn when I get back.
Penguin 1: darn
*Penguin 1 quits the game, Penguin 2 goes up in rank, and Penguin 3 approaches Penguin 2*
Penguin 3: Wanna play connect four?
Penguin 2: Kinda busy watching my cat try and gnaw it's own leg out of a rat trap but sure...

Rvan @ Nov 22nd 2007 2:03AM

Okay, what's up with the cat thing? 1) Let's hope any kid watching his cat "gnaw his leg off" might report that to an adult. Very strange.

JodyAnthony @ Apr 12th 2007 2:15PM

I usually enjoy these articles, but this one is a total miss. The whole article leads up to "oh, I didn't find anything. the end"

Ken @ Apr 12th 2007 2:30PM

www.gaiaonline.com

That website is supposed to be like an anime-based message board between alot of different topics.

However it's riddled by cybersex. You could do an article on that... but then again, it's not a game... so I dunno... I has games though.

MthdDirector @ Apr 12th 2007 2:35PM

I'm really disappointed - I can't believe you guys posted an article like this.

What's the big news here? That Club Penguin has 4.5 freaking MILLION unique users. That's on the scale of WoW or Xbox Live.

Instead, you take on the juvenile approach of "Searching for Sex in Club Penguin" which is not only offensive but stupid.

When will gaming sites grow up and learn to write about kid's entertainment on its own terms? I mean, really, you had a great opportunity to talk about one of the untold success stories of internet gaming, and you chose to take the low road.

Ateo Fiel @ Apr 12th 2007 2:40PM

The chat seems very similar to the Toontown type restrictions.

sheppy @ Apr 12th 2007 2:47PM

Wow, just when I thought I had the dumbest response to this.... along comes mthdDirector.

Dude, seriously... get off your fucking high horse. Do you honestly think the only time sexual predators should be reported on is when FoxNews is trying to scare soccer moms into thinking a guy is simultaneously driving, jerking off, and cybering with your child through his Nintendo DS while following their families along Americas highways? Wouldn't you think an article that is based around a company claiming their service is sex free should be under the eye of scrutiny? And congrats, it passed.

This is good news for Club Penguin because it passed the all important predator test. If you want good news about Club Penguin, there it is. Safe place for kids online so parents can push away the responsibility of teaching their children common sense back to the fucking electronic devices. Life is grand, everyone wins, another generation of pop culture raised individuals flood the planet, and you're still bitching.

Crazylink @ Apr 12th 2007 2:49PM

(Sorry if this is a double post.)

Sounds like that place needs a raid.
POOL'S CLOSED!

2slick @ Apr 12th 2007 2:54PM

This kinda stuff right here just proves that these "internet bloggers" are nothing more than people who couldn't make it writing for there local newspaper columns.

What was it last time in this column? Women drive too fast but don't play racing games? This seems to be a bi-monthly column dedicated towards articles/ideas/topics/stereotypes that we readers are tired of hearing, yet they're constantly being thrown in our face.

Same thing with the Imus and Anna Nicole crap. After the 10th piece of so called "exclusive information" that every news/media outlet in the entire country has, we get tired of hearing about it.

Hopefully this pointless "article" will eventually be pulled from the website, as this seems to be nothing more than affirmative action for women.

If this lady wants to blog, fine by me. But don't write this trash as your only blogs so you think you can get a nice "rating spike" or whatever Joystiq calls it.

2slick @ Apr 12th 2007 2:56PM

@ sheppy, I think he was trying to say she had an opportunity to talk about this club penguin site (which I've never heard of), in which she could've made a statement in passing about no sexual references or w/e. Yet she decided to revolve the entire story around kiddy sex, because she thinks it's an attention grabber. She screwed up, big time.

This is worse than Imus, imo. Let's open the possibilty of kiddy porn in a childs area vs. someone viewing their own ignorant opinion about a race. hmmm, wonder what's worse.

sheppy @ Apr 12th 2007 3:01PM

2slick, she writes for gamasutra as well. A place where industry people read. I think she has a bit more clout than the jock turned sports page analysts most local papers have. Last few have been duds, yes. But other times, she's brought excellent points up.

And think of it. How many times, as a gamer, have you gotten pissed when your local news show "reveals the dangers" of Xbox Live? You don't want to see a counterpoint from time to time?

quazi @ Apr 12th 2007 3:04PM

lol i played club penguin once and in my maybe 30mins of play i played a ton of games with one penguin.i was bored and wasting time. so then this penguin takes me back to her igloo.starts asking lots of questions then i ask her the ol' a/s/l.turns out she was 14 and wanted to cyber i told her to get off line and quit the game. havent gone back sense i dont wanna be on dateline =).im 21 btw.

sheppy @ Apr 12th 2007 3:07PM

2slick, read the following...

"Not that Club Penguin doesn't have it's dark, more adult touches. But the problem with searching for sex in Club Penguin is that, even for the sake of research, I'm not going to go around trying to incite sexual encounters with what could well be children under the age of eight. And after numerous hours spent hanging out, skying, and playing Connect Four, no one seems to have made a pass at me."

While she was actively searching for sexual content and behavior, she never illicited the response. She typed "wanna fuck" to an 8 year old. Her behavior in the game world is pretty much clean. Keep in mind, Club Penguin even pays people to do exactly what she did, scour the world, trying to lure out predators.

Hell, Nintendo sued Suicide Girls once because one of their girls had "and Pikachu is sooo cute" on her profile. That is a hell of a lot more disturbing to find than someone who tried to find sexual predators in a kiddy game.

2slick @ Apr 13th 2007 8:30AM

sheppy, i get pissed off in general (i'm an angry person, haha) when i see the same news stories on 20 different channels, or when I hear about the same incident over and over and over and over again.

But I also get upset when I hear these kind of articles. There's nothing positive to come out of this. Nothing, it was a waste.

Maybe she's a better writer than this, but the past 2 (and only articles I've read in this series) have been wastes of time.

I wouldn't have a problem with an Xbox Live story, as long as it wasn't blasted through every news websites front page, CNBC, NBC, ABC, CBS, Headline News, FOX News, FOX, CNN.....etc. etc.

But for this article, that kinda attitude doesn't come into play. I just see this article as a "look at me, i talk about stupid stuff that I think is controversial, make me more popular" kind of writing

Grimolfr @ Apr 12th 2007 3:15PM

I think the writer misinterpreted the phrase "No news is good news". This article might as well have been about what she buys at the grocery store or the fact that it gets cold in the winter.

JodyAnthony @ Apr 12th 2007 3:31PM

"Hell, Nintendo sued Suicide Girls once because one of their girls had "and Pikachu is sooo cute" on her profile. That is a hell of a lot more disturbing to find than someone who tried to find sexual predators in a kiddy game."

Perhaps I am reading this wrong, but are you saying it is disturbing that the girl had that on her profile? If thats what you're saying, how is it disturbing?

WizarDru @ Apr 12th 2007 3:58PM

"But other times, she's brought excellent points up."

Like....?

"And think of it. How many times, as a gamer, have you gotten pissed when your local news show "reveals the dangers" of Xbox Live? You don't want to see a counterpoint from time to time?"

This was a counter-point? How do you figure? Referring to a game aimed at adolescents as having "dark, adult touches" or implying that sooner or later someone WILL find a way to compromise it (Habbo Hotel)? I'm not really sure how an article entitled "Searching for Sex in Club Penguin" is anything better than the fare I see on the local exploitative 11 o'Clock news.

sheppy @ Apr 12th 2007 3:58PM

@JodyAnthony...

Yeah, I worded that weirdly. I'm saying it's more disturbing that someone FOUND a pokemon reference on a Suicide Girl profile than for the reference to have actually existed. You gotta really be searching the lowest trenches of the interwebs to find something like that and claim it exists to lure children to the site.

JodyAnthony @ Apr 12th 2007 4:09PM

@19 (sheppy) ah, in that case I agree with you. I am a fan of sg though (big shocker)

Inov8 @ Apr 12th 2007 7:32PM

Played club penguin for quite sometime,used to go there occassionally to meet some of my online pals (15 to 17). There's basically no sex in club penguin, except if you count the fact that some "female" users may ask you to be there boyfriend after the first five minutes of meeting you. But if you don't count that, then i guess there's no sex in CP.

superantigen @ Apr 12th 2007 8:01PM

If scientists weren't allowed to publish their so-called "negative" results just because they "didn't find anything" a whole lot of people would continue to wonder about stuff, wasting their time and money.

I see this article that way. There wasn't any sex. That's important. She shared. End of story.

2slick - anti women/affirmative action comments are anything but.

Imadogg99 @ Apr 12th 2007 8:24PM

I didn't read all the comments so this might have been said...

Isn't it possible that after reading this article about Club Penguin being so safe, some retards or pervs will go on it now just to start up some sex talk and e-molestation!?

Kritz @ Apr 12th 2007 9:36PM

I think the only worrying thing about this game is the acronym it creates, which is normally used for, well uh.

Let's just say it's a little -too- kid friendly.

Also, pool's closed / desu desu desu / so i herd u liek mudkips / etc

Glacial @ Apr 13th 2007 9:27AM

Give her a break guys, I found this quite interesting.

"Safe for Kids" has, until now, been a marketing ploy with no backbone. I say well done to Bonnie for highlighting the success of Club Penguin and what it aims to achieve whilst also warning us that it may fall down the slippery slope to smut. If it doesn't and stays "safe", I wouldn't be surprised if it was the first of its kind.

Zoz @ Apr 13th 2007 1:58PM

There was nothing wrong with the article; it had a nice, readable quality to it which took me from start to finish.

But then it ended abruptly and the whole thing felt unsatisfying.

tan jia yan @ Apr 19th 2007 3:28AM

this club penguin game is Nice and SUCCESSFUL,BUT ONE thing is i put it to'ULTIMATE CHAT'but i can't chat using my own WORDS

John @ Apr 24th 2007 10:45AM

Well, I have once in club penguin seen 2 penguins on top of eachother saying UGH UGH UGH KEEP GOING PAPPA and I think that is sex. I asked what are you two doing and they said making penguins. Then one said oh look I see a head push push push!!! Then I just left. Thats one of the sickest things I,ve ever seen!!! Anyone know if you think that is sex too? email me at wellijohn@hotmail.com again wellijohn@hotmail.com

THANKS!!!

phalligator @ Apr 25th 2007 5:40PM

That's a really fast gestation period.

Hector Perdomo @ May 13th 2007 6:55PM

my god! dont write something like this about club penguin! there is sex, but children come to this website and find out about sex on club penguin.

jeffrey232 @ May 4th 2007 1:29PM

I meet Rockhopper!

amandaLynn @ May 18th 2007 2:30PM

i dont understand this? there isnt anything like that on CP

Lane Merrifield @ May 19th 2007 9:08AM

Sony is in advanced talks to buy the two-year-old kids focussed social gaming site Club Penguin for half a billion dollars. Founder and CEO Lane Merrifield in an exclusive interview says, "I do not want to work hard. I want to enjoy the comforts of life the easy way. That is why I chose to sponge off the internet instead of trying to survive in the real world. That is so difficult man. That is why I started Club Penguin two years back.

"Already I have hit the jackpot. In the old economy you have to slog for a decade to have any chance of paying the bills. You have to meet deadlines. You need a plan of action on Monday morning. You only get 90k at the end of the month. That is old school. The Internet is a click and eyeballs business. You get the eyeballs you get the deal. The deal with Sony is living proof that you do not need to work hard to become rich if you are sponging off the Internet in an unoccupied space. The Internet affords lots of opportunities to make easy money in a social set up. You do not have to work for a decade at old economy firms like Walmart, Pepsi, Discovery, Viacom, GM, Coke, Reuters, The New York Times for five exhausting days each week without getting afternoon sleep only to be one of the hundreds of employees thrown out on the road without any benefits despite making big sacrifices. You do not need special skills to sponge off the Internet and make tons of millions of dollars. The software that I developed for the site was so easy to design that even a kid with downs syndrome could have done it.

"You just build the site and find an unoccupied space. Then the customers will come. Club Penguin is living proof of the fact that you can make tons of millions by just sitting at home and sponging off the Internet. You do not have to go out there and fight for your bread. I have always had a realistic view about making wealth online. I was completely taken in by the hype. I am now living in cloud cuckoo land.

"I got Club Penguin up and running at a tiny fraction of the cost that I would pay the real world. I worked for five hours each week setting up Club Penguin for three months. Once the site was built the kids just ran towards it like moths to a flame. I charged six bucks a month from each of them and sat at home and took it easy. Then I saw the millions multiply due to the millions of users. On the Internet you do not need to have goals. You just need to build something simple and then take it easy like those two fags who started Google. If you believe that there are riches to be made without time and effort, then rush to the internet and start a site like Chad Hurley and Mark Zuckerberg.

"The good thing is that we are in the second round of the internet bubble. Old media firms are desperate not to lose out on the social environment. They have lots of money but no vision. That is why Club Penguin is being acquired for half a billion dollars. On the Internet you do not need to have a viable business plan, solid mission and inspiring vision. That is so old school man. I just became fat and lazy after I started Club Penguin. Today I am worth tons of millions of dollars as a result of my laziness and lethargy. I find workplaces that have a larger purpose that aligns with beliefs so stupid. My main focus has always been greed and to get rich quick. Since I have it too easy I give a portion of the profits that the site generates to charity. Maybe then God will not punish me for being lazy in the after life. Lots of internet people like me are getting rich. There are also aome false reports on the site's income. This has helped push up our value.

"Club Penguin lacks sound business plans and virtually ignored even basic human-resource and customer-service requirements. That is we are worth half a billion dollars. I just took it easy in life. Dotcom leaders like me focus on expensive, splashy ites and a polished "Gen X" image. All this saw kids run towards my site. There are two purposes to Club Penguin. First- Spend someone else's money. That is why I became an internet entrepreneur. The second purpose was to give moronic kids a safe place to hang out and buy stuff.

"I also fell into the Speed Trap. "Getting to market first," "urgency" and "speed is a competitive advantage" are reasons why Club Penguin has hit the jackpot. My leadership has always been unfocussed. The words "online" and "e" gave Club Penguin the Midas touch, regardless of industry, resulting in a kind of greed-induced mass hysteria between my employees and me. By sleeping for three hours in the afternoon and nine hours at night after six course gourmet meals everyday and watching four movies each week on DVD like Brokeback Mountain, A History Of Violence, Crash, Capote, Munich, Match Point, Syriana, The Constant Gardener, Wedding Crashers, The Departed, Flags Of Our Fathers, Mulholland Drive, Batman Begins, Freedom Writers, Spiderman 2, Notes On A Scandal, The Queen I ensured that Club Penguin resonated with parents who are the people with wallets."

supercute50 @ May 30th 2007 11:30PM

i was googling club penguin for i have no idea why when i saw this. i play club penguin and i think its disgusting that people try to say like having sex and stuff. people go around and say "who wants to have an egg with me" and i think, thats just disgusting.

Rvan @ Nov 22nd 2007 2:08AM

Absolutely! I have 3 boys who play this game. If you aren't a kid or aren't screening your kid's online behaviour/experience then what are you doing on CP? Truly suspicious behaviour. Hello, over 18 and playing CP? Get counseling, seriously.

Amandajer20 @ Jun 28th 2007 10:50PM

hello

Lizzy @ Jun 30th 2007 4:38PM

OK all I've seen on CP is "123 for a girl/guy like me" and I doubt that has anything to do with sex.

Lily @ Jul 6th 2007 10:19PM

i am one of those kids who had a club penguin
some girl was saying these really mean stuff and predjudice things to my friend who was black, things lke she was stupid anddd stuff, she used the "n"
word!!! i am only 13 and so is she. she is my best friend and when i saw that she was crying, i have never seen her cry in the 5 years i have known her, i lost it. i was so angry that i called the girl a bitch, and i was the one that was banned! she wasnt, if only i could explain this to the monitering people.