I know some authors who would really rather not write explicit scenes, but fans seem to love them. It seems like, the more explicit you get, the more money you’re likely to make (also true in static fiction). So if you can stomach it, hey, get that bag.
Ha. I could stomach writing it, but I can’t stomach doing the research I’d need to do to be able to write it.
Not really an author, but when I use to write fanfiction a long time ago I enjoyed writing explicit sex scenes. It’s fun, and people really do enjoy reading them. I see no harm. Though, if you don’t like to, then you shouldn’t. Simple as that I think.
I felt compelled to add romance to my WIP because, when analyzing the success of other more popular WIPs, I noticed the vast majority of the discussion would normally center around the romance of their favorite characters. Or how they’d react to THIS particular romantic situation, or if the plot could just slow down for a moment and give us a moment to go on a date with the characters. I personally have no problem with erotica or explicit content, I just feel like I can’t write it all that well. I tried to in my first CYOA, but it came out so horrific and repulsive I later repurposed the descriptions I used for one of the eldritch monsters that appeared later in the story.
I think its fair to say that readers tend to become more attached to characters they can romance. And more explicit content is an extension of that.
I think that’s the heart of the matter. Fans who are obsessed with a character talk about the character (and the game) on social media, draw fan art, recommend the game to friends. Fans are far more likely to get obsessed with a character if they’re romanceable, and the more scenes they have with the character (and the more explicit those scenes), the more obsessed they get. So there’s a strong marketing case to be made for explicit scenes, assuming censorship laws don’t threaten sales.