Computer-based Games: Developer Ethics

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Computer-based Games Developer Ethics

• By Pedro Exposito

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Overview

• Why is it necessary to consider ethical standards
  in videogames?
• Why are good developer ethics important?
• How can developers ensure that their games do not
  encourage immoral behavior?
• Examples of unethical and ethical game design.
• Classic arguments.
• Conclusions.
• References.

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Why is there a need to consider
ethical standards in videogames?

• Advances in technology
• Shift in gaming demographics
• Lifelike simulation

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Why are good developer ethics important?
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General Statistics

• Approximately 95 of teenage boys play
  videogames.
• 146 million gamers in the U.S. only
• 45 of all gamers are under the age of 18
• 65.7 million gamers in the U.S. are below 18
• 20 million gamers in the U.S. are 12 and under
• 70 of children aged 2 to 18 have access to
  videogames at home
• M-rated games fastest growing segment of the
  gaming industry
• 1/3 of games purchased are M-rated

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Alarming Statistics

• Federal Trade Commissions Survey
• 78 of teens aged 13 to 16 were able to
  buy M-rated games from stores
• Boys who play T or M-rated games for at least 40
  minutes a day may witness over 180 incidents of
  aggression per day.
• 78 percent of the violent action is shown up
  close.
• In 98 of the violent games surveyed, aggression
  was not punished properly.
• Almost half of all violent video game segments
  featured humor.
• In M-rated games, the player is more likely to be
  the aggressor.

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Why are good developer ethics important?

• Their work reaches millions of people.
• - Thousands of them are minors.
• More interactive than other mediums of
  entertainment.
• Violent games can lead kids to 3
• - Develop aggressive scripts for social
  problem solving.
• - Lose sensitivity towards violence.
• Gaming figures and children.
• - Unethical role models.

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How can developers enforce good morals in virtual
worlds?

• Adopt a flexible ethical standard to follow in
  game development.
• - The Virtue Ethics Approach good bad
  consequences.
• Online Gaming Identify fraudulent users and
  punish them
• Discourage cheating offline
• - Limited cheating well-balanced
  difficulty modes
• Stop hacking attempts
• Fix glitches
• Remove indirect advertising

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Examples of Unethical Game Development

• Grand Theft Auto Vice City (Ps2/Xbox/PC game)
• Unreal Tournament G.O.T.Y. Edition (PC game)
• Just Cause 2 (Ps3/X360/PC game)

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Examples of Ethical Game Development

• - Star Wars The Phantom Menace (PC game)
• - Fable (Xbox game)

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Anakin I wont help a murderer like you.
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Classic Arguments for Unethical Game Development

• Ethics is up to the players.
• - The players did not make the game.
• It is just a game!
• - Not for everyone though.
• The chances of it affecting anyone are close to
  zero.
• - What if 10,000,000 people play it?

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Conclusions

• The increase of violence and lack of ethics in
  current popular videogames is a problem that can
  affect modern society.
• Modern game developers must incorporate ethics
  into game development in order to accomplish
  their industrys true purpose.
• Game developers job To provide fun, unique, and
  safe entertainment for everyone.

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References

• 1 The Lion Lamb Project. Children and Teens
  are Major Consumers of Adult-Rated Video Games.
  Retrieved June 6, 2010, from http//www.lionlamb.o
  rg/factsheet1.htm
• 2 The Lion Lamb Project. Violence in Video
  Games A Few Facts to Consider. Retrieved June 6,
  2010, from http//www.lionlamb.org/violence_vid_ga
  mes_facts.htm
• 3 Smith, S. L., Lachlan, K., Tamborini, R.
  (2003). Popular Video Games Quantifying the
  Presentation of Violence and Its Context. Journal
  of Broadcasting Electronic Media, 70-73.
• 4 Kimppa, K. K., Bissett, A. K. (2005). The
  Ethical Significance of Cheating in Online
  Computer Games. The Ethics of E-Games Vol. 4,
  34-36.
• 5 Takahashi, D. (2004). Ethics of Game Design
  (game developers talk about the effect of the
  games). Game Developer 11.11 (2004) 14.
  Retrieved May 30, 2010, from Academic OneFile
  database (A126157351).
• 6 Achievement Hunter (Director). (2010). Just
  Cause 2 Beached Whale Easter Egg Motion
  Picture. Rooster Teeth Productions, LLC.
  Retrieved June 11, 2010, from http//www.youtube.c
  om/watch?vnPRtn9knixk

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Questions