Ethics and Video Games Podcast

We're always interested in the way that video games depict us.  One topic that we think has got too little attention is that of how games depict madness, mental illness, insanity….  We chat about the ways video games approach madness, common gaming tropes about madness and psychiatric institutions. --------------------------- Our guest, Stefan Heinrich Simond, is a game studies scholar from German...

We encounter poverty in lots in games.  We might play in a GTA-"ghetto" or interact with people in a "slum" using common tropes our culture has about the poor.  We might be poor ourselves and set out to level up through the tropes of wealth and power.  Sometimes our real world economic capacity can even be a factor in a game – say, with pay to win gamrs.  In this episode, we look at how poverty is...

In esports, players trash talk, fans trash talk – even  commentators trash talk!  Sometimes trash talk is fun harmless banter, but other times is unsportsmanlike and shows disrespect for the game or other players.  And, of course, trash talk can easily turn into harassment.   What norms do esports have about trash talk and where should we draw the line between morally acceptable and unacceptable t...

Game development is often a creative collaboration among people with very different skill sets, passions, and worldviews.  What does it mean to treat the people you're working with in projects like these as a part of a team?  What does it mean to respect one another?  What can be done when interpersonal conflict inevitably arises? --------------------------- Our guest, Casey O'Donnell, is an Assoc...

When we heard that David Churchill hosts an AI competition with the Real Time Strategy game Starcraft, we were instantly fascinated.  We wanted to know what cheating concerns a competition among AIs raises, and also what real world implications arise when training AIs to control strategic military assets in a game.  Dr. Churchill did not disappoint! --------------------------- Our guest, David Chu...

Have you ever considered how gaming and game companies contribute to environmental problems like global climate change?  We haven't!  At least not until we spoke and were inspired by our guest Paula Escuadra to think about the many ways that game companies and design can help bring about a greener world! --------------------------- Our guest, Paula Angela Escuadra, has spent OVER 12 years elevatin...

Hundreds of millions of players have pirated video games.  Most of them didn't feel any guilt about it.  Some even felt justified.  But game companies, like virtually all producers of creative products, have told us for decades that piracy is wrong – that it's theft somewhat similar to stealing physical things.  Are they right?  We've teamed-up for this episode with the hosts of the  Studying Pixe...

We're used to the idea of organizations that try to do good as non-profits, but what about for-profit companies – like the great majority of game companies?  Some for-profit companies are choosing to play a positive role in the world and to do so as a certified B-Corporation.  One of these is ustwo games', best known for their fantastic Monument Valley games.  We chat with ustwo's Justin Michaels...

It's hard to imagine games without AI, but having AI in games also raises a host of ethical questions involving their use by players and game companies.  We explore the possible use of AI for cheating and manipulation, the importance of transparency, and responsibilities of AI's programmers. --------------------------- Our guest, Gillian Smith, directs the Interactive Media & Game Development prog...

Game companies have lawyers to tell them how to operate within the law.  They have accountants and data analysts to tell them what is and is not profitable.  But it's very rare for them to consult with an ethicist about the morality of their games or operations.  Well, we think that's unfortunate and shortsighted.  What are ethicists and how can they help video game companies? --------------------...

Video games have been accused of being addictive and making players more violent and sexist.  Studies have been cited that confirm these claims.  And politicians suggesting laws limiting what video games can do have referenced the "scientific consensus" on these issues. But how does good research on these topics actually work and what does it tell us about the connection between games, violence, a...

Someday people may be gods – all powerful entities able to control the physics of virtual worlds and the functionalities of NPCs.  We might even give NPCs free will, a soul, or immortality – who knows what else?  In this episode we have fun thinking about some of the moral choices that would come with being a video game god. --------------------------- Our guest, Dr Richard A. Bartle, is Honorary...

We've done 40 episodes about ethics and video games and the word "God" or "Religion" never came up.  How do religion and video games connect with one another and what can the religious ethics of Paul Tyllich tell us about how to approach video games? --------------------------- Our guest, Benjamin J. Chicka is Lecturer of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Curry College. His work connects classic...

There's lots of research going on about video games.  Some of it involves product testing like VR games or the effectiveness of interfaces.  Some of it looks at the impact of gaming on players for things like violence, sexism, and addiction.  What ethical concerns come into play when doing research like this on live human beings like you and I? --------------------------- Ashley ML Guajardo is an...

Video game transactions are a highly unusual, perhaps unique, business model.  Our guest Elie Cohen essentially calls it an exploitative scheme where "the house never loses".  It's not that they're always bad, but they easily can be exploitative, wrong, or simply "uncool".  What can or does make a microtransaction exploitative and what can be done about it? --------------------------- Our guest, E...

There's deception in Among Us and bluffing in Poker.  But then there are multiplayer games where players you trusted will scam, betray, and backstab you to get ahead.  Few things can be as upsetting in a game as being the victim of such treacherous play.  But what, if anything, is wrong with playing this way? --------------------------- JOIN THE ETHICS AND VIDEO GAMES COMMUNITY: - Follow/like/shar...

A meritocratic system is one whose "winners" are those who earn their positions through greatest talent and hard work.  That sounds like a good system – a fair one!  And video games seem to be a fantastic place for meritocracy to be actualized – a place where, unlike the real world, everyone competes on a level playing field regardless of class, race, sex, etc.  But, as our guest, Seattle Universi...

Do men and women see the role of fun or leisure in their life differently?  How does this translate to their gaming habits?  Can playing like a feminist help bring about gender equality of leisure time?  What are gaming circles and how can they help?  --------------------------- Our guest, Shira Chess, is an Associate Professor of Entertainment & Media Studies at the University of Georgia. She is...

Is it ever morally wrong to enjoy fantasizing about immoral things in video games?   On the one hand, it's just a fantasy.   On the other hand, doesn't it seem that something might be wrong about painfully torturing, raping, or hunting down minorities in a game, even though it's all just fantasy?   According to philosopher Chris Bartel, it's not about what you do, but why you do it and who you are...

One way to think about games is as experiences tailored to give us agency – to provide us with clear values and motivations and then force us to overcome obstacles in pursuit of those values and motivations.  Engaging our agency in a variety of ways, games can make us more free, but in ways that also pose interesting new dangers for us. --------------------------- Our guest is C. Thi Nguyen, who u...

In 'Knights of the Al-Aqsa Mosque' you play as a Palestinian resistance fighter working to end the occupation of Palestine.  It's a game where you play someone that looks like a person games typically depict as a terrorist, but from the perspective of that person and his group being the good guys.  The game generated a furious reaction from Israelis and Jews.  We found all this fascinating and so...

Online multiplayer games are notorious for having hopelessly toxic environments where harassment and griefing abound.  And then there's the cheaters and hackers… Game companies are obviously aware of the problem and have both moral and financial reasons to make player interaction more ethical – and still the unethical behavior persists.  What makes ethics in online multiplayer games such a hard pr...

When and how much is it ok for one game to "borrow" elements from another game?  We often think of these sorts of things through the idea of "intellectual property".  What exactly is that idea and how should it apply to video games? --------------------------- Our guest, game scholar Jose Zagal (@JoseZagal) is not just a pioneer on this subject, but also teaches one of only two classes in the worl...

What is it to "be" a gamer? How did the gamer "identity" become both masculinized and marginalized? How has this impacted female players and is the "gamergirl" identity useful or counter-productive for female players?  We chat with Dr. Amanda Cote who argues that video games are in a crisis of authority related to what a "gamer" is. --------------------------- Our guest, Amanda Cote, is Assistant...

John Gibson, the (now former) CEO of Tripwire Games tweeted an opinion about a newly enacted and unpopular Texas law.  The Gaming Goat released images of their fishing game-themed game that showed a frog that looked like it was communicating symbols of white power.  Both complain that they then became targets of "cancel culture" in gaming.  What is cancel culture and were these people treated wron...