6 - Designing Ethical Gameplay - Updated

INFO 4328 Game Design & Development [KICT/IIUM]
06 – Designing
Ethical Gameplay
The bull’s-eye of morality
11/11/2023
Moral panic
Games lead to violent behavior and Training devices for teenage serial killers
Ethical desensitization in the face of violence. with serious social issues
Gameplay
Moral panic is a symptom of a larger cultural issue.
When considering such ethics, there are a number of important

questions that arise:
Is it the ethics of the game,
Do game designers have
or the ethics of playing the etc
moral responsibilities?
game?
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Ethics can be defined as a system or set of moral values, and the

tools for analyzing these values.
Morals can be defined as the right or wrong of actions or objects.
The application of ethics is the rational, philosophical approach to

the questions of good, evil, harm, duties, and values.
Computer games are complex cultural objects:
• They have rules guiding behavior, they create game worlds with values at play, and
they relate to players who like to explore morals and actions forbidden in society.
What is Ethics • The ethics of computer games have to take into consideration all these variables.
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Most computer games These two elements

are systems of rules have to be coherent,
that encourage players creating entertaining
to work toward goals in gameplay while
a virtual environment. crafting a game world.
Computer
Two fundamental
Games as And many computer
elements to these
games address players
Designed Ethical computer games:
by means of a story.
systems and worlds.
Systems
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Relations Between Games as

Systems of Rules, and the Worlds
and Fictions They Create.
• Games force behaviors by rules:
the meaning of those behaviors, as communicated through the game
world to the player, constitutes the ethics of computer games as designed
objects.
• Game systems are designed systems, rules and procedures that create a
ludic experience.
• Rules, defined as formal systems that arbitrarily constrain possibilities in a
game, can create ethical values that are afterward enacted, interpreted, and
judged by the players.
• Rules can have embedded values determining how the world is constituted
Eg Half-Life 2 - not allowing players to shoot nonplayer characters who are
supposed to be allied with them.
• Rules are restrictions that encourage behaviors and reward actions.
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Ethical Role of a Game Designer
Chris Crawford on why ethics is an This lack of reality is perceived both Much of the research done on the
interesting parameter to consider as the great advantage of games and effect of computer games on their
when designing a computer game: its great danger. users shows a related concern:
“the fascinating paradox of play is that it the “unethical” actions that take place in a
provides the player with dangerous game, because they are not real, desensitize
experiences that are absolutely safe.” the users to the real consequences of those
same actions.
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A game gives us the possibility of engaging

without risk in ethical decision making in
which we would otherwise never engage.
The choices we take, our actions, all take

place in the world of the game.
Ethical Role of a From this point of view, the choices the

Game Designer designer creates in the game do not
suppose any kind of moral risk for the
player, as they are only relevant in the game
world.
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Game designers should consider how

Rollings and Adams - “as designers, the possible means of winning the
we are the gods of the game’s world, game are presented to the player,
and we define its morality.” and the nature of those choices, as
they set the moral tone of the game.
The ethics of computer games do not

necessarily depend on the nature of
“Moral challenges”— those choices
the choices presented to the player,
the player has to make using his/her
but in the whole set of design and
moral reason.
gameplay practices games
encourage.
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Game developers define the products they create as The task of the developer is to create behaviors in
objects that create experiences: players by means of constraining and encouraging
their actions.
by limiting players’ behavior This task is an ethical task, and as such game developers have to
by encouraging behavioral strategies that are immediately rewarded both be aware of and bear the responsibility for the ethics of
by the system itself. computer games as designed objects.
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3 Branches of Ethics
• Virtue ethics
A proper human being possesses and develops virtue.
• Consequentialism
Whether an act is “right” or “wrong” depends on its overall
outcome.
• Deontology
Whether an act is “right” or “wrong” depends on its adherence to
rules.
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Virtue ethics – Lying is wrong,

because it is not a desirable
character trait.
Consequentialism – Lying is not

wrong if it leads to the best possible
outcome overall.
The Act of
Lying – An
Deontology – I don’t want to be lied
Example to; If everybody would lie all the
time, society would fall into chaos!
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A Thing to
Ponder
You caught Tell the wife what you saw because it is the right thing to do
your (virtue ethics)
neighbor
cheating Decide not to tell the wife because it might cause tension in
on his wife. their marriage that will lead to a divorce (consequentialism)
Would you:
Follow the societal consensus – mind your own business
(deontology)
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Making an
Ethical Decision
– A Game Case
Study (Fallout)
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Making an Ethical Decision – A Game Case Study (Fallout)
01 02 03
Deontology Virtue ethics Consequentialist
option – follow option – be loyal option – side with
societal traditions to Harold and kill Treeminders and
him spare Harold
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Open Ethical Design

The player’s moral values influence the characters and the
game world.
Eg: Civilization
A turn-based strategy game in which you attempt to build an empire to
stand the test of time
Will I go to war to save my people from starvation?
Will I retaliate when an ally is forced to break their commitment to
you?
Will you help your neighbor who is currently weaker but might
become more powerful than you in the future?
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Closed Ethical Design

• The players moral values are not taken into account
• Subtracting ethical design
• Eg: Shadow of the Colossus

Premise of the story: has to kill 16 giants that roam the land in
order to perform resurrection
Closed ED: does not offer an option to revive without killing
anyone
Subtracting ED: the game does not place any moral judgements
anywhere (the giants are not acting hostile)
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Mirroring Ethical Design

The game forces its own moral position on the player
Eg: Manhunt
Game mechanic: the longer you manage to stand behind the
enemy while pressing the kill button, the more gruesome the kill
will be
Adopt the stance of it’s okay to kill in order to survive
Reward: more stars the more gruesome the killing performed
11/11/2023

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INFO 4328 Game Design & Development [KICT/IIUM]

Moral panic is a symptom of a larger cultural issue.

When considering such ethics, there are a number of important

Ethics can be defined as a system or set of moral values, and the

Morals can be defined as the right or wrong of actions or objects.

The application of ethics is the rational, philosophical approach to

Computer games are complex cultural objects:

Most computer games These two elements

Relations Between Games as

Ethical Role of a Game Designer

A game gives us the possibility of engaging

The choices we take, our actions, all take

Ethical Role of a From this point of view, the choices the

Ethical Role of a Game Designer

Game designers should consider how

The ethics of computer games do not

Ethical Role of a Game Designer

Virtue ethics – Lying is wrong,

Consequentialism – Lying is not

Making an Ethical Decision – A Game Case Study (Fallout)

Open Ethical Design

Closed Ethical Design

• Subtracting ethical design

• Eg: Shadow of the Colossus

Mirroring Ethical Design

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