Moral of the story: How virtual choices affect us

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Paul Roberts
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1 Moral of the story: How virtual choices affect us Introduction Our lives are full of moral dilemmas. Thrown blindly into situations, you don t know all of the information, but have an immediate plethora of possibilities to choose from. Your consequences will follow you for the rest of your life. In essence, we are our choices. A popular mechanic that has had a surge in video games lately has been to enable players to choose between several actions that are morally charged, often resulting in unexpected consequences that affect the game world. Sometimes, entire game series are designed around these decisions and allow the players to affect the narrative and gameplay on a deep level, often spanning across several games. One example of this would be the Mass Effect series (Microsoft Game Studios, 2007; Electronic Arts, 2010, 2012). Choices made in the first game carry over into the second; characters that died due to the consequences of your actions in the first game won t be present in the second, thus investing the players across multiple titles. Moral choices have become more popular in many different genres, especially in role-playing games. It s an advertised mechanic to provide a new level of immersion and involvement for the player. In this paper, I wish to explore the value of the moral choices in video games, and if they have an impact on the player s ethics and moral values. I believe that using moral choices in video games in the right way is to present them without putting categorizations on them, such as good or bad, and let the player s own moral code decide. My question, boiled down to its essence: Can choices that present moral dilemmas in video games have an impact on player behaviour? Games as ethical artefacts In his book, Half-Real, Jesper Juul defined a game as; games played using computer power, where the computer upholds the rules of the game and the game is played using a video display (Juul, J., 2004) With this definition, games are systems wherein the players negotiate with the computer to achieve results. Page 1

2 According to Juul, a game is also: [A] rule based system with a variable and quantifiable outcome, where different outcomes are assigned different values, the player exerts effort in order to influence the outcome, the players feels attached to the outcome, and the consequences of the activity are optional and negotiable. (Juul, J., 2004) So, not only can video games be analysed as systems, they also as representational worlds. In essence, a game is a formal set of rules that presents a world that the players has to experience in order to engage with the game (Sicart, M., 2005a). Therefore, in computer games, the system upholds the rules and creates the virtual environment. When a player then engages with the game, an architecture determined by the code (the rules and design) is then created. The game is coded with ethical instances, because it upholds the rules of the game, enabling winning conditions and forbidding some gameplay. Code determines what is correct in order to complete the goals of the game, and what is forbidden (Sicart, M., 2005a). Thus, games are designed ethical systems and enable the experience and affordances of the players. An example of this would be in Grand Theft Auto IV (Rockstar North, 2008) where the game is designed around the freedom that is given to the player, whom can travel around a huge map. However, it isn t full freedom as the players are punished severely if they try to explore areas before they are allowed to by the narrative. The design of Grand Theft Auto allows the player to engage in the game under the illusion of complete freedom, even when the game restricts the player from engaging in certain activities. Players are limited by values in the code that is emergent through the played narrative (some actions generate predetermined anger from non-player characters such as the police) and the free-roaming gameplay (criminality provoking the police to act) (Sicart, M., 2005a). Summarizing, certain behaviours and actions are rewarded in video games, while others aren t. Those behaviours that would be encouraged can be considered desirable or good, while the opposite is true for those that are discouraged, or completely forbidden. By combining the evaluation of actions within the games with a narrative framework that gives the actions context, a video game can represent and as well as impose an ethical framework. Page 2

3 Moral choices in games I have established that games should be considered ethical artefacts, as the design of these games is upholding an ethical system. Morals define personal character, ethics stress a social system in which those morals are applied, and thus moral choice in these games should be considered as such, because it is applied in an ethical system. However, there are obvious issues to apply this approach to some games, as some of them categorizes the choices made by the players using morality meters, such as in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (Bioware, 2002) and Fable II (Lionhead Studios, 2004). Each choice in these games is labelled by the game either good or evil, and attributes points for choosing either of these, as well as changing the appearance of the player s avatar within the game world as their alignment changes. The problem with this, as Sicart notes, is that morality isn t algorithmic. By calculating it as any other mathematical value, these game designs ignore the depth and importance of moral decision-making. (Sicart, M., 2005b) Choices within these contexts aren t moral in its experience, only in its narrative frame of the game. The act of giving out points for actions that are labelled by the game undermines the core principles of morality being subjective. Arguably, I believe that some games do get moral dilemmas right, such as The Walking Dead (Telltale Games, 2012) and The Witcher series (CD Projekt RED, 2007, 2011). The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings follows the character Geralt of Rivia and his path while searching for his lost memory. Along the way he battles various demons, monsters, and men, in a world where neither are mutually exclusive. The choices within the game reflect the moral ambiguity that Sicart argued is a proper way of handling moral dilemmas. An example would be in one part of the game, if you befriend Special Forces commander Vernon Roche, the second chapter of the game you will have the option of allowing or stopping a regicide, the very thing Geralt is meant to prevent in the first place. King Henselt had all of Roche s friends and allies executed, as well as raping the sole survivor, after a plot against him was uncovered, even though these soldiers had nothing to do with the scheme in question. Naturally, Roche seeks vengeance against Henselt, and it s up to the player to allow him to strike the king down, or stop him. Page 3

4 The moral dilemma become apparent, as the king might not be a noble and pleasant ruler, he is a powerful ruler. Removing him would have major consequences for all of the kingdoms, possible causing innocent deaths in the turmoil that would then befall the ordinary citizens of the kingdom. While this is only one example, the game upholds the moral grey zone to the end, never punishing the players with a fail state for making a wrong choice, but rather frames the dilemmas in the terms of personal feelings (Roche s vengeance) versus duty (Henselt s powerful position). Regardless of the choice made, the consequences only become apparent later in the game world itself. As Schulzke (2009) said; In order for moral choices in games to be meaningful they must be fairly calculated and have significant consequences. Thus, these kinds of choices are moral in nature, but do they necessarily create meaning? Value of choice in video games Although the choices can be moral, do they necessarily teach a valuable lesson through the medium? To find out, Weaver, A. and Lewis, N. (2012) studied the correlation between a player s morals and their moral behaviour in Fallout 3 (Bethesda Game Studios, 2008). A Moral Foundations Questionnaire (MFQ) was given out to the players, who then played a section of the game which took an average 30 minutes. They found that not only did players act as if the interaction with the non-player characters were real people; they also cited moral considerations for the choices made within the game. Players who acted in an anti-social way during game play reported feeling more guilt at the conclusion of the game than those who behaved within moral bounds. However, this guilt did not translate to any reduced enjoyment (Weaver, A. J., & Lewis, N., 2012). From this, I conclude that players moral compass is used when presented with moral choices in games, and thus have the potential to provide an outlet for not only making moral decisions, but also reflecting upon what right choices and behaviors are. To present players with moral dilemmas in video games where they are emotionally invested means that the players would want to decide the most moral path. Games should not directly punish the players for making a morally undesirable choice; there should be consequences regardless of the path taken. By doing so, players will get an understanding of choice and Page 4

5 consequence, and therefore gain the practical wisdom that is central to virtue ethics; It [practical wisdom] is, like any other skill, one best learned through training rather than through introspection and rational analysis alone; Moral virtues, like crafts, are acquired by practice and habituation" (Aristotle, 1999, 1103a). (Schulzke, M. 2009) Schulzke describes in his article that simulating moral dilemmas and showing the consequences made people better at deciding in situations with no clear moral right or wrong. The simulative qualities of games will never lead the players to an overarching moral philosophy, but it can help stimulate the practical wisdom Aristotle thought was much more valuable than theoretical knowledge of morality. In his paper Ethically Notable Videogames: Moral Dilemmas and Gameplay, José Zagal (2009) concludes that through dissemination of some games, the interactivity and entertainment of games makes them a perfect medium to make people reflect upon moral dilemmas. Kirsten Pohl elegantly noted that; A computer game can serve as a playing ground for the other in us. But at the same time, a computer game is also a playing ground for the self in us. (Pohl, K., 2008) We hold the same belief that games allows the player to immerse themselves in a fantastical world and become someone else than ourselves for a while, to become the other within ourselves. A video game also prompts the reflection of the self and the introspection of one s moral values, to evolve the self in us. Thus through choice, consequence, and reflection, moral dilemmas in video games create meaning for the users. Page 5

6 Conclusion Through Juul s (2004) definition of game and Sicart s (2005) ethical model of video games I established that games can be considered ethical artefacts by representing and enacting an ethical framework. As such, moral choice in games can be considered an ethical entity that carries moral values that is reinforced by the code and realized in the architecture of the game. I gave an example of moral choices in games Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Fable II, and explained how the categorization of the choices undermines the morality of the choice as you cannot calculate morality; it s not algorithmic. To counter these points, I brought up games that handled the question of morality much better, specifically The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings. I described one of the scenarios in this game that demonstrates a deep understanding of choice and consequence in order to involve the players on more levels than just entertainment. Weaver, A. J., & Lewis, N. (2012) studied the players reaction to the choices within the game Fallout 3, and they found that players often were interacting with NPCs as if they were real people, and they cited moral considerations for the choices made within the game. This supported my view that players use their moral values within games when prompted with a moral choice. In order to strengthen this argument, I cited Schulzke s (2009) take on moral choices in games, by crediting it as practice for moral wisdom. He quoted the principles of Aristotle to connect the practical wisdom needed in order to make a decision in moral dilemmas. Not only do situations in video games with moral ambiguity add to the player s emotional investment, it can also teach a very fundamental skill in moral decision-making. In essence, games are the perfect medium to enable people to reflect upon moral issues, and the qualities of video games are only strengthened by enabling player choice in moral dilemmas. Thus, I have concluded that moral choices in video games create meaning and may change player behaviour, but only through the proper use. Page 6

7 References Juul, J. (2004). Half-real: video games between real rules and fictional worlds. IT University of Copenhagen, Digital Aesthetics and Communication. Pohl, K. (2008). Ethical reflection and emotional involvement in computer games. Proceedings of the Philosophy of Computer Games Conference 2008 (pp ). Schulzke, M. (2009). Moral decision making in fallout. Retrieved from Sicart, M. (2005a). The ethics of computer game design. Retrieved from: Sicart, M. (2005b). Game, player, ethics: A virtue ethics approach to computer games. International Review of Information Ethics, 4(12), Weaver, A. J., & Lewis, N. (2012). Mirrored morality: An exploration of moral choice in video games. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 15(11), Zagal, J. P. (2009). Ethically notable videogames: Moral dilemmas and gameplay. Breaking New Ground: Innovation in Games, Play, Practice and Theory, Proceedings of DiGRA Game references Bethesda. (2008). Fallout 3 [PC game]. Rockville, Maryland: Bethesda Softworks. BioWare. (2007). Mass Effect [PC game]. Redmond, Washington: Microsoft Game Studios. BioWare. (2010). Mass Effect 2 [PC game]. Redwood City, Redwood Shores: Electronic Arts. BioWare. (2012). Mass Effect 3 [PC game]. Redwood City, Redwood Shores: Electronic Arts. BioWare. (2002) Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic [PC game]. San Francisco, California: Lucasarts. CD Projekt RED. (2007). The Witcher [PC game]. New York City, New York: Atari, Inc. CD Projekt RED. (2011). The Witcher 2: The Assassin of Kings [PC game]. New York City, New York: Atari, Inc, Namco, Bandai: Namco Bandai Games, N.A.: CyberFront. Lionhead Studios. (2004). Fable II [PC game]. Redmond, Washington: Microsoft Game Studios. Rockstar Games. (2008). Grand Theft Auto IV [PC game]. New York City, New York: Take- Two Interactive. Page 7

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