research-article

Virtual decisions: video game ethics, Just Consequentialism, and ethics on the fly

Authors:

Don Gotterbarn,

James MoorAuthors Info & Claims

ACM SIGCAS Computers and Society, Volume 39, Issue 3

Pages 27 - 42

https://doi.org/10.1145/1713066.1713068

Published: 01 December 2009 Publication History

Abstract

Video games are ethically controversial. Some video games are effective training tools for learning various skills and approaches to problem-solving, but some video games are notorious for promoting discriminatory and barbaric behavior. We consider such ethical pros and cons of video games, but we also present a more fundamental ethical issue about video games. Most video games have a bias toward self-centered decision-making. Often the decision-making driver is not the impact of the decision on society but rather the quantity of rewards for their individual character. This bias can be an obstacle to employing good ethical analysis and good ethical decision-making in video games. In this paper we discuss the ethical theory of Just Consequentialism and show how it can be used to introduce ethical values into video game design and how it can be useful for ethical decision-making, even rapid ethical decision-making, in both virtual world and real worlds.

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Cited By

Parsons T(2019)Ethical Challenges in Digital Psychology and Cyberpsychology10.1017/9781108553384Online publication date: 7-Nov-2019
https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108553384
Aborujilah ANassr RHusen MAli NAl-Othman AAlmotiri S(2019)A Conceptual Framework for Applying Telemedicine Mobile Applications in Treating Computer Games AddictionProceedings of the 13th International Conference on Ubiquitous Information Management and Communication (IMCOM) 201910.1007/978-3-030-19063-7_47(599-609)Online publication date: 23-May-2019
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-19063-7_47
Fabito BYabut E(2018)Prevalence of Cyberbullying and Addiction in Mobile Gaming among Tertiary Students in one University in the Philippines: An Ethical Discussion in the lens of Consequentialism2018 IEEE 10th International Conference on Humanoid, Nanotechnology, Information Technology,Communication and Control, Environment and Management (HNICEM)10.1109/HNICEM.2018.8666295(1-6)Online publication date: Nov-2018
https://doi.org/10.1109/HNICEM.2018.8666295
Show More Cited By

Index Terms

Virtual decisions: video game ethics, Just Consequentialism, and ethics on the fly

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Published In

cover image ACM SIGCAS Computers and Society

ACM SIGCAS Computers and Society Volume 39, Issue 3

December 2009

57 pages

ISSN:0095-2737

DOI:10.1145/1713066

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Copyright © 2009 Authors.

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Association for Computing Machinery

New York, NY, United States

Publication History

Published: 01 December 2009

Published in SIGCAS Volume 39, Issue 3

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Cited By

Parsons T(2019)Ethical Challenges in Digital Psychology and Cyberpsychology10.1017/9781108553384Online publication date: 7-Nov-2019
https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108553384
Aborujilah ANassr RHusen MAli NAl-Othman AAlmotiri S(2019)A Conceptual Framework for Applying Telemedicine Mobile Applications in Treating Computer Games AddictionProceedings of the 13th International Conference on Ubiquitous Information Management and Communication (IMCOM) 201910.1007/978-3-030-19063-7_47(599-609)Online publication date: 23-May-2019
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-19063-7_47
Fabito BYabut E(2018)Prevalence of Cyberbullying and Addiction in Mobile Gaming among Tertiary Students in one University in the Philippines: An Ethical Discussion in the lens of Consequentialism2018 IEEE 10th International Conference on Humanoid, Nanotechnology, Information Technology,Communication and Control, Environment and Management (HNICEM)10.1109/HNICEM.2018.8666295(1-6)Online publication date: Nov-2018
https://doi.org/10.1109/HNICEM.2018.8666295
Kade D(2015)Ethics of Virtual Reality Applications in Computer Game ProductionPhilosophies10.3390/philosophies10100731:1(73-86)Online publication date: 4-Dec-2015
https://doi.org/10.3390/philosophies1010073

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