Multimedia Games
Development
COM429M2
Week 10 Social & Ethical Issues
Learning outcomes
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Be aware of the possible social consequences
of gaming
Understand ethical issues related to game
playing and game implementation
Ethical & Social Issues
Brief history of computer game development
Littered with controversy related to
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Violent content
Addiction
Gambling
Ownership of virtual property
Copyright and intellectual property
Led to setting up of regulating body in the industry
Interactive Digital Software Association
Early 90’s the games industry was involved in a legal battle
with the USA government over the violent/inappropriate
content of computer games
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This led to the setting up of the Interactive Digital Software
Association (1994)
Self-regulatory body to oversee standards in games
Founding companies included Nintendo, Sega & EA
Electronic Arts, Phillips, Atari, and 3DO
Members now include 90%+ of industry in USA
Interactive Digital Software Association
Interactive Digital Software Association represents
the computer games industry in a number of
ways
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Anti-piracy
Intellectual property protection (IPR)
Government relations
Entertainment software rating
Entertainment Software Association
In 2003 the IDSA changed its name to the
Entertainment Software Association (ESA)
Its focus/objective is the same as the
Interactive Digital Software Association
http://www.theesa.com/
Entertainment Software Association
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Government Affairs: The ESA works with government at all levels to
make the voice of its members heard on a wide range of crucial
legislative and public policy issues, including intellectual property
protection, content regulation, and efforts to regulate the Internet.
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Anti-Piracy Information: The objective of ESA's Anti-Piracy Program is
to attack and reduce global entertainment software piracy, estimated to
cost the U.S. entertainment software industry billions of dollars every
year. The program's primary components are policy work, training and
education, and a number of different enforcement efforts in the U.S.
and abroad.
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The ESA Foundation is dedicated to supporting positive programs and
opportunities that will make a difference in the quality of life, health and
welfare of America's youth. The Foundation seeks to harness the
collective power of the industry to create positive social impact in our
communities.
Entertainment Software Rating Board
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Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB)
formed in 1994 by IDSA as a self-regulatory body
for the computer game industry
Objective was to pre-empt government enforced
regulation
Independently applies/enforces ratings, advertising
guidelines and online privacy principles
Entertainment Software Rating Board
Ratings system has two parts
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Rating symbol suggests the age group that
the game is suitable for. Serves as a general
indicator of game content
Additional content descriptors with further
detail on game content
Computer Game Violence
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Major issue is violent content in games
Debate focuses on whether violent content
in games promotes/encourages violent
behaviour in players
Computer Game Violence
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Studies show 75%+ of games preferred by young
people have violent/aggressive content
Claims this can desensitize children to violence or
induce hostile or aggressive actions
Studies supported by the American Psychological
Association and American Medical Association
Schools suspending more primary pupils
“More than 230 children are suspended from primary
schools in England each day during term time”
http://education.guardian.co.uk/pupilbehaviour/story/0,,2061946,00.html
Computer Game Violence
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“Virginia Tech mass murderer Cho Seung Hui honed his skill as
a deadly marksman by playing violent video games.” Washington
Post April 2007
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“Columbine killers Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold enjoyed playing
violent video games.Eric Harris had actually modified a version of
the game Doom and placed it on his Website. His version had
two shooters, extra weapons and the people in the game couldn't
shoot back.”
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Harris and Klebold essentially acted out their version of Doom on
innocent classmates
Computer Game Violence
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Playing violent video games can increase a person's
aggressive thoughts, feelings and behavior both in
laboratory settings and in actual life”. April 2000 issue of
the American Psychological Association's (APA) Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology
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Study added that violent video games may be more harmful
than violent television and movies due to interactive and
immersive nature which requires the player to identify with
the aggressor
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Games portray violence as justified with no repercussions where
players are rewarded for violent behavior
Computer Game Violence
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Beltway Snipers (John Muhammad and John
Lee Malvo trained using sniper mode on Halo to
break down inhibitions to kill.
“We are teaching children to associate pleasure
with human death and suffering. We are
rewarding them, for killing people. And we are
teaching them to like it.” Lt. Col. David
Grossman, U.S. Army psychologist.
Computer Game Violence
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High percentage of teenagers able to buy
mature rated game without any problems
Parents lack understanding of rating system
Ads for games are found in magazines,
television shows targeted at teenagers and
pre-teenagers
Computer Game Violence
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Entertainment Software Association disagrees
with these views
Argues that that there is no correlation between
violence in games and violence or aggressive
behaviour
Statistics show that violent crime among young
people has decreased dramatically since 1990
while computer games popularity has soars
Computer Games Addiction
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Concern that people spend too much time
playing computer games
Problem increased with increase in online
gaming
Problems identified include job loss, school
dropouts and death
Computer Games Addiction
General agreement among health care
professionals that certain people are susceptible
to gaming addictions. Factors include
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Boredom
Isolation
Loneliness
Low self esteem
Depression
Socially inadequate
Computer Games Addiction
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High level of immersion draws players in
and does not let them go
Cliff hanger design keeps you playing
Social component of games leads to a
sense of identity and relationships
Multiplayer games have no clear ending ins
some cases so there is no reason to leave
Everquest/Evercrack
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Everquest is an online version of role-playing games like
Dungeons and Dragons
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Unfolds in real time as players explore a fantasy world.
There is no end to the game once you begin to play, unless
you turn off the computer
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So addictive is the game that even the most devoted
players jokingly refer to Everquest – as “Evercrack,"
Everquest or Evercrack?
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/05/28/earlyshow/living/caught/main510302.shtml
Computer Games Addiction
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“Games are not inherently bad but like drinking
alcohol can be harmful if abused.” David Walsh,
National Institute on Media and the Family
John Smedley (Sony co-creator of Everquest)
disagrees and says calling Everquest addictive
is nonsense.
“It’s entertainment. Is a book dangerous? Is a
TV show dangerous? I think the answer is no.
People need to take responsibility and say,
‘Hey, you know, this is too much. Enough’s
enough.’ It’s a game.”
Inclusiveness
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Increasingly as games attract a wider audience it is
important to design for all levels of skills, age and
physical abilities and cultures
Objective should be to produce games that are not
offensive and are sensitive to social norms in all
cultures
Create experiences that appeal to broader audiences.
E.g. Gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation
Accessibility
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Games should also be designed to be as
accessible as possible and should cater for people
with disabilities
Virtual worlds provide opportunities and
experiences not available in the real world
Objective is to make game as open to as many
people as possible
Blind teen amazes with video-game skills (Brice Mellen)
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2005-07-28-blind-gamer_x.htm
Virtual Property
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Persistent online games include virtual items
and characters within the game world
The question of ownership of virtual items is
now a contentious issue
Game players paying for a game and for
playing it. They earn items and characters
Game developers created items and
characters which are stored on their game
servers
Virtual Property
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Land, items and characters from games have
real cash value
Land, items and characters were sold on
eBay for large sums
Some virtual worlds are richer than real
countries
Virtual Property
Gamer buys $26,500 virtual land in Project Entropia
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4104731.stm
Anshe Chung Becomes First Virtual World Millionaire
$10 investment into million dollar corporation in 30 months
http://www.anshechung.com/include/press/press_release251106.html
Virtual Property
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Ongoing legal battles
Game companies claim auctions and sales
corrupt the fabric of the game
Claim that they own the game items and
characters and players have no legal rights
to sell them
Sony Online Entertainment has blocked the
sale of Everquest items on eBay
Virtual Property
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Growth of virtual goods sweatshops
Companies set up in area with impoverished
population
Workers paid minimal wages to collect items or
build up game characters which are sold or
auctioned with substantial profits to the
company
Copyright & Piracy
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Game developers lose $3 billion a
year+ due to software piracy
Equates to production of additional off
1000+ new high quality games
Results in increased costs to consumers
Copyright & Piracy
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It is legal to create a backup copy of a game,
provided that this copy is not sold or distributed
Games that are no longer available commercially
are still protected by copyright
Downloading copyrighted material illegal even if it
is not used
Downloading copyrighted material is not fair use
and is copyright infringement regardless of end use
Emulators
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Emulators allow the user to use software by
imitating hardware
In computer games these are typically used to
emulate arcade or console hardware
Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator
Emulators
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Supporters say emulators saves games
from disappearing as original hardware not
available
Emulators can enhance games with
improved processor speed/graphics
Allows player choice
Emulators
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Opponents say majority of people who use emulators
do not own the software used in the emulator and are in
violation of copyright
Emulator design uses hardware date (ROM/Bios) that is
also copyright
Sony and Nintendo have sued or threatened legal
action over the development of emulators
In most cases courts have said that there is nothing
inherently illegal in emulating hardware using software
Exception where emulation was made possible through
improperly used or licensed intellectual property
Many game companies now using emulators to
allow re-release of classic titles (PS3/Xbox)
Hacking/Modding Consoles
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Consoles have inbuilt protection to prevent
the running of unauthorized games (Lockout
chip)
Regulates game developers to adhere to
licensing and quality control methods
Prevent illegal copying of games
Mod chips are on sale to circumvent
protection
Using a mod chip in place, console owners
can use unauthorized software
Hacking/Modding Consoles
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Modders claim several “legitimate” reasons
to mod consoles
Ability to play import titles and movies
from other countries
Ability to make back-ups of their own games
Ability to use home-brew or hobby software
on their console
Hacking/Modding Consoles
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Manufacturers are against modding efforts
Claim that most modders want to play illegal
copies of games or movies
Some companies supportive of the home-brew
and hobby communities
PS3 supports Linux installation
Still ongoing problem with ongoing court cases
Gambling
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Long term problem in games industry
Alleged links between video games, gambling and
organized crime
Gambling generally seen as ill or evil in society
Online gaming now widespread
In Game Gambling
Youplaygames signs exclusive deal with Idsoftware to provide multiplayer online gaming service with Return to Castle Wolfenstein
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Pioneering professional online gaming by bringing massively
popular multi-player licensed titles into homes and providing
everyone with the chance to make money while playing their
favorite computer games.
Gamers at any skill level can play Return to Castle Wolfenstein
and vie against each other over the Internet for the opportunity to
win money and prizes
Beset with social and legal issues
Hard to police and ensure fairness
Professional Gamers
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Increasing numbers of professional gamers earn a
living playing
Hardware makers and gaming companies offer big
case prizes for professional gamers and gaming
events
Nvidia/ATI sponsor teams or individual players
Video game players score big money in South Korea
Choi Yeon-sung (Korea) has 90,000 members in his fan club and
earns $190,000 a year
Electronic Sports World Cup
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Electronic Sports World Cup is an international
professional gaming championship.
Every year winners of national qualifier event
around the world earn the right to represent their
country in the ESWC Finals in France.
Tournaments in Counter Strike, Warcraft III, Quake
III, and Unreal Tournament 2003
Large prizes for winners
http://www.eswc.com/en
Summary
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Relatively new area (~30 years)
Still in infancy
Rapid ongoing developments
Raises many social and ethical issues
Multimedia Games
Development
COM429M2
Week 10 Social & Ethical Issues