//MORALITY IN GAMES

Morality is a strange thing in games.

For many people, gaming is an escape from life and the depressing drudgery of having to be 'a good person'; when they sit down after a hard day's work, they want to let off steam as opposed to pondering existential questions and the nature of mankind. There is nothing wrong with this, which I shall say from the outset! It's simply that not everybody has the compulsion to  run about and kill everything that moves. No, some people believe that video games are a good platform for teaching practical wisdom.

Though the argument has not started recently at all. It stretches back all the way to the classic philosophers, with Plato having something to say for it. Back then, of course, Plato was not simply mad that Aristotle was kicking his rear at Street Fighter II, but rather found fault with art as a whole. He condemned it as being deceptive and intoxicating, which leads people to immorality by clouding the mind and hindering clear thought. His student, Aristotle, had a very different view (not just because he was great with Ryu); he argued that tragedy could make the audience into better people by using its cathartic quality to immerse them and allow them to experience the emotions of fear and pity in a controlled manner. He suggested that the messages and situations could be used by the audience and encourage them to apply the wisdom offered by the play in their daily lives.

If he were alive today and accustomed to our technology, I reckon Aristotle would rather like video games (not limited to  Street Fighter). If he were to play Fallout 3, Deus Ex: Human Revolution or Planescape: Torment, he would see that his musings certainly had some manner of effect somewhere down the line.  Simply being given the choice to make decisions that can be considered 'good' or 'bad' is something that is approved of in Aristotleian philosophy, as it is thought that this allows people to experience moral dilemmas in a controlled environment and thus, can grow as people.

Somewhat unsettling is that the arguments against gaming as a whole are not different these days as they were back in the days of Plato-- its detractors argue that such an intoxicating experience is detrimental to one's moral compass. One can consume violent images day in and day out and never lash out, though there are those more susceptible to such things. In a study conducted recently (Check it out here), it showed that the effects of violent imagery depends on the individual's personality-- someone with a tendency to frustration experiences things different to somebody that is incredibly mellow, for example. Yet on the other hand, video games are the first truly interactive media. Unlike films, books and comics, video games put you in the driver's seat.  Some may argue that moral decisions are everywhere in games today, even those that one would not originally consider as such. We often trivialise decisions that make or break entire countries in-game, or detach ourselves from the implications-- it's only a game, after all. ... Right?

In Fallout 3's expansion, The Pitt, the player is presented with a predicament so challenging that Bethesda could not allocate karma points for it. In this part of the story, the player charcter has the decision to either kidnap a baby and free a group of slaves or defend the child and allow the slaves to remain oppressed. Even cut down to an explanation simple as that, you can tell it's a toughie-- either honour one life and condemn many more or take one to benefit the larger group. This is something that one has to stew over, especially when it is in infant pulled into the equation.

From the perspective of Jeremy Bentham (more of an E. Honda kind of guy), happiness is the greatest good and morality should therefore be defined as acting the produce the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. His school of thought is known as Utilitarianism and if placed in front of The Pitt and asked to make a decision, would likely opt for freeing the slaves. After all, this child is the key to their salvation-- why not grant them this?

As wonderful and sense-making this sounds, it is incredibly hard to judge what would be considered the greater good in almost any challenging situation. Where do you draw the line? When do the scales tip in favour of the majority? What about the minority?

This is the kind of wisdom that we need to keep in mind when making and playing games. The medium is pefectly suited to such conundrums and as such, we should continue to challenge ourselves with games for the contemplative.