Empathy in Gaming

Empathy in gaming is a topic of ongoing discussion about both real and simulated behaviors required and encouraged in video games. As early as the 1970s, concerns have been raised about violent content and the example it sets. Simultaneously, player-directed stories and narrative-driven games indicate a potential for greater emotional engagement. Practical implications of such influences are inconclusive, with multiplayer games often rewarding both cooperative and griefing behaviors.

Background

For as long as violence has been present in games, questions have been raised about the influence such content may have on its audience, how accessibility can be limited, and whether extreme content should be censored altogether.

Death Race Controversy

In 1976, the arcade game Death Race fell under criticism due to the objective of the game being to run over pedestrians who emitted high-pitched screams upon being hit. Dr. Gerald Dreissen, then-manager of the National Safety Council's research department for Family Safety Magazine, remarked, "I shudder to think of what will be next if this one is not defeated by public opinion." Following the controversy, a Chicago retailer halted distribution of the game.

Creation of the Entertainment Software Rating Board

In 1993, Mortal Kombat was released. The game received negative attention due to its extreme violence, which included characters beheading or ripping the heart out of their opponent. Footage was brought to the Washington press to open a dialogue on violence in video games. Immediately following, Senator Joe Lieberman held a subcommittee on the issue, leading to the creation of the Entertainment Software Rating Board, whose purpose was to enforce age restrictions based on mature content.

Doom Controversy Following Columbine Massacre

Shortly following the Columbine High School massacre in 1999, it was discovered that shooter Eric Harris was an avid player of the first-person shooter Doom, a game known for excessive blood and violence. Though rumors arose of Harris creating custom maps to imitate sections of the school, these were later dismissed. This, however, did not mitigate concerns about the influence of simulated violence.

Portrayal of violence

Spec Ops: The Line

Spec Ops: The Line is a third-person shooter that narrates a rescue mission gone awry. In it, the protagonist Walker confronts the defected 33rd Brigade and spends a majority of the time fighting other American soldiers. At the same time, the player character is also forced into confrontations with angry civilians who don't distinguish the player's team from the brigade. Moral issues arise as Walker reluctantly kills the same people he was sent to rescue. At one of the plot's turning points, Walker orders the mortar shell of white phosphorus to be fired, intending to defeat the 33rd Brigade. Afterward, Walker and his team walk through the area affected by the blast zone only to discover they had inadvertently fired on civilians.

Image from Spec Ops: The Line depicting the aftermath of a white phosphorus mortar shell.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Modern Warfare 2 received media attention when footage of the mission No Russian was leaked depicting CIA operatives opening fire on civilians. In-game, the player's objective is to carry out a terrorist attack in order to gain the trust of a Russian terrorist organization. Following the game's release, conflicting opinions arose, with objections of the mission's disturbing imagery, criticism of the mission as shock value, and praise of the morally weighted choice of whether or not the player decides to participate in the massacre.

Richard Pearsey, co-writer of Spec Ops: The Line, writes about the context of No Russian:

People are not going to get mad at you ... if what you do is consistent with the game world. If what happens ... if the shocking moment is adequately prepared ... for you to understand that this type of game that you bought into, it's going to get progressively worse and we're going to talk about whether or not your actions are appropriate or not... I think it has to be consistent... I don't want to be critical of another game but the [airport] scene in Modern Warfare ... people were pissed off about that. It took you out of the game and jarred you, because it doesn't fit that game world. And not only does it not fit that game world, you don't get to react like the characters you were playing would... You need to allow them to feel like they have some moral agency in a situation like that.

Violence as a voluntary mechanic

Iji

The side-scrolling shooter Iji utilizes the player's kill count as a mechanic for directing the story. Following an alien invasion, the protagonist is confronted by an alien species under strict orders to kill on sight. Depending on whether or not the player chooses to kill the aliens, the player character may form alliances with factions of the invading army or be feared as a genocidal killer.

Undertale

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Undertale

Unused Sources

Single Player

• Ethical decisions

http://www.thatonevideogamer.com/articles/decisions-decisions-how-bioshocks-little-sisters-stand-out-in-the-world-of-video-game-morality-by-brett-bayonne/

Manhunt (rewarding brutal kills)

• Guilt

The Witch's House

http://www.polygon.com/2012/11/14/3590430/dont-be-a-hero-the-full-story-behind-spec-ops-the-line

https://www.destructoid.com/do-the-wrong-thing-breaking-sasha-s-promise-155210.phtml

Multiplayer

• Nonverbal Communication

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFjWikDX12U

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_(game)

https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017/01/teabagging-will-get-you-banned-from-a-major-killer-instinct-tournament/

http://dreii.com/play/

http://thatgamecompany.com/games/journey/

• Scarcity

http://www.gamefaqs.com/webonly/929134-kingdom-of-loathing/reviews/102052

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monster_Hunter

• Trust
• Anonymity and accountability

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqGnkfDhmtQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsV_Kmp9T3w