When It's More Than Just a "Game"

James H. Moor, a professor of Intellectual and Moral Philosophy, argues in his paper, Why We Need Better Ethics for Emerging Technologies , that as "new technology allows us to perform activities in new ways, situations may arise in which we do not have adequate policies in place to guide us." This idea is ever so prevalent in video games as the majority demographic is younger. As "gaming" has become more accessible through lower computation requirements and costs, people have been turning an "everyday hobby" into a sustainable career. However, there has been growing ethical concerns as gaming becomes more and more integrated into our current generation.

Picture of Old School Runescape

In the massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), Old School Runescape, there are Venezuelan "gold-farmers" that are making money from just playing the game. This is done by selling the game's virtual currency (gold) for U.S. dollars on public website exchanges. The issue, however, is that this exchange of currency is strictly against the game's terms of service, hence the game developers are taking action by banning or deleting any accounts with an IP originating from Venezuela. Moreover, since the game's economy is player-driven, the value of gold has largely inflated as Venezuelan players are aggressively adding more "gold" into circulation. Consequently, the majority of players are opposed and even purposely targeting the Venezuelan community.

Due to Venezuela's political unrest and hyperinflation, a gold-farmer can make around $50-$100 a month as opposed to the minimum wage of $3 a month. This begs the question: Is it ethical for the game developers to target the Venezuelan player's main source of income? We need to be more proactive in understanding the context of the underlying issue. One may argue that this is an act of discrimination because Runescape is targeting and generalizing a particular demographic of players. On the other hand, some may argue that Runescape should not be held morally responsible as they are just looking to provide an overall good game experience.

Gaming, as James H. Moor describes, in its current state is a technological sub revolution that is close to the power stage. We have hosted gaming events that have been broadcast on live television. Many have made careers through streaming and professional gaming. I have made many friends through video games. I foresee a future where gaming is as common as "playing catch" with our children. Runescape is just one particular case where gaming may have social implications.

James H. Moor proposes, "at the very least we need to do more to be more proactive and less reactive in doing ethics." In this case, should Runescape be laxer on their policies in regards to the Venezuelan circumstances? As technology becomes more ingrained in our daily lives, we will likely need to improve our approach to ethics.