Applying ethics to modern games development

Abstract

New problems accompany new technologies, and there is a rapid change in society as a result of mobile technology, broadband internet and sophisticated games, which of course bring many benefits. However some people selfishly exploit these new technologies for personal gain to the detriment of others. Applying ethical theories to these new and emerging technologies from a legal, ethical and social point of view can provide some interesting insights. This paper surmises some issues arising from the games development industry, and applies theories from an ethical, societal, legal and moral point of view. Data was gathered from 42 computing students across various disciplines and their views/opinions on ethical issues of computer games are presented. The majority of these students were undeterred by the violent content in computer games, and considered aspects such as the graphics, mechanics and storyline as the most appealing aspects of computer games. However, many of them believed that moral and ethical standards should be taken into account by games developers, and by parents when purchasing games for their children.