"for the greater good..." death and dying in digital games
DESCRIPTION
Presentation on Video-Games and Religion given at the Media and Religion Conference 2014 in Boulder, CO. Video Games that pose ethical challenges to the player often encourage discussion of these ethical topics within the framework of religion.TRANSCRIPT
“For the Greater Good...?!”Framing Different Perspectiveson Death and Dying in Digital
Video Games and GamerGenerated Online Videos.
Michael Waltemathe
Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany
January 10, 2014Michael Waltemathe (RUB) For the greater Good... January 10, 2014 1 / 36
Outline
Death and Dying in Video GamesTypologyReligious framing
Religion in Video GamesTheoretical IdeasDeath and Religion
Approach from Religion - Sacrifice
Examples
Analysis
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Death and Dying in Video Games Typology
Typology of Death in Video-Games
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Death and Dying in Video Games Typology
"Interactive Death"
Killing
• Usually in-game-killing has no meaningful connotation.• Sometimes it is a "Boss-Battle".• These gain meaning through the storyline.• Gaming experience, Interactivity.
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Death and Dying in Video Games Typology
"Interactive Passive Death"
Getting killed
• Players experience in-game-death frequently.• Usually this has no or little consequences.
• Start again at the same spot, no consequences.• Lose somee game progress, little consequences.• Game Over! Little consequences. (These used to be monetary)• Exceptions: FTL or Don’t starve.
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Death and Dying in Video Games Typology
"Non-Interactive Death"
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Death and Dying in Video Games Typology
"Non-Interactive Death"
Getting told about deathSometimes death is part of the storyline, non interactive or interactive
• Enriches the story.• Part of the story with (religious) framing, morals etc...• Part of the story without framing.• How does a game go on when you, the player are dead?• Probably the most prevalent place of religious framing.
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Death and Dying in Video Games Typology
Death Experience in Video-Games
DEATH inVideo-Games
KillingNPCs
Gettingkilled
KillingStoryline-Characters
SeeingStoryline-Characters
killed
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Death and Dying in Video Games Religious framing
Religion and Death?
• Experiencing Death over and over again invites the question ofafterlife and rebirth in religious tradition.
• Meaningful death invites the question of religious framing of deathand dying.
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Religion in Video Games Theoretical Ideas
Social-Phenomenology of the Life-World
World ofworking indaily life
World ofphantasies
Myths
Art
World ofdreams
World ofscientifictheorizing
Worldof play
Games
Humour
World ofreligiousexpe-riences
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Religion in Video Games Theoretical Ideas
Video-Games in the the Life-World
World ofworking indaily life
World ofphantasies
Myths
Art
World ofdreams
World ofscientifictheorizing
Worldof play
Games
Humour
World ofreligiousexpe-riences
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Religion in Video Games Theoretical Ideas
Epistemological reversal
World ofreligious
experiences
World ofphantasies
Myths
Art
World ofdreams
World ofscientifictheorizing
Worldof play
Games
Humour
World ofworking indaily life
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Religion in Video Games Theoretical Ideas
Epistemological reversal
World ofworking indaily life
World ofphantasies
Myths
Art
World ofdreams
World ofscientifictheorizing
Worldof play
Games
Humour
World ofreligiousexpe-riences
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Religion in Video Games Theoretical Ideas
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Religion in Video Games Death and Religion
Ludology vs Narratology
Different aspects of game-studies approaches
• Meaningful religious framing needs embedding in a story, ananalytical religious framework .
• Interactive behaviour• mostly reaction to certain key-stimuli.• recently stronger connection of action and story• Examples : Jedi-Knight MotS, Fallout 3, Last of us...
• Storytelling Religion vs Interactive Religion
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Religion in Video Games Death and Religion
Religious framing of Death inVideo-games
Combining Interactivity and Narratvity
• Interferences between interactive behaviour and storyline elements• Possible contradictions between storyline and interactive behaviour• Overt examples of religious framing in storyline(author-perspective)
• Examples of religious framing through gamers (recipientperspective)
• Reception of storyline• Reception of actions in interactive content
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Approach from Religion - Sacrifice
Meaningful religious framing for death
Two aspects of sacrifice
1 Self sacrifice2 Accepting other people’s sacrifice
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Examples
Passive Death Scenarios - Self sacrifice
Walking Dead
• Self-sacrifice as possible end of the game• Player experiences own characters death as end of the game• The world goes on• Player shows moral and emotional framing• Player relates to game-character through in-game-choices
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Examples
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Examples
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Examples
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Examples
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Examples
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Examples
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Examples
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Examples
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Analysis
Analysis of online discussion and videos
Walking Dead
• The idea of self-sacrifice is widely acceptable• Sadness for the survivor, who now has to live on alone• Compassion with the survivor, who had to sacrifice someone else tolive
• Sacrificing another person is controversial• The “religious professionals” discuss self sacrifice religiously(WWJD)
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Analysis
Conclusion?
Narrative vs InteractivityThe religious discourse begins when action and storyline clash!
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Analysis
Active Death-Scenarios - sacrifice ofanother person
The last of us• Storyline shows developing relation between main characters• Female game character substitutes daughte of male game character• Active killing guarantees the girls life• Selfish motive confronts the player with moral question
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Analysis
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Analysis
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Analysis
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Analysis
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Analysis
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Analysis
Analysis of online discussion and videos
The last of us• The idea of sacrificing others is controversial• The end does not justify the means• The greater good is not always desirable• Arguments straight from the lifeworld• Religious/philosophical discourse between people who are notreligious professionals
• “Religious professionals” Let go! - not sacrificing the girl forhumankind is selfish, not in Gods’ will (Isaak)
• The girl agreed to be sacrificed.
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Analysis
“For the Greater Good...?!”Framing Different Perspectiveson Death and Dying in Digital
Video Games and GamerGenerated Online Videos.
Michael Waltemathe
Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany
January 10, 2014Michael Waltemathe (RUB) For the greater Good... January 10, 2014 36 / 36