research-article

The Ecology of Harmful Design: Risk and Safety of Game Making on a Metaverse Platform

Authors:

Xinning GuiAuthors Info & Claims

DIS '24: Proceedings of the 2024 ACM Designing Interactive Systems Conference

Pages 1842 - 1856

https://doi.org/10.1145/3643834.3660678

Published: 01 July 2024 Publication History

Abstract

Metaverse platforms have been on the rise in recent years, offering three-dimensional (3D), immersive virtual worlds while encouraging user-generated content (UGC) in various forms. Roblox, a popular metaverse platform, enables its users to create a holistic virtual world (i.e., develop a 3D game) for other users to interact with. However, complex UGC is also challenging to moderate. Roblox has been notorious for its users’ harmful designs, such as Nazi or terrorist role-playing mechanisms. In this study, we explore how harmful design takes place on Roblox. Through a grounded theory analysis of the ‘r/Robloxgamedev’ subreddit, we conceptualize an ecological view of harmful design, foregrounding three interconnected circumstances, namely sociotechnical risks, socioeconomic precarities, and normative (in)sensitivities, which work together to condition and give rise to harmful designs and bring about unique governance challenges to metaverse platforms. We conclude by laying out implications for design moderation.

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Cited By

Smithwick ANguyen CGorial ETran NFlores AMunyaka I(2024)"Parent seeking Roblox Safety Help": Comparing Parental Roblox Concerns to Roblox Offerings2024 IEEE International Symposium on Technology and Society (ISTAS)10.1109/ISTAS61960.2024.10732489(1-9)Online publication date: 18-Sep-2024
https://doi.org/10.1109/ISTAS61960.2024.10732489

Index Terms

The Ecology of Harmful Design: Risk and Safety of Game Making on a Metaverse Platform
1. Human-centered computing
  1. Collaborative and social computing
    1. Collaborative and social computing theory, concepts and paradigms
      1. Computer supported cooperative work
2. Security and privacy
  1. Human and societal aspects of security and privacy
    1. Social aspects of security and privacy

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Game World
Design and Development of a VR Serious Game for Chemical Laboratory Safety
Games and Learning Alliance
Abstract
Virtual reality (VR) technologies are becoming more and more popular, not only as a gaming console, but also as a viable training tool. Especially for health and safety training programmes, VR can be very useful to train people in dangerous ...

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Published In

cover image ACM Conferences

DIS '24: Proceedings of the 2024 ACM Designing Interactive Systems Conference

July 2024

3616 pages

ISBN:9798400705830

DOI:10.1145/3643834

Editors:
Anna Vallgårda
IT University of Copenhagen
,
Li Jönsson
Malmö University
,
Jonas Fritsch
IT University of Copenhagen
,
Sarah Fdili Alaoui
LISN-Université Paris Saclay
,
Christopher A. Le Dantec
Northeastern University

Copyright © 2024 ACM.

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SIGCHI: ACM Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction

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Association for Computing Machinery

New York, NY, United States

Publication History

Published: 01 July 2024

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Refereed limited

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National Science Foundation

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DIS '24

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SIGCHI

DIS '24: Designing Interactive Systems Conference

July 1 - 5, 2024

Copenhagen, Denmark

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Overall Acceptance Rate 1,158 of 4,684 submissions, 25%

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Cited By

Smithwick ANguyen CGorial ETran NFlores AMunyaka I(2024)"Parent seeking Roblox Safety Help": Comparing Parental Roblox Concerns to Roblox Offerings2024 IEEE International Symposium on Technology and Society (ISTAS)10.1109/ISTAS61960.2024.10732489(1-9)Online publication date: 18-Sep-2024
https://doi.org/10.1109/ISTAS61960.2024.10732489

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