Games: Research and Practice

As video games have moved to the mainstream of entertainment and popular culture, they also have given rise to new media fears. These span concerns for player welfare such as gaming addiction, negative effects of ‘screen time,’ gambling-like mechanics, ...

To explore ‘what good looks like’ for children’s play in a digital world,the Digital Futures Commission consulted children, companies, policy makers, regulators and academics. Responding to public scepticism that play online could match the benefits of ...

Video games are maturing as a medium to tell stories inspired by historical struggles and real-life experiences. In this regard, they could work as a mechanism in Transitional Justice pursuit. In this article, we argue that games can become agents for ...

This short viewpoint piece poses the question, ‘what are the ethical implications of designing video games that address the societal causes of mental illness rather than an individual's symptoms?’

Over the past few decades, digital games have become increasingly important for social connection and community building. However, the features that make games fantastic spaces for social connection also harbor toxicity, including hate, harassment, and ...

As a part of the broader investigation into the social dynamics within game cheating communities, this study sheds light on the risks faced by users that surpass the conventional boundaries of gaming environments. Drawing on insights from interviews with ...

Toxicity in video games, acting in a rude, abusive, bullying, or deliberately losing manner, ruins competitive team-based video game experiences for everyone involved. Companies are experimenting with the detection, regulation, and bans of toxic players. ...

The advent of online spaces, particularly social media platforms and video games, has brought forth a significant challenge: the detection and mitigation of toxic and harmful speech. This issue is not only pervasive but also detrimental to the overall ...

What is nowadays taught to the game creators of tomorrow in terms of ethics? The current study addresses this question by focusing on 11 higher education and continuous vocational training programs for aspiring game developers taught in Belgium. We ...

Game design has an impact on health and well-being. Due to their evolving capacities, young people and children are especially sensitive to the negative and positive impacts of media design choices. To protect vulnerable people, ethical and responsible ...

Incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into the development, operation, and servicing of video games adds new issues to an already-complex landscape of ethical concerns. Practices, tools, and governance structures developed in responsible AI can offer ...

This viewpoint paper synthesizes the author's previous work with players on their experiences and perceptions of problematic microtransactions to provide a set of values for ethically designing microtransactions. As such, it provides a practical starting ...

How can we institute good ethical practice in the games industry, safeguarding the welfare of players and employees alike? Inspired by the code of ethics drafted by the Ethical Games Initiative, this roundtable convenes industry regulators and leaders ...