ETHICAL ISSUES IN GAMINGEthics:

a branch of philosophy which defines what is good for individuals and society.

P3describe contractual, legal and ethical obligations in the games industry with some appropriate use of subject terminology M3explain contractual, legal and ethical obligations in the games industry with reference to detailed illustrative examples and generally correct use of subject terminology D3comprehensively explain contractual, legal and ethical obligations in the games industry with reference to elucidated examples and consistently using subject terminology correctly

TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND CONTRACTUAL, LEGAL AND ETHICAL OBLIGATIONS IN THE GAMES INDUSTRY

As the games industry grows, more and more people are engaging with games on various platforms.

Add to this the ever developing technology that not only makes games more realistic, but changes the way we interact with them, and the issue of ethics in the games industry becomes more important than ever.

There has always been controversy surrounding video games, with detractors pointing to the influence they have over the players.

To be able to understand contractual, legal and ethical obligations in the games industry.

The main areas that ethical debates revolve around are:

• Violence – graphic, physical, sexual, non-physical

• Rating – how regulation is applied, is it successful?

• Education – do games educate? Should they be relied upon?

• Stereotyping – Age, race, gender, disability, class

• Addiction – How do gamers become addicted? What does the industry do to help this?

To be able to understand contractual, legal and ethical obligations in the games industry.

For each of these discuss the issues that developers have to consider when designing a game.

It becomes the responsibility of both the industry and the consumer to be aware of the issues in gaming and act accordingly.

Research the following organisations an outline their role in the industry…

• The Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers’ Association

(ELSPA)

• The Independent Games Developers Association (IGDA)

• Women in Games

• British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA)

• The Mobile Entertainment Forum (MEF)

To be able to understand contractual, legal and ethical obligations in the games industry.

http://www.ethicapublishing.com/ethical/3CH12.pdf