Ari Chu
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Posted - 2010.09.05 17:40:00 -
[1]
 Originally by: WHATSYOURPLEASURE
I love when this topic comes up. I always have a simple question: If who you are in here isn't anything like you are out there, why do you enjoy being bad in here? The only difference in here is that no one can hold you accountable. It's evil without restraint or punishment. It's not the horrifying evil of monster movies; it's the evil of those who view the rest of us as things and objects. A banal evil that isn't personal but, far worse, impersonal.
Rationalizing your acts as just a game is how you soothe that part of your conscience that still lives out there. There's a very simple test of whether you've done right or wrong--go to all of the people you know out there and tell them what you've done. Tell your mother and father; tell your neighbors; tell your boss. You won't. We all know you won't. Because then they would wonder what you're capable of. They'll wonder whether you might do something out there too.
Video games have given us all something we've never had before, an ethical laboratory. A place where we can give into that part of ourselves that is capable of evil. For all my good acts in life, I've also given into evil here in the lab. It was exciting and titillating for a moment, but in the end it made me feel bad and I gave it up quickly. I'm capable of empathy. There is a fine line to walk in here between playing a role and being a sociopath. Losec pirates, just a role. Alliance spies, just a role. But con man, corp thief and the like, well, it's just a game it's true, but it's not a role if you enjoy the feeling. Thats all you.
Demonstratably false, as anyone who has every played DnD knows. How many adventure parties were run as "Evil"? Probably just as many as run "Good".
Now, arguably, people are evil by nature... so it goes to show that people really are acting out their true natures in games - but that doesn't mean your point is correct, as your point is that people will do those evil things and not tell their friends and family.
No, if they already discuss EVE with their friends/family - then they are very very very likely to talk about their "evil" exploits. More likely, they just don't discuss EVE in the first place - or so peripherally that talking about the specifics of a scam are too far off the radar.
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"The Galaxy is only as big as you make it." - presumably Eve Game Designers. |