PBS Idea Channel

Controlling vs 'Being' Your Video Game Avatar

Directed by Morgan Crossley
S2 • E27    Oct 24, 2013    10m
Do you control or *are* you your video game avatar? Avatars have increased in complexity over the years, from paddles and Pacman to highly rendered and human-like beings and first-person floating cameras. Whatever your avatar is, it is consistently a TOOL, a way for you to engage with the videogame world. But are you merely controlling it or ARE YOU your avatar? This is an important question because if a player truly feels that their avatar embodies them, we might have to think differently about what our moral and ethical obligations as videogames present us with a plenty of uncomfortable and moral choices. So are you really controlling your avatar?

Where to Watch PBS Idea Channel - S2 • E27

  • Morgan CrossleyDirector
  • Mike RugnettaWriter

 

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