Home / Series / PBS Idea Channel / Aired Order / Season 2 / Episode 27

Controlling vs 'Being' Your Video Game Avatar

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?

English
  • Originally Aired October 24, 2013
  • Runtime 10 minutes
  • Network YouTube
  • Created November 14, 2013 by
    Administrator admin
  • Modified November 14, 2013 by
    Administrator admin
Name Type Role
Mike Rugnetta Writer
Morgan Crossley Director