View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by South East Academic Libraries System (SEALS) THE PROMOTION OF ETHICAL EGOISM THROUGH MORALITY MECHANICS IN MASS EFFECT, FABLE III & FALLOUT NEW VEGAS: A ROLE-PLAYING VIDEO GAME EXPLORATION by Carli Grobler Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Media Studies (Coursework) to be awarded at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University April 2016 Supervisor: Mr Corné du Plessis DECLARATION I, Carli Grobler (206036566), hereby declare that the treatise for Master of Arts in Media Studies (Coursework) to be awarded is my own work and that it has not previously been submitted for assessment or completion of any postgraduate qualification to another University or for another qualification. Carli Grobler ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my gratitude to my supervisor, Corné du Plessis, for his support, guidance, and encouragement throughout this study. His knowledge and expertise have made the journey all the more calm. Special thanks to Dr Janina Wozniak, Director of the School of Language, Media and Culture, for her guidance and advice throughout my studies and unwavering belief in my abilities. My sincere appreciation goes to Richard and Deborah Johnson for their continuous support, understanding and proof reading skills. I would also like to thank my friends for their continued friendship after not seeing me for months at a time. To Jacques, my deepest appreciation for your love and encouragement during the hardest days. And to my family, my most profound gratitude for their support, belief and encouragement. PREFACE The idea for this thesis was sparked while playing Mass Effect and my passion for video games and storytelling fueled that spark. In light of this, much of the information in this study is based on my personal experience as a gamer. Due to the fact that video game studies is an emerging field, there is little published information on video games. As such, I have used wikis and websites to fill the gaps where my personal knowledge of the games is not complete. These wikis and game websites are managed and maintained by avid gamers who have great passion for the respective games and have spent many hours cataloguing the exact details of the games. These wikis provide detailed accounts of quests, storyline, rewards, items, characters, etc. and have become an invaluable secondary source of information on each game. I must also point out that I am aware of the variations in British - vs. American spelling. These are made on purpose in order to keep original spelling intact when citing American authors, ensuring a less cluttered read. Furthermore, I would encourage non-gamer readers to keep the glossary handy and to make use of the Web in order to gain a deeper understanding of each game. TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES.........................................................................................3 GLOSSARY....................................................................................................4 SUMMARY.....................................................................................................6 CHAPTER ONE 1.1. Introduction.................................................................................7 1.2. Analysing Video Games 1.2.1. Game...........................................................................9 1.2.2. Gameplay...................................................................10 1.2.3. Narratology................................................................12 1.2.4. Ludology ...................................................................14 1.2.5. Hybrid Approach ......................................................16 1.3. Game Mechanics.......................................................................17 1.4. Games to be Analysed 1.4.1. Role-Playing Games..................................................19 1.4.2. Mass Effect................................................................20 1.4.3. Fable III ...................................................................21 1.4.4. Fallout New Vegas....................................................21 CHAPTER TWO 2.1. Behaviourism 2.1.1. Introduction to Behaviourism....................................23 2.1.2. The Whole Organism / Mind-Body Dualism............24 2.1.3. Covert Behaviour ......................................................26 2.1.4. Operant Conditioning................................................27 2.1.5. Behaviourism & Gaming .........................................29 2.2. Ethical Egoism 2.2.1. Ethics & Egoism ......................................................31 2.2.2. Hobbes.......................................................................34 2.2.3. Kalin..........................................................................35 2.2.4. Ethical Egoism Definition .........................................39 2.3. Games, Ethics & Moral Management.......................................39 2.3.1. The Ludic Hermeneutic Circle..................................43 CHAPTER THREE 3.1. Overview...................................................................................47 3.2. Mass Effect 3.2.1. Mass Effect Overview...............................................48 3.2.2. Mass Effect Narrative................................................50 1 3.2.3. Mass Effect Gameplay...............................................55 3.2.4. Mass Effect Ethico-Moral Discussion.......................57 3.3. Fable III 3.3.1. Fable III Overview....................................................60 3.3.2. Fable III Narrative.....................................................61 3.3.3. Fable III Gameplay...................................................65 3.3.4. Fable III Ethico-Moral Discussion ............................68 3.4. Fallout New Vegas 3.4.1. Fallout New Vegas Overview....................................70 3.4.2. Fallout New Vegas Narrative....................................72 3.4.3. Fallout New Vegas Gameplay...................................75 3.4.4. Fallout New Vegas Ethico-Moral Discussion...........76 CHAPTER FOUR 4.1. Conclusion ................................................................................79 4.2. Suggestions for Further Research..............................................82 REFERENCES & READING LIST..............................................................84 LUDOGRAPHY............................................................................................94 2 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Squad selection screen showing skill balance (BioWare 2007)................................49 Figure 2: Commander Shepard is lifted by the Prothean beacon (BioWare 2007)...................50 Figure 3: Good vs Evil Hero (Lionhead Studios 2010)............................................................64 Figure 4: Walter is consumed by the darkness (Lionhead Studios 2010)................................66 Figure 5: The Legion vs NCR (Obsidian Entertainment 2010)...............................................70 Figure 6: The Courier attacks Mr House's securitrons (Obsidian Entertainment 2010)..........73 Figure 7: Gameplay screenshot of Journey (Thatgamecompany, 2012)..................................83 3 GLOSSARY alignment the moral alignment of a character (also character's morality) casual gamer a gamer who plays infrequently or plays simplistic games that can be played and completed in short sessions ("Casual Gamer" 2015a:s.p.) character level experience level of a character, usually measured numerically companion a non-playable character who accompanies the main character on their quest, providing support, especially in combat, and often other perks / benefits cut-scene non-interactive sequence in a video game that breaks up gameplay, can be used to move story forward or provide new insight into a character, etc. game time real time measurement of time spent playing the video game gamer / player real life individual participating in video game play hardcore gamer a gamer who plays video games as one of their main hobbies, often play competitively and enjoy complex games (this term is mostly used within the gaming culture to differentiate between "real" gamers and people who "merely play games" ("Hardcore Gamer 2015b:s.p.) morality mechanic set of rules created by the game designer where morality points are attributed for certain in-game actions or decisions morality points points given to measure the amount of "good" or "evil" actions a character has performed non-player character (NPC) characters in a game that are not controlled by the gamer, however, the player can interact with some NPCs 4 open world used to describe a video game in which players are given freedom to explore the world and can choose when and how to complete quests and other game objectives player-character used when both player and in-game character are affected playstyle the specific manner in which someone plays, the style of their gameplay role-playing game (RPG) a game in which the gamer assumes the role of a character to interact with a fantasy world, these games are heavily based on narrative progression and character development strategy game a game which places emphasis on planning, strategy and logistics in order for the gamer to attain victory; these games often include economic and military factors in game play 5 SUMMARY The aim of this study is to determine whether or not ethical egoism is promoted during gameplay of three role-playing video