Presentation on Video-Games and Religion given at the Media and Religion Conference 2014 in Boulder, CO. Video Games that pose ethical challenges to the player often encourage discussion of these ethical topics within the framework of religion.

1. “For the Greater Good...?!”
Framing Different Perspectives
on Death and Dying in Digital
Video Games and Gamer
Generated Online Videos.
Michael Waltemathe
Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany
January 10, 2014
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2. Outline
Death and Dying in Video Games
Typology
Religious framing
Religion in Video Games
Theoretical Ideas
Death and Religion
Approach from Religion - Sacrifice
Examples
Analysis
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3. Death and Dying in Video Games Typology
Typology of Death in Video-Games
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4. Death and Dying in Video Games Typology
"Interactive Death"
Killing
Usually in-game-killing has no meaningful connotation.
Sometimes it is a Boss-Battle.
These gain meaning through the storyline.
Gaming experience, Interactivity.
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5. Death and Dying in Video Games Typology
Interactive Passive Death
Getting killed
Players experience in-game-death frequently.
Usually this has no or little consequences.
Start again at the same spot, no consequences.
Lose somee game progress, little consequences.
Game Over! Little consequences. (These used to be monetary)
Exceptions: FTL or Don’t starve.
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6. Death and Dying in Video Games Typology
Non-Interactive Death
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7. Death and Dying in Video Games Typology
Non-Interactive Death
Getting told about death
Sometimes death is part of the storyline, non interactive or interactive
Enriches the story.
Part of the story with (religious) framing, morals etc...
Part of the story without framing.
How does a game go on when you, the player are dead?
Probably the most prevalent place of religious framing.
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8. Death and Dying in Video Games Typology
Death Experience in Video-Games
DEATH in
Video-Games
Killing
NPCs
Getting
killed
Killing
Storyline-
Characters
Seeing
Storyline-
Characters
killed
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9. Death and Dying in Video Games Religious framing
Religion and Death?
Experiencing Death over and over again invites the question of
afterlife and rebirth in religious tradition.
Meaningful death invites the question of religious framing of death
and dying.
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10. Religion in Video Games Theoretical Ideas
Social-Phenomenology of the Life-World
World of
working in
daily life
World of
phantasies
Myths
Art
World of
dreams
World
of play
World of
scientific
theorizing
Humour
Games
World of
religious
expe-riences
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11. Religion in Video Games Theoretical Ideas
Video-Games in the the Life-World
World of
working in
daily life
World of
phantasies
Myths
Art
World of
dreams
World
of play
World of
scientific
theorizing
Humour
Games
World of
religious
expe-riences
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12. Religion in Video Games Theoretical Ideas
Epistemological reversal
World of
religious
experiences
World of
phantasies
Myths
Art
World of
dreams
World
of play
World of
scientific
theorizing
Humour
Games
World of
working in
daily life
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13. Religion in Video Games Theoretical Ideas
Epistemological reversal
World of
working in
daily life
World of
phantasies
Myths
Art
World of
dreams
World
of play
World of
scientific
theorizing
Humour
Games
World of
religious
expe-riences
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14. Religion in Video Games Theoretical Ideas
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15. Religion in Video Games Death and Religion
Ludology vs Narratology
Different aspects of game-studies approaches
Meaningful religious framing needs embedding in a story, an
analytical religious framework .
Interactive behaviour
mostly reaction to certain key-stimuli.
recently stronger connection of action and story
Examples : Jedi-Knight MotS, Fallout 3, Last of us...
Storytelling Religion vs Interactive Religion
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16. Religion in Video Games Death and Religion
Religious framing of Death in
Video-games
Combining Interactivity and Narratvity
Interferences between interactive behaviour and storyline elements
Possible contradictions between storyline and interactive behaviour
Overt examples of religious framing in storyline
(author-perspective)
Examples of religious framing through gamers (recipient
perspective)
Reception of storyline
Reception of actions in interactive content
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17. Approach from Religion - Sacrifice
Meaningful religious framing for death
Two aspects of sacrifice
1 Self sacrifice
2 Accepting other people’s sacrifice
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18. Examples
Passive Death Scenarios - Self sacrifice
Walking Dead
Self-sacrifice as possible end of the game
Player experiences own characters death as end of the game
The world goes on
Player shows moral and emotional framing
Player relates to game-character through in-game-choices
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19. Examples
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20. Examples
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21. Examples
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22. Examples
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23. Examples
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24. Examples
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25. Examples
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26. Examples
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27. Analysis
Analysis of online discussion and videos
Walking Dead
The idea of self-sacrifice is widely acceptable
Sadness for the survivor, who now has to live on alone
Compassion with the survivor, who had to sacrifice someone else to
live
Sacrificing another person is controversial
The “religious professionals” discuss self sacrifice religiously
(WWJD)
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28. Analysis
Conclusion?
Narrative vs Interactivity
The religious discourse begins when action and storyline clash!
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29. Analysis
Active Death-Scenarios - sacrifice of
another person
The last of us
Storyline shows developing relation between main characters
Female game character substitutes daughte of male game character
Active killing guarantees the girls life
Selfish motive confronts the player with moral question
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30. Analysis
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31. Analysis
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32. Analysis
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33. Analysis
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34. Analysis
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35. Analysis
Analysis of online discussion and videos
The last of us
The idea of sacrificing others is controversial
The end does not justify the means
The greater good is not always desirable
Arguments straight from the lifeworld
Religious/philosophical discourse between people who are not
religious professionals
“Religious professionals” Let go! - not sacrificing the girl for
humankind is selfish, not in Gods’ will (Isaak)
The girl agreed to be sacrificed.
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36. Analysis
“For the Greater Good...?!”
Framing Different Perspectives
on Death and Dying in Digital
Video Games and Gamer
Generated Online Videos.
Michael Waltemathe
Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany
January 10, 2014
Michael Waltemathe (RUB) For the greater Good... January 10, 2014 36 / 36