Across the country, millions of Australians of all ages, play video games every day.
They’re among hundreds of millions of gamers across the world.
Globally, the industry is worth an estimated $US175 billion, which is more than Hollywood and the music industry combined. From smart phones to consoles and desktops, gamers immerse themselves in imaginary worlds which can be far more appealing than real life.
“You’ve become so immersed in the game world and what’s going on that, that is your world and that’s your priority.” Gamer
Growing research shows many gamers struggle to switch off and can find themselves hooked on their virtual universe. The discussion about gaming and whether it can cause harm is often reduced to a simplistic debate.
On Monday Four Corners goes deeper, bringing together gamers, major industry players and psychologists in an investigation that reveals the manipulative techniques used in many games.
“We are talking here about potent psychological mechanisms and not everybody has a background in human motivation or human psychology, so they won’t necessarily be aware of these things.” Video game researcher
The investigation began when Four Corners asked gamers, to share their experiences. Thousands responded and some of them have chosen to tell their stories publicly.
While there’s often concern about the effects of gaming on kids, there are plenty of adults, including parents, who are at risk.
The program features interviews with high profile industry figures who have worked on some of the biggest video games on the planet. They discuss the ethical minefield that game design can create.
“You don’t want to just think about revenues and think about profiting at the expense of players and their fun and, and their best interests. So to me it’s really an ethical consideration and the line has been blurry.” Game design consultant
Many of these techniques are driven by aggressive business models. It’s not just a question of keeping players in the game for longer, it’s also about enticing them to part with real world cash for a virtual pay off.
With the growth of artificial intelligence and the mining of data from social media accounts, game analysts say players are often unaware of how they’re being manipulated.
“I think we’re already at a point where the games have become extremely sophisticated, and in some ways, players are not always aware of how much the game is actually playing them. Video game researcher
The program provides players with valuable insights, showing gamers what they’re up against.
“I think we need to help gamers understand what’s going on under the hood.” Video game researcher
Are you being played? reported by Lucy Carter, goes to air on Monday 3rd May at 8.30pm.
It is replayed on Tuesday 4th May at 1.00pm and Wednesday 5th at 11.20pm. It can also be seen on ABC NEWS channel on Saturday at 8.10pm AEST, ABC iview and at abc.net.au/4corners.
