StaceyPowers Posted August 27, 2019 Share Posted August 27, 2019 I have a deficit in the area of Theory of Mind, a.k.a. “cognitive empathy” that makes it hard for me to imagine what it is like to be another person with another mind. One of the cool things to me about playing video games with strong storylines/characters is that it makes it easy for me to empathize with the characters. The action in the game being in first person/under my partial control is like a “shortcut” for emotional involvement. This in turn helps me to understand how the character thinks/feels about situations. Sometimes games have also helped me to imagine some unusual situations more clearly. I’m watching Westworld for the first time, for example, which in Season 1 deals with characters with very limited free choice/lucidity. That would have been a tough situation to imagine through their eyes, except that I’d found myself in a similar situation in Bioshock 1. I thought that was a cool, random way in which playing a video game enhanced how I experienced a TV show and helped me understand something. Has playing video games given you empathy and helped you imagine what it is like to be someone else? @The Blackangel @killamch89 @kingpotato @DylanC @killamch89 @Aerielle del Rosario @LadyDay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Blackangel Posted August 27, 2019 Share Posted August 27, 2019 None whatsoever. I'm a misanthrope. Empathy is one thing I have never had. Nor will I ever have it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killamch89 Posted August 27, 2019 Share Posted August 27, 2019 Funny enough, empathy is a skill I've always had naturally so video games haven't really helped me in that sense. If anything, it is turning me into a c4-throwing, missile-firing madman(GTA V) 😂. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingpotato Posted August 28, 2019 Share Posted August 28, 2019 I cant say that playing videogames has helped me with empathy but I was actually thinking about that same topic the other day, in many games and mostly story driven games the choices of the character are made with some level of empathy in mind. For example Read Redemption , John was a ruthless bounty hunter but in every cut scene, dialogue and choice he always had empathy towards other main and side characters, he understood the moral and the feelings of others whenever they went through something horrible. killamch89 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skyfire Posted August 28, 2019 Share Posted August 28, 2019 I am not sure how empathy relates to gaming considering we spend most of our survival approach in the gaming. I think empathy does matter in co op game otherwise it can be bad for team outcome. For me I am working on that with fortnite and PUBG squad games. I think in context of empathy some games definitely don't help establish that in our mind. e.g. violence against humans type games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killamch89 Posted September 4, 2019 Share Posted September 4, 2019 On 8/28/2019 at 12:14 AM, kingpotato said: I cant say that playing videogames has helped me with empathy but I was actually thinking about that same topic the other day, in many games and mostly story driven games the choices of the character are made with some level of empathy in mind. For example Read Redemption , John was a ruthless bounty hunter but in every cut scene, dialogue and choice he always had empathy towards other main and side characters, he understood the moral and the feelings of others whenever they went through something horrible. That Trevor guy from GTA V is pretty empathetic...who am I kidding! He cares about absolutely anything and he does as he pleases (probably why he is one of my favorite video game characters). On a more serious note, Solid Snake would get my vote for empathetic character as throughout the series he has helped numerous other characters such as Raiden and others to have a different perspective on life by giving them words of wisdom and encouragement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alyxx Posted September 21, 2019 Share Posted September 21, 2019 Absolutely. I feel I care more about the people I meet irl since games has taught me that everyone can give you sidequests. 😉 killamch89 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skyfire Posted September 21, 2019 Share Posted September 21, 2019 I have noticed empathy among board game players. They tend to be more safe than the PUBG players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alyxx Posted September 21, 2019 Share Posted September 21, 2019 1 hour ago, skyfire said: I have noticed empathy among board game players. They tend to be more safe than the PUBG players. Board games as in tabletop RPG's? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skyfire Posted September 22, 2019 Share Posted September 22, 2019 RPG or some fantasy or even those economics based tabletop games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alyxx Posted September 22, 2019 Share Posted September 22, 2019 (edited) Having played tabletop RPG's for a long time, I do NOT see that as necessarily true. I've come across a LOT of asshole players in various groups I've been in. A good tabletop player is always empathetic though. Edited September 22, 2019 by Alyxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killamch89 Posted September 22, 2019 Share Posted September 22, 2019 On 9/21/2019 at 4:34 AM, Alyxx said: Absolutely. I feel I care more about the people I meet irl since games has taught me that everyone can give you sidequests. 😉 LOL! The rewards have to be worth it though. In-game I hardly care about Npcs because they can always respawn but I don't really give other players that much grief. Alyxx 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skyfire Posted September 24, 2019 Share Posted September 24, 2019 In context of empathy imagine some of the gamers are helping the game developers by buying the 62k worth of microtransaction :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alyxx Posted September 24, 2019 Share Posted September 24, 2019 11 hours ago, skyfire said: In context of empathy imagine some of the gamers are helping the game developers by buying the 62k worth of microtransaction 😛 Eh in most cases the publisher are the only ones who see that money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skyfire Posted September 25, 2019 Share Posted September 25, 2019 I think usually cut is around 58% for developer right? 42 is usually reserved for the publisher and the taxes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
