The ethics and experience of "treacherous play" an exploration of
three games that allow deception and betrayal--EVE Online, DayZ, and
Survivor.
Deception and betrayal in gameplay are generally considered off-limits,
designed out of most multiplayer games. There are a few games, however,
in which deception and betrayal are allowed, and even encouraged. In
Treacherous Play, Marcus Carter explores the ethics and experience of
playing such games, offering detailed explorations of three games in
which this kind of "dark play" is both lawful and advantageous: EVE
Online, DayZ, and the television series Survivor. Examining aspects
of games that are often hidden, ignored, or designed away, Carter shows
the appeal of playing treacherously.
Carter looks at EVE Online's notorious scammers and spies, drawing on
his own extensive studies of them, and describes how treacherous play
makes EVE successful. Making a distinction between treacherous play
and griefing or trolling, he examines the experiences of DayZ players to
show how negative experiences can be positive in games, and a core part
of their appeal. And he explains how in Survivor's tribal council
votes, a player's acts of betrayal can exact a cost. Then, considering
these games in terms of their design, he discusses how to design for
treacherous play.
Carter's account challenges the common assumptions that treacherous play
is unethical, antisocial, and engaged in by bad people. He doesn't claim
that more games should feature treachery, but that examining this kind
of play sheds new light on what play can be.
