Ayn Rand’s Objectivist Ethics Applied to Video Game Business

J. Tuomas Harviainen (), Janne Paavilainen () and Elina Koskinen ()
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J. Tuomas Harviainen: Tampere University
Janne Paavilainen: Tampere University
Elina Koskinen: Tampere University

Journal of Business Ethics, 2020, vol. 167, issue 4, No 9, 774 pages

Abstract: Abstract This article analyzes the business ethics of digital games, using Ayn Rand’s philosophy of Objectivism. It identifies different types of monetization options as virtuous or nonvirtuous, based on Rand’s views on rational self-interest. It divides the options into ethical Mover and unethical Looter designs, presents those logics in relation to an illustrative case example, Zynga, and then discusses a view on the role of players in relation to game monetization designs. Through our analysis of monetization options in the context of Objectivist ethics, the article contributes to discussions on game revenue ethics. It also expands the still understudied area of applying Rand’s ethics to business, in the context of a new sector, game development, and business. This research enables ethicists to apply a wider-than-before perspective on virtue ethics to online business, and helps game developers act in a virtuous manner, which provides them with a long-term business advantage.

Keywords: Free-to-play; Games; Ayn Rand; Business ethics; Monetization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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DOI: 10.1007/s10551-019-04159-y

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