“Rational Game Theory in Philosophy and Serious Video Games”

1. “Rational Game Theory in Philosophy and Serious Video Games” Numbers, numbers! Lori Shyba Digital Media Lab University of Calgary Serious Games Research Roundup FuturePlay: What will the next generation think of? London, Ontario October 11, 2006 + review and comments. Illustrations: Public domain or original art unless otherwise indicated

2. Glauconian Justice External Solution to PD A romp through historical views of “Morality” Morality is a contractual transaction between scoundrels. “Do wrong and avoid being found out.” Civil society has a moral obligation to cooperate … authoritarian sovereigns impose policing to enforce justice. The “leg-breaker” approach to morality. Glaucon the Cynic Plato’s Republic 360 B.C. Thomas Hobbes Leviathon 1651A.D. n + review and comments.

3. “The Prisoner’s Dilemma” Mixed Motive Game. Cooperate“Keep the faith” Defect “RAT” Red circle: Unique equilibrium is that rational choice leads players to defect. The corpus of human politics is to move from the red circle to the green circle. This can be done with external or internal intervention. 2 0 Cooperate “Keep the faith” 2 5 5 3 Defect “RAT” 0 3 Prisoners Dilemma Outcome Matrix n + review and comments.

4. John von Neumann Dr. Strangelove Honoured Celebrities of Rational Game Theory Applied game theory to model Cold War interaction between the US and USSR as players in zero-sum game. Peter Sellers in Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove: or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. Theory of Games and Economic Behaviour 1957 (with Oskar Morgenstern) Peter Sellers as Dr. Strangelove Illustration: Colombia Pictures n + review and comments.

5. Nash Equilibrium A Beautiful Mind Honoured Celebrities of Rational Game Theory The “What’s in it for me?” factor. NE Sub-games of positioning, coalition, and looting interactions. Introduced the notion that coalition and positioning strategies works to get girls. John Nash 1957 Russell Crowe in a Beautiful Mind, 2001 n + review and comments.

6. Darfur is Dying — Case Study #1 An example of Game Theory as an analytical tool? Downloadable from: www.mtvU.com/on_mtv/activismSponsored by Reebock Human Rights FoundationDevelopers: InterFUEL n + review and comments.

7. “Meet the Aggressor” Hypothetical Game, Case Study #2 In the wrong hands Illustrations: Virtual Battlefield www.virtualbattlefield.comDevelopers: Bohemia Interactive, under licence by the United States Marine Corp. Startling revelations occurs when playing the same game from oppressors’ point of view. n + review and comments.

8. The Pipeline Pinball Energy Thrill Ride Game Game Theory in Economics and Turbo Capitalism. Provincial Dilemma (PD) For a mere $120 billion investment (and rising)1.6 TRILLION BARRELS of Bitumen could be recovered from the Oilsands. Where’s the dilemma? n + review and comments.

9. The Pipeline Pinball Energy Thrill Ride Gameboards Game is an allegory for: 1. Paradox of oil prices. 2. Jockeying for power in the oilsands. 3. Accountability to shareholders. 4. Our inescapable moral imperative to reduce greenhouse gasses. n + review and comments.

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11. From DVD: Production still #1 The actors against 4 projected images of the PPETRG

12. Summary of ideas about Game Theory Assuming the Prisoner’s Dilemma is the cornerstone of game theoretic thinking, much of the corpus of human politics is the move from the defect/defect quadrant of PD to the cooperate/cooperate quadrant. Civil society has a moral obligation to cooperate. Can be through external enforcement (leg-breaking) or internal enforcement (virtual meta-ethics). Many serious games can be analysed within a NE subgame reduction of coalition, positioning, and looting stategies. Illuminates context, subtext, pretext and intertext of political, military, economic scenarios Likewise, they can be analysed within an internal enforced system of meta-ethics where when in doubt, follow the logic of the math. n + review and comments.

13. Bonus ideas about Serious Games Computer simulations can enable us to observe and record rational decision-making and examine their determinants in a way that is easier than staging investigations in the real world. Playing games like Darfur and Pipeline Pinball can bring an understanding of what the future will hold in Africa or Alberta and how priorities might have to be established or changed. Video Games can provide opportunities for reflection by providing experimental platforms to bring us face to face with our mistakes. Cognitive psychologists, drama therapists, and creative artists agree that “Make believe has always been an important way to prepare ourselves for the real thing.” But what happens when it falls into the wrong hands? n + review and comments.

14. Thank you! • The Alberta Foundation for the Arts • The University of Lethbridge • The University of Calgary, Interdisciplinary Graduate Program • Queen Elizabeth II, Province of Alberta Grant • The University of Calgary, Special Project Grant Committee • The University of Calgary, CCIT iCentre • The Alberta Petroleum History Society • EMMEDIA Production Society n