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While normally it is brought to our attention that violence in video games against humans should be looked into. It is barely brought up how animals are subject to violence in many video games. Whether it has to do with hunting, for food, or simply just violent acts in an open-world formatted game. This can raise concern for real-world problems having to do with animal abuse. Some players have admitted they felt weird killing animals in video games. Others say it is no different than killing humans. In games where a human is targeted while riding a horse, some players try their best to not kill the horse while others do not care. The problem is that in the real world, animals are almost invisible to society due to their inferiorness to humans.

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Violence against animals in video games is ubiquitous. Players can kill or torture animals in various popular games, including Minecraft and Grand Theft Auto V. The rise of this (increasingly realistic) trend in games, along with people's tendency to go along with it, raises important questions.

Violence against humans in video games has long been contentious - underpinned by the never-ending debate over whether on-screen violence begets the real thing. But violence against animals in video games has attracted considerably less attention.

In a recently published paper, we argue there is good reason to think violence against animals in video games is problematic - perhaps even more so than in-game violence against humans. We think game violence against animals is more likely to promote disrespect for their living counterparts.

The jury is out

In 2005, Australia banned a first-person shooter game called Postal 2, in which players could mutilate and desecrate (virtual) human bodies. Australia has controversially banned several games available in other countries because of depictions of violence and other potentially objectionable themes.

Players evidently have varying views on harming virtual animals. Some express concern or remorse - one gamer wrote on a forum: "It is weird how bad I feel about killing animals in the game ... I will actively try and shoot guys off horses instead of just shooting the horses."

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals - itself a somewhat troubled organisation - has criticised games it says "promote hurting and killing" animals. Examples include whale-hunting in Assassin's Creed, and fishing and catching bugs in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

Other players have no such qualms, however, with one writing: "I kill humans in games all the time. Why would I care about animals?"

Many share this view. Video game " amoralists " say abusing animals (or humans) in video games cannot be wrong, as the "victims" are virtual and no living being is hurt.

It is not clear exactly why players feel so differently about in-game violence. Attitudes towards in-game violence may be shaped by personal views, social mores, gaming culture and also the amount someone plays violent games.

If video games can promote particular ethical messages, could certain games encourage disrespect for living things?

First-person shooters, such as 'Call of Duty', have been around for more than 45 years now. They are some of the most popular video games today. Photo credit: jit/Flickr, CC BY-NC-SA

A moral dilemma

Social scientists have long debated whether violent video games cause antisocial attitudes toward other people. Some think they might, but conclusive evidence for a causal link is lacking. The moral issue of violence against animals in video games has received much less philosophical attention.

Both animals and humans are often portrayed as objects to kill and harm for fun in gaming. However, animals are presented in even more disposable ways. They are often mere tools for players to kill to complete quests or to gain materials and trophies.

This is true even for games in which players are encouraged to reflect morally on their in-game actions. In "Dragon Age: Inquisition", the game's characters will approve or disapprove of a wide variety of player actions. But harming non-aggressive wild animals is not one of the things that prompts a moral reaction.

While societal respect for animals is growing ( albeit slowly), animals today are routinely treated very badly. We confine them to factory farms, put them on live export ships where many suffer (and even die) and " humanely " kill unwanted companion animals.

Many of us ignore these realities. Morally speaking, animals are relatively invisible to society - whereas other humans generally are not. In this context, depicting animals as disposable commodities in video games could reinforce disrespect towards them, at least for many players.

Some games may help normalise the mistreatment and moral invisibility of animals.

Examining our prejudices

So if video games can, in fact, reinforce disrespect for animals, does this mean we should ban or boycott them? We do not advocate that. However, it would be useful for scientists to investigate whether video games do help or hinder social respect for animals.

Game designers may also consider depicting animals in ways that encourage (or at least don't inadvertently discourage) respecting them. Some already do this. In "Red Dead Redemption", killing your horse leads to the same loss of "honour" points as killing an innocent person.

In the 'Red Dead' game series, 'honour' is a system that measures the social acceptability of the main character in his world. Specific in-game actions are considered honourable or dishonourable. Photo credit: ekkun/Flickr, CC BY-NC

Finally, players themselves could choose to become more aware of how animals are portrayed in the various games they spend hours of their lives absorbed in.

Given the enormous popularity and ongoing transformation of video games, there is an opportunity here for all of us to reassess our often unjust treatment of animals.
Simon Coghlan is a Senior Research Fellow in Digital Ethics, Centre for AI and Digital Ethics at School of Computing and Information Systems and Lucy Sparrow is a PhD Candidate in Human-Computer Interaction at the University of Melbourne. This article first appeared on The Conversation.

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Why it is not okay to hurt animals even in video games

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Violence against animals in video games is ubiquitous. Players can kill or torture animals in various popular games, including Minecraft and Grand Theft Auto V. The rise of this (increasingly realistic) trend in games, along with people's tendency to go along with it, raises important questions.

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In many games with humans being the main character, they usually have an animal companion of some sort. Some of them are actually horses such as Assassin's Creed, Red Dead Redemption, Zelda, and The Witcher 3. These animals are basically used as gadgets in these games to assist humans. When examining how the animals are treated in the game they are just used by any means necessary. Take Dogmeat from Fallout, for example, he is a K9 used to take out enemies and also to trade items found by Dogmeat. They seem to be used to be the first attack source to defend the human character. While there are also animal protagonist games that represent their powerfulness alone

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In aquariums, zoos, and other wildlife places they are using games to see how animals react to it. Some of these games may help them learn new tricks with treats to reward them. The penguins at the aquarium are so easily distracted by the games shown to them that the workers are able to slide a scale underneath their flippers. These devices are a different form of communication that can help animals train themselves and more. It is interesting to see forms of media being used in animal lives because of the difference in communication. There is obviously a divide between animals and humans but this step into the virtual world can show our similarities in a way.

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Penguins are not the only animals that have used tablet computers. At Zoo Atlanta, in the American state of Georgia, orangutans, gorillas, and sun bears have also worked with the technology. In Britain, a group of researchers have shown touch screen tablets to parrots and tortoises.

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This book dives deep into the relationship between animals and humans through video games. It brings attention to how animals are represented in games and how they should be treated equally just as well as humans. Players should take into consideration that they are just playing a game and not take violence so seriously. The animals used in games should help create peace because of nature in real life. In many cases, animals are placed into games to serve the human character possibly for transportation and responding to given commands. The animal companions make players feel empathy towards them because they are a companion that helps them out. If an animal gets hurt, for example, they have now lost its buddy and an extra helping hand.

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A 17-year-old student who posts videos related to video games was suffering from crippling depression. He had a hard time going out and interacting in the real world. When he came across Animal Crossing he gained happiness from playing the game. This warm-hearted game is a well-known mood booster that allows players to create a town with animal friends to join their community. It is a wholesome video game with no violence. The animals in this game serve the purpose of being integrated into the community where the player and animals reciprocate the help. The animals are represented by human qualities and they are able to do activities around the island such as fishing, collecting fossils, and finding insects. They are allowed to do the same activities that humans do.

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Video games allow animals to be expressed in different ways. The graphics used can be so visually appealing, that they almost may look too real. These tactics used by creators are essential in making the virtual world to another level. Take Sonic the speedy blue hedgehog who wears shoes, his creator has given him human characteristics. While in the game Stray, the player is playing as a cat. Through different tactics to depict animals in specific games, there come different emotions towards the animals. Players tend to empathize more with adorable furry animals rather than animals who are being hunted for survival. Depending on the style of the game, an animal is going to be represented differently. Gaming can overall make players have more empathy for animals when used correctly.

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Simon Coghlan, The Conversation. “Why It Is Not Okay to Hurt Animals Even in Video Games.” Scroll.in, Animal Cruelty, 30 Sept. 2020, scroll.in/article/974118/why-it-is-not-okay-to-hurt-animals-even-in-video-games.

Kennedy, James. “The Best Animal Companions in Gaming.” TheGamer, Lists, 17 Jan. 2022, https://www.thegamer.com/best-characters-animal-companions/.

English, VOA Learning. “Animals like Video Games, Too.” VOA, VOA - Voice of America English News, 13 Aug. 2017, learningenglish.voanews.com/a/animals-like-video-games-too/3980345.html.

Tyler, Tom. “Game.” University of Minnesota Press, Books, 3 Nov. 2022, www.upress.umn.edu/book-division/books/game.

King, Darryn. “The Unbearable Lightness of Animal Crossing.” Wired, Conde Nast, 8 Apr. 2020, www.wired.com/story/unbearable-lightness-animal-crossing/.

Swistara, Michael. “How Animals Are Portrayed in Video Games.” Medium, Medium, 20 May 2021, michaelswistara.medium.com/how-animals-are-portrayed-in-video-games-89f433526161.