PAX East Pokémon Go!

The Ethics of

How this works

The Panel

Dr. Catherine Flick - Reader in Computing & Social Responsibility, De Montfort University, Leicester

Dr. Tyr Fothergill - Research Fellow, De Montfort University, Leicester

Dr. Propriety - Software Engineer, PAX Pokémon League

Catherine: Ethics of Pokémon Go (20 mins)

Tyr: Archaeological background, Ethics of Pokémon (10 mins)

Propriety: Views from the Pokémon Go community (10 mins)

Live Q&A!

Submit your questions at: www.slido.com and enter #W235

Q&A

Ethics of Pokémon Go

slido.com

#W235

Or, why people get really annoyed by spoofers but think Pokémon Go Plus is okay

Spoofing

Botting

Other anti-social gameplay

About my research

Things that are ok(?)

• IV calculators/overlays that don't involve botting
• Trackers that rely on public input
• "Joysticking" (in certain circumstances)
• Driving instead of walking

• Catch bot
• Data collection bot
• Gym bots

• But... but... but...

• Scanners (fed by bots)
• Sniping (pre gym overhaul)
• Multiple accounts
• Shaving (post gym overhaul)
• Literal fights

• But... but... but...

• Mental health and Pokémon Go with Dr. Jess Urwin (papers forthcoming)
• Qualitative online and offline surveys
• Face-to-face interviews with Pokémon Go players
• Lots of data on what frustrates players

• Pokémon capture
• But... but... but...

• Teleporting
• Routes
• EX Raids

How to stop cheating?

...but isn't it just a game?

Pokémon Go Plus

• Gameplay changes
• Machine learning?
• Reporting mechanisms

• runs in background
• catches Pokémon
• spins Pokéstops

(but you have to press the button)

If we don't get through your questions, we'll do a special podcast on the topic!

vs. Go-Tcha

Games really do affect people's lives

Just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should

Even if you think you're not hurting anyone, you might be

There may be future consequences of cheating now

• runs in background
• catches Pokémon
• spins Pokéstops

(no button pressing required)

Subscribe to our podcast: www.notjustagame.eu

@CatherineFlick

Q: slido.com

#W235

Ethics and Pokémon

Views from the Community

Or: a short, archaeologically-oriented history of Human animals controlling non-Human animals for Human reasons

Collections

Blood Sport and Battles

Why do we do this?

A Modern Case

Sheep Fighting in Algeria

• Culturally important
• Context is everything

Right or Rite (obligation)

Prestige

Entertainment

Community association

Moral value?

Minoans

• Cretan "games"
• Bull-leaping

Romans

• Games, etc.
• Partridges

Living collections

• Sumeria onward
• Zoos, Menageries

Depictions

• Naturalistic
• Fantastical

Hunting

• Trophies

Assyrian bas relief from Nineveh 865BC-860BC, British Museum

Fresco from the Palace of Knossos, Heraklion Archaeological Museum, Crete

Trained animal battles

• Variety of animals
• A social purpose

By Marie-Lan Nguyen (2011), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16667880

Image by Chalmers, in Kisling's Zoo and Aquarium History

Continuity and change

Hunting, Collecting, Battling

• Purposes - similar
• Perception - evolving ;)
• Welfare
• Ethics
• Technology - different!

@FothergillTyr

@Proprietous

Q: slido.com

#W235