Eve Online Spreadsheets in Space

If you can build a virtual empire, why not a real one?

I used to make fun of Eve Online players, sinking countless hours in what has often been called “Spreadsheets in Space.” But as I sank timeless nights into Patrician 3, I realized there really is something about games that brings out the brilliant organizers and managers in us. Why not do the same in real life?

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Banality of Evil – video game moral choices vs. pragmatism

The banality of moral choices in games, boiling down to “Choose between being an Angel or Satan” has been criticized ad nauseum. But even with properly ambiguous gray areas, moral dilemmas don’t fully work in games because at their core they are just, well… games.

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Using games to change ourselves

Open-world games like Skyrim or GTA create increasingly complex environments to explore. Whether an evil dual-wielding barbarian or Russian heartbroken thug, the gamer’s playstyle is often characterized by certain underlying tendencies and patterns, reflecting his unique personality traits. But if games can reveal our personality, could they also not be used to fundamentally change it?

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