I think empathy is a really fascinating concept in video games because it's -- you can tell that when-when we talk about it, we're coming from film studies or, you know, or TV and these sorts of things because uh, uh, you're watching someone on the television or the-the movie screen, and you're-you're imagining what would I do if I was in their shoes? You're empathizing with-with that character. In a video game, it's a very different position because you're saying what-what should I do, what am I about to do? So, you don't actually usually empathize at all with a -- with a video game character. You're sort of in their shoes, so you get a little bit for free in a game, in that it is you. But at the same time, you have a big challenge because anytime uh, the character contradicts your feelings as a player uh, uh, you create a schism. So, if you're playing a game and you think oh, you know, my-my character's a really nice guy and he's trying his best to fix this problem, whatever it is, and then you have a-a scene where that character starts abusing someone, then you've created a terrible moment with a -- you know, a sort of a uh, a disconnect between what you're imagining you know, the character was, and-and what the game is telling you that that character was. So, it's a very delicate balance I think between trying to give them enough personality to make them unique uh, uh, and-and allow the player to sort of progress a fantasy of being this person, while at the same time, trying very, very hard not to uh, contradict their assumptions.
