2011-06-24
Explanation
This comic explores a dystopian future where "everything is games" -- a satirical take on gamification. The premise begins optimistically: sociologists capitalize on the human preference for simple reward systems to make people smarter, fitter, and more ethical by turning good behavior into a game with points and achievements. Examples include "Read Steinbeck: 420 pts," "Eat Celery: 400 pts," and "Be Less Self-Conscious: 7,000 pts + Achievement Badge."
However, the system quickly goes wrong. The greatest power falls to the "Definers" -- the people who decide what counts as "smart," "fit," and "ethical" and assign point values. Since they are designers rather than players, their own good behavior is not incentivized by the reward system, and they become disengaged. When asked genuine ethical questions like "Is it ethical to steal to feed one'''s family?" a Definer responds, "Uh, I dunno... Sorry, too busy refreshing my email." This leads to abuse: one Definer announces "Five million ethics points for killing any Definers who disagree with me!" The populace, loyal to their previous ethics but more loyal to the reward system, complies. A player in a helmet gleefully shouts, "Wooh! Headshot! That'''s a bonus multiplier! I'''m so ethical!"
The resulting slaughter forces a brief reconsideration, with someone asking, "Do you think it'''s possible there'''s a moral framework that doesn'''t involve constantly killing strangers?" -- which is met with a tepid "Iiiiinteresting..." But this reflection lasts only a moment before the final panel shows a woman looking at her companion and seeing a floating prompt: "Kill the heretic: 12,000,000 pts." The votey shows a floppy disk labeled "Read Funny Webcomics: -10,000,000,000 pts," a self-deprecating jab by the cartoonist. The comic is a sharp critique of gamification, illustrating how reducing complex moral reasoning to point systems can be co-opted and ultimately incentivize monstrous behavior.