We are witnessing the collapse of the post-war consensus, the implosion of the caring society. In times of social, economic, and political insecurity, egotism can spread. Many popular videogames are designed following a logic of consumerist self-gratification and self-empowerment. Deeply political, videogames can contribute to the transformation of players into lacking members of our societies, causing a need for change in what game designers do and how and why they do it. Awareness of the socio-political and cultural contexts can be promoted using the reach of the mainstream videogame market for critical, active, and responsible participation. This book focuses on the strongly developed need for individual liberation and self-realization in Western societies and how it manifests in the various dimensions of videogames. Videogames remind us that we can never be isolated in a universe defined by complexity and interlaced, dynamic systems. Connecting videogames and new Neo-Kantian virtual ethics builds upon notions of autonomous agency, mutual respect, and obligation.

This addresses humans in their entirety as thinking, acting, and feeling responsible agents through engagement, immersion, and involvement.