The Ethics of Virtual Gaming Spaces: An Inquiry into "Virtualized Killing"

Killing behavior in video games, as a cultural phenomenon unique to the digital age, has always been at the core of ethical controversy. Judgments regarding the ethical legitimacy of such behavior should consistently prioritize the player's subjective will: when players engage in the game voluntarily and without subjective malicious intent, virtualized killing possesses moral immunity due to its detachment from the real-world moral context. However, players' cognitive perceptions are often dually influenced by technological and rule-based factors, forming new moral concepts during specific gaming practices.