Ethical issues in video games-Interview study

We conducted semi-structured interviews with 31 software practitioners working in design, development, and production roles within the game industry, recruited through purposive and snowball samplingstrategies. The interview data was analyzed using thematic analysis with an inductive coding approach. Participants identified several ethical issues in game development with gender, racial/cultural, and LGBTQ+ representation emerging as the most prominent. Developers cited commercial pressures, team homogeneity, tight timelines, and inadequate reporting mechanisms as major barriers to ethicalimplementation. Diversifying teams and implementing anonymous reporting channels were proposed to improve the current situation. Our findings reveal the urgency of addressing ethical concerns in game development. Systemic changes are needed in organizational culture, ranging from introducingclear ethical guidelines to ensuring inclusive team structures and organizing ethics-based design and development training.