https://phys.org/news/2026-01-video-game-reveals-people-neighbors.html
“For many people, the allure of video games is that they offer players a chance
to enter a world very different from their own: everything from fighting
dragons in a mythical realm to racing cars on an obstacle-filled roadway.
Researchers at the University of Vermont wanted to see what players would do in
a more realistic world: playing as small farmers, their actions modeled after
real-life decisions farmers in Vermont face each harvest season.
With real cash payouts ($1 paid per $40,000 of profit their orchard earned)
riding on the profitability of their virtual orchards, players could opt for
"community nourishment" (by providing apples to neighbors, even at a lower
price) or selling at the highest profit—and at an unaffordable price for many
in their communities. It might not be the type of role to inspire anyone's
cosplay at a con, but players ended up becoming another sort of hero.
Most players, they found, chose to feed their neighbors.
"It's very heartening to see that the players of this game, when they walked in
the shoes of a farmer, came out the other side saying they're willing to
support community nourishment alongside their ability to stay in business,
theoretically," says Carolyn Hricko, a recent Ph.D. graduate from the
University of Vermont who cowrote the 2025 report.”
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
