Fairness by Design: The Fair Game and the Fair Price on a Blockchain-Based Marketplace

Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

It is often believed that blockchain technologies can ensure fairness in online transactions and interactions. What does ‘fair game’ mean in a blockchain-based game, which rules cannot be broken by design, and how does this relate to the concept of a ‘fair price’? In this chapter, I use the example of the best known blockchain-based game CryptoKitties (2017) to explore the idea of a ‘fair price’ both in theory and in practice, and to connect it to the concept of fairness in games. I turn to the essential works on fairness and cheating in game studies and check whether game ethics is applicable to so-called ‘money games’ on blockchain. Theoretically, decentralization of blockchain technology supports the idea of fairness; however, in practice, the game follows the same grey moral code as the preceding online games and virtual worlds. I suggest that the applicable understanding of fairness can be found in the ‘code is law’ principle that underlines both normative game studies and the ideology of blockchain.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationDisruptive Technologies in Media, Arts and Design - A Collection of Innovative Research Case-Studies that Explore the Use of Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain within the Media, Arts and Design Sector
EditorsAlexiei Dingli, Alexander Pfeiffer, Alesha Serada, Mark Bugeja, Stephen Bezzina
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH
Pages63-75
Number of pages13
ISBN (Print)9783030937799
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2022
Externally publishedYes
EventMedia, Arts, and Design Artificial Intelligence conference, MADAI 2020 - Virtual, Online
Duration: 19 Jun 202019 Jun 2020

Publication series

NameLecture Notes in Networks and Systems
Volume382
ISSN (Print)2367-3370
ISSN (Electronic)2367-3389

Conference

ConferenceMedia, Arts, and Design Artificial Intelligence conference, MADAI 2020
CityVirtual, Online
Period19/06/2019/06/20

Free Keywords

  • Blockchain
  • Blockchain games
  • Fairness
  • Technology ethics
  • Virtual economies

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Control and Systems Engineering
  • Signal Processing
  • Computer Networks and Communications

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