An Overview of Video Game Biometrics Collection and Considerations for Cyberbiosecurity

Abstract

Over the past fifty years, the global cost of consumer electronics has significantly decreased, leading to greater accessibility to both biosensing systems and interactive entertainment platforms. This increased access has naturally resulted in higher usage of medical and entertainment electronics. However, the intersection of these technologies, combined with invasive data harvesting practices, has raised concerns about the potential misuse of biological signals to manipulate individuals' behavior both within and beyond the video game environment. Currently, biometric data in video games are employed in various ways, such as using Heart Rate Variability (HRV) as a performance metric and integrating eye tracking to enhance hardware capabilities (Hughes & Jorda, 2021). Moreover, patents filed by companies in the interactive entertainment industry indicate ongoing efforts to use personalized data, including biometric and behavioral information, to identify and exploit gambling-like behaviors in players. These technologies, when combined with demographic data, can be utilized to predict and modify behavior to maximize profits. The implementation of these analyses varies across platforms, ranging from general-purpose mobile devices capable of offering interactive entertainment to specialized technologies designed exclusively for video games. Additionally, the concept of “truth decay” is explored in relation to video game-based advertisements, highlighting the blurring of lines between entertainment and persuasion. Furthermore, video games are increasingly recognized as potential training environments, where behavior can be influenced or conditioned in specific ways. As these technologies continue to evolve, the ethical implications of using biometric data in such contexts become ever more critical, warranting careful consideration and regulation to prevent the exploitation of players and to ensure that these powerful tools are used responsibly. Potential solutions to the exploitation of younger users of interactive entertainment are offered, demonstrating failures of current mechanisms and the abdication of responsibility of entertainment conglomerates. A collection of policies in the style of GDPR that could be used to safeguard users from unwanted interactions with their technologies are offered as a conclusion.