I do understand that games already have multiple qualities. Some would say that it has become, and should be, a storytelling medium, primarily (I still disagree). That means in a simulation where you start off with a clean slate, you really only have two options: good or evil. This “karma” rating system has been used in several titles but with varying execution. Games have evolved through this innovation of game mechanics, but when not done right, all this really did was constrain the player to one of two pre-set stories.
This is where execution comes in. Because of the design choices that the developers implemented around their respective morality mechanics, gamers really only had one important choice to make and that is the first decision the game presents.
For example, InFamous highly touted its karma system as its mechanic for unprecedented character customization. Depending on the level of good or bad karma a player acquired, his skills would evolve correspondingly. Some of us assumed that we could customize our electric superhero with a mix of “evil” and “good” powers. The problem here is that you only had to get past the first decision: use your powers to take food from the civilians or do nothing and get your fair share of whatever remained – And it’s not even a difficult choice to make. So if you were like me and chose the obviously “good” answer, you pretty much ignored all “evil” side quests and acted like a textbook choirboy endowed with electric superpowers throughout your playthrough. Do you see where I’m getting at?
While I'm not the biggest fan of Bethesda's games, one thing they do right and do well is how they give the players choice and use it to mold a personal experience. As you progress, you feel that your character is a result of all the moral crossroads you've encountered rather than a feeling like “being bad because you are bad”.
Bethesda bookended 2012 with Skyrim and Dishonored (GOTY c'mon!!!), both stellar examples of how a carefully crafted reward system works with story to guarantee long-term value for the player. Moreover, the choices that the narrative presented to players were not black and white all the time. At times, deciding what was right all came down to perspective and this is a proper emulation of choices that life throws at us. There have been other games that boast of choice. Most recently, Black Ops 2 gave us a great campaign with this element. While their games still has a lot of room for improvement, Bethesda incorporates the themes of choice and morality so well in their recent releases. Other developers should pay close attention and aspire for that level of writing and development.
The value this gives us consumers is enormous. Instead of getting a game where two sides of a coin amount to two playthroughs , I get a game with nearly infinite possibilities. I won't be playing the game that many times, but knowing that my story is different from everybody else makes it a personal experience. And in video games' goal to simulate real life, that's what it's all about.