Putting down Little Sister

So, the vidgame BioShock for the XBox360 has an interesting twist. I'm not enough of a gamer to know if this is a common thing, but I don't think so. Not at the moment, anyway.

Chris Kohler over at Wired talks about playing the game and killing the boss bad guy Big Daddy, an entity eminently deserving of his gamer-rage and ammo. To complete the level with a huge power-up to better face the next level, once you get rid of Big Daddy, all you have to do it whack who Big Daddy was protecting... "Little Sister".

She looks like a little girl, with no weapon. A creepy little girl, definitely. But nothing like Big Daddy. Do you shoot her, and get the power up, or pass her by and do it the harder way later on because of your decision?

An interesting little conundrum. First, it's a game. No one is getting hurt here. Second, it's possible to complete the next level without the power-up that killing Little Sister would grant. Third... it looks like a little girl.

What do you do?

The question might be meaningless for lots of people, but the fact that this particular thing occurs in a game at all, and that it's a decision point for some is fascinating to me. I've always been very interested in how we port ourselves into an immersive environment; what sort of norms and mores we bring with us as we walk virtual halls.

I'd probably shoot the girl, and get the powerup. Not because I have this detached sense of play and I'm just mindlessly doing what the game wants me to so I can get the most points, or whatever. And certianly not because shooting the representation of a little girl would make me smile. I'd pause, definitely, before shooting. But in games, just like in life, evil can take a variety of forms.

: )

What would you do?