Virtual Reality, Sci-fi and the Future Game
While typing “computer games” as the key word in the search box in google news, I was attracted to The Future: Man or Machine by Ore Ore. The news is centered on virtual reality, which is related to the movie, The Thirteenth Floor I watch this week. I am so intrigued by media equation we read last week, so the virtual reality reflected in The Thirteenth Floor drew my attention immediately.
The news starts describing the world we are living in is image and scenario saturated. It mentions this week congressman Edward Markey held hearings to identify “the future threats in online virtual environment.” Ore takes Second Life as an example to states that online virtual reality game is quite popular at present. According to Ore, the boundary between the real world and the virtual world becomes blurred: “...real world events were taking place behind the scenes...real people living real lives in a virtual environment.” There are several names which parallel virtual reality, including “augmented cognition, remote viewing, cybrogs, enahcned humans” and etc. Ore expresses worries about fast changing computer technologies. The main fear is that human’s brain will be controlled by others unconsciously. Ore exemplifies how “mind control” would occur. When the nerves of your brain are attached to electrodes, communication to and from your brain will take place easier and much faster. Your subliminal thoughts will be collected by sensitive antennas which are relayed to a nearby computer. Then, your brain wave will be translated into English or any other language, which can be sent to another person’s brain. Thus, your thoughts and your feelings will be transferred to the person, who may even determine your thoughts and actions without your conscience thought. So, this makes Ore ask the question “will the robot brains like I Robot’ positronic brain be better than our own” (Ore, 2008). Human’s fear of competent robots reflected here also makes sense in my understanding what it is depicted in The Thirteenth Floor that the user “downloads” into his own simulation, who finally can resist the user.
When it comes to simulations and games, we always compare the real and the virtual. To what degree the virtual is real enough? Is it possible that the extreme pursuit of reality in a virtual world, namely, illusion caused by confusion between the real and the virtual, would ruin the real world?
What I talk about today is seemingly irreverent to my topic on computer game and education. However, I feel the connection is between what we discuss about today’s computer games and what we can predict about the future’s games. Definitely, my thoughts are affected by the sci-fi movie I watch this week (^_^). I cannot help thinking what computer games would be like and where we should go in the future.
Finally, I want to recommend you, my dear group members two movies about virtual reality related to games: eXistenZ and Nirvana. You may have been familiar with the firs movie. In fact, I wanted to watch Nirvana for this week’s assignment, but it is not found either in Alachua county library or Library West. You may be able to find the Italian movie. Enjoy it!
Note: Info. about Nirvana
Plot: “The movie tells the story of a virtual-reality game designer, Jimi (Lambert), who finds out that the main character of his game, Solo (played by Abatantuono), has achieved sentience due to an attack by a computer virus. Asked by his creation (who feels everything the character in the game feels, including multiple deaths) to cease his existence, Jimi sets out to erase the game from his employer server before it's commercially released, and thus spare Solo of further suffering.”
Note: Both the plot of the movie and image are from Wikipedia at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nirvana_(film)
The news starts describing the world we are living in is image and scenario saturated. It mentions this week congressman Edward Markey held hearings to identify “the future threats in online virtual environment.” Ore takes Second Life as an example to states that online virtual reality game is quite popular at present. According to Ore, the boundary between the real world and the virtual world becomes blurred: “...real world events were taking place behind the scenes...real people living real lives in a virtual environment.” There are several names which parallel virtual reality, including “augmented cognition, remote viewing, cybrogs, enahcned humans” and etc. Ore expresses worries about fast changing computer technologies. The main fear is that human’s brain will be controlled by others unconsciously. Ore exemplifies how “mind control” would occur. When the nerves of your brain are attached to electrodes, communication to and from your brain will take place easier and much faster. Your subliminal thoughts will be collected by sensitive antennas which are relayed to a nearby computer. Then, your brain wave will be translated into English or any other language, which can be sent to another person’s brain. Thus, your thoughts and your feelings will be transferred to the person, who may even determine your thoughts and actions without your conscience thought. So, this makes Ore ask the question “will the robot brains like I Robot’ positronic brain be better than our own” (Ore, 2008). Human’s fear of competent robots reflected here also makes sense in my understanding what it is depicted in The Thirteenth Floor that the user “downloads” into his own simulation, who finally can resist the user.
When it comes to simulations and games, we always compare the real and the virtual. To what degree the virtual is real enough? Is it possible that the extreme pursuit of reality in a virtual world, namely, illusion caused by confusion between the real and the virtual, would ruin the real world?
What I talk about today is seemingly irreverent to my topic on computer game and education. However, I feel the connection is between what we discuss about today’s computer games and what we can predict about the future’s games. Definitely, my thoughts are affected by the sci-fi movie I watch this week (^_^). I cannot help thinking what computer games would be like and where we should go in the future.
Finally, I want to recommend you, my dear group members two movies about virtual reality related to games: eXistenZ and Nirvana. You may have been familiar with the firs movie. In fact, I wanted to watch Nirvana for this week’s assignment, but it is not found either in Alachua county library or Library West. You may be able to find the Italian movie. Enjoy it!
Note: Info. about Nirvana
Plot: “The movie tells the story of a virtual-reality game designer, Jimi (Lambert), who finds out that the main character of his game, Solo (played by Abatantuono), has achieved sentience due to an attack by a computer virus. Asked by his creation (who feels everything the character in the game feels, including multiple deaths) to cease his existence, Jimi sets out to erase the game from his employer server before it's commercially released, and thus spare Solo of further suffering.”
Note: Both the plot of the movie and image are from Wikipedia at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nirvana_(film)
posted by Zhuo(Joel) Li at
8:49 PM
3 Comments:
Hi Zhuo,
You posed a good question about "virtual" and "reality".
In my opinion, the more reliable the simulation game recreat real world contexts, the more successful and effective it is. I always thought that the inability to perfectly simulate real-world is a drawback of the simulation game.
But after reading your post, I started to be a little bit fearful of future technology. You posed a good question that really worth our careful thinking: "Is it possible that the extreme pursuit of reality in a virtual world, namely, illusion caused by confusion between the real and the virtual, would ruin the real world? "
Maybe more players will be greatly confused by "simulation" and "real world". Maybe more tragedies will happen becuase of "virtual reality", like the news "online gamer killed for selling virtual weapon" I posted before, or even other unexpected terrible stories. WHO KNOWS?
But I still can see the bright future of new technologies :)
:) Jiao
By
Jiao Li, at 9:50 AM
Hey Zhuo,
I loved the Thirteenth Floor and am an avid sci-fi movie watcher. The movie which I will write about is Bladerunner based on the Philip K. Dick novel of "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep", one of the finest movies ever made as evidenced by the AFI Top 100 listed at #97(American Film Institute).
Similar to thirteenth floor in that both movies offer a view of possible dystopia societies that include androids/cyborgs believing they are real and the underlying question of how do we know we are human and that reality exists in what we can perceive to be real.
ExistenZ is great as well, talk about paranoia too,( And the slimy Neck plugs freaked me out, but the gun made out of food was so cool) Philip K. Dick was known to be a conspiracy theorist as well and the idea that he envisioned the Far East as becoming heavily influential to American Society in the year 2019 doesn't seem that far off. Instead of Japan, it looks as though China may be the perceived Super-Power but seeing as how the novel is over 60 years old, Philip K. Dick had tremendous foresight.
I truly believe that we are approaching the virtual age of interaction between dual societies or realms of living in both digital worlds we create and the real world as we perceive it today. The idea that the merging of Artificial and Human Intelligences may be the next step in evolution makes many people nervous about the impact of technology in society and that we are set on a path of unknown consequences. It remains to be seen how this will play out for us and future generations but the uncertainty creates a sense of both excitement and caution into the realm of subconscious states with digital and virtual interaction.
Best,
Ben
By
Ben Emihovich, at 9:22 PM
Hi Zhuo,
You raised some great questions about games and simulations and how real reality needs to be.
According to Reeves and Nash, since, “even the simplest of media are close enough to the real people, places, and things they depict to activate rich social and natural responses, I know that there are the right conditions for media to equal real life” (p. 7).
It is great is see how the Media Equation and the Movie watching assignment are so integrated for you. Making connections is a great thing!
Thanks for the movie tips. I will check them out after next week.
:) Garnette
By
Garnette Knapp, at 1:34 AM
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