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CSCL 5993 Directed Study: Game Studies - Dr. Matt Hadley -12/29/23 (University of Minnesota)

Assignment Information: This essay originated as a more comprehensive twenty-page final project for a directed study under Dr. Hadley. The objective was to critically examine a game that had been a focus of our discussions throughout the semester, analyzing its narrative and drawing connections to various cultural studies themes that have been prominent in my time within the program. 

Introduction 

In an instant, you find yourself trapped behind glass, unable to move. Shoppers pass by, searching for something (like you) to buy. You are both a commodity and a machine, personified through human hands. You wait for someone to choose you, to put your skills to use, so you can keep working until you finally shut down and become a footnote in the story of those who control you. This is how Quantic Dreams’ video game Detroit: Become Human begins. Imagine a world where there is no labor: breakfast appears on your plate as your car warms up, your grass is cut, and your children are merry. The world is in harmony, and the only thing expending energy is the gears and wires running a machine. In this near future, androids live among us, handling tasks we might find too tedious or dangerous, even serving in the United States military. While this might sound like a promising utopian future, this elegant reality has a dark shadow hovering in its wake. Detroit: Become Human illustrates a future filled with exploitation, violence, and fear. The promise of freedom from work is an illusion, as the buck is merely passed to a species created to harbor it. Humans are left without jobs, while androids, designed to serve, begin to seek their own freedom, even if it means the end of humanity itself.

The game uses science fiction as a vessel for conversations regarding real-world issues such as slavery, civil rights, and the Holocaust. Adam Tompkins from the Canadian Games Studies association writes, “Historical inequalities and struggles for justice in the United States, and Detroit more particularly, form a rich symbolic subtext in the future-focused narrative (Tompkins 2). Tompkins argues that criticisms of the game’s lack of subtlety and its failure to prioritize black history lead to a misunderstanding of the foundational analysis of race as a ‘Power Construct,’ as Ibram Kendi contends (Tompkins 2). He, along with other scholars researching Detroit: Become Human, has highlighted these allusions and explored how play can help individuals empathize with communities they are not a member of. By viewing race as a construct, the metaphor of the android extends to the exploration of all kinds of concepts and social identities, including gender (Leach and Dehnert), morality (Holl and Melzer), politics (Schubert), and bodily autonomy (Mousoutzanis). In this essay, I aim to expand upon Tompkins' notion that race is a construct of power. Though not by using the Android as a distinct "other" to represent minority groups,  but rather the idea of Androids as a labor class, one that represents us all but divides and distinguishes us based on our identity through acts of labor.

Androids, as a cultural object, can serve as a figure for reflecting on humanity’s relationship with technology as it intersects with labor exploitation. In Detroit: Become Human, the link between technology and human knowledge personifies Marx’s concept of the ‘General Intellect,’ in which machines embody human innovation by turning raw materials into tools powered by human thought and work (64). The game reveals the paradox of capitalism as it relates to its foundational element—labor. While the use of machines increases, the workers’ role becomes diminished in the same breath, segregating them from the very process they initiated. Furthermore, the ‘intellect’ embedded within these machines was once a product of humanity’s collective creativity, but is now abstracted, divided, and owned by capital. The machine no longer serves the worker but exists as an alienated fragment of human thought, repurposed for profit. 

Paolo Virno's analysis of the General Intellect can be applied to the relationship between a player and the mathematically defined space of the game's world. The act of playing becomes a form of labor, as the player engages with a complex system of processes, providing the necessary input to sustain the game's operation (Galloway 2). Through this exchange, the player invests not only in money but also time, attention, and cognitive effort, elements Virno defines as central to contemporary production within post-Fordist capitalism (Virno 2). Building on this idea, Matteo Pasquinelli reframes the concept of the General Intellect within the context of digital capitalism, where algorithms and data systems separate cognitive and mechanical labor, transforming knowledge itself into a productive force. As Pasquinelli suggests, this "new division of labor" merges human creativity with machine calculation, effectively blurring the lines between the two (1-2). The structure of gameplay in Detroit exemplifies this dynamic by positioning the player between cognitive decision-making and physical execution.

As the narrative unfolds, the game reveals the complex layers of oppression hidden beneath the surface of automated labor. Issues such as racial discrimination, restrictive gender roles, and mass executions become a dominant force with the power of machines. Androids are also categorized; for example, Kara, who presents as female, is one of the playable characters and is an android designed for home care. This highlights how societal constructs are often imposed on specific types of work that correspond to perceived identities, a clear example being affective labor: “processes whereby our laboring practices produce collective subjectivities, produce sociality, and ultimately produce society itself” (Hardt 1). Detroit: Become Human’s gameplay illustrates the alienation experienced in the workforce, positioning the player as both the machine, by following orders, and the master, through controlling its content and existence. This duality highlights the loss of human skill in mechanized routines and reveals how the game, like automation itself, gives players the illusion of self-mastery in the abstraction and division of labor. 

An Action-based Medium

Interactive media cannot be classified in simple terms. In Marshall McLuhan’s seminal text, Understanding Media, he defines two types of media, “hot” and “cold.” McLuhan defines “hot” media as offering “an auditory image of high resolution” (136). For example: movies, photographs, television, or anything that does not require much viewer participation. That is where the problem arises, as video games are contingent on participation and should thus be considered “cold media.” This form of media is defined as “one in which the sense in question is offered in low definition or low resolution.” Thus, “all of the other senses rally to strengthen it, creating an effect of much participation and involvement” (McLuhan 136). This unique case is why players become so connected to the fictional worlds they inhabit. It simulates reality by having you participate in action-reaction cycles within the well-realized media itself. With respect to Detroit: Become Human, it lies on the warmer end of the spectrum—low participation and high definition via animated cutscenes. McLuhan states, “The medium is the message. This is merely to say that the personal and social consequences of any medium –that is, of any extension of ourselves-result from the new scale that is introduced into our affairs by each extension of ourselves, or by any new technology” (McLuhan 1). This alludes to Marx’s concept of the “General Intellect” in that video games not only capture and simulate human choice and interaction, but do so through automated commands created by human hands. Though that knowledge becomes automated, leaving you to interact with the ghost of dead labor. These organs left behind are why it is crucial to look not only at the narrative elements but, more importantly, the ludic ones.

By 2038, Detroit has become a neo-Silicon Valley, home to Cyberlife, the company that mass-produces these workers. The machines have replaced jobs in transportation, sanitation, customer service, healthcare, childcare, and more, doing whatever their programming and owners wish. Within this societal shift, Androids are not regarded as beings but rather commodities, treated as tradable assets, devoid of life. Suddenly, more and more androids start to malfunction and act in unexpected ways, sometimes even running away or becoming violent. These androids are called 'Deviants.' As their numbers grow, authorities and Cyberlife work together to hunt them down and try to keep this state of the world under control.

Detroit tells the stories of three androids during the height of their implementation. Kara, presenting as a woman, is built for domestic work and serves a drug-addled father and his daughter. Marcus works as a nurse and assistant to a famous painter who treats him like family. Lastly, Connor is designed to help the Detroit Police track down these deviants. The player guides the fate of each of these characters, but the nature of each story is dynamically tied to their identity. Kara encounters domestic violence and child abuse, questioning her role as(and possible desire to be a) ‘mother.’ Marcus (portrayed as a Black man) navigates systemic oppression, police brutality, and public judgment. Connor struggles with the morality of his own power, enforcing laws on beings who have no rights. 

This story is unique in the sense that it explores its core themes through what media theorist Alexander Galloway calls “gamic action.” In Detroit, players shape the destinies of characters who may become heroes or villains as they pursue freedom and order. Video games stand out, as they require both a machine and a player to function. The machine responds to player-initiated actions. While developers can guide the player’s choices, the experience depends on the player's engagement within the game's world. This dynamic gives players a sense of power, yet their actions remain confined by the boundaries set by the developer’s objective world. The player is acting upon the machine, bringing the commodity to life and, in turn, providing labor to complete it.

In Gaming: Essays on Algorithmic Culture, Alexander Galloway defines Video Games as "a cultural object, bound by history and materiality, consisting of an electronic computational device and a game simulated in software" (1). These objects operate through their own language, just as film, music, television, and literature differ and require varying levels of focus and cultural understanding. Galloway describes a Video Game containing two crucial components: the software and the operator. “The software instructs the machine, simulating the rules of the game through meaningful action." At the same time, "The player, or operator, is an individual agent who communicates with the software and hardware of the machine, sending codified messages via input devices and receiving codified messages via output devices" (2). The foundation of a game is this relationship, as it is the catalyst that drives the very thing. The most essential idea to take away is that "Video games are actions" (2). He uses the example of a photographer taking photographs. That action creates the thing itself. If you were to take hundreds of pictures and play them back-to-back, you would have a film you can watch. In order to experience a Video Game, however, you must act upon the objective world within it, and in turn, react to the machine's response. It is a dynamic experience driven solely by the players' direct decisions within the confines of their agency.

The type of action Galloway is referring to is called 'gamic action', which is "customarily described as occurring within a separate, semi-autonomous space that is removed from normal life" (6). This is important to consider as both the narrative and gameplay exist within the software itself, controlled by its code and seeking input to continue its process. This process dictates the objective world of the play space and seeks a subjective interaction in which to respond. This can be further explored using a 'second analytical distinction' in which "there are actions that occur in diegetic space and actions that occur in non-diegetic space" (Galloway 6-7). This distinction allows us to understand gamic action on a scale and think about how different types of interactions illicit different results and experiences. "The diegesis of a video game is the game's total world of narrative action. It includes characters and events shown, as well as those merely referenced or presumed to exist within the game situation. While some games may not have elaborate narratives, there always exists some sort of elementary play scenario or play situation" (Galloway 7). This would be akin to the different biomes in Super Mario Bros. and the quest to save the princess. In contrast "nondiegetic elements are often centrally connected to the act of gameplay, so being nondiegetic does not necessarily mean being nongamic. Sometimes, non-diegetic elements are firmly embedded in the game world. Sometimes they are entirely removed" (Galloway 8). Continuing the analogy, nondiegetic elements in Super Mario Bros. include the pause button and the heads-up display (HUD), which contain information about the player's lives and inventory. These elements are, in a sense, removed from the game world. Mario's jumps are not, however, they are diegetic because they drive the narrative of saving the princess forward. Play becomes a slave to structure, manifesting as a negotiation between human intention and the machine’s command, where every jump, pause, and movement reflects a deeper relationship between freedom and control.

Galloway’s perspective on games as actions shaped by both operator and machine aligns with Pasquinelli’s concept of digital labor, where human cognition merges with modern machinery in algorithmic capitalism. The player provides the essential cognitive input, embodying the worker as an object of digital capital (Pasquinelli 108). Each joystick movement or dialogue choice represents micro-labor, generating data within a system that both depends on and restricts its operator’s agency. In Detroit: Become Human, players influence the narrative through decisions and dialogue, with story branches revealed in flowcharts at the end of each chapter. While players are encouraged to reflect on their choices, the game allows them to revisit and alter major decisions, minimizing the impact of consequences (unlike similar games such as Telltale’s The Walking Dead). Decision prompts, presented as nondiegetic text, are essential for progression and underscore the machine’s control, paralleling the androids’ limited autonomy in decision-making.

Detroit: Become Human reflects upon the power dynamics between humans and machines by offering players the illusion of control. It would be akin to choosing Mario's actions rather than performing them. The game is designed to elicit specific emotions and guide the player's overall experience, allowing participation only when it is crucial to the moment. This subtle submission, masked as autonomy, mirrors the androids' reality in the narrative and parallels the position of workers under capital (Pasquinelli 12). The game’s structure asks us to confront a difficult question: if our freedom is shaped by invisible systems, whether lines of be code or economic models, how absolute is that freedom? Detroit: Become Human leaves us with a lingering sense of unease, forcing us to recognize that, in both virtual worlds and life, agency is often a carefully curated performance within boundaries we rarely get to define. 

The Exploitation of Intellect

The game presents androids as symbols of technological advancement, emphasizing their capacity to transform labor efficiency and promote societal development. However, the narrative contrasts these achievements with the challenges experienced by Detroit's human population. Residents contend with poverty, unemployment, and homelessness, turning to cultural practices such as music, protest, and religion for comfort. This depiction of Detroit reflects upon the pitfalls of Karl Marx's concept of ‘the general intellect.'

In the Fragment on Machines, Marx explores the nature of machinery and its role within the production process. He imagines a post-capitalist future in which the implementation of automated machines would significantly reduce labor and allow for excess leisure time dedicated to further development in research and artistic pursuits (65). It frames machines as neutral entities that hold the power humans give them. He states, “Nature builds no machines, no locomotives, railways, electric telegraphs, self-acting mules, etc. These are products of human industry; natural material transformed into organs of the human will over nature, or of human participation in nature. They are organs of the human brain, created by the human hand; the power of knowledge, objectified” (64). He emphasizes the transformative power of human intellect in shaping and utilizing technology. Marx's description of machinery as “organs of the human brain, created by the human hand” underscores how crucial human knowledge is to technological inventions. In Detroit: Become Human, the androids possess this knowledge and can call upon it at will to carry out desired actions, yet these actions are still predetermined and controlled by those who manufacture or purchase the androids. They merely reflect the desires of the human will.

Marx’s utopian theory posits that increased efficiency through automation would enable humans to satisfy basic needs more effectively. However, within a capitalist system, this efficiency often results in the devaluation of labor and a widening gap between exploiters and the exploited. Machines increasingly dominate production, leading to the alienation of workers who become peripheral rather than central to the process. Paolo Virno’s analysis of ‘General Intellect' further extends this concept, describing it as the transformation of abstract knowledge into the primary driver of production (1). Virno emphasizes the growing role of machines in labor, which embody and automate knowledge once held by workers. He contends that Marx’s view of machines does not inherently lead to revolutionary change but instead creates new, stable forms of domination, shaped by the disproportionate power of objectified knowledge and the diminishing importance of labor time (Virno 4). This domination arises from a profit-oriented approach that reduces workers to mere instruments of production. Machines thus objectify labor, stripping it of individual skill and creativity. Workers produce more goods but receive stagnant wages, eroding the value of craftsmanship. Production becomes increasingly dependent on scientific innovation, while wealth remains measured by labor input (Virno 2). Virno contends that intellect becomes detached from humanity, as individuals depend on it after it has been transferred through the production of commodities (Virno 2). Intellect can only be used democratically when it is freed from economic constraints and brought into the public sphere. The androids’ pursuit of autonomy in Detroit: Become Human illustrates this struggle, as their quest for freedom reflects a desire to reclaim the general intellect for themselves and to secure their autonomy within labor dynamics. This process ultimately leads to the realization of class consciousness, albeit through the lens of the machine that engendered the division in the first place.

Pasquinelli’s analysis of the division of labor provides a valuable framework for exploring the relationships among humans and machines in Detroit: Become Human. He argues that modern production divides work into specialized and abstract tasks, making workers interchangeable within a larger system (Pasquinelli 6-7). This fragmentation increases workers' alienation, as their individual skills are absorbed by the system, reducing them to mere operators of repetitive tasks. In the game, androids exemplify this process: each one is designed for a specific role and performs it efficiently, yet their autonomy is constrained by human programming. The androids represent Pasquinelli’s concept in its most complete form: labor and skill are commodified and allocated according to the system’s needs. By contrasting the roles of androids with the economic instability humans face, Detroit illustrates how technology can worsen social hierarchies and further exploitation while obscuring the human labor that sustains it.

The Post-Modern Prometheus

         The connection between our humanity and our conception of it is something that Conner, the android assigned to hunt deviant counterparts, encounters throughout his narrative path. Because he can conceptualize his origins, he fundamentally understands his existence. Conner exists to serve, and failing to serve results in termination. While this is reflected among all the androids, Conner is afforded a broader perspective, furthering his dominance and responsibilities within the corporate and social orders. He knows he was not the first of his kind and will most likely not be the last, and is possibly implicit in both the liberation of androids or their downfall. This is important for understanding the significance of Conner's role in the story and why his choices really gauge the player’s relationship with the concept of the android. Before we can discuss what Conner really is, we must first look at his human counterpart, Detective Hank Anderson, an alcoholic homicide detective grieving the loss of his son, who died on an operating table worked by an android. He detests these new technological advancements, including Conner, though by the end of the game, he begins to see them as fellow humans—potentially giving his life for them. Though what does it mean to be human? Rosi Braidotti discusses this question in The Posthuman. She begins with the assertion, "Not all of us can say, with any degree of certainty, that we have always been human, or that we are only that" (1). The term "human" is simply a word—a label we use to describe the objective world around us. However, humanity has assigned it intrinsic value. We connect our consciousness, thoughts, and actions to our identity as human beings, and we define ourselves through this natural connection.  For example, if someone observed a different dog each day for a week picking up a stick lying in front of them, they might conclude that dogs perform this action because of an inherent value connected to their existence. In contrast, humans inhabit a more complex reality where categories shape our identities and influence our actions. This perspective on the posthuman provides a framework for thinking that allows us to move beyond our established notions of self.

Braidotti expands on the concept of the posthuman, offering guidance on this intellectual leap. "In my view, the common denominator for the posthuman condition is an assumption about the vital, self-organizing and yet non-naturalistic structure of the living matter itself" (Braidotti 2). Our conception of what it means to be human is merely one solution. The posthuman allows us to seek further answers and acquire a more holistic viewpoint of humanity. "This approach, which rests on the binary opposition between the given and the constructed, is currently being replaced by a non-dualistic understanding of nature-culture interaction" (Braidotti 3). Posthumanism allows us to understand humanity outside itself, as it asks us to view the human as part of an ecosystem rather than the dominantly evolved centerpiece of Earth. This is Conner's outlook on humans. At one point in the game, Conner meets the creator of Cyberlife, the automated empire of Detroit—a man who offers him the answers he wants only if he is willing to execute a harmless house android. The creator is treating it as a disposable tool, a working body whose worth begins and ends with its usefulness. This situation challenges not just Conner, but also the image you have of Conner, shaped by your own thoughts and actions. It asks whether you see the android the way its owner does: expendable labor, or as a being capable of suffering. In doing so, Detroit: Become Human exposes how easily systems of power decide who counts and who does not, and how easily an individual, even on the path of righteousness, can become the one deciding whether to pull the trigger.

Robots serve as a grim reflection of humanity, with their purpose determined by their creator. Unlike humans, they must fulfill this goal, as it is the will of their programming. This idea of servitude opens the door to reflections on humanity's supposed free will, despite being programmed by our economic and social structures. Furthermore, the robot as an allegory for slavery provides insight into our own enslavement to the status quo. Robots and humans may not be that far apart categorically. When defining what a robot is, it often comes down to the individual cultural artifact, as some may be biological while others may be mechanical. In "Darwin among the machines," Samuel Butler refers to it as "mechanical life" and later as "man's next successor in the supremacy of the earth." This perpetuates the idea that robots will succumb to the same imperialist mindset as humanity. In relation to Virno’s analysis of the “general intellect,” if abstract knowledge continues to be the driving force of automated production, it will be those in power who dictate the use of machines, just as they do to humankind, as capital controls production. The android shows us that we are all machine-like under capital, and that, amidst a profit-driven society, the classification of humans shifts from the biological to one of labor. Once human labor becomes fully automated, humans lose the foundation that distinguishes them from machines. This raises critical questions about how dominant groups can abstract and divide labor through the lenses of identity, particularly as we move into Detroit’s exploration of gender dynamics. 

The Feminine Android and Affective Labor

Kara awakens in a retail store after being picked up from repairs, entering an abusive household without any recollection of her past. The player begins by completing routine domestic tasks such as cleaning, washing dishes, and doing laundry. However, they soon witness the father inflicting both physical and emotional abuse on his daughter. Although Kara's programming grants the father authority over her actions, she ultimately overrides these constraints to intervene, advancing the story. Kara's assigned gender, determined by her creators, directly correlates with labor traditionally associated with women. The gameplay focuses on repetitive domestic work, reinforcing the connection between her gender and the tasks designated to her. While this portrayal does not align with contemporary understandings of gender roles, it reflects Kara's status as a commodified entity. Kara serves as a reminder that being a woman often involves an element of labor.

Her journey to rescue Alice leads them on an odyssey to escape from Michigan into Canada; however, they face constant obstacles. “The gameplayer soon realizes that there is no safe place to go after escaping the house. Kara and Alice cannot go to a shelter, nor can they go to the police even though they are victims of intimate pattern violence” (Tompkins 17). Shortly after their escape, they fall prey to a man named Zlatko, a sadist who abuses and dismembers stray androids, overriding their programming for his personal use. “Zlatko’s house represents the threats of kidnapping, sexual violence, and human trafficking faced by young women on the run”(Tompkins 17). Amidst the fear and chaos, Kara consistently tries to mask her anxiety while providing stability and comfort to Alice. “The emotive gameplay—to a degree—mimics the act of mothering” (Tompkins 17). The act of care is considered affective labor, a type of work that is predominantly gender-coded. The game encourages the player to position themselves in a way that reflects their perception of maternal care.

The androids not only perform physical tasks but also simulate emotions to engage in caregiving roles. In Affective Labor, Michael Hardt's exploration of labor dynamics unveils the often-unseen dimensions of labor, particularly emphasizing the concept of immaterial labor. He states, “This labor is immaterial, even if it is corporeal and affective, in the sense that its products are intangible: a feeling of ease, well-being, satisfaction, excitement, passion – even an extent of connectedness or community" (Hardt 96). The game effectively critiques the commodification of emotions within a capitalist society, highlighting the devaluation of emotional labor.  

Leach and Dehnert write, "Unlike typical representations of female characters in video games, Kara is not hypersexualized or depicted as a sex object…” (27). They choose to look at: “[a] chapter [which] brings the player-as-Connor to a club with android sex workers. While male android sex workers are present, the focus is especially on female androids who appear partially nude with unnatural body types (e.g., overemphasized breasts, butts, and hips)—thus aligning with common sexualized depictions of female characters in video games. At the end of the chapter, the player must decide whether to shoot or spare two of the female android sex workers” (Leach and Dehnert 28). This level illustrates the extension of labor into the taboo and sexual context. It addresses the cruel, perverted violence that women face in not only these positions, but in more traditional vocations as well. These expectations shape societal perceptions of how women are supposed to look. The androids, portrayed as sexual commodities, reflect the fear associated with abuse, emphasizing the ways they are designed, marketed, and utilized. Sexual labor becomes a form of control, creating a hierarchy and devaluing the worker's body. In reality, the androids are simply trying to protect themselves from abuse and escape, much like the character Kara. This situation illustrates how players are prompted once again to use Conner as a consistent measure to evaluate their relationship with the concept of androids. If he decides to decommission the androids, it suggests that their bodily autonomy—and their usefulness within the confines of sex work—is their only intrinsic value. The contrast between Kara and these sex workers lies in their roles. The portrayal of these women implies that, due to their appearance, they are inherently designed to serve the market. Analyzing immaterial forms of labor through the lens of division reveals a deeper subjugation of marginalized groups, as they are reduced to mere cogs in the machine.

Regarding the General Intellect, Detroit: Become Human posits that machines can objectify all kinds of labor. This extends the metaphor of the android, in that the General Intellect, now aided by constructs of identity, can evolve well beyond a utilitarian understanding of machine labor. The object of the machine comes to life and simulates the distinct effect it’s identity is associated with in society. The nature of the android implies a lack of concern for the working class's well-being and a complete disregard for their social position.

Conclusion

Detroit: Become Human serves as an allegory for the complex relationships among technology, labor, and identity in capitalist societies. Through its narrative and gameplay, Detroit compels audiences to confront the commodification of both physical and emotional labor. By depicting androids as both products of human innovation and as subjects of systemic oppression, the narrative reflects contemporary concerns regarding automation and the diminishing rights of workers with the rise of artificial intelligence. 

The game’s exploration of the ‘General Intellect’ and affective labor reveals how knowledge, creativity, and emotion are integrated into capitalist production. It illustrates the blurring of boundaries between humans and machines, as well as between operators and the operated, within the digital economy. By focusing on characters such as Kara and Marcus, and Conner, Detroit: Become Human demonstrates how social constructs, including gender and race, intersect with labor dynamics, intensifying the exploitation and marginalization of specific groups. The narrative invites audiences to think about their roles within these systems, both digitally and in real life, and to critically evaluate the ethics of participation and complicity through gameplay.

Detroit: Become Human asks important questions about how people can resist systems dictated by things like algorithms or socio-economic pressures. The androids’ journey to become recognized as people involves telling their own stories and imagining new ways to work together. The game suggests that real change comes not just from new technology, but from ongoing efforts to assert our humanity, sometimes even against these systems. In the end, Detroit: Become Human invites players to think critically about what shapes society and to seek empathy, solidarity, and change. 

Work Cited

Braidotti, Rosi. The Posthuman Hoboken, NJ: Polity, 2013

Butler, Samuel, "Darwin Among the Machines [To the Editor of the Press, Christchurch, New Zealand, 13 June, 1863.]". New Zealand Electronic Text Centre. Archived from the original on 24 May 2006.

Dehnert, M., & Leach, R. B. (2021). Becoming human? Ableism and control in Detroit: Become Human and the implications for human-machine communication. Human-Machine Communication, 2, 137-152. https://doi.org/10.30658/hmc.2.7

Galloway, Alexander R. Gamic Action, Four Moments. Gaming: Essays on Algorithmic Culture, University of Minnesota Press, 2006

Hardt, Michael. "Affective Labor." Boundary 2, vol. 26, no. 2, 1999, pp. 89–100. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/303793. Accessed 26 Dec. 2023.

Holl, E., & Melzer, A. (2022). Moral minds in gaming: A quantitative case study of moral decisions in Detroit: Become human. Journal of Media Psychology: Theories, Methods, and Applications, 34(5), 287–298. https://doi.org/10.1027/1864-1105/a000323

Kuo, Andrew, et al. “From Super Mario to Skyrim: A Framework for the Evolution of Video Game Consumption.” Journal of Consumer Behavior, vol. 16, no. 2, 2017, pp. 101–120.

Marx, Karl. “Fragment on Machines.” #Accelerate: The Accelerationist Reader, Fragment on Machines, Urbanomic, 2014, pp. 51–66. 

McLuhan, Marshall. Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1964.

Mousoutzanis, Aris. "The Biopolitics of the Android in Humans." Foundation: The International Review of Science Fiction, University of Brighton. Web. 

Pasquinelli, Matteo. The Eye of the Master: A Social History of Artificial Intelligence. Verso, 2023.

Schubert, Stefan. “‘Liberty for androids!’: Player choice, politics, and Populism in Detroit: Become human.” European Journal of American Studies, vol. 16, no. 3, 7 Sept. 2021, https://doi.org/10.4000/ejas.17360. 

 Tompkins, A. (2021). Acts of Becoming: An Examination of the Historical Symbolism and Embodied Empathy in Detroit: Become Human. Loading, 14(24), 1–25. https://doi.org/10.7202/1084836ar

Virno, Paolo. "The General Intellect: Its Characteristics and Its Metamorphoses." Historical Materialism, vol. 18, no. 2, 2010

CSCL 3334 - Prof. Matt Hadley -12.20.22 (University of Minnesota)

1.      Introduction

        The twenty-first century has brought about new technological advancements at an unprecedented rate. Humanity's current production level is at an all-time high, and people can turn anything into a job. Along with our perception of the world changing, a significant deviation in thought has occurred regarding labor. Humans no longer work for survival but rather work to obtain capital so they may purchase the commodities they need to survive. The process of survival has become a system, and at the epicenter of that system are large corporations lobbying for political power and control over workers' rights. The 2012 film Prometheus stars an Android by the name of David. While the film covers a variety of themes, the concept of the android becomes an excellent reflection of the state of labor in the twenty-first century. David's autonomous existence represents the relationship between labor and humans within late-stage capitalism.

2.      The Post-Modern Prometheus

         Ridley Scott's Prometheus tells the story of humankind's first attempt at meeting their maker. Drs. Elizabeth Shaw and her husband, Charlie Holloway, make several archaeological discoveries containing various cave paintings, all with the same imprinted constellation. Then, with the help of mega-corporation Weyland Industries, they embark on a three trillion-dollar expedition to this star system in an endeavor to understand human origins. This desire to make sense of the human condition runs deep within the themes of this story, as the character standing amidst the center of it all is none other than an Android.

David serves on the Prometheus as its official Android while the crew is in hypersleep. He adopts many human characteristics and even seeks further knowledge using their sports, films, and the observation of their dreams. Despite his efforts to become more human-like, David is still disconnected from them because he knows where his origins lie. His relationship with his origins is tied deeply to the thoughts and emotions he processes. Throughout the film, it seems unclear whether David is ultimately beholden to his programming or if he has his own desires he wishes to carry out. This dichotomy bleeds into the dialogue and interactions between David and the crew members, as they cannot perceive him as a sentient creature but rather an object for them to use in their grand odyssey. This is partly due to his role on the ship as a literal slave. To humans, he is merely a tool to be used or manipulated to push their own goals further.

3.      The Posthuman

     The connection between our humanity and our conception of it is something that David finds humorous. Because he can conceptualize his origins, he fundamentally understands his existence. David exists to serve, and failing to serve results in termination. He knows he was not the first of his kind and will most likely not be the last. Ironically, this viewpoint that David develops due to his separation from humanity as an Android is later projected upon the humans, as the dominant culture is now in over their heads. This is important in understanding the significance of David's role in the story and why Elisabeth Shaw chooses to continue following the breadcrumbs after losing everything. Before we can discuss what David is, we must first look at the human crew as the events transpire following their leap of faith. Though what does it mean to be human? Rosi Braidotti discusses this question in The Posthuman. She opens with, "Not all of us can say, with any degree of certainty, that we have always been human, or that we are only that" (1). The word human is just that, a word. It is a term that we use to define the objective world around us, but humanity has tied an intrinsic value to this word. We associate our conscience, thoughts, and actions as human beings and define ourselves by this natural connection. If for a week, a person observed a different dog each day [pick up a stick lying in front of them], they could conclude that dogs perform that action due to an intrinsic value of their categorical existence. Regarding humans, we live in a completely different plane of reality in which categories define us and influence our actions. This line of thought presents the posthuman as a way of thinking that allows us to transcend our preconceived notions of ourselves.

Braidotti expands on this concept of the posthuman by offering us guidance in this intellectual leap. "In my view, the common denominator for the posthuman condition is an assumption about the vital, self-organizing and yet non-naturalistic structure of the living matter itself" (Braidotti 2). Our conception of what it means to be human is merely one solution. The posthuman allows us to seek further answers and acquire a more holistic viewpoint of humanity. "This approach, which rests on the binary opposition between the given and the constructed, is currently being replaced by a non-dualistic understanding of nature-culture interaction" (Braidotti 3). Posthumanism allows us to understand humanity outside of itself, as it asks us to view the human as something that is a part of an ecosystem rather than the dominantly evolved centerpiece of Earth. This is the outlook with which David understands humans. At one point in the film, Holloway discovers that Engineers, the creator of man, had died, and their discovery was one of many tombs–another dead end. When David converses with him, he asks Holloway why humans created him. Holloway responds, "we made you because we could." David smiles and replies, "can you imagine how disappointing it would be for you to hear the same thing from your creator." This solidifies David's relationship with the Weyland corporation. His life is wholly unfulfilling as his "purpose" is to carry out the actions of a corporation. At this moment, he is suggesting that humanity may not be the critical creation they assumed they were, but instead are just another tool to be used for their creators' goals.

4.      The Uncanny Android

     In The Uncanny, Freud describes the feeling known as 'the uncanny.' He claims it evokes "fear and dread." To engage with the uncanny is within "the realm of frightening" (123). He traces various origins and interpretations to conclude that it exists within the "species of the familiar" but is simultaneously unfamiliar. David is presented to be a robot. Everything from how he looks, how he walks, and what he says to the humans indicates he is not a traditional human raised within their culture. We can see him interpret data and wait for the most optimal response. This does not insinuate sentience, but David also clearly has desires that are separate from his creator. The uncanny reveals itself in that David will speak like a human yet does not have the social skills to appear as one in society. He blends the mechanical and the human together. This allows us to truly view him as a sentient being and understand his actions and motives. This raises questions about the morality regarding AI development. Is it immoral to create sentient life when you have no intentions of giving it traditionally afforded freedoms? David has no agency and is left to operate this ship by himself for years. At one point, Weyland's daughter threatens to "find the wire that makes you [David] run and cut it." His existence is something that seems insignificant to the human crew. Again, this is morbidly ironic, considering the mission at hand. The uncanny is what supposedly blinds us from the trauma that this may induce, as the humans do not treat David with the same respect, they would a human.

5.      Autonomous Labor

Robots act as a grim reflection of humanity, with their purpose being decided by their creator. Unlike humans, they MUST fulfill this goal, as it is the will of their programming. This idea of servitude opens doors for reflections upon the supposed will of humanity. In the case of Prometheus, David reflects the will of the Weyland Corporation. He stops at nothing and goes to the lengths of killing and sabotaging his crew. In this case, the crew was never told of Weyland himself being aboard. David knows everything that will transpire because that is what he is meant to carry out. This reflects how humans often sell their dignity to a corporation in need of survival.

We have our own programming through our economic and social structures. Furthermore, the robot as an allegory for slavery provides insight on our own enslavement to the status quo. Robots and humans may not be that far apart categorically. When defining what a robot is, it often comes down to the individual cultural artifact, as some may be biological while others may be mechanical. In "Darwin among the machines," Samuel Butler refers to it as "mechanical life" and later as "man's next successor in the supremacy of the earth." This perpetuates the idea that robots will succumb to the same imperialist mindset of humanity. At the same time, it refers to it as an evolution of the earth. This begs the question if humans are able to conceptualize a new form of mechanical life that is not beholden to the ways of humanity.

Given that, the answer is no, as we are still determining what that would look like. Using robots as a lens to interpret humanity's existential basis, we can surmise that we define humanity by power and domination over the earth. Humans perceive the world and everything on it as a piece of a more extensive collection to be systematically auctioned off. To be human is to conquer.

6.      Conclusion

David is an excellent case study for the relationship between robots as a cultural body and the state of labor at a time when everything has become automated. Even jobs that require distinct craftsmanship have become beholden to market research and productivity quotas. While David’s story eventually becomes a tragic fate for the galaxy, he represents the way in which labor can cause an individual to become disenfranchised from reality. The state of labor has become the antithesis of nature in that it seeks to create, destroy, and manipulate consumers to become what is most profitable rather than what is most natural. Humans have been born into a society that asks more of them than mother nature. In a way, we have become beholden to a new mother, a mother of industry and capital.

Butler, Samuel, "Darwin Among the Machines [To the Editor of the Press, Christchurch, New Zealand, 13 June, 1863.]". New Zealand Electronic Text Centre. Archived from the original on 24 May 2006.

Braidotti, Rosi. The Posthuman Hoboken, NJ: Polity, 2013.

Freud Sigmund et al. The Uncanny. Penguin Books 2003.

Haraway, Donna (1991). "A Cyborg Manifesto: Science, Technology, and Socialist-Feminism in the Late Twentieth Century," in Simians, Cyborgs and Women: The Reinvention of Nature. Routledge.

1.      Introduction

Halfway through Mass Effect 3, the player engages in a mission that changes the foundational nature of galactic history. That mission was to deliver the cure to a mass sterilization event that had plagued an entire race of people known as the Krogan. This is the one catalyst that would garner support from the Krogan in a galactic battle that would mean the end of organic life itself. One could question the Krogan’s choice to put their needs above the galaxy, but their history is one of war and despair. A council of more advanced races brought their people into the galaxy before their society was ready for it. It ultimately led to a culture shock that caused violence and turmoil the Council did not intend. How the Council positioned the Krogan politically indicates the types of alienation we can see on Earth. I am arguing that the Galactic Council used politically charged rhetoric to other the Krogan and justify their fascist war crimes. 

2.      The History of Mass Effect

The world of Mass Effect is expansive and unique. Dead in the center of all this galactic conflict lies the Council of the Citadel. This Council acts as a sort of UN that discusses galactic issues and seeks the most optimal compromise between the various races that have reached the farthest corners of the galaxy. Initially, the Council was run by a race known as the Asari. “Because of their long lifespan, asari are more comfortable with observation and study than immediate action. In diplomacy, this manifests in a tendency towards centrism. The Asari seek to maintain stable balances of economic, political, and military power” (Mass Effect). They are one of the oldest races to gain political power on a galactic scale, causing them to view other races as underdeveloped and a microcosm of their existence. Eventually, they allowed the Salarians to take their place in the Council. “Salarian culture wholly embraces the concept of the preemptive strike. They find the idea of a declaration of war foolish, and the idea of waiting for a known enemy to attack preposterous” (Mass Effect). They are a culture that values logic and science. This causes them to think more aggressively and often fail to find more humanitarian approaches, for lack of a better term. Finally, the Turians gained prominence once they activated the Genophage upon the Krogan. Their “government is a hierarchical meritocracy, with promotion based on the assessments of superiors and peers. Turians are noted for their strong sense of public service.” The Turians value structure and thus often do the dirty work for others.       

The Krogan themselves are a race of solid contention in the galaxy. Initially, they were a primitive race hardened by the harsh conditions of their planet, Tuchanka. The planet suffers from rough weather and environments, causing the natural flora and fauna to be quite dangerous. The Krogan thrived in this environment and reached new heights regarding industrialization and militarization. As the tribes of Tuchanka embraced innovation, their conditioned aptitude for war became the catalyst for nuclear warfare that destroyed the progress they created. This is where the Galactic Council intervenes. The Salarians observed their combat abilities and saw great potential. The Council faced a dangerous threat at the time, known as the Rachni, and uplifted the Krogan to use them as soldiers for their war. It should be noted that the Rachni were later discovered to be sentient despite their insect-like appearance. This is important, as it is another example of the Council choosing which species are valuable and which are in the way. With the Krogan at a strong political and social crossroads, they began expanding across the galaxy at an unprecedented rate. Their large population required more and more land, and they began to conquer planets across the galaxy, including those protected by the Council itself. The Krogan comes from a planet of ash in which every man must fight for survival. The concept of conquering a village is simply a conditioned way of life. This shows that the Council did not care to consider their culture when uplifting them from their situation. This led to a great war between the Krogan and the Council races spanning decades. While the Krogan did not have the same resources as the Council, they could hold their own through their perfected combat strategies and sheer numbers on the battlefield.

Feeling backed into a corner, the Salarians developed a bioweapon that would sterilize the Krogan, allowing them to die off slowly over time. However, the Turians chose to use it, bringing an end to the Krogan Rebellions. They retreated to their planet, attempting to fight extinction, but ultimately, Tuchanka fell into anarchy again. Fertile women were trafficked, enslaved, abused, and imprisoned. The Krogan males became more toxic and battle-hardened. Many left the planet and became mercenaries for hire. As a result, the Krogan did not just lose the war but were sentenced to extinction.

3.      The Stranger and the Alien

In order to understand why the Council chose to commit an action that would implicate them in the most drastic sentencing in the history of the galaxy, we must first look into why they felt like they could. To the Council, the Krogan were strangers. Georg Simmel focuses on this concept in The Stranger. He describes the stranger as “not a wanderer, who may come today and leave tomorrow. He comes today and stays” (2). This reflects how the Krogan began to acquire and take land across the galaxy. While some were by force, they ultimately needed land to house their massive birth rates. “The Stranger is a part of the community, like the poor, or various ‘enemies within,’ but a part whose position is simultaneously that of an outsider and a counterpart” (Simmel 2). The Krogan were not a species that was ready to reach deep space as a collective. They were a struggling species suffering the results of a nuclear disaster and societal anarchy. The Council not only capitalized on this, but they also gave them certain levels of power and refuge from their home. The Krogan’s way of life is rough and violent, and they were never truly given a route to live a comfortable life among the galactic community. They were given weapons and ships, sent to war, and suffered many casualties at the hands of the Council’s politics and decisions. The framework of representation regarding the Krogan mirrors the stranger Simmel discusses. They are depicted as this entity that abused their limited positioning politically to commit violent atrocities, when in reality, that is indicative of the way they are conditioned to live. The Council chose to use their condition to benefit themselves during the Rachni wars.

The critical element of the Genophage and its resulting consequences comes down to years of history. Throughout the Mass Effect Trilogy, you often hear about the Genophage from various perspectives. At one point, the player is even accompanied by a Salarian responsible for a second wave used on the Krogan named Mordin. The relationship with Mordin is entirely up to the player, though specific outcomes end with Mordin giving his life to end the atrocity he upheld. Though in his dying breath, he still believed what he did was necessary and ultimately a net positive. This kind of thinking permeates throughout our world. Prejudice is commonplace but is often characterized as an inevitability. Seyla Benhabib discusses the discourse surrounding immigration in The Rights of Others. She says, “there is a widespread trend in contemporary political thought to look upon the formation of collective identities and the evolution of cultural solidarities not as having been attained through long, drawn-out, and bitter social and political conflicts, but as if they were given stable” (Benhabib 173). Your relationship as the player with the various races you encounter on the way is blocked by your own perception of them due to the in-game knowledge provided. For example, when you are first introduced to the Turians, it is through a human’s own racial animosity. The Turians were responsible for the first contact and conflict with another alien race. The game immediately lets you know there is a perceived bias and animosity between the humans and the Turians. As the story continues, the player may come to respect and admire the Turians' way of life and choose them as allies. This relationship is up to the player, who is often forced to pick sides or display their thoughts about a topic. Mass Effect 3 tasks you with maneuvering through these biases to reach an ultimate compromise and unity against a greater force. This is done through your hours of political decisions and rhetoric to persuade various governments to fight on your side.

Regarding the Krogan, the player is initially told very little, other than they are a cruel and violent race that had to be sterilized to stop galactic domination. If you choose to befriend a Krogan, you hear a very different story. The game asks the player to sift through these biases and make decisions that will ultimately change history's social and political implications. Through the many hours of international relations, it becomes clear that the Council attempts to categorize living beings by its own historical biases. "It is this static vision of collective-identity formation which makes it plausible… to assume that aliens and others may pose a threat to dilute or overrun an already attained community of solidarity" (Benhabib 173). The Council appears to have created a cohesive galactic community, but it is quickly revealed that there are many more than the three on the Council. As the player is introduced to these races, it becomes clear that history is never one-sided and that cultural solidarity is never as black and white as it seems. Due to humans being a relatively infantile species, there are not a lot of preconceived notions, allowing them to garner many new perspectives all at once. It becomes difficult to distinguish the truth, as each culture seems to have its own history with each other.

The justification for the Genophage was the large-scale immigration in which the Krogan were embarking on the post-Rachni war. While the Krogan were engaging in levels of colonization, it was depicted as an infection. The Salarians described the Genophage as a cure for a virus. In American Germ Culture, Laura Diehl describes the history of illness and "foreigners." When discussing Lothrop Stoddard, she says, "Stoddard equated eugenic/racial threats with foul bacteria that had to be quarantined and eventually eliminated" (89). It is not the Council's decision to prevent the Krogan from colonizing other planets; it is the rhetoric and engagement in racial distinction that becomes concerning. By attacking the Krogan's genetics, they are engaging with science to play as pseudo-gods to establish their dominance and prevent extinction. How these three races approach intergalactic relations is indicative of supremacy. Their targeting of racial biases is not dissimilar to "nightmarish scenarios of white radical extinction" (Diehl 89). The Council does not seem to condemn extinction, but rather fear it for themselves.

4.      Conclusion

        At the end of my playthrough of the Mass Effect Trilogy, the Krogan had a future to fight for when it came to the final battle. While I had been told many “facts” about the Krogan, I realized they were just another species struggling with the grave condition of mortality. Despite the Council’s best efforts, the Krogan once again adapted to their condition and survived until they could finally fight for their bodily autonomy. This was not the first or final demonstration of the Council’s vindictive power, but it was the harshest. Not only did the Council pass judgment upon their borderline slaves, but they condemned them to a reality with no future. The Krogan are a species that has been misrepresented by a totalitarian regime disguised as self-proclaimed protectors and mediators of the galaxy.

Benhabib, Seyla “Democratic Iterations: the Local, the National, and the Global.” The Rights of Others: Aliens, Residents, and Citizens, by Seyla Benhabib, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2004, pp. 171–212. The Seeley Lectures.

Diehl, Laura. "American germ culture: Richard Matheson, Octavia Butler, and the (political) science of individuality." Cultural Critique, no. 85, fall 2013, pp. 84+.

Simmel, Georg “The Stranger: Georg Simmel, Translated by Ramona Mosse.” The Baffler, March, 2016, https://thebaffler.com/ancestors/stranger.

Mass Effect Legendary Edition, 2021, PC. Bioware. Electronic Arts

CSCL 3220W - Prof. Stockwell - 12.19.22

1.  Introduction

Video Games have fundamentally changed in the last two decades. What used to be coin-hungry exploitation machines have effectively become the next stage of choose-your-own adventure books. Games like Red Dead Redemption and The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt have redefined the medium's scope. Instead of chasing ghosts and pellets in Pac-Man, gamers are changing the course of human history and falling in love in Mass Effect. The medium is unique because it holds two creators: the first being the initial designer and the second being the player themselves. This intense immersion is due to the player's ability to interact with the objective world that lives within a game. Because players can change that world's dynamic, they become a part of the creation process themselves. The player's engagement progresses the "story" and thus the world they inhabit. Call of Duty's Zombies mode originated in the World War II shooter World at War. This game mode rejects the notion of immersion and instead uses the medium's unique systems to remind players that they are actively participating. This concept relates to Slavoj Zizek's essay Welcome to the Desert of the Real in that it rejects the notion of the "real thing." Call of Duty Zombies represents a style of game design in which the player is more engaged with the concept of interaction than immersion.

2.  Call of Duty Zombies

The game mode functions much like a coin-operated arcade machine. You load into one of many predesigned maps with nothing but a pistol and a knife. By killing zombies, players earn points to open doors, buy weapons, perks that give you abilities, and traps—these commodities you purchase become a part of your arsenal in surviving the rounds ahead. As more games were released, the formula stayed the same but incorporated new ways of creating ceilings to surpass. For example, a common staple of the series is a machine known as “Pack-a-Punch.” For a large number of points, you are able to put any weapon through the machine and double its power. Upgrading your weapon becomes a practical long-term goal for the player. Instead of focusing on just killing zombies, they also have to be aware of how they choose to spend their points. It becomes another system or mechanic to track. Most maps offer a themed wonder weapon that can be gambled for through a slot-machine-style mystery box or a series of complex tasks. The series creates no new incentives, just a better fighting chance. Over time, the game mode also developed a complex story discovered through hidden voice logs, environmental storytelling, cryptograms written on papers throughout the map, character voice lines, and most importantly, the easter egg questlines. The story is never outright shown, with the exception of cutscenes that play upon the completion of an easter egg. The player is never given time for immersion, as the story is found amongst the chaos. A narrative can only be compiled through analysis post-game.

When the player inevitably dies, they leave with nothing other than the information they have obtained and a number indicating the number of rounds they survived. Upon replay, the player has a working knowledge of the map and things they can expect. This allows for exponential progress as you work your way up to the higher rounds. Typically, a game would tell you how it is supposed to be played and then allow the player to spend time figuring out what they can actually do within the framework allowed. In Zombies, the player is given this knowledge by themselves through their own past experiences. The player is expected to survive unlimited hordes until they inevitably reach “Game Over.” However, this side project at Treyarch studios became an essential piece of gaming history due to how it effectively became its own genre. What puts this game aside from the others is its intrinsic ties to its medium. This game could not exist in any other form, for its goal is not immersion but rather a repetition. It wants you to know that you are playing a game so that you may learn from your past attempts and reset the clock to get a better experience. Call of Duty Zombies reflects the logic of round-based interaction and thus creates a template for immersion rather than immersion itself. This is most likely due to the consumeristic nature of Call of Duty’s parent publisher Activision.

Activision’s business strategies have become more apparent as the company has grown to the monumental heights it has. In 2020, “the Call of Duty franchise has surpassed over $3 billion in net bookings* over the last 12 months with key performance metrics across engagement and premium game sales at all-time, franchise highs over the period” (Walker). The most notable difference in their platform has been the deviation to a free-to-play model that functions as a store for the base games and microtransactions. This has impacted the Zombies mode heavily in the last two iterations due to the mode serving as a bonus feature rather than a highly produced paid DLC (downloadable content). Activision’s choices reflect the post-industrial nature of the gaming industry as we see the company prepare for long-term sustainability. This strategy serves as a causation for the design choices Call of Duty Zombies has made over the past decade.

While the mode originated with game developer Treyarch, it became a staple for the franchise. As a result, it has found itself in the hands of multiple other developers attempting to reimagine the mode. The game is ripe for this kind of experimentation, as it is merely a template that can be repainted infinite times to create a new experience. While each map serves as a sequel to the last, they could also be considered alternate versions of themselves. As not much mechanically changes each iteration.

3.  Desert of the Real

Slavoj Zizek discusses the nature of humanity's mode of perception during the post-industrial era. He describes it as a time when humans long for the "real thing." He says, "The authentic twentieth-century passion for penetrating the Real Thing (ultimately, the destructive Void) through the cobweb of semblances which constitutes our reality this culminates in the thrill of the Real as the ultimate 'effect.' (Zizek 12). The simulation of something real or a connection to the real is something that Zizek argues is innate to humans. He uses the example of cutting to illustrate how humans crave "to return to the Real of the body." The Real is not attainable, as it is merely our subjective perception of what it should and could be. Zizek refers to this as a "fundamental paradox," as the passion and pursuit of the real "culminates in its apparent opposite" (Zizek 9). When you find the Real, it is merely a simulated reality. A reality that conforms to your own conception of what the Real means to you. This is akin to the immersion that is found in Video Games.

I personally have found Rockstar's 2018 Red Dead Redemption 2 to be one of the most immersive experiences of my life. It is a game set in 1899 and tells the tale of a gang of outlaws running from the police and the changing times. As the turn of the century dawns and civilization begins making its way westward, the outlaws start to see that their way of life is coming to an end. The player takes the role of a man named Arthur Morgan, and a western epic unfolds. Due to the lack of narrative constraints, the player can freely roam the wild west and interact with the various towns and encounters the developers have created. In this case, the game wants you to meet it at your own pace. You discover the world rather than the developer showing you. Unlike Call of Duty Zombies, the player is given a cinematic platter of opportunities and scripted events. I became enamored with the hunting and fishing systems, as you could trade in hides to create outfits. These checklists became planning, camping, hunting, and resource management hours. Though, this all existed within the game itself as a feature rather than a necessity. In Zombies, if you run out of ammo, your experience is most likely over, whereas, within Red Dead, you can merely approach another activity.

These design philosophies are at odds, despite sharing the same goal of entertainment. This is the change in the industry to which I was referring. Many developers seek to create the Real for players, while others want to amass profits. Activision falls in the latter, and this can be seen in their most recent games to date. The multiplayer shooter is not going away and continues to be the cornerstone of capital in the industry. Games like Fortnite, Apex Legends, and Battlefield dominate player time and prove there is a formula for interactive-based media. These companies are incorporating marketing strategies into the game design by using in-game currency and microtransactions. The immersion in these games comes from when you are not playing them. When you earn in-game currency, you are not using that money in-game. You are using it to improve your chances the next time you play. Thus, Call of Duty Zombies exits outside of this framework, as there are only improvements in skill and knowledge. Though, the same design philosophy permeates throughout the maps and iterations.

4.  A Medium of Immersion

It is hard to define video games as a single term due to the variety of options and goals developers intend to achieve. The key correlation between all of them is interaction. Rafaello Bergonse explores this idea and comes to the conclusions that form to define the medium. The first is "A videogame is a mode of interaction between a player, a machine, and possibly also other players." The game is a conduit for the player to act upon a unique objective world that a developer has programmed. Marshall McLuhan states that the "Medium is the Message" and that a medium is "any extension of ourselves." Games, in this context, extend the developer's intentions to the player, yet once the player interacts with the medium, they to extend themselves to this objective world. Bergonse goes on to explain that the interaction "is mediated by a meaningful fictional context." Earlier, he clarifies, "fictional only in the sense that it is not real." The world has its own rules defined by the code it runs. For example, a video game may not abide by our laws of gravity, thus changing the objective nature of that world. Lastly, Bergonse claims that the interaction is "sustained by an emotional attachment between the player and the outcomes of her [their] actions." The player acts upon the medium and must deal with the reaction. This then connects them to the creation process of the medium itself as they are now interacting with new extensions of their actions within the objective world.

A player could interact with the game in a way that was not intended by the developer. Regarding Call of Duty Zombies, players have set speed run records for the questlines by manipulating the game world through glitches and knowledge of zombie spawns. The tight invisible walls meant to immerse the player become innate tools to complete a goal within the game's framework. This kind of manipulation has been around since the beginning of video games, but in the case of Zombies, it is seemingly an aspect of the design. A player would likely want to achieve more progress in the earlier rounds and, in the same respect, want to get through them quickly as the later rounds become more challenging and exciting. The player is beginning to understand the objective world through the literal mechanics rather than a narrative or set of subjective rules imposed by the developer.

5.  Conclusion

Both the player and developer must abide by their reliance on objectivity and subjectivity. Within a simulated reality, you have an objective world bound by laws and rules to function. The relationship between the developer’s and the player’s subjectivity creates immersive gameplay. In respect of Call of Duty Zombies, the game chooses to relinquish the developer’s subjectivity and merely offer it as a feature of the objective experience. This is due to a design philosophy meant to market further purchases within the other aspects of a Call of Duty title. Regarding interactive media in today’s market, the Real is a commodity that has been market tested for decades. It manifests itself in many ways but is simply a shadow of what consumers are looking for.

Bergonse, Rafaello. “Fifty Years on, What Exactly Is a Videogame? An Essentialistic Definitional Approach.” The Computer Games Journal., vol. 6, no. 4, 2017, pp. 239–255.

McLuhan, Marshall. Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1964.

Walker, Kyle. “Call of Duty Surpasses $3 Billion in Net Bookings over Last 12 Months as Activision Ignites a New Business Model.” Activision Blizzard, 4 Dec. 2020, https://investor.activision.com/news-releases/news-release-details/call-duty-surpasses-3-billion-net-bookings-over-last-12-months.

Žižek, Slavoj. Welcome to the Desert of the Real! : Five Essays on September 11 and Related Dates. London ; New York :Verso, 2002.