Are We Living in a Cyberpunk Dystopia?

[Selastan]

Current events here in America got me thinking...things aren't great here. Wealth inequality and corporations owning the politicians, along with our current level of technical achievements...are we living in a cyberpunk dystopia by definition? We live in a society where a man can get sick, get an artificial organ, go in debt to pay for it, and spend the rest of his life working off that debt for a corporation that all but writes the laws. All while a robot cleans his house, his car drives itself, and he carries a computer in his pocket. I know I've seen it joked about before, 'haha why play Cyberpunk 2077 when we are living in a cyberpunk world right now?' but I'm asking seriously...are we living in a cyberpunk world right now? Out of all the dystopian futures science fiction writers have dreamed in the past, is that the one that ultimately came to be? (At least, in America?)

[Radaney]

Can't get a cool mech arm to fix my actual arm so no.

[omeomorfismo]

nope, a state can still beat the fuck out of any corporation with its military

[Selastan]

nope, a state can still beat the fuck out of any corporation with its military

But the corporations own that state. Is a paramilitary private army necessary when the Commander in Chief in the pocket?

[Themius]

nope, a state can still beat the fuck out of any corporation with its military

But the corporations have de facto control of the military

[Milchshake]

No, it's just a boring dystopia.
More social media than cyber.
More incel than punk.

Basically a dystopia for/of lazy gamers. Because IRL dystopia involves work.

[Edge-]

No, it's just a boring dystopia.
More social media than cyber.
More incel than punk.

Seriously. I mean, I recently upgrade my rig with more RBG and all that good bullshit but like...there's approximately 97% too little neon and smog for a cyberpunk dystopia.

[ParanoiD84]

Dunno about you but we have it very sweet here. Plus a shit ton of snow too atm a rare sight these days in southern sweden.

[downnola]

No, it's just a boring dystopia.
More social media than cyber.
More incel than punk.

Basically a dystopia for/of lazy gamers. Because IRL dystopia involves work.

You saw the reaction to Rockstar announcing a female protagonist in GTA 6, too eh?

[Edge-]

You saw the reaction to Rockstar announcing a female protagonist in GTA 6, too eh?

Gamers were a mistake.

How am I supposed to identify with a purple dragon? I can't enjoy that game. I AM NOT A PURPLE FUCKIN DRAGON!

[Milchshake]

You saw the reaction to Rockstar announcing a female protagonist in GTA 6, too eh?

Gamers hating the Liberal Arts part of games (story, character development, cool art). I'm shocked!

[Selastan]

You saw the reaction to Rockstar announcing a female protagonist in GTA 6, too eh?

Wait, not only is GTA 6 confirmed but the protag as well? I'm out of the loop. And have those people never played Tomb Raider or Portal??

[PC2]

No because a dystopia implies that we are living in a time with particularly high levels of poverty and violence and usually human health outcomes and freedom is much lower than before. Aside from the temporary effects of Covid I would say none of this is true to any meaningful extent. In fact if you look at the statistical data for the whole world you'd have a hard time arguing that we are not living in the best era in human history.

[prwraith]

You saw the reaction to Rockstar announcing a female protagonist in GTA 6, too eh?

I mean, gta should know their target audience lmao. If nothing else they could you know, have 2 chars and adjust dialogue as necessary.

[Selastan]

I mean, gta should know their target audience lmao. If nothing else they could you know, have 2 chars and adjust dialogue as necessary.

Don't think that would work. Rockstar are all about that story focus. They aren't about having generic characters with filler dialog. At least, not since GTA III.

[prwraith]

Don't think that would work. Rockstar are all about that story focus. They aren't about having generic characters with filler dialog. At least, not since GTA III.

It's ballsy.

They're not going to bring in a new audience by having a female protagonist. And they risk alienating some of the old audience. I'm not sure on the cost benefit analysis of this one.

[Edge-]

It's ballsy.

They're not going to bring in a new audience by having a female protagonist. And they risk alienating some of the old audience. I'm not sure on the cost benefit analysis of this one.

"We're hamstringing our creative freedom to pander to a bunch of sensitive manbabies who can't 'identify' with a fictional digital character unless they think it has the same genitalia that they do." isn't the strong argument that one might think.

Though I guess the "gamer" backlash to literally anything that's not giving them more roided out white dudes is pretty apt for the dystopian cyberpunk future in a way.

[prwraith]

"We're hamstringing our creative freedom to pander to a bunch of sensitive manbabies who can't 'identify' with a fictional digital character unless they think it has the same genitalia that they do." isn't the strong argument that one might think.

Though I guess the "gamer" backlash to literally anything that's not giving them more roided out white dudes is pretty apt for the dystopian cyberpunk future in a way.

I mean art should absolutely not be restrained. 100% agree.

However, video games are more a business than art yea? And I agree it's silly to pander to manchilds. But if you're marking say a gay rights movie to the kremlin, it's probably not going to be as successful as it is literally anywhere else ya'know?

The art is preserved, and the message is preserved, but is it a sustainable business model? idk

[Selastan]

It's ballsy.

They're not going to bring in a new audience by having a female protagonist. And they risk alienating some of the old audience. I'm not sure on the cost benefit analysis of this one.

We have had female protagonists forever. Unless GTA's targeted audience is specifically male bigots (which it isn't) I don't think it will matter for either positive or negative. And even still, if it did, they wouldn't care. They have a new formula now: Artsy single player experience with deep crime drama, social commentary, and someone betraying you to become final boss. Then they take their lovingly crafted open world, hand it over to the B team, and let the micropayments roll in from the online mode they build with it. That's their gold mine. They can have their cake and eat it too.

Also, isn't this getting a bit off topic?

[Pony Soldier]

I haven't played Cyberpunk yet so I can't say but I can say this country is starting to look more and more like George Orwell's 1984 where you're considered a criminal even a terrorist for believing in certain things and anything that voices those same beliefs and opinions are censored and silenced. When Muslims were being called terrorists because of their religion and because of the few extremists people were right away up to defend their right to believe in their religion but now that it's political people support the silencing and censoring of people who have different opinions and beliefs.

What's scarier is that people actually support this. No matter where you align politically everyone should be against censoring other people's beliefs. In other words EVERYONE should be against violating our right to freely speak. Just because you think it's wrong doesn't give you the right to take their voice away like that.