**3/21 Republic Assignment

Once more, philosophy. Revel in it's glory. Let's see the assignment today... oh, this looks interesting:

As usual you can develop your own prompt. If you do, keep in mind the guidelines I have written in the previous blogs.

Yes. I think I shall go with that today. Here goes nothing!

So then, my prompt for the day is as follows: On the first paragraph of page 37, Plato talks about how justice is still an undefined concept. If possible, connect this idea to anything you are currently reading.

Hmmm... let's see... what am I currently reading... How about McKenzie Wark's GAM3R 7H30RY? One of the main arguments McKenzie Wark makes in Gamer Theory is the idea of Analog vs. Digital, and how video games always have a defined set of rules, or an "Algorithm," if you will, and how the modern-day world tries to replicate said algorithm. As Wark puts it,: "Work is a rat race. Politics is a horse race. The economy is a casino. Even the utopian justice to come in the afterlife is foreclosed: He who dies with the most toys wins. Games are no longer a past time, outside or alongside of life. They are now the very form of life, and death, and time, itself. These games are no joke. When the screen flashes the legend game over, you are either dead, or defeated, or at best out of quarters."

Now, at first, one may think that that is a paradox. You may be thinking "But Justin... Video games are supposed to replicate reality, not the other way around. Video games are not but the shadows upon the wall, your computer room a cave, the outside world the light. Much like in the Allegory of the Cave, you act like one of the prisoners who were set free. And yet, despite your freedom, why do you decide to stay within the Cave, instead of head towards the light?" Wark makes the same connection between the Allegory, too, and here's what he says on it: "Suppose someone, a parent maybe, a teacher or some other guardian, drags you back out into the light and makes you stay there. It would still be blinding. You could not look directly at things. Maybe the guardian prints out some pics of your family or maybe a map of the neighborhood, to acclimatize you, before you can look at things. Gradually you see the people around you, and what it is that they do. Then perhaps you remember the immense, immersive games of The Cave™, and what passes for wisdom amongst those still stuck there. And so you return to The Cave™, to talk or text to the other gamers about this world outside. You communicate to fellow gamers in The Cave™ about the outside world of which The Cave™ is just a shadow. Or try to. Plato: “And if the cave-dwellers had established, down there in the cave, certain prizes and distinctions for those who were most keen-sighted in seeing the passing shadows, and who were best able to remember what came before, and after, and simultaneously with what, thus best able to predict future appearances in the shadow-world, will our released prisoner hanker after these prizes or envy this power or honor?”1 You bet! The Cave™ is a world of pure agon, of competitive striving after distinction. But suppose you are that rare, stray, thoughtful gamer who decides to try this new game of getting beyond the game again? Suppose you emerge from The Cave™ and decide to take stock of the world beyond? You find that this other world is in some curious ways rather like The Cave™. The pics of family, the map of the ‘hood, seem made of the same digital stuff as your favorites games inside The Cave™. If there is a difference, it may not be quite what it seems." Once again, the outside world is not all to different from the video game world. In fact, it may even be better. Everything has an algorithm. A set definition. An AI pattern. Do the same actions, you'll get the same results every time. Everything is digital. It's not at all like the real world, where everything is analog. Everything is a mess. Kick a soccer ball one day, it may head straight. Kick it within the last five seconds of the grand championship, and it may curve to the left and miss. Nothing is set. Nothing is defined. In the end, the video game world may be one shadow upon the wall, but the analog world is a light that is built from hundreds of thousands of shadows all congregating together. It's like a quilt. If you find a loose thread and tug on it long enough, eventually the entire thing falls apart.

DISCUSSION TERMINATED. END OF LINE.

Now, as always, here's the latest news from Clan Darkterror Productions: After some talk with the team, we're thinking that, if there is enough interest, we may start selling some Eternity's End merchandise once the game is out. The two most likely possibilities at the moment are artbooks and soundtracks, although if anyone can hook us up with a way to produce them, we may start selling items such as T-shirts, figurines, replica weapons (Made out of our favorite non-lethal material, plastic!), and... dare I say it? PLUSHIES. But if nobody is interested, it probably won't come to fruition! So, if you would like them, or if you wanna hook us up with a way to make this swag, either email us at eternitysendrecruiting@gmail.com, or head over to our forums and post in This topic!

Next up on the list: The demo of our first game. All the cool kids are playing it. Go check it out ;)

Third off: Voice acting and other oddjobs. Unless you want to be listed in the credits as "Additional voices," there's only one spot left (One specifically reserved for a female). So, better be quick!

Finally, The Devlog. Check it out to see what Clan Darkterror Productions is up to!