Theos-Talk Archives (April 1994 Message tl00022)

Howdy, all!

I need some help with a project I'm working on and I don't have the
requisite scholarship to make it the best it can be in any kind of
reasonable timeframe.  If you're game, here's the deal:

The whole computer revolution has long intrigued me and in it I see a
huge opportunity for Theosophy to broaden the audience for its
teachings.  I think the world would a better place for it.  I think
CD-ROM has huge potential, so that's one thought, but the kicker would
be to create a video game.  Think about it.  Why are video games so
addictive? They mirror the ultimate reality.  You begin your first
incarnation with no clue, no skills, and you get wasted.  Time and time
again you get new life, you become more skilled, more highly evolved in
the world that comprises the environs of the game.  I think many people
respond to them because they reflect the true reality, even if it's
only a subconscious appreciation.

Anyway, I think the format of a video game is the perfect vehicle for
teaching.  A player is highly motivated to learn the rules of game's
world in order to win.  These games are often a welcome respite from
the 10 o'clock news, so an environment where you CAN affect your future
and control your environment is enormously appealing.  Why do you think
Rambo is so popular? That guy controls his environment.  He does it
violently, but you can't deny the appeal of having the ability to
remove any obstacles that set you back.  For anyone who thinks that
Rambo is a lousy role model for people to have, I agree.  But show me
an equally appealing alternative.  I think Mother Theresa is the living
embodiment of ahimsa and is a heroic figure, but she just doesn't have
the appeal of a Rambo.  I want to create an environment where someone
can becomesomething of a spiritual Rambo - not a psychic telepathic
shoot-em-up, but something that gives immediate feedback, instant
gratification for a culture that demands it.  If I'm pandering to the
lowest common denominator, so be it.  We can sit in a spiritual ivory
tower and say people should have the necessary discipline.  I say if
they never even hear of Theosophy, they'll never know what they're
missing.  I want to take it to them as mental fast food; give them a
taste, but always tell them where to buy all kinds of sushi once they
find they like the California roll.  That's the basic concept, anyway.

I have most of the tools I need: I work for a division of Apple
Computer and have access to good computers, video editing equipment,
morphing software, and CD-ROM authoring tools.  I have a strong
background in computers, I can program and do graphic design, I've been
studying film-making and script writing and I have a pretty good feel
for a story with a hook.  I pretty much have what I need to make a
pretty and polished interactive CD-ROM, so that's all set.  This format
also serves my goal of service to others on a large scale.  A properly
distributed CD-Rom can reach thousands, maybe tens of thousands.  If
you want to change the world, it'll probably go faster if you change
big chunks at a time.

As you can imagine, the catch is creating a scenario and a hero to
rival Rambo in appeal and Sai Baba for divinity in action.  I only have
a fuzzy concept at the moment.  I can digitize video clips with full
sound and incorporate real life encounters into the concept of the
game.  A player can then make choices in response to the life
situations which will then determine future life situations and
preclude others.  Like life, choices will create the future, so it
would be conceivable for the life of the game to be completely
different based on choices made early in the game.  I'm toying with the
concept of a spiritual toolboox containing tools such as christianity,
hinduism, etc.  to use as a guide for a response to a given situation
or as a direction for life.  I'm also interested in incorporating
concepts from a book called How To Stop Crime written by a former chief
of police.  He maintains that crime will always be with us until we
deal with the underlying problems of discrimination, poverty, and all
the rest.  Maybe he'd want to be digitized and spread his message.  The
game could react to people not acting to counter such thinking by
having them be victimized by the consequences of such a world.  It
would be kind of like starring in your own movie, but the script is
determined by your actions.

That's my rough idea.  I wanted to get feedback from anyone who's
interested.  Any better ideas out there? What concepts should be
highlighted? How? Any less surreal alternatives to the spiritual
toolbox? How about an ethereal master, although to me that smacks of
Jiminy Cricket to the world at large, but then again, why not? If you
had the power to change the world in a big way, how would you do it?
How about story lines? All I have in mind at the moment are pretty
obvious confrontations with gang members, the homeless, etc.  Pretty
obvious.  Any ideas for something more subtle? How about a goal.  Every
good quest or adventure needs a good goal.  James Bond always gets to
save the world.  A lot of people like to watch James Bond movies.
There's always a lot at stake.  If you believe Nostradamus, there's a
lot at stake these days.  Want to save the world?

I'd love to hear your thoughts out there...

Take Care,

Chris