Nanoconfigurations: from gameplay to transhumanism content promotion

Abstract

Nanotechnology’s invisibility regularly connects its representations to the products in which it is implemented. However, cultural industries contributions, in particular video games, allow them to situate and project it in the near future and to merge it with a set of applications to which it is closely linked. The strategy for promoting and disseminating nanotechnology’s content involves a plurality of cultural industries and media-mix, which combines new interactive media (e.g. videogames) with traditional cultural industries, such as television. Thus, we intend to understand nanotechnology’s implementation and divulgation strategies in the Deus Exfranchise, focusing on the narratives and gameplay aspects of Deus Ex: Human Revolution, and on video promotional contents for Deus Ex: Mankind Divided. Using Lakatos’ ‘research program’ and visual socio-anthropology (based on visual economics) we aim to illustrate some configurations that this franchise confers on nanotechnology and how it promotes a new vision of society and social conflicts that emerge from it. The focus on a future reality and the explicit visual connection with transhumanism allowed gamers to control nanotechnology uses, define the different areas they want to invest in, choose the types of societal organization they want, and encounter social problems such as apartheid, stigma, genocide and social control practices.