The video game "Deus Ex" plunges into a transhumanist future. Anticipation magazine spoke to the game's creators.
In the future of Deus Ex , transhumanism has become a model of society. From Deus Ex: Human Revolution ( 2011) to Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (2016), the creators of the video game explore the challenges of an augmented humanity by drawing inspiration from a reality that gives them more and more reason. The new Anticipation magazine , available in bookstores, spoke with Jean-François Dugas, executive director of the game, and André Vu, director of the franchise.
2027. Adam Jensen works as chief security officer for a multinational biotechnology company. His life is turned upside down when terrorists attack the company's headquarters. Seriously injured, a large part of his body must be replaced by cybernetic prostheses. These transplants give him improvements that will make him an augmented agent. This is the starting point of the video game Deus Ex: Human Revolution.
Improved vision, legs capable of running at superhuman speed, arms that can send 360 ° projectiles… Each augmentation can be used by the player as a weapon or as a tactical asset. Transhumanism serves here as a support for a playful use of the principle of augmented humanity. Beyond a simple futuristic action game, the developers have built a world filled with socio-political issues.
"The increases also generate social inequalities: the" augmented ", yet in the minority, form a new upper social class"
In the future of Deus Ex, transhumanism has become a model of society. Technology dominates everyday life and science can cure more and more diseases, allowing multinationals to acquire power that far exceeds that of states. A "mega-corporation" stands out: Sarif Industries. The latter successfully develops biotechnological augmentations, which are used for medical purposes… or simply for comfort, for the pleasure of improving certain capacities. The transhumanist society made in Deus Ex is far from being utopian. To counter the body's rejection of biotechnological augmentations, scientists invent a product: neuropozyne. In addition to being excessively expensive, this drug is similar to an addicting drug. The increases also generate social inequalities: the "augmented", yet in the minority, form a new upper social class. In the face of them, non-augmented humans are either too poor to afford augmentations, or morally opposed to the idea. Gradually, a conflict arises between these two fringes of society. The situation explodes when cybernetic prostheses around the world are hacked. Augmented people go “crazy” because of this hack, generating temporary chaos.
In the next opus, Mankind Divided , we find Adam Jensen two years after this hack. Players discover that this event has reconfigured social divisions. In 2029, the augmented are now excluded by public opinion. This is what the writers have called "mechanical apartheid": transhumans are victims of a form of racism and are ostracized in ghettos where they live only among themselves. Between acts of popular violence against the augmented, and the rebel actions of the latter, the world is more divided than ever. Jean-François Dugas, executive director of the game, and André Vu, director of the franchise, immerse us in the creative process that has shaped these Deus Ex video games.
Anticipation: What makes transhumanism particularly suitable as a background for designing a video game?
Jean-Francois Dugas: Transhumanism is on the rise. When we look at the scientific, medicinal or technological innovations that appeared and became democratized in the last decade of the 2000s, it is no exaggeration to say that we already live in a transhumanized world. From there, it becomes very stimulating when you are a designer to see how all these breakthroughs lead to more and more concrete results. It allows us to explore and anticipate where and how all of these developments may manifest - at the level of personal, social, professional relationships.
"At the narrative level, it is interesting to address the moral aspect of such a societal development"
Therefore, and quite naturally, this opens the way to an exploitation of the subject in gameplay: we can imagine all kinds of potential improvements that could be part of the toolbox of the soldier of tomorrow. At the narrative level, it is interesting to approach the moral aspect of such a societal evolution (with the choices to be made and the consequences which are attached to them). Visually, transhumanism gives the opportunity to explore a multitude of very inspiring myths and symbols to create a very conceptual experience. This is the long version of the answer, but I could very well have answered that transhumanism is suitable for a video game by the simple fact that it speaks of us as a species. And as human beings love to talk about themselves a lot through their beauty, their complexity, as well as their paradoxes,
Andre Vu : Ten years ago now, when we proposed to resurrect the Deus Ex franchise, transhumanism was not yet such a popular topic. There were few major productions that highlighted this subject. We saw it differently: we had a chance to offer a game, a quality immersive experience, which would have restored nobility to cyberpunk, so poorly represented. We had observed that the classic cyberpunk references would soon be outdated and we had the opportunity to bring this genre back up to date. By developing a more current approach, we wanted to offer a fresh vision, closer to what the future may hold in store for us. The leitmotif of Deus Ex is to be a window towards the future.
Are there any facts from the technological and scientific news that inspired you with elements of the game? And, conversely, have some of the technological elements that you imagined in Deus Ex been caught up by the recent news of innovations?
Jean-Francois Dugas: Before even thinking about the history of Deus Ex, the improvements of the main character and so on, we have had several sources of inspiration. We watched documentaries, read books on transhumanism, watched and dissected works of fiction that touch on the subject. It was important for us to start on solid foundations, not to try to invent what already exists. The thing that surprised me the most during our research in 2007 was the already very advanced level of technological and scientific reality.
"Everything is moving at such a breathtaking pace that it is not difficult to imagine that reality could overtake fiction soon ... probably well before 2027"
There were already many breakthroughs in academic and military research. Our approach was to bring to light, through Human Revolution and Mankind Divided, the concepts that were already in operation at the scientific level. These days I'm a little less on the lookout for all the latest breakthroughs, but everything is moving at such a mind-boggling pace that it's not hard to imagine that reality could overtake fiction anytime soon ... probably well before 2027, the year in which we play in Deux Ex: Human Revolution.
Andre Vu: We always try to model our franchise in today's world. We don't want to “invent”, but rather “extrapolate” what our society might be in the near future. As a result, there have indeed been times when we have been caught up in reality. Just look at the advancements in bionic technologies, especially for the arms. The arrival of tools such as 3D printers has made it possible to democratize the development of much more advanced prostheses, and at a cost that is increasingly affordable for ordinary people.
We also imagined how everyday situations could be upset by the arrival of "increases". For example, we had imagined a runner wearing bionic legs who would participate in the Olympic Games, and that this fictitious athlete would be seen as too advantaged compared to “pure” humans. We had proposed this fictitious case two years before Oscar Pistorius (former Paralympic athlete) tried to qualify for the Olympic Games in 2011. We had also “predicted” the bankruptcy of the city of Detroit, which did indeed happen. produced in 2013. It was not the first time that a situation imagined for the franchise had materialized in reality.
Deus Ex augmentations are very realistic, both visually and scientifically. Could you explain to us this design process which enabled you to achieve such a faithful representation of transhumanism? Have you worked with scientists specializing in prosthetics or even contacted transhumanists?
Jean-Francois Dugas : From the start, we set ourselves objectives on the representation of Human 2.0 with the idea of creating an experience that is both playful and rooted in "reality". We were lucky because science came to us almost by magic! We announced very early, through a teaser, that we were working on a new Deus Ex. Shortly after, we were contacted by a certain Will Rosellini, director of a company working on transhuman technologies. He simply offered his services to help us in the authenticity of our game. We jumped at the opportunity and that was the beginning of our collaboration. We have met several times, in order to present our ideas and that he can make them scientifically plausible. I am delighted with the result, because even if some of the improvements in the game are not ready to see the light of day, they are still based on real scientific principles. This is what leads me to believe that it is only a matter of time (scientific progress, resolution of ethical concerns…) before reality overtakes fiction.
"Many players have told us that these games had marked them and that they were now studying biomechanics, neurosciences or other areas of advanced technology"
Andre Vu:Most of the time, we have indeed been approached by scientists passionate about science fiction. They themselves wished to help us in our process of wanting to make our universe as credible as possible. After the release of Deus Ex: Human Revolution and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, many players told us that these games had marked them and that they were now studying biomechanics, neurosciences or other areas of technology. peak. It's flattering and we feel a little proud to have been able to help certain players find their vocation. Very recently, a passionate player, who is also a genetic researcher, contacted us to tell us about the latest advances in CRISPR / Cas9 technology (these famous genetic scissors allowing DNA modification),
We also had a great collaboration with Open Bionics, which gave life to a real bionic arm inspired by that of Adam Jensen, our main character. This allows us to show the most recent advances and to prove that they are now part of our daily life, no longer just the realm of science fiction.
At the end of Human Revolution, the story ends with a disaster in which all augmented are hacked. Their increases run out of control, causing carnage. What gave you this idea?
Jean-Francois Dugas:The idea came quite early in the creative process. The central story and the theme of the game revolving around transhumanism, with its good and bad sides, it was imperative to come full circle in a dramatic way to thus put on the table a difficult final choice. During the adventure, we explore both sides of the debate, the underlying question being that progress is a beautiful thing for our species and can bring many benefits, but what happens when these advances fall between wrong hands? Although transhumanism opens the door to a positive future, it also poses a multitude of questions about privacy, our dependence on science and those who control it, etc. Our goal was not to scare or paint a grim portrait of transhumanism,
In the sequel, Mankind Divided, there is a mechanical apartheid. “Return to human” laws restrict the rights of the augmented, who inspire hatred and fear, sometimes even living in ghettos. What made you imagine the possibility of another apartheid like this?
Jean-Francois Dugas:The end of Human Revolution describes a tragedy where millions of people have died directly or indirectly from the sudden and inexplicable insanity of the augmented… at least, from a public opinion perspective, since no one really knows the truth. In the end, many come to think that transhumanism can only lead to problems. Mankind Divided is a bit like the day after a binge. The moment when we say to ourselves: “never again”. Then, we get back in shape after a few days and we reassess our promise over a drink with friends! In fact, Mankind Divided explores the emotional reaction to a tragedy that is much more complex than appearances suggest. So, although superior in many ways,
In general, how does your gaming community perceive playing an augmented human like Adam Jensen?
Jean-Francois Dugas : I cannot answer for the players, because the question is quite personal. On the other hand, I have met people with physical disabilities who told me that Deus Ex gave them hope that their future could be improved thanks to scientific advances. Others have written to me to tell me that thanks to Deus Ex: Human Revolution, they have found their way in life: helping people by becoming a doctor or even a researcher.
For a long time, video games were seen as just entertainment, but we feel that Deus Ex is a little more, with this desire to better understand the issues of technology and transhumanism by literally plunging into such a future. Do you think that video games are a privileged vehicle for thinking about our technological future?
Jean-Francois Dugas: Video games, in addition to their playful aspect, can be real vehicles for a multitude of subjects. For me, technologies and transhumanism are just one of many subjects. Games have this power to take the audience deep within themselves, since interactivity allows for an emotional experience (even if others just want to have fun). Games have the potential to do both, and that's what drives me as a developer.
"It is important that more introspective games also exist"
Andre Vu: Our fans really appreciate being able to explore a rich universe that poses real political and social questions. This feeling is reinforced by the freedom of playstyle that Deus Ex offers, as well as by the choices made by the players during the adventure, which systematically have consequences. All video games are not necessarily intended to offer deep thinking, we must not forget that it is above all, of course, entertainment. But I think it's important that more introspective games also exist.
Ok.