The X-Files: First Person Shooter

Work Title: The X-Files: First Person Shooter
Medium: TV Episode
Episode Title: First Person Shooter
Year: 2000
Writer(s): William Gibson
"Original" Writer: Yes Writer(s): Tom Maddox
"Original" Writer: Yes Own work?: Yes
Summary:

The Lone Gunmen call Mulder and Scully to a Virtual Reality development lab where they learn that one of the program testers was killed inside the computer generated game environment by the digital image of a woman. Needing to get his yah-yah's, Mulder enters the game to fight the woman but Scully must step in to save him. http://www.tv.com/xfiles/first-person-shooter/episode/642/summary.html

Era/Year of Portrayal: present_day
Distinctive characteristics of the world in portrayal:

This was aired in 2000 and takes place in present day.

Technology

  • Name of portrayed presence-evoking technology: virtual reality; a character named Maitreya.
  • Description of the technology: The VR is a game, which people enter and play. The goal is kill or be killed. In order to play, users wear a suit which moniters body stats and gives shocks. It appears very real, yet is digital. The character, Maitreya, is digital - yet is really killing people. She interacts as if a real person, but super human - faster, stronger, able to dissapear and reappear.
  • Nature of task or activity: Within the VR, it is kill or be killed. Very violent, guns and knives.
  • Performance of the Technology: It functions as first, then the rouge character, Maitreya, begins to kill players. So, it breaks down and eventually is destroyed.
  • Description of creator(s): The VR was created by computer geeks: a man in his 20's, very nerd like, and an equally nerd like, yet attractive, female computer geek in her 20's. The lone gunmen, 3 occasionally characters on the x-files, were consultants. They are three very
  • Major goal(s) of creator(s): The game was created for primarily 2 reasons: to entertain and for profit. Mulder and Scully debate the ulterior motives, such as cathartic bloodlust.
  • Description of users of technology: The users are all male and in their 20's, except for Mulder and Scully.
  • Type(s) of presence experience in the portrayal: both
  • Description of presence experience: The presence experience is enthralling and realistic, but users are aware they are in a game. They feel as if they are really shooting and being shot at. If they die, they are shocked by the suit, with real voltage. While it just may be a game, Maitreya actually kills the player - he is dead in real life as well.
  • User awareness of technology during experience: They are aware they are using the game and thus don't expect Maitreya to actually kill them in real life.
  • Valence of experience: Until they die, they enjoy playing the game.
  • Specific responses: They are excited and enjoy playing the game, as evidenced by raised heart rates and yells of pleasure. I suppose as they played they would get better at killing the virtual people. However, Maitreya killed the players before they could improve.
Long-term consequences:

The consequences were negative - players were killed in the game by the rouge character. At the end, the creator was sad becuase the game had to be destroyed - however, while the game was destroyed, the character was not. There is hope for a new game. Presumably, a violent game.

Other:

The VR was depicted as a negative, violent place. A place where men engaged in violent pursuits, but ulitmatly, needed a woman to save them. Thus, while men were players, women ran the game.

Coder name: Amanda Scheiner
Coder email: amandags@temple.edu
Coder affiliation: Temple University