Westworld

Work Title: Westworld
Medium: Film
Episode Title:
Year: 1973
Writer(s): Michael Crichton
"Original" Writer: Yes Own work?: Yes
Summary:

from amazon.com A futuristic amusement park becomes a deathtrap when the androids and computer systems used in it begin to murderously run amok.

  • Self-Written?:
  • Source Name: Amazon
  • Source URL:
Era/Year of Portrayal: near_future
Distinctive characteristics of the world in portrayal:

Through technological advances, robots are almost indistinguishable from humans in appearence and action. People vacation in amusement parks populated by robots.

Technology

  • Name of portrayed presence-evoking technology: robots
  • Description of the technology: The robots look totally human, except for small impefections in thier hands. They can speak, act and make love like real humans. People interact with robots as if they are humans. However, people "kill" the robots with no regard to human life, pointing out robots lack of humanity. Generally, the robots are very submissivess, unless they are programmed to be somewhat agressive. But they always let the humans win fights - until something goes wrong.
  • Nature of task or activity: Humans play cards, have sex, fight, kill, and speak with the robots. They interact as if the robots are human.
  • Performance of the Technology: It functions well until the end of the movie, when the robots disregard thier progamming and go on a murderous rampage, eventually killing all the guests in the amusement park, save one.
  • Description of creator(s): Unknown.
  • Major goal(s) of creator(s): to entertain guests - make money for park.
  • Description of users of technology: Guests of the park are male and female, mostly white, wealthy to pay for the vacation. They are ready for stimulation, and have loose morals.
  • Type(s) of presence experience in the portrayal: both
  • Description of presence experience: The presence experience is enjoyable, at first. Sex and violence are carried out with no reprecussions, and the vacation is very enjoyable in that the guest is completely submerged in a reality very differernt than his or her typical reality.The choose between the American West of 1880's, Roman World, or Midevil World, all populated by robots. However, then a malfunction causes the robots to killl all of these guests.
  • User awareness of technology during experience: Yes.
  • Valence of experience: Pleasent, until they die.
  • Specific responses: They users enjoy themselves, gain thrills through usually illicit activities, have adrelin rushes, and much stiumulation through interaction with the robots.
Long-term consequences:

sad ending. the robots kill all of the guests, except one who destoys a robot, which is huting him, with acid and fire.

Other:

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