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Living under capitalism can be a frustrating experience. More than frustrating, it can be tiring, stressful, depressing, and, in some cases, even traumatizing (( Durvasala, Ramani, PhD. “Capitalism and compassion: Can they coexist?” American Psychological Association. 2016. )). For such heavy, pent-up emotions, catharsis — release — is needed, and when catharsis is needed, people often turn to art. Art is no stranger to the frustrations of capitalism. Often, it has sought to analyze, explain, and critique capitalism’s many facets. Multiple genres of literature are dedicated to breaking down its evils.
There are paintings and sculptures depicting the lower class’s variable sufferings and the wasteful decadence of the upper class in every museum. From documentary to the fantasy film, movies of all kinds have run anti-capitalist themes through their narratives. The list goes on. Every art form has pieces that criticize capitalism either directly or in the abstract because catharsis works both ways. It can be found in both the consumption and in the creation of art.
Naturally, with its own burgeoning rise as an art form, video games and their creators have sought to lend their own perspectives to the dialogue of anti-capitalism. This, in turn, opens the door to a strange, new method of catharsis for players, who can now act out their wildest dreams, subverting and fighting against direly capitalist societies. There is, however, a concern to be had. It is natural, yes that art would progress in strange new ways with the advancement of technology. However, art and technology do not exist in a vacuum. They are not outside of political and economic systems.
Art especially does not just look at capitalism and critique it; art exists within the system. The technology of video games is, unfortunately, inherently tied to capitalism as a marketable product. With this in mind, how, then, can triple-A games — the games created by the capitalist, corporate entities, the games that are the most widespread and popular — create a genuine, thoughtful critique of capitalism? And, in those terms, can we truly accept the catharsis we experience playing said games?
New Cybernetics, Old Thematics
In recent years, quite a few video games — both triple-A and indie titles — have come out with anti-capitalist themes running through them to varying degrees. This shouldn’t be too surprising; there have been two economic recessions in recent memory. The wealth gap between the rich and poor seems to be increasing exponentially, and the minimum wage hasn’t matched the inflation rate in decades, among other things.
People are stressed and searching for some catharsis. Understandably, game developers might work anti-capitalist rhetoric into their work, just as any other artist might. Most of these game developers fall into the indie category. There are still a decent number of triple-A titles, however, the most recent and most obvious being CD Projekt’s “Cyberpunk 2077,” which released this past December.
The game’s main title word, “cyberpunk,” is not a new invention. As a literary genre, “Cyberpunk” came to prominence in the 1980s and has since been known for heavily analyzing and criticizing corporations, their power structures, and how they interact with capitalism. It’s been a retreat into an anti-capitalist catharsis for over half a century now. “Cyberpunk 2077” seems to be no exception and, on the surface, takes its namesake to heart. The setting for the game’s narrative is a capitalistic megacity controlled by surprisingly cruel megacorporations, and players, as the main character, V, are often put in direct contest with said megacorporations. Players are put in the position to make choices that let V dismantle these companies’ authority.
The specific anti-capitalist catharsis method provided by “Cyberpunk 2077” is clear; the game provides players the ability to act out a personal vendetta against a capitalist structure. It lets them become a rebel against corporate hegemony and brings catharsis for deep-seated anger against wrongs done by faceless corporate executives.
Corporate Lies
There is an unfortunate irony in how faceless executives of a similar caliber to those in “Cyberpunk 2077” have done wrong against the game’s developers. Long before the game came out, CD Projekt was quite vocal about refusing to perform what is known as “crunch,” a practice in the gaming industry that mandates employees work extensive hours to meet a deadline (( Hall, Charlie. “Cyberpunk 2077 has involved months of crunch, despite past promises.” Polygon. 4 December 2020 )). It often involves working upwards of 60 hours a week and forces developers to set aside their personal life and even their health to finish a game. Because of this, crunch is often frowned upon by the public, but it remains a common practice within triple-A studios.
Despite their numerous public promises, CD Projekt went back on their word in the end. There are reports that some developers were pulling 100 hour work weeks and 16 hour days to finish “Cyberpunk 2077 (( Strickland, Derek. “CD Projekt RED devs working 100 hour work weeks on Cyberpunk 2077.” Tweaktown. 27 October 2020. )). Knowing this, how are players supposed to interpret the anti-capitalist underpinnings of the game? How are they supposed to feel during moments where NPCs comment on corporations’ cruelty or their 80 hour work weeks and low pay? What does it mean to act out a revolution against an oppressor when that act could be made real momentarily?
The answer to each of these questions is nothing. CD Projekt does not care how “Cyberpunk 2077” is interpreted, what it makes players feel, or what it means to the real world. It saw the popularity of anti-capitalist action online, among other things, and chose to capitalize on it. In this, CD Projekt’s actions cheapen and hollow the themes of “Cyberpunk 2077” and makes it clear that what matters is not art but their bottom line.
An Industry Of Crunch
Crunch and hollow sentiments are not unique to CD Projekt. There are other triple-A games with anti-capitalist notions that fall prey to their publishers’ and developers’ greed. The “Bioshock” franchise contains overtly anti-capitalist messages. Yet, its developer studio, Irrational Games, was eventually revealed to have a toxic and competitive office culture as well as multiple periods of crunch (( Plante, Chris. “The final years of Irrational Games, according to who was there.” Polygon. 6 March 2014. )).
Another example is “Doom (2016),” which is more subtle and layers anti-corporate and anti-capitalist notions through its waves of demon hordes. Yet its publisher, Bethesda, has also admitted to practicing “every type of crunch you can imagine. (( Knoop, Joseph. Todd Howard Reflects on Crunch at Bethesda and Across Industry – IGN Unfiltered. IGN., 5 June, 2019. )).”
Crunch and the toxic offices are also just the tips of the iceberg. Unionizing has been an uphill battle for developers, as studios and publishers fight them every step of the way. These companies take their cues from Silicon Valley, where unions are seen as threats to productivity and profit rather than employee protection. They would rather compensate for their employees’ loss of health and free time with monthly pizza parties instead of safe work practices (( Colwill, Tim. “Game developers need to unionize.” Polygon. 19 January 2019. )).
To Find Catharsis In Reform
What does all this mean for catharsis? It’s clear that, without massive reforms, triple-A game companies cannot create a genuine critique of capitalism, and that knowledge mitigates any catharsis one might experience. With the way things currently are, it seems that ignorance is the only way for one to experience genuine catharsis while playing these games. However, ignorance serves only to allow these major corporations to continue harming their workers.
While catharsis is important, it shouldn’t be sacrificial, and claiming workers’ lives for your own gain is antithetical to anti-capitalist philosophies. In the end, ignorance doesn’t work. As mentioned earlier, there are plenty of anti-capitalist video game titles made by smaller companies whose business practices reflect their games’ messages. If you are still interested in playing games with anti-capitalist sentiments, then seek them out. “Disco Elysium” by ZA/UM is one such title, and “The Outer Worlds” by Private Division and Obsidian Entertainment is another.
Beyond seeking out alternatives, however, it is important to consider the art you consume. If you find that it operates as a facade, take pause, as simply seeking out alternatives won’t solve the issues at hand. The problems within the gaming industry — the lack of unionization and the obsessive use of crunch tactics — won’t be solved that way. Genuine art cannot be produced, and genuine catharsis cannot be obtained, whether anti-capitalist or not, so long as the games made in this industry are done at the cost of others’ lives.
