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Posted by: mister__joshua Jan 27 2014, 10:46 AM

Is this a reference to the Red Dwarf full immersion interactive game Better Than Life?

This is probably obvious and a stupid question, but I was watching old Red Dwarf yesterday and they were playing the BTL game. I haven't watched series 2 for years, since before I started playing Shadowrun, so I've never made the connection...

Also, old Red Dwarf is hilarious

Posted by: Manunancy Jan 27 2014, 11:56 AM

QUOTE (mister__joshua @ Jan 27 2014, 11:46 AM)

Is this a reference to the Red Dwarf full immersion interactive game Better Than Life?

This is probably obvious and a stupid question, but I was watching old Red Dwarf yesterday and they were playing the BTL game. I haven't watched series 2 for years, since before I started playing Shadowrun, so I've never made the connection...

Also, old Red Dwarf is hilarious

BTLs date back to the first edition, which predates Red Dwarf, thre's no influence here. They're based on Gibson's simsense concept, with the emotional track cranked up into highly addictive level.

Posted by: mister__joshua Jan 27 2014, 12:20 PM

Oh yeah, I meant the name more than the concept. It was strange that both were similar (full sensory simulations) and both called the same thing. Does the name have an origin in there also?

Posted by: Tymeaus Jalynsfein Jan 27 2014, 03:08 PM

Simsense is "More Real than Real" when cranked up to BTL Levels. Thus it is "Better than Life."
There is some explanation, but I do not have access to my 1st Edition Book (or Shadowbeat, which is a better reference).

Posted by: bannockburn Jan 27 2014, 03:35 PM

QUOTE (Manunancy @ Jan 27 2014, 12:56 PM)

BTLs date back to the first edition, which predates Red Dwarf, thre's no influence here.

Not actually true. RD came out first 1988, while SR came out in 1989.

Posted by: Sengir Jan 27 2014, 04:23 PM

But the idea of "memory entertainment media" dates back to Neuromancer at least...I'm not sure if Gibson included porn and more extreme stuff, but it seems like the logical consequence of any entertainment media. If it exists, there's porn of on it

The oldest book I can think of with BTL-like tech would be Hardwired ('86), anyone offer something earlier?

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