The Press in the Sixth World Options

[Socinus]

Is there anywhere that details the state of journalism and news outlets in the Sixth World?

I found a few things with Horizon but almost nothing beyond that.

[CanRay]

Shadowrun Missions 4. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

[Paul]

If you have access to older source books there's a few things.

[Socinus]

If you have access to older source books there's a few things.

Do you know which books offhand?

[Paul]

Yeah let's see going way back obviously there is Shadow Beat, a whole book dedicated that sort of thing; I believe but don't have immediately on hand that the Sprawl Survival Guide makes mention of media outlets; The original Corporate Shadowfiles has some mention of media stuff in various spots; I believe one of the Threats books covers KSAF-a media outlet and it's relationship with some unknown source.

There may be more, and I'll try to recall which would be useful for you.

[Socinus]

Thank you (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Paul]

I have them all so if you come across something you need a reference to let me know. I have a lot of free time on my hands right now-so I might as well be useful for something.

[ravensmuse]

I thought KSAF was in Threats.

Oh, and Shadowbeat, Shadowbeat, Shadowbeat.

[3278]

Also, Shadowbeat is a good source. If I'm not mistaken, Threats features KSAF. ;)

[Wakshaani]

Keep in mind, Shadowbeat, a book I ADORE, was written back in the day when we had newspapers and journalism. By 2050, let alone 2072, we may well have no newspapers left and we'll have Infotainment Journalism instead, where bias is expected in all sources. We might also have a more forceful Blogosphere and a lack of an Associated Press.

These concepts didn't *exist* back in Shadowbeat days.

A modern rewrite could be very, very different.

What I can tell you, however, is that every news media and channel listed in Shadowrun is now owned by a mega, and each mega spins their news in freindly ways, and as a weapon against their competitors. Pirate media used to be a Thing, back when Neo-Anarchy was pushed more by the line, but I don't think it's been mentioned since 2000 or so.

Have I mentioned that I want a new Shadowbeat? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[CanRay]

RPGs are owned by Large Corporations now, too... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

[Wakshaani]

True, true, but some are owned by small time operators, indy folks, and so on.

Do you think that there's a PBS in the UCAS in 2073, however?

(And I suddenly can't recall if there was in Shadowbeat. To the cloest!)

[Critias]

[grouchy rant not necessarily entirely Wak's fault]

A modern rewrite could be very, very different.

Yeah, but fuck modern rewrites.

Shadowrun isn't, shouldn't be, and never really has been, a realistic look at what our actual real-world future will hold. Retconning awesome things -- like Shadowbeat, and all that it entails -- out because technology in real life has progressed is a pattern of behavior I absolutely detest. I grudgingly accept the sudden prevalence of wireless technology because it, in theory, lets the matrix overlap a little more with the meat world, and lets the crew's electronics guy hang out with the rest of the team a little more on jobs.

But more than that? Introducing more Shadowrun tech that's based purely on real world tech, or more removing of perfectly cool Shadowrun tech because real world tech makes it obsolete? Screw that noise, man. I get enough reality in my reality. I want Shadowrun to make sense in the Shadowrun universe, established for over twenty years now, not in the real one.

Bah. "Modern rewrite." Get off my lawn!

[/rant]

[CanRay]

Careful Critias, Bull might want his rocking chair and Panther Assault Cannon back.

[bibliophile20]

Careful Critias, Bull might want his rocking chair and Panther Assault Cannon back.

Does the lawn have foxholes and/or impact craters? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cyber.gif)

[CanRay]

Does the lawn have foxholes and/or impact craters? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cyber.gif)

No idea, it's not my lawn.

[Blade]

If you click the "Style and Substance" link in my sig, you'll find my work in progress book about Culture (and Style, though right now it's mostly Culture) in the 6th world. There's a part here about medias. Though it doesn't particularly clash with canon, it's still just my own point of view of how medias are in the 6th world.

@Critias: Good to know that a freelancer thinks like this. Many things I've read in the latest books made me feel like it was 2011 with cyber and magic, rather than the 6th world in 2070.

[Wakshaani]

Believe me, I'm *much* happier keeping it Shadowbeatish (New word!) than a full extrapolation. Heck, I still want the Rocker archetype back. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[ravensmuse]

[grouchy rant not necessarily entirely Wak's fault]


Yeah, but fuck modern rewrites.

Shadowrun isn't, shouldn't be, and never really has been, a realistic look at what our actual real-world future will hold. Retconning awesome things -- like Shadowbeat, and all that it entails -- out because technology in real life has progressed is a pattern of behavior I absolutely detest. I grudgingly accept the sudden prevalence of wireless technology because it, in theory, lets the matrix overlap a little more with the meat world, and lets the crew's electronics guy hang out with the rest of the team a little more on jobs.

But more than that? Introducing more Shadowrun tech that's based purely on real world tech, or more removing of perfectly cool Shadowrun tech because real world tech makes it obsolete? Screw that noise, man. I get enough reality in my reality. I want Shadowrun to make sense in the Shadowrun universe, established for over twenty years now, not in the real one.

Bah. "Modern rewrite." Get off my lawn!

[/rant]

I agree with you, to a point.

CGL should never update Shadowrun to be on par with the world of the 2010s. We've gone one way, they've gone another.

However, it would be useful to see just how much things have changed in the media with the aggregated force technology and magic from the last twenty years since Shadowbeat. For a small example, cyber-eyes are much more common in the mainstream now, and with ubiquitous wireless, news can be caught instantaneously and uploaded straight to the Matrix. Hell, you can edit it as you're watching it happen while madly writing the notes in the head. And as you do, the subscription I've got on my commlink is uploading it to me by the second while I watch the coverage from the six or seven drone feeds from a different corp and one or two pirate stations.

Don't be a celebrity in the Sixth World either. From hackers constantly getting into your personal shit and spilling it across gossip sites and blogs to having to live in warded rooms constantly so that free spirits and watchers can't just waltz into your place and record you taking a shower (dirty, dirty porno industry), it'd be a shit life.

ETA: Let me put it to you this way. Familiar with Oh No They Didn't? Imagine those folks with cyber-eyes and a constant Matrix upload and fear.

tl;dr Shadowbeat needs an update, but in a Shadowrun context, not the modern. It also needs an update because we need the rules for playing rockers and updated info on sports teams and, I'm ready to be jumped for this one, to remove the Neo-Anarchist vibe its got. That's a little irritating.

[Blade]

@ravensmuse : don't hesitate to take a look at Style over Substance (link in sig) and give me your feedback.

[ravensmuse]

Blade, I keep meaning to, believe me. Just like I owe Ryu a read on his Matrix guides (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Wakshaani]

On the issue of privacy, note that, by Shadowbeat, the explosion of recording devices meant that, under UCAS law, the expectation wa sthat everything was now recorded unless otherwise stated. This opens up a *huge* legal side, where the privacy rights are left dangling. In essence, unless you opt-out, you're assume to have opted in. Thus, any encounter that's had, be it in public or private, is free to record, re-edit, and re-transmit, and there's nothing you can do unless you had people sign out. Now, that can be sneaky (For example, tickets for sporting events likely carry legalese that state, via end0user agreement, that you won't record the event) but, in general, everything is for the grist mill. Heck, under the P2 system, the Facebooking of the 6th world is pretty darn huge.

Which makes soem people very, very happy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqggW08BWO0

[ShadowJackal]

ETA: Let me put it to you this way. Familiar with Oh No They Didn't? Imagine those folks with cyber-eyes and a constant Matrix upload and fear.

We, I mean they... already have that. I've seen ONTD change drastically with the technological advances that have taken place in the last 5 or 6 years. The big one was when Paris Hilton's blackberry got hacked years upon years ago, from then on it was out of control.

I have thoughts on this but have a 9am deadline. Will be back later!

Here's a few fun links to give you guys some ideas if you want to use some ONTD type antics.

This one is quite good where they hacked Lindsay Lohan's Myspace (That tells you how old it is)

Here's a link to another site's Paris Hilton stuff and ONTD's followup article. The original (It was hacked by an ONTDer) got deleted because of legalities. I didn't have anything to do with the hack but I was on when this all happened and called dozens of these phone numbers personally. They were 1000% legit. Seriously one of the most interesting mornings of my life.

And I just like the snark line at the end of this article. Pretty much sums up the attitude around there.

So yeah, you want some ideas? There's a bit of food for thought. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Blade]

I think that celebrities (and the people behind them) will have learned how to use this constant recording at their advantage. Some of them will even do it themselves, allowing fans to live their lives through simsense (for a subscription fee), other will live in a world of their own, making it very difficult for external people to get close to them.

[Paul]

Do you think that there's a PBS in the UCAS in 2073, however?

Absolutely. In fact several books make reference to community based schools, and underground broadcasters. I think there will be a few on both sides of the fence. Some legitimately trying to make a difference, others serving various agendas.

Yeah, but fuck modern rewrites.

Shadowrun isn't, shouldn't be, and never really has been, a realistic look at what our actual real-world future will hold.

I think we need to be careful here. On the one hand I agree with you. Shadowrun has absolutely split from the standard timeline we all know. However unless we fall pray to what so many science fiction and other movies fall victim to: not being relevant. I dislike the idea of the game trying to keep apace of modern technology-but if the game fails to stay relevant it will end up as dated, and dead as a bad scifi flick.

This opens up a *huge* legal side, where the privacy rights are left dangling.

I think this is something that fits in with the above-absolutely it should be addressed, but it shouldn't bog the game down with detail. Find something that fits the Dystopian world of Shadowrun and call it.

So yeah, you want some ideas? There's a bit of food for thought. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

And honestly if Nigel Findley were to have written the Shadowbeat today I think ideas like these would fit in just nicely.

I think that celebrities (and the people behind them) will have learned how to use this constant recording at their advantage. Some of them will even do it themselves, allowing fans to live their lives through simsense (for a subscription fee), other will live in a world of their own, making it very difficult for external people to get close to them.

It's funny how much I agree with this and still hate the LA section in Corporate Enclaves. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)