me...

"The future is now," claims The Hudsucker Proxy, and if you caught the recent PBS miniseries Evolution or have seen my favorite film Waking Life, you have at least a vague notion of the assertion's potential meaning. Biological evolution has given over to memes, and the most striking difference is the time-frame; mimetic evolution can be almost instantaneous.

Let's be clear: memes have been around as long as humans have, but as biological evolution has been tapering off, mimetic evolution has been building strength. Human history is less and less about who died and how, and more and more about the ideas that drive a culture, especially the technology. This is why the impending launch of The Sims Online is such a monumentous event.

i know, i know. i've been preaching about this moment since before The Sims was conceived, but it is just that important. If you haven't yet, go to the official site and watch the new trailer for The Sims Online. If i wasn't in the process of moving, i'd be starting my own fan site. i am familiar with such MMORPGs as EverQuest and Anarchy Online, but they do not escape the bounds of video games. The Sims Online is the first baby-step toward developing our mimetic selves.

posted by Arthur @ 6/12/2002 08:04:00 PM

Wednesday, June 12, 2002