According to Lev Manovich, there are five general principles–more tendency than law–of new media that will increasingly show in multimodal composition as computerization becomes more embedded in culture and society. We see all of these in our daily lives, in all of our interactions with media, in every facet and function of the internet, and most important to the purpose of this essay, in Fallout 4. The principles are (with the last three being dependent upon the prior principles): numerical representation, modularity, automation, variability, and cultural transcoding.
Most aspects of new media, and multimodal media, are reliant upon numerical representation. This includes everything from pixels, to binary code, to programming languages. It’s the basis of all digital technology, in some shape or form. It is also the framework of Fallout 4. Bethesda created this game using Papyrus, a programming language they developed. As you can see in the image below, courtesy of DracoTorre.com, papyrus is available to use with the Bethesda Creation Kit. With this, players can create mods to the game–like clothing, side questions, etc.
Modularity is the compartmentalization and segmentation of media into easily changeable/accessible pieces. This is what makes up the different pages of a website, or levels in a game. A more tangible example of this would be book chapters, or cups stacked atop each other. These pieces are usually interconnected, built into each other, so that the overall media can be cohesive. In Fallout 4, this means things like different missions (as seen above) and different locations.
If numerical representation is the DNA of new media, then automation is the firing of brain synapses that control motor functions. Automation is what allows links, buttons, keys, or any user action to translate into the platform as a function. For Fallout 4, this means controlling character actions, internal pages, and anything else the player can do through the controller of the console or mouse of the keyboard. Automation–with the exception of bugs and glitches–allows the player to be confident in their actions and the flow of the game; if I click a button on my controller, I know it will result in a specific action, whether that’s moving the character forward or pulling up the menu. The picture to the right shows how a character can respond to dialogue with the push of different controller buttons. It is also a mod–an example of numerical representation–and variability.
Variability is what allows for the most in-depth user interaction with media; according to Lev Manovich, “A new media object is not something fixed once and for all, but something that can exist in different, potentially infinite versions” (36). Variability is the principle that allows for this fluidity in form. How one user interacts with a web page may be completely different to another user, or another web page. Fallout 4 has 4 main endings that depend upon the players major choices, but this open-map game allows for each player to have their own experience.
Player choice may differ in style, in logic, in order: the nature of the game gives players the ultimate freedom to choose their character’s ‘destiny.’ One player may leave the vault (the introduction and tutorial to the game) and follow the quests they are given like a trail of breadcrumbs. Another may explore the map in a grid-like approach, or perhaps follow the sounds of conflict to their newest adventure. In this way, each player and their playthrough are unique and tailored to them.
Cultural transcoding is the most tangible of the new media principles; it is the way media affects and is affected by human interaction, society, and culture. Popular media becomes a part of societal discourse and the mental schema of its audience. Conversely, the game is affected by the audience–most media is targeting a specific audience and utilizes different aspects of life to convey a message or create an atmosphere. In Fallout 4, this outside influence can be seen in the 60’s style fashion and setting, the real-life 60’s songs, the Boston-inspired map layout and cityscape, and more.
Many Bethesda games have collected a cult following. Fallout 4 has 480, 000 members in its reddit, and Fallout an astounding 977,000 members in r/Fallout. There is an entire community of Fallout cosplayers and fans that have been influenced by the game, just as the game has been influenced by popular culture–see this list of in-game easter eggs.
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