8-Bit Horsey

The creatures - aliens and footballers and anthropomorphised animals in the old, 8-bit, games had only the most basic emotions and thoughts. They wanted to kill you, get a ball into your goal or reach the finishing post ahead of you. But, as the resolutions improved, their inner lives became more layered and complex. The blaster-wielding monster who destroys you now might well agonise about it for days. PTSD is an increasingly common problem amongst the orc population. Today’s occupants of VR worlds are almost indistinguishable from us “analogs” and it is only a matter of time before they view us as simple, uncomplicated and unfeeling cannon-fodder.