At first glance, the video game industry seems to be about as far removed from the American political situation as it is possible to be, although the presence of fantastical narratives and efforts to level up to ever more absolute power do suggest that there may be some crossover. Nevertheless, the debut of a new blockbuster title suggests something revealing about the nature of our unhealthy polity: that its manifest dysfunction might well proceed from the widespread, pervasive cynicism which now drives almost every aspect of our culture.
The video game industry has recently celebrated one of its veritable consumer events: the release of a new numbered entry in the Final Fantasy franchise—in this case, the sixteenth title in that august chain of roman numerals. In the past, the advent of a new Final Fantasy game would have been the occasion for months of unqualified excitement and unstinting enthusiasm. Now, however, the chorus of congratulation is complicated by critique, even as the YouTube influencers paid to drum up support insist that the new title is “the best Final Fantasy game ever.” Even in advance of the game’s release, a freely-available demo, presenting the first two hours of the title, was leading more than a few players to other conclusions.
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