Not for Broadcast is a game about democracy.
In the early 2000's I ran with a group of thieves. We were an internet relay chat dedicated to creating "Dank." Before the internet became... whatever this is, the idea of hijacking someone's original intellectual property and doing whatever the fuck you wanted with it was the sexiest branch on the tree.
We had lived and thrived through the Napster era and Limewire was coming into its own, but that was just sharing other people's stuff. We were more interested in perverting it. For instance, a new game came out and you wondered what every charter looked like naked, the modders hooked it up. A new song dropped and it slaps but damn if only the vocals were all farts. That kind of thing.
I know, all of this sounds bargain bin basic but please understand this is a world before 4Chan and OBS, it was all still being figured out. The group had a few rules;
1. Anything is permitted, as long as it is funny, smart, or useful.
2. No repeats.
3. No whammies. (Malware)
4. No politics or religion.
The rules lasted a few months before people started shitposting, infighting, then warring. So it goes. Turns out the only thing sexier than hijacking someone is hijacking someone hijacking someone's something. But it was fine, memes came into their own via gen 4 social media. Rules were established, and by 2007 the west was officially won.
The lawful eye of Sauron identified the internet as a powerful opiate and turned toward it to surgically separate the money from the funny. Lawlessness and cruelty pushed mavericks away from the dark, sterility and sanctions kicked them out of the light. Creativity on the internet died somewhere in the middle.
Funny how now its all the other way round.
I ran into one of the old crew a decade-plus later at some fancy pants political function. I was freelancing, she was running the gang's digital campaign. I asked if she ever missed the salad days. She said, "Nah, if I knew how easy it was to mod people back then I wouldn't have bothered with computers." I was like, "yikes."
Anyway, Not For Broadcast is alright. It's no Night Trap, but it'll do. Rip TB Rip TC Rip Tall-T. Love is wise, hatred is foolish. Get out there and do great things, we believe in you. Also Jobz.
The Protoculture Mixtape : Issue : People : Delineate
