Surfing the Web in the 1990s and early 2000s was a slower process, and access to the technology was limited. However, many people remember the days when the Internet was like a bustling marketplace, filled with blogs and GeoCities sites covering niche topics. Unfortunately, the robust online forums of the past have been replaced by algorithmic social media feeds and messaging apps, leading to nostalgia for the bygone era of the Internet.
Recent video games, such as Videoverse, Hypnospace Outlaw, and the upcoming Darkweb Streamer, use chat interfaces reminiscent of AIM or MSN, as well as fake websites featuring MIDI songs and bold fonts, capturing the essence of the lost expression and independence of the early Internet.
Chantal Ryan, an anthropologist and lead developer of Darkweb Streamer, lamented how independent services like Goodreads and AbeBooks have been acquired by corporate interests, likening it to a forest clearing being destroyed without regard for the living beings affected.
Ryan dedicated considerable time to researching past online habitats for Darkweb Streamer, drawing inspiration from the archives of GeoCities and spiritual successors like Neocities, as well as her own experiences as a prominent player in the early Halo 2 esports scene.
Her experiences exposed her to the ugly side of the Internet, leading her to take a break from social media, a sentiment echoed by many high-profile individuals.
Lucy Blundell, developer of Videoverse, aimed to replicate the online chatting experience of the early 2000s, using resources like Archiverse, which preserves user-made content from Nintendo’s discontinued Miiverse.
Meanwhile, Jay Tholen, a developer for Tendershoot, expressed difficulty in finding source material for Dreamsettler, the follow-up to Hypnospace OutlawHypnospace Outlaw.
Blundell stated that the modern Internet produces more stress and negativity, with advertisements muddling the navigation experience. Newer games aim to capture the essence of the early Internet, much like titles such as Emily Is Away, Secret Little Haven, and Digital: A Love Story
Furthermore, Darkweb Streamer aims to simulate a horror experience intertwining the perils of modern streaming with the nostalgia of the ’90s Internet, while requiring players to engage with a livestreaming interface.
Overall, developers of these games are expressing discontent over the convoluted nature of the modern Internet and the lack of accessibility of information.
Furthermore, alternative platforms such as Mastodon and Bluesky seem to retread old paths in an era where community and self-expression are becoming scarce, causing developers to explore the idea of the disintegration of online communities.
These games offer a glimpse into an era where the Internet was less cluttered and where self-expression and community were more prominent.
Source: The New York Times
