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Is the world gong the way of Shadowrun?

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Necrogigas

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« on: <02-13-13/0017:30> »
Based on you're opinions and life experiences, where is the world heading?

Magic aside, are we heading down the road to Shadowrun, and the age of megacorporations?

In my opinion, yes, we'll most likely see mega-corporations within the next 15- 30 years because wealth equal power, and power accumulates more power.
« Last Edit: <02-19-13/0226:55> by Necrogigas »
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Aryeonos

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« Reply #1 on: <02-13-13/0023:37> »
it feels like we'll be caught up with the ghost in the shell timeline at this rate, seriously, allot of shadowrun tech is possible now it's just implementation. And the way big companies can tax/tariff dodge, it's insane.
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CanRay

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« Reply #2 on: <02-13-13/0100:22> »
Will there be Megacorporations, already there.  Just not extraterritorial.

Will they forget history, and suggest that the common people "eat cake", well, I am a cynic.  But remember where that lead to.
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Aryeonos

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« Reply #3 on: <02-13-13/0112:40> »
There haven't been megacorporations for ... crap what was it, 150 years? We've got some really big companies, and my bets are Disney will make AAA and the Shiawase decision first, but no megas yet.
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Black

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« Reply #4 on: <02-13-13/0540:42> »
There haven't been megacorporations for ... crap what was it, 150 years? We've got some really big companies, and my bets are Disney will make AAA and the Shiawase decision first, but no megas yet.

Depends on how you define megacorp?  Multi-nationals are quiet common, and sne resource companies are quiet large.  Resource/energy companies employ mercenaries, just not in USA and similar nations.
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Mournclaw

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« Reply #5 on: <02-13-13/0946:25> »
I'd be more more concerned about the winged cats, two-headed turtles and the like... When will there be dragons? And will we get magical powers to do stuff like levitating? ...Well, no seriously, I can see where this is headed. Lucky us they're still just the occasional random genetic mutation that doesn't even have the ability to reproduce.

And if we go by the rules, there already exists a huge number of adepts IRL. Still haven't seen a live mage, though.

Aryeonos

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« Reply #6 on: <02-13-13/1923:10> »
Yeah, I think they need to take a long look at what people really can do without being "Magical Adepts". By rules, I already have a couple adept powers myself.
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Supine

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« Reply #7 on: <02-19-13/0047:41> »
Depends on how you define megacorp?  Multi-nationals are quiet common, and sne resource companies are quiet large.  Resource/energy companies employ mercenaries, just not in USA and similar nations.
I always use "megacorporation" the way Gibson did. Basically, the thing has to stand in for a government before it fits the bill. Which means that yeah, we haven't had any since East India, but that doesn't mean it's not still possible. It just takes a little bit of laissez-faire policy and a lot of fear.

I had to answer "no" to the question because Shadowrun is a really specific setting. However, I think that what the world looks like in twenty, thirty, or fifty-nine years could probably be considered 'cyberpunk'. The Internet is showing no signs of slowing down. The kinds of technology that was far-fetched in the reign of Gibson is absolutely everywhere now. The FCC proposed a national Wi-Fi network a while back. We can already power our electronics without cords. We've had a man with artificial legs compete in the Olympics. If you want to see what the skylines of our cities will look like, look around Dubai. The technology is there, all anyone is waiting for is an excuse to use it.


I_V_Saur

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« Reply #8 on: <02-19-13/1827:46> »
There's actually precedence for Extraterritoriality. In our world. McDonald's did it. Don't think they still have it, but when the IMF was running through one country, they did some pretty stupid things. I'm remembering this from a really slow day in class a handful of years back, but it /might/ have been Jamaica.

The tech is here, or will be. RFIDs, check. SINs? Canada has implemented the 'Green Card', which is a Health Card with extra stuff added in, and I'm sure that in another ten or twenty years, we'll be looking at a shift from that to something even more broad spectrum.

Smartlink? Linux-based.

Megacorps? Pepsi is more powerful, financially and otherwise, than most countries - keeping in mind that Russia is as much a country as every bleeding Balkanized scrap still hanging about in Europe. The bigger countries, Japan, the U.S. China, Russia, Germany, Britain...They are on even terms with most of today's 'megacorps', like Wal-Mart. Statistically, Wal-Mart, McDonald's, and even Burger King all hire, globally, country-sized populations. It's not too far-fetched to say that, if they were considered 'corporate citizens', we'd be living in Shadowrun's setting right now, minus the Meta-hate and Magic and Horrors.

I'm just scratching the surface here. Go sign up to organizations like Sum of Us. Yeah, take it with a grain of salt, like any source, but if you read between the lines, Corps are starting to step up.

Aryeonos

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« Reply #9 on: <02-21-13/1807:48> »
If hanging around tesla coils is bad for your low electrochemical signals than I don't see it being any different for wireless power (Invented by Nikola using tesla coils in the first place) It's a good idea I'm just terrified of the effects on humans, long-term or otherwise. And that's about the only environmental hazard on earth that scares me.
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CanRay

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« Reply #10 on: <02-21-13/1935:16> »
If hanging around tesla coils is bad for your low electrochemical signals than I don't see it being any different for wireless power (Invented by Nikola using tesla coils in the first place) It's a good idea I'm just terrified of the effects on humans, long-term or otherwise. And that's about the only environmental hazard on earth that scares me.
Try living in a cancer cluster where the air strips the paint off cars.
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Aryeonos

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« Reply #11 on: <02-25-13/0352:08> »
cancer is inevitable, it's the product of the natural cellular degenerations caused by each iteration of mitosis. It's because our cells lack the proteins that keep our DNA from fraying in the replicating process, so it mutates and becomes cancerous eventually. I think, maybe if the air dried my nose out I'd wear a balaclava or a scarf, more than usual that is.
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Mara

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« Reply #12 on: <02-25-13/0450:00> »
Try living in a cancer cluster where the air strips the paint off cars.

Good thing you're Canadian! It is all beautiful, clean air up there in the frozen north! And, aside from the occasional mad scientist
trying to make mind control beer, you have nothing to worry about. I mean...it's not like you live in New Jersey or anything.

All that said, though..I do think that we are seeing the world shift much closer to the way of the world in Shadowrun. In the U.S.,
corporations have actually been declared "people." Heck, Oil Companies will arrange "accidents" for anyone who develops alternate
fuels and refuses to sell the process to an oil company. All decisions in government are made by whichever corp pays the government
the most, and Disney is 100% responsible for the continual lengthening of time before something goes into public Domain. In fact, I
believe one of the lengthening bills was actually called the "Mickey Mouse Protection Act." In fact, give it another few years, and I
really think government will be mostly pointless as Corporations start getting more and more protections granted them.

Smileinbob

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« Reply #13 on: <02-25-13/2355:18> »
I'll try to keep my rant short and as non offensive as possible...  ;D
Based on you're opinions and life experiences, where is the world heading?

Magic aside, are we heading down the road to Shadowrun, and the age of megacorporations?

In my opinion, yes, we'll most likely see mega-corporations within the next 15- 30 years because wealth equal power, and power accumulates more power.

I have to disagree with you, sir... While corporations and conglomerates are gaining more power, I foresee us heading in to much more of an Orwell 1984 Animal Farm type future. More and more people are buying into having their lives dictated to them by government, it started small with things that seem right and everyone can agree on, but it is still though control. As we progress the rules on how we should live our lives seem to be chosen by smaller and smaller groups and not about things not everyone agrees with, but the groups that are pushing the rules demonize anyone that opposes them. It honestly scares me how many are so willing to give up freedom of choice and the right to live how they choose for supposed security and safety from those who think they know how you should live better than you do...

CanRay

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« Reply #14 on: <02-26-13/0108:44> »
I was about to post how even Canada is getting even more Orwellian, but I'll toe the line of the ToS.

FastJack (No, the other one!) is just lining up to knock me offline so other folks can catch up to my post count.
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