A different take on cyberspace?

A little background here. This world combines elements of cyberpunk, biopunk, and solarpunk - but without any of the dystopian elements of cyberpunk. The point of divergence is the late 19th century, where the solar machine caught on quickly. So the solar came first, then the bio (including cloning), then finally cyber. All wars from WW1 up have been averted in this setting, and all government-controlled states have become decentralized communities.

Anyway, I guess this is another worldbuilding-inside-of-worldbuilding post. What could we could take our favourite fictional settings, and simulate them in the cyberscape?


I figured that, in the cyber/bio/solar universe, the Nintendo company from Japan would get into the video gaming industry about four decades prior - including the much popular Mario and Zelda franchises. So, by the time cyberspace is finalized in the early 1980s, I can see Nintendo being one of the major first adopters to create Mushroom Kingdom and Hyrule on the cyberscape - without it being overrun by villains, of course!

Let’s face it! Both Mushroom Kingdom and Hyrule would be very interesting places to visit. Of course, not only would it be morally unethical to attempt to create cyber versions of Bowser and Ganon - but I think there would be limitations altogether with determining the exact personalities of cyber folk. Even if you could create a starting/background point for cyber folk - ultimately, once the cyber folk gain sentience, they would go on to develop their own personalities and quirks. After all, I’m a firm believer of free will for everyone!

I was also thinking of how “augmented reality” would work with this setting. Pokemon is yet another popular Nintendo franchise, even if it’s somewhat newer than Mario and Zelda. In this setting, I think Nintendo would maybe do Pokemon GO in reverse. Instead of the Pokemon setting being a fantasy world like Mushroom Kingdom or Hyrule, they would maybe overlay the Pokemon society over the “real world” - a la Google Maps. The exterior and interior of most places would be much the same as in “reality” - but the inside furnishings wouldn’t necessarily match. If you set the VR setting to Pokemon, when you fall asleep - you would “wake up” in what looks like your bedroom, but you would instantly notice that the surrounding are quite different. Poke buddies would typically be the Pokemon folk that share your residence in Augmented Poke World.

One major issue with it, of course, is that Pokemon wouldn’t be everyone’s cup of tea - and many might be unnerved by the idea of “sharing” their residence with a Pokemon, even if it’s in a different dimension. This would certainly raise a lot of questions and queries about the “fourth dimension”.