101.It'slikeparadisehere.Everythingseemspastel-huedasyoudriveby,withtheradioon.Thecarisstolen,butsolongasthepolicedidn'tseeyou,itwon'tmatter.Youdon'treallyhavetobeanywhereordoanything.Thehotelsandcondosarecomfortableanddiscreet.Ifyouneedmoney,mugsomeone.Thebodymakesasatisfyinglysquishysoundwheny
oukickit.Thereareadventures.Yougettomeetsomeinterestingpeople.Itisacityofgangsters,hustlersandhoneys.It'salltourism,drugs,guns,carsandpersonalservices.Nobodymakesanything,exceptmaybe'icecream',pornandcounterfeitmoney.Everybodybuys,sellsorsteals.ViceCityisaniceplace.Itisnotquiteutopia.Andnorisits
omedarkdystopia.There'snostorylinehere,whereparadiseturnsnasty,inwhichthetellingearlydetailturnsouttobeacluetothenightmarebeneaththesurface,theseveredearofBlueVelvet.Withoutthepossibilityofdystopia,there'snoutopiaeither.TerryEagleton:"Allutopianwritingisalsodystopian,since,likeKant'ssublime,itca
nnothelpremindingusofourmentallimitsintheactofstrivingtogobeyondthem."InViceCitythereisno'beyond'.Asonewouldexpectinahighendlandofvice,itsofferisallinclusive.102.Ingamespace,theverypossibilityofutopiaisforeclosed.Itisnolongerpossibletodescribeashiningcityuponthehill,asifitwereaspecialtopicuntouc
hedbytheeveryday,workadayworld.Nospaceissacred;nospaceisseparate.Noteventhespaceofthepage.Thegamelikeextendsitslineseverywhereandnowhere.Andyet,apuredigitalgamelikeViceCitymightstillperformsomecurious,criticalfunction.Whydosomanychoosetoescapefromtheireverydaygamespaceinto-yetmoregames?Asthemyri
adlinesoftopologyworktheirwayintospace,spacemutates,andjustastheallegoricalmomentchangesfromthetopicaltothetopographictothetopological,sotoodoestheutopianmoment.Onemightthinkgamespaceviabothallegory(doubledasallegorithm)andutopia(mutatedintoatopia).Onerevealswhichcouldbe,theotherannouncingwhatsh
ouldbe,bothshiftingandrealigningasthespacearounduschangeswhatitwouldbe.103.Utopiawasaplacetohide,whereatopiccoulddevelopofitsownaccord,safewithintheboundsofthebook.Therelifecouldbeginagainoutsideofconflict.Utopiasdotheirbesttoexpelviolence.Inautopiantextthereisalwaysabarrierinspace-distantanddif
ficultterrain;orabarrierintime-interveningrevolutionsorCharlesFourier'scyclesofepochs.Therealbarrierisratherthattroublesomelinethatdivideswhatisonthepagefromwhatisoutsideit.FredricJameson:"IbelievethatwecanbeginfromthepropositionthatUtopianspaceisanimaginaryenclavewithinrealsocialspace,inotherwo
rds,thattheverypossibilityofUtopianspaceisitselfaresultofspatialandsocialdifferentiation."Onlyutopia'senclavewasnotimaginary.Itwastangibleandmaterial.Utopiawasaplaceonapagewhereviolenceispushedtothemarginbythepowerofsheerdescription.UtopiansocialistWilliamMorris:"Successinbestingourneighborsisar
oadtorenownnowclosed."104.Utopiarestricteditselftoaparticulartopic-thetopicofthepage,andparticularline,thelineofwriting.(Fig.5)Thebookisaline:atrajectory,aconnectionthroughtimeandspacewithcertainqualities.Amongitsqualitiesisthewayitpartitionsoffthesmoothspaceofthepagefromtheroughandtumbleworldwi
thout.Itrulesofffromtheworldthatspecialtempowheretextplaysitssubtlegamesagainstitsreader.Inautopia,otherlinesofcommunicationareeithernonexistentorsubordinatedtothedescriptivepowerofthetext.UtopiancommunistA.A.Bogdanov:"Theplayswereeithertransmittedfromdistantlargecitiesbymeansofaudiovisualdevice
s,or--moreusually--theywerecinematicreproductionsofplaysperformedlongago,sometimessolongagothattheactorsthemselveswerealreadydead."InthisutopianRedStar,thenewlinesextendandenhancethoseofthetext,ratherthansupercedethem.105.Itisnotthatutopiasalonecreategulags.AdolfEichmannwasnoutopian.Hejustkeptth
etrainsrunningontime-tothecamps.Hiswasaprosaicimagination,makingtopographymatchthetextofhisorders.Thelinesforimplementingthatkindofviolencearetherailwayline,thetelegraphline,andthelineofpunchcardspassingthroughthetabulators-precursorstothedigitalcomputer.HolocausthistorianEdwinBlack:"WhenGermany
wantedtoidentifytheJewsbyname,IBMshowedthemhow."Intopographythereisawholenestofconnections,alongwhichflowsinformation,radiatingfromthetext,callingtheworldtoorder.Therearelinesforplanning,managing,measuring.Topographyisnotonlythemeansforproducingspatialandsocialdifferentiation,butofovercomingit,c
onnectingaspaceofplaceswithaspaceofflows.ThefirstintimationsoftopologyarethoseIBMHolerithtabulatingmachineswhichwillmakespacenotonlysomethingthatcanbedividedandconnectedbyorder,butmeasuredandmanagedbythealgorithm.106.Whenthelinesoftelesthesia-telegraph,telephone,telecommunications-connecttopicsi
ntoatopographicspace,extensivelymappedandstoried,utopiaisrecruitedoutofthepageandcomesouttoplay.Utopiauncoils,spreadingitstendrilsoutofthebook,alongthelinesofthetopographic,intotheworld.Ratherthanaretreatfromtheworld,showinginitspositivecreationofanewworldwhattheactualonebeyonditslinelacks,utopi
abecomessomethingelse.Thebookbecomesanalibiformoreworldlylinesofcommunication,somewiththepowerofanorder:diagrams,memos,reports,telegrams.Utopiabecomespartofsomethinginstrumental,buttherebylosesitspower.Topographiclinesaretherenowtomaketheworldoverbythebook,butintheprocesstheymakethebookoveraswel
l,reducingittojustanotherline.Thesmoothplaneoftheblankpageisthegreen-fieldssitefordelineatingapuretopographyoftheline.Butthatpagecouldbeanypage-apageofanovelorofEichmann'sorders.Utopia'sproblemisnotthatitisselfcontained,butthatitisnotselfcontainedenough.Signsandimagesleakoutofthisbound-paperencl
ave,andarecapturedbyotherpowers,connectedtoflowsalongotherlines.107.Thepoweroftopographyisforeshadowedindystopias.RussellJacoby:"Utopiasseektoemancipatebyenvisioningaworldbasedonnew,neglected,orspurnedideas;dystopiasseektofrightenbyaccentuatingcontemporarytrendsthatthreatenfreedom."Whattheyhavei
ncommonisabeliefinthepowerofthelineofwritingandthebookasatopic,separatefrombutinaprivilegedrelationtotheworld.Utopiasdreamofwhatispossiblewithinthattopicasacritiqueofwhatisbeyondit.Dystopiasarethenightmareofthelossofpowerofthelineofwriting,overcomebyotherlines.JackLondon,GeorgeOrwell,AldousHuxle
y,YevgenyZamyatin-allrecoilfromthelinesthatsupercedethoseofwriting.Dystopianspaycloseattentiontothecontroloftopographybyvariouslinesofanalogsignal-radio,television-threadingtopicstogether,makingspacetransparenttoanallseeingBigBrotherorthecultofFord.108.Theriseofdystopianformsmighthavelesstodowit
htheperniciouspoweroftheutopiantextthanwiththedecliningpowerofthetextingeneralasakindofline.Dystopiantextsarethesignthatthebookhaslostitscapacitytofunctionasaseparatetopic,fromwhichtonegatetheworld.Dystopiasarewriting'sguiltyconscience.Theirsecretutopia-likeWinstonSmith'sdiaryinNineteenEighty-Fo
ur-isstillthebook.Thefailureofutopiamightpointtonothingsomuchastheinadequatepropertiesofthelinesemployedtomakeitoperational.Thepassagefromutopiantodystopiantextschartstheriseandfallofthebookasthelinethatmightnegatethisworldthroughitspositivedescriptionofanotherworld.Thebookgavewaytootherlines,co
urtesyofIBMandotheravatarsofthemilitaryentertainmentcomplex-creatingtopologieswhichcolonizedtheworldindifferentways.Alldystopianwritingisalsoutopian.Itcannothelpremindingitselfofthelimitsofwritingandalostworldofthesovereigntextbeforeotherlinessublimateditspower.109.Topographylearnedtolivewithout
itsutopias,andsettledintoamundaneresignationtothehereandnow.Itassuageditsboredominspecialtimes,specialplaces,wheredifferentrulesapplied.Post-warplaytheoristRogerCaillois'answertotheNaziswasagonmixedwithalea-gamesofchanceandcompetition-eachinitsproperplaceandtimealongsidebutnotaboveeverydaylife.T
hiswouldbetheantidotetotheNazi'stoxicmixofilinxandmimesis-intoxicationandspectacle.Theywouldtakeplaceoutsideoftheuncertaintiesofmundanetimeandspace,inspecialzoneswhereconsistentrulesapply.Suchspacesare'heterotopias'.MichelFoucault:"Theirroleistocreateaspacethatisother,anotherrealspace,asperfect,
asmeticulous,aswellarrangedasoursismessy,ill-constructedandjumbled."Heterotopiasareatsomeremovefromthedullrepetitionofmeaninglesslaborswithincalculablepurposeinworkadaylife.Theyarespacesandtimeswhichliealongotherlines.110.Heterotopianspacesareveryvaried.Eachhasitsownparticularrulesandseasons.The
reareheterotopiasofbarenecessity:prisons,hospitals,schools.Theseneednotconcerngamertheorymuch.Moreinterestingaretheheterotopiasofuselessluxury:galleries,arenas,sportsdomes.Theseinturnsubdivideintoheterotopiasofaestheticplayandofthecalculatedgame.Oneisaspaceofpurequalities;theother-purequantities
.Onecreatesnewvalues;theotherpitsgivenvaluesagainsteachother.Inone,theidealisthatplayisfree;intheother,thatthegameisfair.Inbothheterotopias,thesevalueshavetheirlimits.Oneisanartificeofrankandtheother-ofrankartifice.Outsidetheheterotopiathatmakestheirautonomypossible,theyamounttonothing.111.Heter
otopiasofluxury,ofastrictlyartificialnecessity,containsubdivisionsofplayandgame,existingwithintheirallottedtimesandspaces,whichareinturnsubdivided.Thespaceofplaycontainsseparateworldsofliterature,art,theater,cinema,evenspacesforsexualplay.Thesearenowjust'specialtopics',ruledofffromanylargerambit
ionsforremakingtheworld.Aestheticplaytriedagainandagaintobreakoutofitsheterotopia,totakethederangementofthesensesintothestreets,andagainandagainitfailed.GuyDebord:"ForDadaismsoughttoabolishartwithoutrealizingit,andSurrealismsoughttorealizeartwithoutabolishingit.Thecriticalpositionsinceworkedoutb
ytheSituationistsdemonstratesthattheabolitionandtherealizationofartareinseparableaspectsofasingletranscendenceofart."Itwasnottobe.TheheterotopianspaceoftheartworldabolishedDebord'sSituationistsinsteadbyrealizing'Situationism'entirelywithintheconfinesoftheplaypenofarthistory.113.Heterotopiasofthe
gamehaveneverbeenofmuchinteresttotheory,whosepractitionershavetendedtoviewitastheplaceofthemob.PatKane:"Theworkingclassisalsotheplayingclass--andhasalwaysbeenso."Buttogamertheorywithoutsuchprejudices,heterotopiasofthegamemaybeakeyprecursortogamespace.Amongthemareseparateworldspittingdifferentatt
ributesofbodyandmindintocontestsofskillorluck,frombadmintontobackgammon.Everywayofmeasuringwhatonebodydoesagainstanother-eachfindsitsownspecialheterotopia,itsfield,itscourt,itstrack,itspitch,itsarena.SaysdefrockedSituationistRalphRumney:"Itisnowsport,notpaintingorsculpture,whichdefinesthelimitso
fthehuman,whichoffersasenseorimageofwholeness,ofaphysicalidea,whichnohonestartcannowrepeat."Nor,needoneadd,canwriting.114.Ifaestheticplaysuffersfromenclosurewithinheterotopianmargins;theagonofgamesisleechedoutofitspuredomains.RalphRumneydidn'tcounton24hoursportschannels,internetgambling,realityT
Vgameshows,orthesubtle,corrosiveimpositionofthedigitalgamespaceoneveryaspectoflife.Conceptualartisnomatchforconceptualsport,withitsfantasybaseballteamsanditsperpetualpeptalksurgingeveryonealwaystojustdoit!--where'it'isstrippedofanypossibilitynotmarkedandmeasuredinadvance.Notonlywasaestheticplayn
omatchforthegame,itendsupplayingasubordinaterolewithintheexpansionofthegamebeyondamereheterotopia.Artprovidestheimagesandstoriesformediatingbetweenthegamerandgamespace.Ratherthanactualgamesplayedinactualarenas,artexpandsthereachofthegametoimaginarygamesplayedinapurelydigitalrealm,anywhereandever
ywhere,oneverydesktopandcellphone.115.Foragamertheorythegenealogyofgamespacemightpassthroughtheseheterotopiasofthegamemorethanthoseofplay,andthoseofplaymorethanthoseofnecessity.Theoryhasbeenlookinginallthewrongplaces.Theplaytimeaestheticsoftheavantgardesofartyieldstothe'ludology'ofgamespace.Itwa
sthegeniusofCaillois,thelapsedSurrealist,tograspthis.Intopography,whathecallsalea(chance)andagon(competition)becomethedominantmodes;whathecallsilinxandmimesis-intoxicatingvertigoanddissimulatingspectacle-theminormodes.TheobsessionsoftheSituationists-passivespectacleandactiveinsurrectionagainstit
-formanobsoletecouple,eachdrawingsupportindeclinefromtheother.Theactioniselsewhere.116.Mostoftheavantgardescelebratetransgressive,sublimeplay,eruptingbeyondarule-boundworld.PostSituationistAlbertoIacovoni:"Playarchitecturemustliberatespacefromtopologicalchains."TheOulipogroupdidtheopposite.Itpre
ferredself-imposedrules,elegantastheywerearbitrary,thatmightbeconductivetonewkindsofplay.Ratherthanresistheterotopianmarginality,theyreveledinit.Giventhatthepassagefromtopographictotopologicalspaceeliminateseventhemarginswithinwhichheterotopiasflourished,thismightproveamoreenduringgameplanforgam
ertheory.OulipiannovelistGeorgePerecsawwhatwascoming,inhislate-dystopiancreationofW,atextualislanddevotedonlytototalsport:"ThelifeofanAthleteofWisbutasingle,endless,furiousstriving,apointless,debilitatingpursuitofthatunrealinstantwhentriumphcanbringrest."WhatCailloisseesasawinforcivilizationover
theNazis,Perecseesmoredarkly,asthetriumphofTheTriumphoftheWill.Bothenterthegamertheoryhalloffamebyprovidingitwithitsobject-gamespace-anditscriticalimpetus-thegamer'soddattunementtowardthegame.117.Noutopiapullsatthetopologicalworld,callingitawayfromitself.Evendystopiantextsbecomemarginal,confined
totheplaygroundofliterarygamesmanship.Theoncediscreteheterotopianspacesnolongerco-existwitheverydaylife,ascompensation.Rather,gamespaceseepsintoeverydaylife,movingthroughitspores,transformingitinitsownimage.Ratherthanatimelessutopianidealwherehistoryends,ratherthantheallottedhouroftheheterotopia
n,everydaylifenowpulsesconstantlywithmomentsofunrealizedatopianpromise.Everywhere,allthetime,thegamerconfrontstherivalimpulsesofchanceandcompetition,intoxicationandspectacle,ashomeopathicantidotestoaboredomthatchallengesbeingfromwithin.InViceCityallofCaillois'fourkindsofplay-chanceandcompetition
,intoxicationandspectacle-cometogether.Thedestructionofthespectaclebecomesthespectacleofdestruction;thederangementofthesensesbecomesthearrangementofdrugdeals.InViceCityyouchanceyourarminanagonofallagainstall.118.Noworkofartcanaspiretotranscendthisgamespace,whichhasrealizedartbysuppressingit'samb
itions.YetperhapsagamelikeViceCitycanfunctionasthenegativeofgamespace,itsatopianshadow,inaparalleltothewaythattheverypositivityofautopiaactsasanegationoftheworldoutsideitsbounds.NottheleastofthecharmsofViceCityisthatwhileitappearstobeaboutalifeofcrimeitisthoroughlylawabiding.Itisagameabouttransg
ressioninwhichitisnotpossibletobreaktherules.Onemaysucceedinthegameorfail,butonecannotreallycheat.(Eventhe'cheats'arepartoftherules.)Thisistheatopiandreamofgamespace,wherethelinesaresodense,thedigitalsoomnipresent,thatanyandeveryobjectandsubjectisinplay,andallofspaceisagamespace.Everymovecontrar
ytotherulesofagivengameismerelyamoveintoanothergame.Thegameimaginestopologyperfected.119.Atopiahasonequalityincommonwithutopia-itsaversiontoambiguity.ViceCitymaytakeplaceinadarkworldofgunsanddrugs,buteverymissionproducesanexactandtangiblereward.IfyourmissionistofindpornstarsCandyandMercedes,youd
rivetotherightlocation,dispatchsomebodyguards,chaseCandy'spimp,runhimover,returntopickupCandy,drivetothepizzajoint,collectMercedes,drivethembothtotheStudioanddeliverthemtothedirector.Yourrewardisalwaysexactlyonethousanddollars.Ifutopiathrivesasanarchitectureofqualitativedescription,andbracketsof
fquantitativerelations,atopiarendersalldescriptionsarbitrary.Allthatmattersisthequantitativerelations.Byexcludingrelations,utopiaexcludesviolence;byprivilegingrelations,atopiaappearsasnothingbutviolence,butonlybecauseitexcludesinsteadanycommitmenttostabledescription.Anythingthatmatterscanbetrans
formedinpreciseandrepeatablewaysintosomethingelse.Therelentlessworkingoutofthealgorithmleavesbehindacarnageofsigns,immolatedinthetransformationofonevalueintoanother.120.TherulesofViceCitycallforavastaccumulationofcash,carsandcronies,ofweaponsandrealestate.Mostoftheseactivitiesareoutsidethelaw,bu
tlawisjust