The Illuminatus Space Game: From an April Fools’ Joke to Digital Cultural Heritage
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A3 Kirjan tai muun kokoomateoksen osa
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Date
2022-03-27
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Language
en
Pages
19
133-151
133-151
Series
Video Games and Comedy, Palgrave Studies in Comedy
Abstract
In April 1989, the leading Finnish computer hobbyist magazine MikroBitti published a glowing preview of a 3D space-faring game called Illuminatus. It was described as an epic space flight, trading, combat and empire building title that was more than a game, rather a way of life. In reality, the game did not exist at all, but the April Fools’ joke was taken seriously by many readers. In this chapter we analyse the cultural and historical context of the prank, its plausibility, and repercussions. The technological optimism of the decade is an important backdrop for the joke, and the journalist behind it cleverly evoked the hopes and expectations of the audience. Even after more than three decades, Illuminatus is still referenced and remembered within Finnish enthusiast circles. Interestingly, it appears that the (non-) existence of the game hardly matters at all in the long run, as it has become part of the shared cultural memory of a hobbyist generation, just as if it had been any popular game of the time.Description
Keywords
comedy, videogames, journalism, digital cultural heritage
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Citation
Saarikoski , P , Lindfors , A , Suominen , J & Reunanen , M 2022 , The Illuminatus Space Game: From an April Fools’ Joke to Digital Cultural Heritage . in K Bonello Rutter Giappone , T Z Majkowski & J Švelch (eds) , Video Games and Comedy . Palgrave Studies in Comedy , Palgrave Macmillan , pp. 133-151 . https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-88338-6_7