Temporal Subjectification

When thinking about the robot in a cliché way, we do expect something tangible and somehow movable (whether it has moving parts of it can move). In that sense I would argue that a PC/Mac/Laptop/Tablet is not a robot. Of course, you could argue why it should be a robot and I would not argue against it. However, regardless of the motivation, I do not have any emotional connection to mine. To be more accurate, I would miss my toys, but it does not have to be that particular computer; any other computer would do, as long as it gets the job done.

What intrigues me is the amount of emotions we put into the games. Take for example any first shooting game. Once inside that virtual world, we do not only subjectify, but feel the stress level of a real-life situation (as far as possible). And the moment the game is finished, it will be gone.

So apparently there is a(n) (intense) temporal subjectification, which only happens when certain needs are met (for example the game has started and you are playing the game.)

Is this really different than other virtual machines? Yes, I believe so. Let me clarify it with another example. Tamagotchi was/is such an example. It is a virtual being (game), it has a beginning and of course an ending. So one could argue that this is the same as above, but I would say it is not.

One reason is the duration of the games. The average lifespan of Tamagotchi is about 12 days, while a first shooting game could last a couple of hours.

Another reason is the level of stress. The higher the level of stress the more you’re attached to it