101.It'slikeparadisehere.Everythingseemspastel-huedasyoudriveby,withtheradioon.Thecarisstolen,butsolongasthepolicedid
n'tseeyou,itwon'tmatter.Youdon'treallyhavetobeanywhereordoanything.Thehotelsandcondosarecomfortableanddiscreet.Ifyoun
eedmoney,mugsomeone.Thebodymakesasatisfyinglysquishysoundwhenyoukickit.Thereareadventures.Yougettomeetsomeinteresting
people.Itisacityofgangsters,hustlersandhoneys.It'salltourism,drugs,guns,carsandpersonalservices.Nobodymakesanything,e
xceptmaybe'icecream',pornandcounterfeitmoney.Everybodybuys,sellsorsteals.ViceCityisaniceplace.Itisnotquiteutopia.Andn
orisitsomedarkdystopia.There'snostorylinehere,whereparadiseturnsnasty,inwhichthetellingearlydetailturnsouttobeaclueto
thenightmarebeneaththesurface,theseveredearofBlueVelvet.Withoutthepossibilityofdystopia,there'snoutopiaeither.TerryEa
gleton:"Allutopianwritingisalsodystopian,since,likeKant'ssublime,itcannothelpremindingusofourmentallimitsintheactofst
rivingtogobeyondthem."InViceCitythereisno'beyond'.Asonewouldexpectinahighendlandofvice,itsofferisallinclusive.102.Ing
amespace,theverypossibilityofutopiaisforeclosed.Itisnolongerpossibletodescribeashiningcityuponthehill,asifitwereaspec
ialtopicuntouchedbytheeveryday,workadayworld.Nospaceissacred;nospaceisseparate.Noteventhespaceofthepage.Thegamelikeex
tendsitslineseverywhereandnowhere.Andyet,apuredigitalgamelikeViceCitymightstillperformsomecurious,criticalfunction.Wh
ydosomanychoosetoescapefromtheireverydaygamespaceinto-yetmoregames?Asthemyriadlinesoftopologyworktheirwayintospace,sp
acemutates,andjustastheallegoricalmomentchangesfromthetopicaltothetopographictothetopological,sotoodoestheutopianmome
nt.Onemightthinkgamespaceviabothallegory(doubledasallegorithm)andutopia(mutatedintoatopia).Onerevealswhichcouldbe,the
otherannouncingwhatshouldbe,bothshiftingandrealigningasthespacearounduschangeswhatitwouldbe.103.Utopiawasaplacetohide
,whereatopiccoulddevelopofitsownaccord,safewithintheboundsofthebook.Therelifecouldbeginagainoutsideofconflict.Utopias
dotheirbesttoexpelviolence.Inautopiantextthereisalwaysabarrierinspace-distantanddifficultterrain;orabarrierintime-int
erveningrevolutionsorCharlesFourier'scyclesofepochs.Therealbarrierisratherthattroublesomelinethatdivideswhatisonthepa
gefromwhatisoutsideit.FredricJameson:"IbelievethatwecanbeginfromthepropositionthatUtopianspaceisanimaginaryenclavewit
hinrealsocialspace,inotherwords,thattheverypossibilityofUtopianspaceisitselfaresultofspatialandsocialdifferentiation.
"Onlyutopia'senclavewasnotimaginary.Itwastangibleandmaterial.Utopiawasaplaceonapagewhereviolenceispushedtothemarginby
thepowerofsheerdescription.UtopiansocialistWilliamMorris:"Successinbestingourneighborsisaroadtorenownnowclosed."104.U
topiarestricteditselftoaparticulartopic-thetopicofthepage,andparticularline,thelineofwriting.(Fig.5)Thebookisaline:at
rajectory,aconnectionthroughtimeandspacewithcertainqualities.Amongitsqualitiesisthewayitpartitionsoffthesmoothspaceof
thepagefromtheroughandtumbleworldwithout.Itrulesofffromtheworldthatspecialtempowheretextplaysitssubtlegamesagainstits
reader.Inautopia,otherlinesofcommunicationareeithernonexistentorsubordinatedtothedescriptivepowerofthetext.Utopiancom
munistA.A.Bogdanov:"Theplayswereeithertransmittedfromdistantlargecitiesbymeansofaudiovisualdevices,or--moreusually--t
heywerecinematicreproductionsofplaysperformedlongago,sometimessolongagothattheactorsthemselveswerealreadydead."Inthis
utopianRedStar,thenewlinesextendandenhancethoseofthetext,ratherthansupercedethem.105.Itisnotthatutopiasalonecreategul
ags.AdolfEichmannwasnoutopian.Hejustkeptthetrainsrunningontime-tothecamps.Hiswasaprosaicimagination,makingtopographym
atchthetextofhisorders.Thelinesforimplementingthatkindofviolencearetherailwayline,thetelegraphline,andthelineofpunchc
ardspassingthroughthetabulators-precursorstothedigitalcomputer.HolocausthistorianEdwinBlack:"WhenGermanywantedtoident
ifytheJewsbyname,IBMshowedthemhow."Intopographythereisawholenestofconnections,alongwhichflowsinformation,radiatingfro
mthetext,callingtheworldtoorder.Therearelinesforplanning,managing,measuring.Topographyisnotonlythemeansforproducingsp
atialandsocialdifferentiation,butofovercomingit,connectingaspaceofplaceswithaspaceofflows.Thefirstintimationsoftopolo
gyarethoseIBMHolerithtabulatingmachineswhichwillmakespacenotonlysomethingthatcanbedividedandconnectedbyorder,butmeasu
redandmanagedbythealgorithm.106.Whenthelinesoftelesthesia-telegraph,telephone,telecommunications-connecttopicsintoato
pographicspace,extensivelymappedandstoried,utopiaisrecruitedoutofthepageandcomesouttoplay.Utopiauncoils,spreadingitst
endrilsoutofthebook,alongthelinesofthetopographic,intotheworld.Ratherthanaretreatfromtheworld,showinginitspositivecre
ationofanewworldwhattheactualonebeyonditslinelacks,utopiabecomessomethingelse.Thebookbecomesanalibiformoreworldlyline
sofcommunication,somewiththepowerofanorder:diagrams,memos,reports,telegrams.Utopiabecomespartofsomethinginstrumental,
buttherebylosesitspower.Topographiclinesaretherenowtomaketheworldoverbythebook,butintheprocesstheymakethebookoveraswe
ll,reducingittojustanotherline.Thesmoothplaneoftheblankpageisthegreen-fieldssitefordelineatingapuretopographyofthelin
e.Butthatpagecouldbeanypage-apageofanovelorofEichmann'sorders.Utopia'sproblemisnotthatitisselfcontained,butthatitisno
tselfcontainedenough.Signsandimagesleakoutofthisbound-paperenclave,andarecapturedbyotherpowers,connectedtoflowsalongo
therlines.107.Thepoweroftopographyisforeshadowedindystopias.RussellJacoby:"Utopiasseektoemancipatebyenvisioningaworld
basedonnew,neglected,orspurnedideas;dystopiasseektofrightenbyaccentuatingcontemporarytrendsthatthreatenfreedom."Whatt
heyhaveincommonisabeliefinthepowerofthelineofwritingandthebookasatopic,separatefrombutinaprivilegedrelationtotheworld
.Utopiasdreamofwhatispossiblewithinthattopicasacritiqueofwhatisbeyondit.Dystopiasarethenightmareofthelossofpowerofthe
lineofwriting,overcomebyotherlines.JackLondon,GeorgeOrwell,AldousHuxley,YevgenyZamyatin-allrecoilfromthelinesthatsupe
rcedethoseofwriting.Dystopianspaycloseattentiontothecontroloftopographybyvariouslinesofanalogsignal-radio,television-
threadingtopicstogether,makingspacetransparenttoanallseeingBigBrotherorthecultofFord.108.Theriseofdystopianformsmight
havelesstodowiththeperniciouspoweroftheutopiantextthanwiththedecliningpowerofthetextingeneralasakindofline.Dystopiant
extsarethesignthatthebookhaslostitscapacitytofunctionasaseparatetopic,fromwhichtonegatetheworld.Dystopiasarewriting's
guiltyconscience.Theirsecretutopia-likeWinstonSmith'sdiaryinNineteenEighty-Four-isstillthebook.Thefailureofutopiamigh
tpointtonothingsomuchastheinadequatepropertiesofthelinesemployedtomakeitoperational.Thepassagefromutopiantodystopiant
extschartstheriseandfallofthebookasthelinethatmightnegatethisworldthroughitspositivedescriptionofanotherworld.Thebook
gavewaytootherlines,courtesyofIBMandotheravatarsofthemilitaryentertainmentcomplex-creatingtopologieswhichcolonizedthe
worldindifferentways.Alldystopianwritingisalsoutopian.Itcannothelpremindingitselfofthelimitsofwritingandalostworldoft
hesovereigntextbeforeotherlinessublimateditspower.109.Topographylearnedtolivewithoutitsutopias,andsettledintoamundane
resignationtothehereandnow.Itassuageditsboredominspecialtimes,specialplaces,wheredifferentrulesapplied.Post-warplayth
eoristRogerCaillois'answertotheNaziswasagonmixedwithalea-gamesofchanceandcompetition-eachinitsproperplaceandtimealong
sidebutnotaboveeverydaylife.ThiswouldbetheantidotetotheNazi'stoxicmixofilinxandmimesis-intoxicationandspectacle.Theyw
ouldtakeplaceoutsideoftheuncertaintiesofmundanetimeandspace,inspecialzoneswhereconsistentrulesapply.Suchspacesare'het
erotopias'.MichelFoucault:"Theirroleistocreateaspacethatisother,anotherrealspace,asperfect,asmeticulous,aswellarrange
dasoursismessy,ill-constructedandjumbled."Heterotopiasareatsomeremovefromthedullrepetitionofmeaninglesslaborswithinca
lculablepurposeinworkadaylife.Theyarespacesandtimeswhichliealongotherlines.110.Heterotopianspacesareveryvaried.Eachha
sitsownparticularrulesandseasons.Thereareheterotopiasofbarenecessity:prisons,hospitals,schools.Theseneednotconcerngam
ertheorymuch.Moreinterestingaretheheterotopiasofuselessluxury:galleries,arenas,sportsdomes.Theseinturnsubdivideintohe
terotopiasofaestheticplayandofthecalculatedgame.Oneisaspaceofpurequalities;theother-purequantities.Onecreatesnewvalue
s;theotherpitsgivenvaluesagainsteachother.Inone,theidealisthatplayisfree;intheother,thatthegameisfair.Inbothheterotop
ias,thesevalueshavetheirlimits.Oneisanartificeofrankandtheother-ofrankartifice.Outsidetheheterotopiathatmakestheiraut
onomypossible,theyamounttonothing.111.Heterotopiasofluxury,ofastrictlyartificialnecessity,containsubdivisionsofplayan
dgame,existingwithintheirallottedtimesandspaces,whichareinturnsubdivided.Thespaceofplaycontainsseparateworldsoflitera
ture,art,theater,cinema,evenspacesforsexualplay.Thesearenowjust'specialtopics',ruledofffromanylargerambitionsforremak
ingtheworld.Aestheticplaytriedagainandagaintobreakoutofitsheterotopia,totakethederangementofthesensesintothestreets,a
ndagainandagainitfailed.GuyDebord:"ForDadaismsoughttoabolishartwithoutrealizingit,andSurrealismsoughttorealizeartwith
outabolishingit.ThecriticalpositionsinceworkedoutbytheSituationistsdemonstratesthattheabolitionandtherealizationofart
areinseparableaspectsofasingletranscendenceofart."Itwasnottobe.TheheterotopianspaceoftheartworldabolishedDebord'sSitu
ationistsinsteadbyrealizing'Situationism'entirelywithintheconfinesoftheplaypenofarthistory.113.Heterotopiasofthegameh
aveneverbeenofmuchinteresttotheory,whosepractitionershavetendedtoviewitastheplaceofthemob.PatKane:"Theworkingclassisa
lsotheplayingclass--andhasalwaysbeenso."Buttogamertheorywithoutsuchprejudices,heterotopiasofthegamemaybeakeyprecursor
togamespace.Amongthemareseparateworldspittingdifferentattributesofbodyandmindintocontestsofskillorluck,frombadmintont
obackgammon.Everywayofmeasuringwhatonebodydoesagainstanother-eachfindsitsownspecialheterotopia,itsfield,itscourt,itst
rack,itspitch,itsarena.SaysdefrockedSituationistRalphRumney:"Itisnowsport,notpaintingorsculpture,whichdefinesthelimit
softhehuman,whichoffersasenseorimageofwholeness,ofaphysicalidea,whichnohonestartcannowrepeat."Nor,needoneadd,canwriti
ng.114.Ifaestheticplaysuffersfromenclosurewithinheterotopianmargins;theagonofgamesisleechedoutofitspuredomains.RalphR
umneydidn'tcounton24hoursportschannels,internetgambling,realityTVgameshows,orthesubtle,corrosiveimpositionofthedigita
lgamespaceoneveryaspectoflife.Conceptualartisnomatchforconceptualsport,withitsfantasybaseballteamsanditsperpetualpept
alksurgingeveryonealwaystojustdoit!--where'it'isstrippedofanypossibilitynotmarkedandmeasuredinadvance.Notonlywasaesth
eticplaynomatchforthegame,itendsupplayingasubordinaterolewithintheexpansionofthegamebeyondamereheterotopia.Artprovide
stheimagesandstoriesformediatingbetweenthegamerandgamespace.Ratherthanactualgamesplayedinactualarenas,artexpandsthere
achofthegametoimaginarygamesplayedinapurelydigitalrealm,anywhereandeverywhere,oneverydesktopandcellphone.115.Foragame
rtheorythegenealogyofgamespacemightpassthroughtheseheterotopiasofthegamemorethanthoseofplay,andthoseofplaymorethantho
seofnecessity.Theoryhasbeenlookinginallthewrongplaces.Theplaytimeaestheticsoftheavantgardesofartyieldstothe'ludology'
ofgamespace.ItwasthegeniusofCaillois,thelapsedSurrealist,tograspthis.Intopography,whathecallsalea(chance)andagon(comp
etition)becomethedominantmodes;whathecallsilinxandmimesis-intoxicatingvertigoanddissimulatingspectacle-theminormodes.
TheobsessionsoftheSituationists-passivespectacleandactiveinsurrectionagainstit-formanobsoletecouple,eachdrawingsuppor
tindeclinefromtheother.Theactioniselsewhere.116.Mostoftheavantgardescelebratetransgressive,sublimeplay,eruptingbeyond
arule-boundworld.PostSituationistAlbertoIacovoni:"Playarchitecturemustliberatespacefromtopologicalchains."TheOulipogr
oupdidtheopposite.Itpreferredself-imposedrules,elegantastheywerearbitrary,thatmightbeconductivetonewkindsofplay.Rathe
rthanresistheterotopianmarginality,theyreveledinit.Giventhatthepassagefromtopographictotopologicalspaceeliminateseven
themarginswithinwhichheterotopiasflourished,thismightproveamoreenduringgameplanforgamertheory.OulipiannovelistGeorgeP
erecsawwhatwascoming,inhislate-dystopiancreationofW,atextualislanddevotedonlytototalsport:"ThelifeofanAthleteofWisbut
asingle,endless,furiousstriving,apointless,debilitatingpursuitofthatunrealinstantwhentriumphcanbringrest."WhatCailloi
sseesasawinforcivilizationovertheNazis,Perecseesmoredarkly,asthetriumphofTheTriumphoftheWill.Bothenterthegamertheoryh
alloffamebyprovidingitwithitsobject-gamespace-anditscriticalimpetus-thegamer'soddattunementtowardthegame.117.Noutopia
pullsatthetopologicalworld,callingitawayfromitself.Evendystopiantextsbecomemarginal,confinedtotheplaygroundofliterary
gamesmanship.Theoncediscreteheterotopianspacesnolongerco-existwitheverydaylife,ascompensation.Rather,gamespaceseepsin
toeverydaylife,movingthroughitspores,transformingitinitsownimage.Ratherthanatimelessutopianidealwherehistoryends,rath
erthantheallottedhouroftheheterotopian,everydaylifenowpulsesconstantlywithmomentsofunrealizedatopianpromise.Everywher
e,allthetime,thegamerconfrontstherivalimpulsesofchanceandcompetition,intoxicationandspectacle,ashomeopathicantidotest
oaboredomthatchallengesbeingfromwithin.InViceCityallofCaillois'fourkindsofplay-chanceandcompetition,intoxicationandsp
ectacle-cometogether.Thedestructionofthespectaclebecomesthespectacleofdestruction;thederangementofthesensesbecomesthe
arrangementofdrugdeals.InViceCityyouchanceyourarminanagonofallagainstall.118.Noworkofartcanaspiretotranscendthisgames
pace,whichhasrealizedartbysuppressingit'sambitions.YetperhapsagamelikeViceCitycanfunctionasthenegativeofgamespace,its
atopianshadow,inaparalleltothewaythattheverypositivityofautopiaactsasanegationoftheworldoutsideitsbounds.Nottheleasto
fthecharmsofViceCityisthatwhileitappearstobeaboutalifeofcrimeitisthoroughlylawabiding.Itisagameabouttransgressioninwh
ichitisnotpossibletobreaktherules.Onemaysucceedinthegameorfail,butonecannotreallycheat.(Eventhe'cheats'arepartoftheru
les.)Thisistheatopiandreamofgamespace,wherethelinesaresodense,thedigitalsoomnipresent,thatanyandeveryobjectandsubject
isinplay,andallofspaceisagamespace.Everymovecontrarytotherulesofagivengameismerelyamoveintoanothergame.Thegameimagine
stopologyperfected.119.Atopiahasonequalityincommonwithutopia-itsaversiontoambiguity.ViceCitymaytakeplaceinadarkworldo
fgunsanddrugs,buteverymissionproducesanexactandtangiblereward.IfyourmissionistofindpornstarsCandyandMercedes,youdrive
totherightlocation,dispatchsomebodyguards,chaseCandy'spimp,runhimover,returntopickupCandy,drivetothepizzajoint,collec
tMercedes,drivethembothtotheStudioanddeliverthemtothedirector.Yourrewardisalwaysexactlyonethousanddollars.Ifutopiathr
ivesasanarchitectureofqualitativedescription,andbracketsoffquantitativerelations,atopiarendersalldescriptionsarbitrar
y.Allthatmattersisthequantitativerelations.Byexcludingrelations,utopiaexcludesviolence;byprivilegingrelations,atopiaa
ppearsasnothingbutviolence,butonlybecauseitexcludesinsteadanycommitmenttostabledescription.Anythingthatmatterscanbetr
ansformedinpreciseandrepeatablewaysintosomethingelse.Therelentlessworkingoutofthealgorithmleavesbehindacarnageofsigns
,immolatedinthetransformationofonevalueintoanother.120.TherulesofViceCitycallforavastaccumulationofcash,carsandcronie
s,ofweaponsandrealestate.Mostoftheseactivitiesareoutsidethelaw,butlawisjustpartofalargeralgorithm.Inanycase,thestorya
ndtheartarearbitrary,meredecoration.Ifinutopia,everythingissubordinatedtoarigorousdescription,amarkingofspacewithsign