Future of graffitis in the world of Cyberpunk 2077: How should they be?

[username_3645283]

Future of graffitis in the world of Cyberpunk 2077: How should they be?

Hello to everyone here, both fans and CPR Team!

As developing a mature and fully featured world requires a bigger amount of development in a smart way, it also requires to develop their own cultural stuff. This can be the same about Cyberpunk 2077 (there's a great deal in the pnp series, but they require to be upgraded and developed further), because it's a futuristic world where all kind of actual cultural stuff would evolve to the new possibilities (and more control).

What about graffiti? Actually graffitis are painted to walls, cars, trains and all kind of big surfaces where is possible to put some paint. There are big teams of graffiti artists that do both legal and illegal ones, the last ones that get a big size are quite difficult to do and managing to not get discovered by authorities or informers. If you know a bit about the graffiti scene, you'll see there's a lot more under the surface than the typical lame graffitis you can see (you can see impressive drawings in there, and teams of people able to synchronize the efforts in the same painting process with an excellent result).

The future can be full of new technology just in the streets, with holographic screens used for media as public information. Semaphores and static painted signals could get updated by the use of evolved LED or holographic displays. Clothes can be personalized in a very fast way because they work as screens, so you can change your looking very easily and the more expensive models would auto-clean constantly and even act as air conditioning. Paper printing would be a thing of the past, full color and high frame counted displays would be widely used for publication of media (think about them as the ultimate e-reader). Even your home would be full of holographic displays, able to change the aspects of you home or see videos on them in just seconds. This can be even a lot more widely used than you would hope, because this technology could be damn cheap over time because of commodization and a lot easier (extremely optimized and a very efficient process) manufacturing.

Spoiler

Commodification (also called commoditization) occurs as a goods or services market loses differentiation across its supply base, often by the diffusion of the intellectual capital necessary to acquire or produce it efficiently. As such, goods that formerly carried premium margins for market participants have become commodities, such as generic pharmaceuticals and DRAM chips.
(from wikipedia)

Of course, all this depends on how's the percentage of people attached to brain cyberware. If people is able to get media data directly to their brains, physical world would be avoided for transmission of data and data streams used instead.

What about future graffiti artists (being artists with a great level on visual and audio composition, writing, science, philosophy, politics, technology) becoming the rebels of society? Those would make from some kind of pacific protests/riots, to boycotting or even terrorist attacks.

Some of them would get captured, others would be impossible motherfuckers. But I'm sure a big number of them would be a PITA to the big ones.

They can be a mixed team of different roles, or an hybrid role of two or more of them. And each team would have different ideologies, sometimes in conflict with others.

Not sure about if that can work (and how) on CP2k77 gameplay, but it's an idea I just wanted to share.

Regards.

 

[ChaosWolf1982]

Don't worry - as the teaser showed, even in a world of neural-interfaces of holography, there'll still be bored goons with spraycans full of Krylon itching to scrawl gang-signs, their initials, and other random blather onto the dingy brick walls on slums and alleyways.

 

[username_3645283]

Don't worry - as the teaser showed, even in a world of neural-interfaces of holography, there'll still be bored goons with spraycans full of Krylon itching to scrawl gang-signs, their initials, and other random blather onto the dingy brick walls on slums and alleyways.

Okay, that could give deep and substance to the world. But...

I did mean about "Cybergraffitis", not just painted ones

 

[d1am0ndback]

I'd like to see this done right.

With exceptional graffiti artists, those that are like Banksy and those with a wilder style to those within gangs marking their territory.

The art & writing on the walls, trains, billboards, hologram-like tags, etc should be clever and original.

Artists like Saber from Los Angeles, to the ones in New York putting it down. It should be an expression of the streets, tired of the oppression.

 

[kingbrendarr]

I have thought a great deal about this sort of thing.
My favorite implimentation is paint with an RFID tag so that looking at it in any sort of enhanced way (cyber eyes, camera phone, etc) creates a secondary image that enhances or overlaps the original.
There is also the "clean" way to do this for meetings you dont want everyone to know about that that is having the tag with no visual ques so that you have to look at it in the anhanced to see it and then your tag shows. With this manner you could even make an app that sees just the right frequency to see your "art" making it nearly impossible to detect for anyone that is not looking for it.

 

[username_3645283]

I have thought a great deal about this sort of thing.
My favorite implimentation is paint with an RFID tag so that looking at it in any sort of enhanced way (cyber eyes, camera phone, etc) creates a secondary image that enhances or overlaps the original.
There is also the "clean" way to do this for meetings you dont want everyone to know about that that is having the tag with no visual ques so that you have to look at it in the anhanced to see it and then your tag shows. With this manner you could even make an app that sees just the right frequency to see your "art" making it nearly impossible to detect for anyone that is not looking for it.

Or even a custom attached key, with no specification of the used encryption (they would get very hard at 2077, probably because concepts like quantic computing have been surpassed and beyond) and using a very advanced anti-cracking protection. Of course, maybe some extremely skilled ones would be able to crack it (depending on the skills of the ones that did them).

Also, there could be the "interference" way, emitting to the brain implants or corporate/government display-like technology. That way a group would be able to distribute controversial information massively, despite the link would be only available for a very short period of time.

It would be rfid-like or a qr-like code, like it happens in Ghost in the Shell (yes, I know your avatar). Maybe those can be used in different situations.

 

[d1am0ndback]

I would like to declare war on other gangs by crossing their names out and replacing it with our stencil and/or 3 letter agency.

 

[kingbrendarr]

Or even a custom attached key, with no specification of the used encryption (they would get very hard at 2077, probably because concepts like quantic computing have been surpassed and beyond) and using a very advanced anti-cracking protection. Of course, maybe some extremely skilled ones would be able to crack it (depending on the skills of the ones that did them).

Also, there could be the "interference" way, emitting to the brain implants or corporate/government display-like technology. That way a group would be able to distribute controversial information massively, despite the link would be only available for a very short period of time.

It would be rfid-like or a qr-like code, like it happens in Ghost in the Shell (yes, I know your avatar). Maybe those can be used in different situations.

I pretty much assume my avatar reminds people of the possibilities there no need to worry about me beating that drum overly long.
I had stayed away from the high end projects like that in my post because I was thinking of something that could be done quickly and easily rahter than an art ninja project by a hacker with an agenda (ok maybe a little more drum beating was required it was unintentional when I started the thought )

 

[Blothulfur]

So long as I can draw pictures of my genitalia atop others artwork, i'll be more than happy.

 

[braindancer12]

graffitis are always cool, i think every gang should have there own gfaffiti style and signs just like in games like Batman Arkham City.

i like your idea of Cyber graffiti this shows again how much potencial is in 2077

 

[d1am0ndback]

So long as I can draw pictures of my genitalia atop others artwork, i'll be more than happy.

 

[username_3645283]

What about Demoscene?

The demoscene is a computer art subculture that specializes in producing demos, which are audio-visual presentations that run in real-time on a computer. The main goal of a demo is to show off programming, artistic, and musical skills.

The demoscene first appeared during the 8-bit era on computers such as the Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, Atari 800 and Amstrad CPC, and came to prominence during the rise of the 16/32-bit home computers (Mainly the Amiga or Atari ST). In the early years, demos had a strong connection with software cracking.[citation needed] When a cracked program was started, the cracker or his team would take credit with a graphical introduction called a "crack intro" (shortened cracktro). Within a year or two, the making of intros and standalone demos evolved into a new subculture independent of the software scene.

(from wikipedia)


As I see it, demoscene has many similarities with graffiti (they are mostly hidden under nicknames, they have they own subculture and jargon, etc).

I can provide a selection of the most interesting productions, but meanwhile you can check in this yt channel.
http://www.youtube.com/user/DemosceneArchive

I'm not sure if explaining this properly in another thread or whatever.

What did I mean with all this? Actually demoscene is more for proving technical skills, artist skills and sometimes social critic. In a future like Cyberpunk 2077 this may change, and both subcultures would merge eventually. The most skilled hackers would show their best stuff to others, to be hired by some corp or to have respect. Others would use it for protest reasons in an artistic way. But after all, the social critic would be a lot more important part of this digital art.

 

[blank_redge]

Hm. While I expect graf to appear in at least one, if not multiple forms in this game: are people hoping for a player controlled graffiti mechanic? ?

While I think it'd be pretty cool, I certainly don't hold any hope for a player controlled graf mechanic in the game. Graf culture is a pretty big world, all on its own, and I wouldn't want CDPR to put in a half-baked mechanic, as in Saints Row 2 or Jet Set Radio Future.

Tangential to the discussion: I think it'd be cool if CDPR commissioned some high profile artists like Banksy, Invader, or Fairey to do some work for the game. =D

 

[Garrison72]

I see easter egg opportunities galore with Graffiti. And I'm all for being able to vandalize a building or two.

 

[blank_redge]

I dunno; with the various styles of graf:

slap-tagging
stencil
rattlecan

among others, I wonder if CDPR is interesting in making a player controlled graf mechanic, let alone making one that isn't hokey.

I think the two styles that would be most plausible in a video game setting (as far as player controlled) would be slap-tagging and stencil. You'd create your work beforehand, and then proliferate your mark around town, until your paint / tags are used up for the night. Every game mechanic I've seen to date for just straight rattlecan work has, again, been pretty hokey and cheesy.


On the tech graf front: I'd imagine most of the displays are either fed via hardline, or transmitted. For that, I envision either a device that co-opts the broadcast bandwith, to play your custom graf, or otherwise compromising the hardline to broadcast your graf.

 

[d1am0ndback]

I've read somewhere how Netrunners tag and deface corporations on the interface.

I would love a simple graffiti mechanic for gangs to mark their territory. Other than that, I hope there is an NPC like Banksy who is responsible for all the anarchistic art around the city.

 

[blank_redge]

I hope there is an NPC like Banksy who is responsible for all the anarchistic art around the city.

/co-signed x1000 =)

 

[wisdom000]

Hm. While I expect graf to appear in at least one, if not multiple forms in this game: are people hoping for a player controlled graffiti mechanic? ?

While I think it'd be pretty cool, I certainly don't hold any hope for a player controlled graf mechanic in the game. Graf culture is a pretty big world, all on its own, and I wouldn't want CDPR to put in a half-baked mechanic, as in Saints Row 2 or Jet Set Radio Future.

Tangential to the discussion: I think it'd be cool if CDPR commissioned some high profile artists like Banksy, Invader, or Fairey to do some work for the game. =D

I agree with everything you said except the last part... just like with voice actors, I would prefer CDPR not waste their money on celebrities... especially hen their are plenty of extremely talented people looking for work and exposure.

I recently read, while looking for video game budget numbers (this is surprisingly difficult to find specific information on) that the majority of the budget for video games in spent on advertising and promotion...

Someone even claimed that of the 100 million spent on GTA4, only 20 million of that actually went into the game, the rest was used on the massive ad campaigns...

For anyone in the know, is there any truth to that?

 

[kingbrendarr]

I dunno; with the various styles of graf:

slap-tagging
stencil
rattlecan

among others, I wonder if CDPR is interesting in making a player controlled graf mechanic, let alone making one that isn't hokey.

I think the two styles that would be most plausible in a video game setting (as far as player controlled) would be slap-tagging and stencil. You'd create your work beforehand, and then proliferate your mark around town, until your paint / tags are used up for the night. Every game mechanic I've seen to date for just straight rattlecan work has, again, been pretty hokey and cheesy.


On the tech graf front: I'd imagine most of the displays are either fed via hardline, or transmitted. For that, I envision either a device that co-opts the broadcast bandwith, to play your custom graf, or otherwise compromising the hardline to broadcast your graf.

just a quick thank you for giving me a little more perspective. Here is what I thought of after reading your posts

Slap tagging with high tech is pretty close to what you describe (in my vision) if you want to create maximum effect then yes you co op or piggy back a signal to tag. Or of course it could just be a tag that looks much cooler in augmented reality.

Stencil is very cool now that you got my mind racing on the idea. reshaping a signal in a pre designed format would be soooo very cool

and I agree. Rattle can has been done poorly so I will think longer on it

 

[vexslasher]

I think it would be cool if the game had a sort of futuristic spray paint. It could send out a hologram replica of it's self that might look cool or maybe a hologram that would go onto the floor near it, or maybe just like a slight aura coming off of it. Anyone of these effects would make it seem like cooler more futuristic paint.

I have have thrown together a few images depicting my ideas.