Halting State

Halting State showcases a variety of very plausible near-future technologies. Metaverses, “specs,” and alternate reality games in particular are based on technology intrinsic to today’s society such as social networking tools, head-up displays and massively multiplayer online games.
“CopSpace” is a metaverse, which interacts with reality in a similar way to Google Earth. Google Earth is a software program that allows the user to view satellite imagery of the majority of earth, composited onto a zoomable globe, navigable by latitude, longitude, address, and landmark. Keyhole Markup Language can be used to create interactive visual location-specific information. Markers can be placed over points of interest that expand to display a customizable amount of information when the user clicks on them. Transparent overlays can be applied to current map imagery to compare social and historical trends based on geography. There is even an overlay available which shows a historical photograph of the 99th Street School and the community surrounding it, which was build over Love Canal – a site used as a dumping ground for 21,000 tons of toxic waste. The area since then has been declared unfit for humans to live in.
CopSpace also provides location specific information similar to Google Earth. Markers can be added to places that can be expanded to display additional information. Additionally, it also records any interactions that an officer may have throughout the day – not only with superiors but also with potential witnesses and suspects, eliminating the need for videotapes or cassette recording technology, or even written records. Information that would normally require database access can be shown in an officer’s visual field, via head up displays, so that one is able to access information with as little effort as possible. Unfortunately, in highly populated areas, this can get confusing: “You blink back red overlays - the airport is a kaleidoscopic blur of too much information in CopSpace...”
The extension of cell phone usage in Halting State is also worth noting. Cell phones now record interactions, as well as track its users locations. Spooks is an ARG that is played via anonymous cell phone conversations, in a manner somewhat similar to Live Action Role Playing, but on a 24/7 real time global scale. The contrast between the new forms of entertainment and infringement of one’s privacy rights via cell phone usage is somewhat ironic, and very realistic as we are able to recall news stories about missing people being discovered via triangulation of their cell phone signal.