"Remembering the Quirky Internet: How Video Games Pay Tribute"

Video games are evoking nostalgia for the old, quirky internet of the 1990s and early 2000s, with titles like Videoverse, Hypnospace Outlaw, and Darkweb Streamer recreating the experience of browsing through forums and chat interfaces reminiscent of AIM or MSN. Developers and players mourn the loss of independent online communities and creativity, as the internet has shifted towards homogenized social media feeds and corporate interests, reminiscent of a "bulldozer" destroying sustainable ecosystems. Chantal Ryan, lead developer of Darkweb Streamer, draws from her research on past online habitats and her experiences in the early Halo 2 esports scene to create a horror simulation game that merges the perils of modern streaming with the '90s internet.