Bodies are incredibly complex organisms that often defy comprehension, but in the world of 'Homo Machina', a new mobile game from publisher ARTE, the body performs in a perfectly predictable and understandable manner. The game casts players as the operators and laborers who run the industrial machinery of the human body, controlling a vast array of dials, levers, and gears to run everything that a macro man does throughout the course of a day.
Biology and industry are often framed as being at odds with one another, but there's a certain potency to the image of the body as an industrial system. That metaphor was explicitly made by Fritz Kahn, a science writer who's work Homo Machina is based off of. In the early 20th century, Kahn created illustrations to show the inner working of the human body, using cartoon's based on industry to make his points clearer.
Industrially Corporeal Games
'Homo Machina' Presents a Human Body as a Complex Machine
Trend Themes
1. Biology-industry Integration - The incorporation of industrial concepts into the understanding and depiction of biological systems.
2. Human Body Simulation - Mobile games that allow players to simulate and control the inner workings of the human body.
3. Metaphorical Illustrations in Science - The use of visual metaphors, such as industry and machinery, to explain complex scientific concepts.
Industry Implications
1. Mobile Gaming - Opportunities to develop and market simulation games that offer a unique and educational perspective on the human body.
2. Educational Publishing - Creating interactive educational materials that utilize metaphorical and relatable concepts to engage learners in understanding complex subjects like biology.
3. Science Communication - Creating visually captivating illustrations and animations to effectively communicate complex scientific ideas to a wide audience.