New free-to-play 'X-Files' game raises some red flags
The game is called The X-Files: Deep State, and FoxNext is the publisher. Friends, this is what normalization looks like.
The actual game is a free-to-play "mystery investigation" for Android/iOS and Facebook. It's a tie-in for the incoming 11th season of The X-Files, which arrives on Jan. 3, 2018. The surface-details-only announcement is exactly the sort of thing we'd normally skip right over, but that subtitle sets off alarm bells.
For those who might not know, the "deep state" is a crackpot conspiracy theory often embraced by political extremists. It's also, in recent months, been a rallying cry wielded by controversial public figures like Donald Trump and his Minister of Propaganda Fox News host Sean Hannity.
The conspiracy theory goes like this: There exists within the U.S. government a second "shadow" government of individuals working behind the scenes to influence policy without any regard for the democratic process. In the era of Trump, the deep state has evolved into a secret insider movement working specifically to derail the current presidency.
Most level-headed individuals -- on both sides of the political spectrum -- dismiss the notion of a deep state, especially as it relates to some secret effort to bring down Trump. But fringe media figures continue to crow about it, and Hannity's repeated warnings have given the idea an unfortunate air of legitimacy.
Now we have this X-Files game incoming with a Deep State subtitle, and from a Fox-owned publisher. While it's true that X-Files as a series has always toyed with known conspiracy theories, there's an inescapable nod here to the politics of the moment. You simply can't reference something like "deep state" in 2017 without accepting all the current events baggage that comes with it.
Now, let's be clear: This isn't a political firestorm waiting to happen. That's the whole problem, really. The normalization of fringe ideas that's been underway since before Trump even announced his candidacy is an insidious process. This is just one more step in a dark direction.
A title that references the "deep state" keeps what most objectively agree is ridiculous conspiracy nonsense squarely in the public's consciousness. It's a form of subliminal messaging. Whether or not you buy the idea itself, references to it in more official venues start to seem normal because of examples like this game.
When you see people issuing warnings about some idea or another becoming normalized, this is exactly the sort of thing they're talking about. It doesn't matter if it's Trump re-tweeting virulent racists or a seemingly innocent game title that references a hot-button conversation of the moment; they're both normalizing ideas that have no place in reasonable circles of discussion.
What you're reading here isn't some call for a boycott or anything like that. It's a reminder to keep your eyes wide open and be aware of the forces -- the subtle, as well as the overt -- that are constantly pulling at you during these challenging times.
Topics Gaming
Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
