Superstruct: Saving the Species in 2019

I’m borrowing shamelessly from Greg Verdino’s excellent blog post today about Superstruct, a new MMORPG developed not by one of the big game factories but by a think tank called the Institute of the Future. It lays out a grim view of the world by 2019.

Here’s your challenge, according to the Institute: “Chronicle the dark world of 2019. Then help us figure out how to fix it.” Catch: You have to do it by 2042, the year a giant supercomputer predicts humans will become extinct.

Your mission, should you decide to accept it (as someone who will be 85 in 2042, and probably in no position to help, I hope you will) includes these scenarios:

1. The world is fighting over alternative fuels to replace oil.
2. Hackers, griefers and gamers are disrupting the networks that hold our societies together
3. Disease outbreaks are routine; Respiratory Distress Syndrome is a fact of life now.
4. Come up with new foods to feed a starving planet.
5. Your country is overrun by refugees from climate change and economic collapse.

The game launches Sept. 22. Sign up to get an email announcement, and get your problem-solving game on.