Metapet was an online game developed by Action Tank—a collective consisting of Natalie Bookchin and Jin Lee—which explored the complex social and political issues surrounding genetic engineering and corporate practice. The player’s task was to act as a manager to a genetically engineered human being (a cross between a domestic dog and a corporate employee) called the “worker-pet.” The player, at the center of an intricate matrix of corporate biotech culture, was thus able to vicariously experience a complicit role.

As such, this Internet game playfully confronted three cultural behemoths: the biotechnology industry, the electronic gaming industry, and corporate culture at large.

Image by Action Tank

Action Tank

Metapet

Online

2002